Nightlife Industry Professionals Convene at the First Edition of INCA in Mumbai

by  EVENTFAQS Bureau Marketing | October 7, 2016 | News

INCA The St.Regis Mumbai Kubra Sait Nitin Mirani

The first ever India Nightlife Convention and Awards (INCA) took place on September 25 and 26, 2016. This intellectual property of Kickstart Entertainment and an initiative of NRAI was created to bring together and recognize one of India’s most vibrant and fastest growing industries - Nightlife. The event took place at the St. Regis, Mumbai.

Day One began with a customary lighting of the lamp followed by a dynamic opening speech by Riyaaz Amlani, President, NRAI.  Yuva Sena Chief Aaditya Thackeray, the keynote rhetorician at the convention, came up on stage next and discussed his plans to help revive the nightlife of the city through amending necessary laws and lobbying for Mumbai 24X7. Bollywood star Imran Khan who challenged the state government 5 years ago by filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), expressed his support for the improvement of the nightlife culture on the second day of the convention.

The key speakers at the convention were Bradley Drummond, Solutions Manager, Harman Nightlife; Ewan Gunn, Diageo Global Whisky Master; Alan Miller, Chairman & Founder, Night Time Industries Association; and Lutz Leichsenring, Club Commission Berlin.

Riyaaz Amlani, President, NRAI said, “India is a country with 701 million individuals under the age of 30 and need a figure to represent their thoughts and views. I am greatly encouraged by the positive step being taken by the Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray supporting our industry and the youth, lobbying for 24X7 nightlife in Mumbai.  This is the necessary impetus required to take our industry to the next level in terms of revenue, tourism and safety and security of the nightlife patrons.”

The convention covered various topics like differentiation of products, programming sessions with respect to the live music scene, sound solutions for existing and new places, discussions about crafted beer and how liquor brands can help you build your business, pop up clubs, the rising trend of speakeasies and the new Indian palette.

The convention was followed by the awards on the night of September 26, recognizing the best from the bar and nightlife industry. Celebrities who attended included were Varun Dhawan, Purab Kholi, Dino Morea, Arjan Bajwa, Siddharth Kapoor, Minissha Lamba, Mohommed Morani, Devraj Sanyal, Anu Malik, Sameer Kocchar, Bosco Martis, Narayani Shastri, Ken Ghosh, Vikram Raizada, Carlton Braganza, Pankil Shah, DJ Clement, Zorawar Kalra, Rajeev Samant, Vicky Ratnani,  Ryan and Keenan Tham, Reshma Merchant, Manasi Scott, Tanuj Garg, Akashdeep Sabir, Fernando Pinto, Priyank Sukhija Freyan Bhathena, Nitesh Chhapru, Karan Bawa, Ash Chandler, Natasha Suri, Tapur Chaterjee, Salil Chaturvedi, Owen Roncon, Sameer Kochchar, Narayani Shastri and many more.

The event was hosted by Kubra Sait and Nitin Mirani.

Also present were members of the Advisory Board including Riyaaz Amlani, President, NRAI & CEO/MD, Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt Ltd; AD Singh, Owner, Olive Bar &  Kitchen Pvt Ltd; Dilip Joshi, Consultant for Restaurants, bars, nightclubs &, Lounges; Kishore DF, Director, Another Drop Hospitality; David D'Souza, Owner, Tito’s Goa; and Jay Singh, Co-Founder and Executive Director, JSM Corporation Pvt Ltd; Gaurav Gupta, Danke Exim India Pvt Ltd; and Aman Anand, Director INCA / Kickstart Entertainment.

After the Awards, the guests proceeded to party till the early hours of the morning, dancing to the DJ’s eclectic tunes.

Talking about having organised the first edition of INCA, Aman Anand, Director, Kickstart Entertainment said, “We are proud to have presented a huge prospect to the industry enthusiasts, helping them gain insights from the personal experiences of Indian and Internationally renowned speakers, as well as felicitating the best in the bar and nightlife industry. The event attracted attendees from across India and assisted the nightlife peers to connect and develop a larger and more focused social network.”

On the response to it and plans for growth, Nemish Sanghvi, COO, Kickstart Entertainment added, “The response was overwhelming; to see 350 people ready for a business convention on Sunday morning was outstanding. The business of nightlife is growing and we as a platform will only be there to consolidate, gratify and adhere to best practices across the genre. INCA 2017 is going to be bigger, brighter and better! "

Appreciating partners and sponsors of the first ever INCA, Anand and Sanghvi said, “We would like to thank all our sponsors who supported us in our endeavours, especially in Year One: Danke, Johnnie Walker - The Journey, Harman, Dine Out, Miss Malini, Universal Music, Aspri Spirits, Marim bula, Ernst & Young, id8 media Solutions, A Brand New Day, Neo Juris, Rain or Shine, Alpha Q, Headset Productions, EVENTFAQS, and Chandon.