Chennai Trade Center

Eduardon

Chennai Trade Center is a permanent exhibition complex in Nandambakkam , Chennai , hosting multiple trade fairs and conventions round the year. India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) -the first trade promotion agency of the Government of India , Ministry of Commerce and Industry-outside Delhi . [1] A joint initiative of the ITPO and the Tamil Nadu Trade Promotion Organization, which holds 51 and 49 percent stakes respectively, the Trade Center was designed by CR Narayan Rao, [2]and was commissioned in January 2001, while the convention center was commissioned on November 1, 2004. The exhibition hall was built at an estimated cost of $ 23 crore and the convention center at a cost of $ 22 crore. [3] Together, these centers cover 10,560 sqm and are fully booked for 75 days in a year. [4] Built over an area of 25.48 acres, the center included four modules of 4,400 m 2 Each of exhibition halls and media services to be built in a phased Manner. [5] In the first phase, two air-conditioned halls with pillars or columns encompassing areas of 5,000 m 2 and 1,850 m 2were constructed. There are three halls, viz, Hall No. 1 (4,400 m 2 ), Hall No. 2 (1,760 m 2 ) and Hall No. 3 (4,400 m 2 ). The halls feature a height of 6 meters to display all merchandise including machinery. These have been supplemented recently with a modern, fully air-conditioned convention center . All the halls are inter-linked, and Hall No. 3 is connected with the convention center. The convention center can accommodate 1,500 participants with a provision for dividing the hall on two equal parts and has an audiovisualfacility for multi-purpose use such as conferences, conventions, cultural shows, and so forth. The Chennai Trade Center is managed by the Tamil Nadu Trade Promotion Organization (TNTPO), a joint venture of ITPO and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO).

 

Location

The Chennai Trade Center is located in Nandambakkam on the arterial Mount-Poonamallee Road . It lies in the northern fringe of the Chennai Airport at a distance of about 6 km from the airport and 1.5 km from the Kathipara Junction . The nearest railway station is St Thomas Mount Railway Station of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network .

Facilities

The Trade Center is 6,714 m 2 which includes a multi-purpose hall of 1,900 m 2 , a stage of 500 m 2 , a banquet hall of 750 m 2 , a lounge of 269 m 2 , and business and meeting rooms. The multi-purpose hall can accommodate 1,500 people. The open plaza at the entrance is about 800 m 2 with a uniquely designed porch. There are also VIP lounges / rooms and green rooms for the stage performers. [6]

The convention center is sliding partition, infra-red digital interpretation systems, theatrical lighting system, fire protection with sprinklers and smoke detectors , modern audio and video system, meeting rooms, banquet hall , VIP protocol and lounge, business center , information booth, parking facilities, multi-screen backdrops with cyclorama screen and multiple interpretation facility for 1 + 5 languages, video projector facility, integrated remote control for internship lightings, video and audio.

The Chennai Convention Center, with 67,000 sq ft of air-conditioned space and 75,000 sq ft of lawns, provides conferencing and banqueting space from 250 sq ft to 20,000 sq ft to accommodate 25 to 2,000 persons.

Other features of the Trade Center include a couple of 1,000 kVA transformers with a couple of HT feeders and 100% stand-by generators, 200 lines with Department of Telecom (DoT) exchange for telephone facilities, [7] heavy-duty flooring with a bearing capacity of approximately 5 tons per square meter and sewage treatment plant.

