The inaugural edition of Melange 2024 by MTF Events concluded with an overwhelming response from exhibitors, visitors, and invitees alike. The event took place on September 19th and 20th, 2024, at the Jio Convention Centre in Mumbai. This two-day exhibition showcased a diverse array of participants from various trade sectors. What set this trade show apart was its standardized and all-inclusive stall approach, which allowed exhibitors to avoid high costs and the hassle of building custom booths from scratch.
This unique trade exhibition was conceptualized and brought to life by three well-known industry figures: Pradip Saaboo, Managing Director of Guideline Travels Holidays India Pvt. Ltd.; Rajat Bagaria, Managing Director of Shrishti Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd.; and Sameer Karnani, Owner of Arunodaya Travels.
Pradip Saaboo, Co-Founder at MTF Events, mentioned to T3 that Melange is a different concept, providing exhibitors with a platform to meet only selected and scrutinized B2C buyers. “Besides, we wanted to offer our exhibitors a standardized stall format, which we have produced and designed for them. This helped reduce the cost and time for the exhibitors, and these two features make Melange unique. We have received superb feedback from exhibitors and excellent footfall from buyers as well. Some of our exhibitors want to book stalls and participate with us for the next edition immediately,” expressed Saaboo.
Co-Founder at MTF Events, Sameer Karnani, also added that the show surpassed their expectations. The initial expectation was about 2,000 buyers over the two days, but figures crossed 1,500 on Day 1 alone. He further added, “We had around 126 exhibitors participating, including a mix of tourism boards, airlines, DMCs, and both domestic and international hoteliers. Melange is different from other trade fairs; we restrict and screen our buyers, allowing entry only for B2C players.”
When asked about the idea behind Melange, MTF Events Co-Founder Rajat Bagaria shared that the goal was to provide a one-point cost to exhibitors, with standardized and well-set booths for all. “Exhibitors did not have to worry about food, booth setup, or other miscellaneous attributes. Airlines and hoteliers could only walk in if they were exhibiting. We also hosted buyers from Surat, Ahmedabad, Pune, and Nashik. We planned entertaining surprises throughout the show and did our best to make the event hassle-free,” noted Bagaria.
T3 also spoke with the platinum partners of Melange 2024, including Vishal Somaiya, Director and Group CEO of One Above Destination Management Services, who shared his insights. “As we expected, Melange 2024 has been wonderful, and the footfall has been great. The event is focused; unlike other trade fairs, the buyers we attracted to Melange are genuine and dedicated. Hats off to the team behind this great show,” expressed Somaiya.
Hardik Mehta, Owner of Urvi Luxury Destinations, mentioned, “This is a new concept that the Melange team developed to support the Mumbai travel trade fraternity. We are at Melange to help travel agents grow their businesses. The crowd and response at the first edition of Melange have surpassed our expectations.”
Aashish Bhatt, Senior Manager of Products at Ottila International, also noted that the biggest difference is the filtration process, with Melange restricting entry to genuine buyers. “The people behind Melange are from the travel trade fraternity and understand the requirements from both perspectives: buyers and sellers,” shared Bhatt. “There is uniformity in the setup format; from food to minute details, everything has been taken care of.”
With heightened anticipation for the second edition, MTF Events has announced the dates for Mélange 2025, scheduled for September 20th and 21st, 2025. The event will take place at NESCO, promising an even better experience for both exhibitors and visitors.
