WTC Attacks Affect Asia's Shopping Fest

What has been touted as Asia's biggest shopping festival, the Great Mall of Hyderabad: The Royal Indian Shopping Adventure, could be one of first casualties here of the September 11 WTC attacks, that has rendered it a largely local affair, with both international participants and visitors reconsidering their plans.

While organisers Ogilvy Live are knocking on the doors of insurance companies and finalising a cover for the Rs 18 crore shopping festival, being held here from October 13 to November 14 here, the impending war situation has prompted most of the 14 shortlisted countries to put on hold participation plans.

Only five countries -- Dubai, Iran, Malaysia, Korea and Japan, have confirmed participation, while nine others including Belgium, Switzerland, France and Australia are yet to sign up for the festival being jointly organised by the the Andhra Pradesh government, Mr Gautam Mukerjea, Oglivy Live national head told ET.

And, the mood is yet upbeat in the Ogilvy camp. With confirmation pending from most international participants, the company is looking at local waitlisted companies and businesses to fill four exhibition pavilions -- global, India, Hyderabad, and entertainment -- spread over 110 acres at the NAC grounds.

The company has secured sponsorships worth Rs 6.5 crores from companies like ITC, Tatas, Apollo group, and John&Johnson, for cultural and entertainment events of the month-long festival, and expects to raise Rs 4-5 crores from participant stall rentals. And despite the WTC attacks affecting plans of many an international and NRI visitors, the company says it expects at least three million visitors, albeit local, which it's targeting to raise Rs 7-8 crores as ticketing revenues. "It doesn't matter whether we make or lose money, or it does matter to some extent, but what's of greater important is that we get the festival right, and turn the concept into a product that we can sell next year to participants and sponsors, as this will be an annual event. The company is looking long-term," Mr Mukerjea said.

Let's face the reality. When we hit the market with the first festival, we don't expect to see the entire country coming in here, but we are certainly looking at attracting next year the large number of people who are preferring to "wait and watch" this year, he said.

The company hopes the sales tax exemption during the festival will attract and make the event a success as will the 15 cultural and entertainment shows like fashion shows, Bollywood nites and ghazal renditions etc lined up for evenings, for which it is roping in big stars of the industry.

It's also trying to lure with other festival-long attractions like bungee jumping, hot air baloon rides, adventure sports zone, movies, waterfront discotheques and pubs, and a midnight bazaar at Shilparamam. The festival has also roped in five celebrities as brand ambassadors -- former Miss World Diana Hayden, badminton champion P Gopichand, Ghazal singer Talat Aziz, animal rights activist Amala Akkineni, and Shehnaz Hussain.