In 2009, 135 events were held at the venue and the three halls and convention centers were used for 279 days in the year. [8] In 2010, 84 exhibitions and 107 conventions were held occupying 357 days as against a solitary show in 2001. [9] [10]

The annual international leather fair is a permanent fixture at the exhibition center. [7]

The performance of the exhibition center is shown in the table below: [3]

year Number of
events		 Number of
occupancy days		 Total area
(in m 2 )		 Revenue
(in crore ₹ )
2001-02 18 88 43.211 3.1472
2002-03 28 125 2,41,866 5.1229
2003-04 35 156 4,33,072 6.1758
2004-05 41 220 6,06,254 7.2865
2005-06 38 217 5,74,583 6.9771
2006-07 [11] 49 85

From the day of ict inception till March 2005, the convention center hosted 25 events with an occupancy of 38 days Generating a revenue of ₹ 70.21 lakhs. During 2005-06, it hosted 80 events with 130 occupancy days Generating a revenue of ₹ 2.3473 crore. [3]

Expansion plans

ITPO has acquired an additional 10 acres of Tamil Nadu government for the expansion of the Chennai Trade Center. There are plans to add about 10,000 m 2 with two more halls and to double the exhibition area at a cost of ₹100 crore. [12] [13]

Former Deputy Chief Minister MK Stalin launched the ₹ 250 crore expansion work of the Chennai Trade Center on 26 February 2011. The expansion work will begin in July 2011 and will be completed in March 2013. It includes the construction of six air-conditioned exhibition halls , each on 66,000 sq. ft., on each of the two floors, and a basement parking facility of 74,000 sq. ft. with a capacity to accommodate 2,000 cars and an equal number of two-wheelers. [14] Taamaesek Engineering Consortium have been appointed consultants for expansion work. [15]

References

  1. Jump up^ ITPO. “Chennai Trade Center – A Profile” . India Trade Promotion Organization. Archived from the original on 16 November 2012 . Retrieved 15 Oct 2011 .
  2. Jump up^ “Chennai Trade Center-Chennai” . Dorma . Retrieved 15 Oct 2011 .
  3. ^ Jump up to:a b c “Tamil Nadu Trade Promotion Organization” . Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Ltd . Retrieved 15 Oct 2011 .
  4. Jump up^ Anand, N. (2 February 2012). “Expansion of Chennai Trade Center: bid to clear hurdles” . The Hindu . Chennai: The Hindu . Retrieved 7 Feb2012 .
  5. Jump up^ “Chennai Trade Center: An Ideal Location for Aahar” . FnBnews.com . FnB News . Retrieved 15 Oct 2011 .
  6. Jump up^ “Chennai Trade Center” . nTradeshows . Retrieved 15 Oct 2011 .
  7. ^ Jump up to:a b Ramakrishnan, N. (19 August 2002). “Chennai Trade Center has hit as exhibition come” . Business Line. Chennai: The Hindu . Retrieved 15 Oct 2011 .
  8. Jump up^ “Chennai Trade Center looking to double floor capacity” . The Hindu. Chennai: The Hindu. February 1, 2010 . Retrieved 15 Oct 2011 .
  9. Jump up^ PTI (26 February 2011). “Chennai Trade Center expansion launches” . Business Line. Chennai: The Hindu . Retrieved 15 Oct 2011 .
  10. Jump up^ “Chennai Trade Center expansion project inaugurated by Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister Thiru.MK Stalin” (pdf) . Press Release No. 186 . DIPR, Chennai. February 26, 2011 . Retrieved 15 Oct 2011 .
  11. Jump up^ “India Trade Promotion Organization” . AAHAR 27th International Food & Hospitality Fair . Aahar International. Archived from the originalon 4 December 2010 . Retrieved 15 Oct 2011 .
  12. Jump up^ “Bangalore to get Rs 100 Crore Expo Center | ITPO | | Indian Express”. The New Indian Express . Retrieved 2010-11-12 .
  13. Jump up^ “Chennai Trade Center Expansion: bid to clear hurdles” . The Hindu . Chennai: The Hindu. February 2, 2012 . Retrieved 29 Feb 2012 .
  14. Jump up^ “Chennai Trade Center to be expanded” . The Hindu. Chennai: The Hindu. February 26, 2011 . Retrieved 15 Oct 2011 .
  15. Jump up^ “Stalin Launches Expansion Work of Chennai Trade Center” . MSN News . MSN News. February 26, 2011 . Retrieved 15 Oct 2011 .