Situated in the southern part of India, Bangalore is the capital of the state of Karnataka, and ranks as one of the fastest-growing cities in Asia.
Boasting a pleasant climate, friendly people and a highly educated population, Bangalore is the emblem for India’s quickly rising technical prowess and economic power. Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, called it "India's city of the future.”
Bangalore is in the midst of an official renaming to “Bengalooru,” but no matter what it’s called, the world will equate Bangalore with Indian high-tech for years to come.
When it comes to meetings, it’s important to note that this “city of the future” isn’t fashioned solely out of silicon and glass, as it’s also known as the Garden City of India because of its many gardens and boulevards. Many even call it The Pub City because of its active tavern culture. In other words, there’s a whole lot of places to relax and play in hard-working Bangalore.
HAL Bangalore airport is India’s third-busiest, with more than 300 incoming and outgoing flights every day. In 2008, however, Bangalore International Airport is scheduled to open 18 miles south of the city and serve as another air hub.
Rather than trying to keep the airport as disconnected from the city as possible, planners have said they hope to turn the new airport area into a small city of its own with much more than the usual airport hotels and huge fields of parking lots. And, good news for future travelers, there are plans for a direct rail connection to Bangalore’s city center.
Once in Bangalore, there are plenty of ways to get around, including air-conditioned public buses and a wealth of charter bus companies. But the most fun for attendees will probably be its auto rickshaws--four-wheeled open-air minitrucks that will shuttle people around for a fraction of the cost of regular taxis.
In addition to the private conference centers that many high-tech companies use for meetings, two standout facilities in Bangalore are the the Hotel Harsha and Convention Center, an 80-room property with ample meeting space, and the NIMHANS Convention Centre, a favorite for large high-tech events.
There are a number of first-class hotel accomodations in Bangalore. Upper-end properties include Le Meridien, the Taj Residency and the Oberoi Hotel. One thing for planners to know is that becuase Bangalore is such a popular business destination for global companies, the past few years have usually seen it in the top five list of highest average room rates in the world. As of this writing, the average room rate was in the $320 per night range.
With business travelers coming from all corners of the globe, a bustling restaurant and services industry is well established to give travelers all the comforts of home. Whether it’s a bowl of steaming noodles for travelers from Shanghai, fresh sushi for Japanese salarymen, or mac and cheese for an American hungry for comfort food, Bangalore has it.
Home of India’s fastest-growing economic center and most-active stock exchange, the City of the Future label is no exagerration. If your groups include high tech, or, increasingly strong in Bangalore, biotech, India’s miracle may very well be in your future, too.
