India Nightlife Convention And Awards’ Concludes Its Third Edition

The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and Kickstart Entertainment in association with Budweiser Experiences and Johnnie Walker – The Journey executed the 3rd Edition of the India Nightlife Convention and Awards (INCA) on 15^th and 16^th September 2018 at Shangri-La’s Eros, Janpath, New Delhi. The convention not only showcased the ever-evolving and dynamic nightlife culture by highlighting the industry’s accomplishments but also promoted a sense of brotherhood among the industry’s most influential hospitality entrepreneurs and specialists. This year the two-day convention was encompassed of workshops & panel discussions followed by the Awards to felicitate the best in the Hospitality and nightlife industry.

Endorsing the nightlife culture in India, stalwarts of the hospitality industry such as Riyaaz Amlani, AD Singh, Rahul Singh, Chef Manu Chandra, Chef Vicky Ratnani, Chef Saransh Golia and other influential individuals came together to mingle, imbibe a sense of fraternity and showcase the best that the Indian bars and nightlife have to offer for this 2-day national business convention. Celebrities like Shveta Salve, Faye D’Souza, Saransh Goila etc, marked their presence to support the convention.

Prolific personalities from around the world such as Mirik Milan ( Former Night Mayor of Amsterdam ), Lutz Leichsenring ( Club Commission of Berlin ), Hideyuki Yukoi aka Zeebra ( Night Ambassador of Shibuya City, Tokyo) , Joaquim Boadas De Quintana ( Secretary General – International Nightlife Association ) especially flew down to New Delhi to share their insights, divulge secrets and bring in a global perspective and help identify trends for making a vibrant and profitable nightlife and bar culture in the country.

Day 1 started with the ‘30under30’ workshop. It was a very informative and interesting roundtable workshop that brought together young stakeholders from India’s music, nightlife and hospitality scene to build a constructive and informative dialogue about the future on nightlife culture in the country. The workshop was hosted by Lutz Leichsenring (Club Commissioner, Berlin and Co-Founder of VibeLab). A comprehensive set of City Awards were awarded at the end of the Day 1.

The second day on the convention was led by moderators like Rahul Singh (President, NRAI), Chef Saransh Goila, Faye D’Souza (Executive Editor, MIRROR NOW)  and Deepali Gupta (Co-Founder, Slate Consulting/Author – Times Nightlife Guide). Important topics touched on in this last but dynamic panel were – ‘Bar Food Trends’, ‘When Life Gives You Lemon, Add Tequila’, ‘Changing Tides: The Rise of Cocktail Bars’, ’The  Women of Nightlife’ and more were discussed followed by the most awaited ‘Awards Night’ where finalists were recognized at both the regional and national level after being judged by 130 jury members across India.

Some of the National winners were:

Best Night Club – Kitty Su, The Lalit, New Delhi

Best Bar in a Hotel – Rockpool, W Goa

Best Bar Chain – Social

Best Beer Café – Toit, Bangalore

Best Bar for Cocktails – KOKO Asian Gastropub, Mumbai

Best Resto-Bar – Olive Bar & Kitchen, Mumbai

Best Sports Bar – SMAAASH, Delhi NCR

Best Bar Food – Slink & Bardot, Mumbai

Best Bar for Wines – The Wine Company, Gurgaon

Best Concept Bar – The Bar Stock Exchange, Mumbai

Best Café Bar – Perch Wine and Coffee Bar, Delhi NCR

Best Bar of the year – Social    

About INCA – It is the first ever platform specifically designed to experience, celebrate and recognise the providers of the nightlife entertainment in India. It aims to establish itself as the first mover in the category with a long-term commitment from trade bodies creating a revolution. Being one of the largest revenue and employment generators in the service industry but not receiving the deserved gratification, INCA endeavours to promote accessibility, ideation, cross-pollination and development of a mutually inspiring community within the industry.