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On Mon, 10 Mar 2003, "vicki <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>" wrote: Goa being looked at as next IFW venue NANDINI RAGHAVENDRA TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ SUNDAY, MARCH 09, 2003 04:09:51 AM ] MUMBAI: For years, the Indian fashion has famously taken inspiration from the runways of Paris and Milan. If Armani could hit the beach for his Fall-Winter styles, what�s wrong with our own Ashish Soni trekking to Goa? Well, the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) has just had a lightbulb oment. The next India Fashion week may just be held in Goa. And guess what�s the trigger? The bottomline. Even as the battle of sponsorship for the India Fashion Week (IFW) goes into the final week at the organiser�s offices in Delhi, and whispers of whether the models will walk the ramp in India�s political or commercial capital is being debated, FDCI director Vinod Kaul throws a googly. �Goa is also being looked at as a venue option for the 2003 IFW,� he said, speaking exclusively to The ET while on a visit to Mumbai on his way back from Goa.However, he adds that the Maharashtra chief minister too has been forthcoming, as has Delhi�s. The pendulum will swing in favour of whoever offers the best deal. �We need entertainment tax exemption, but logistics, communications, space and retail will also be important factors in deciding the venue,� said Kaul. With the current rate of entertainment tax of 45 per cent on events, Mumbai would be the most expensive ramp for FDCI, while Delhi runs a close second with 30 per cent. Goa, on the other hand, has no entertainment tax for non-ticketed shows. The IFW, a �by invitation� show, does not face this problem. �I met Goa�s chief minister and also looked at the Kala Akademi, designed by Charles Correa, which is beautiful. They have a seating capacity of 900, besides a lot of attached rooms,� says the FDCI director, adding that hotel rooms while not being a problem may raise a logistics problem of distance. But he sounded pretty positive on the venue, and named some hospitality chains like the Marriott, with which tie-ups could be possible. For an event which attracts up to 15,000 visitors, wouldn�t Goa may be a bit of a deterrent? �In fact, a venue like this would make it a very focused event,� says Kaul, while emphasising that Mumbai and Delhi aren�t out of the reckoning yet. For the designers, who mostly hail from Delhi, the capital may be ideal from a travel and logistics point of view; but Mumbai would be more lucrative for retail purposes. Lakmi had sponsored the IFW ever since its inception, three years ago. The Ides of March will prove decisive as the FDCI board meets and discusses which venue and sponsor will suit the equity which has been built over the last three IFWs. �The criteria for the sponsor is not mainly money. While the stakes have risen from last year, we�ve to look at the synergy of the brand with the Fashion Week and the people. Any brand that has a negative impact on the equity of IFW will certainly not be considered. Each factor will have its own weightage,� says Kaul. __________________________________________________________ Get your FREE personalized e-mail at http://www.canada.com _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.goanet.org/mailman/listinfo/goanet
