Sumit and Manish Gandhi’s multidimensional expansion approach propels ACETECH into top league

Celebrating 25 years of business in the exhibition industry in the midst of a global pandemic may feel a little unsettling for some, but not for the Gandhi Brothers. Positive and determined, looking to the future, the company is focused on navigating its way through the worldwide pandemic, concentrating, more than ever on supporting exhibitors and delivering affordable, dependable shows and events, as the exhibition industry gets back into motion.

Looking back at an incredible legacy rooted in family-run business values, ABEC began its journey in 1996 and the down the years has positioned itself at the forefront of the Indian exhibition industry spearheaded by brothers, Sumit and Manish Gandhi, who have embodied their late father’s admirable work ethic to create an established brand with a worldwide repute. 

Being a family-run business ABEC soon came to be identified as being more stable, customer-oriented, accessible, and trustworthy. With a focused team force of over 300+ staff members across Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore the highly driven and entrepreneurial Gandhi Brothers adapted quickly to the needs of their exhibitors to grow ABEC and emerge as one of the biggest exhibition companies in India.

Transforming from their formative years, commissioning small confex events in the Oil & Gas sector, the brothers ensured that the business grew exponentially, churning out quality expos, in diverse segments, all round the year with the flagship architecture and design expo – ACETECH being the crown jewel. 

Now in its 15th year, ACETECH has grown to yield the highest turnover amongst all of ABEC’s exhibitions. In December 2020, ACETECH was once again conferred with the “The Leading Show: Building Materials & Construction” at the Exhibition Excellence Awards 2020. 

“We started our journey with ‘Times Glamour’, though the Oil and Gas property was already going on. In 2004, we launched education, property, and security and followed it with architecture and design in 2006. Today we are the largest home-made indigenous exhibition company in India,” says Sumit Gandhi. ‘Today, ACETECH ranks the third largest in the world in the building materials, design and architecture space,’ he adds.

Reminiscing how ACETECH came into being he explains, ‘We went to Germany, and amongst others, we visited the BAU in Munich. That’s when we decided that India needs a show like this, and we launched our expo here.’ 
While counterparts continue to fluctuate in their trade appeal, ACETECH has provided the industry and its more than 20,00,000+ customers with a much-needed mainstay across cities like - Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.

The single-minded emphasis on innovation is what has ensured that ACETECH delivers an endless stream of revenue and value to their exhibitors. ACETECH which is the third-largest expo in the world in the building materials, design and architecture space and now spread across more than 60,000+ square meters annually is testimony to the insistent focus on innovation.  

ACETECH has been carefully built as a brand over the years. Sumit explains, ‘There are 22 segments at the expo which includes flooring, lighting, air-conditioning, electricals, concrete, kitchens, hardware, glass, ceramics, marble and more. Exhibitors include the biggest brands who want to be visible, including Kajaria, Somany, Hindware, Godrej, Blue Star, Parryware, Roca, and Pidilite amongst others.’ 

The huge number of loyal visitors of ACETECH includes professionals from the architecture, building and construction industries. Architects, designers, interior designers, consultants in the industry, government agencies, hospitality, developers, purchase teams from India and abroad comprise a chunk of the visitors to the ACETECH show every year. ‘The vast ecosystem of building and architecture depends on a growing number of industry professionals to make it all work. ACETECH is the crossroads where this ecosystem intersects,” says Manish Gandhi. 

The show has diversified into a coherent range of segments such as Design Wall, Ace Interface, Ace Luxe, Ace Surfaces and now ACETECH 2021, which promises bigger, better and bolder networking opportunities, boasts participation from the best brands in the design & architecture industry space, showcasing avant-garde products and solutions.

 ‘Facilitating actual business and seeing deals to their logical end are one of the most fundamental objectives of the show,’ says Manish.

‘We are now seen as the single-window exhibition property that can help a brand establish itself in this market. Ours is the only platform in which a brand interested in the Indian market can get reactions to their product offerings first-hand from the kind of audience they are targeting,” says Sumit. 

Moreover, ACETECH is perfectly poised to act as a catalyst to the government’s vision and initiative of Smart Cities and Make in India, by bringing businesses together and providing a platform for international brands to test the waters in the Indian market.

Manish adds, ‘We never go out there and say that we have an exhibition or a workshop on offer. We always try and understand the objective of the brand in front of us. They may need a social media solution, an outdoor solution or a ground event. A massive 60,000 square meters, ACETECH is a must-visit for the industry.

The Gandhi Brothers’ vision for the near future is continued investment to further establish ABEC as the unrivalled exhibition company in various diverse segments and provide exhibitors an opportunity to engage with the trade community in a completely new dimension, given the encouraging rate of growth and conducive business environment of today. 

Sumit explains: ‘We are travelling all over the world and looking at various forums and formats with a view to bringing them to India. There are large shows in Cologne, Germany, Italy, and China. We are always on the lookout for new properties and new ideas that we can pick up, invest in and grow ourselves as well as the industry we serve.’

As ABEC sets itself up to ready a blueprint for 360-degree development, dramatic growth, and unrelenting innovation of its properties, the Gandhis hope to see the industry grow exponentially over the next few years, with determined efforts by indigenous players and with new talent. 

This is a featured content.