MAM
POP Asia ropes in international speakers; begins 20 Jan
MUMBAI: The first-of-its-kind exhibition cum conference on point – of – purchase advertising POP Asia 2005 will commence on January 20 and will go on till January 22 at Nehru Center, Mumbai. This first edition of POP Asia will address the requirements of all constituents of the point-of-purchase advertising value chain – brand marketers, advertising agencies, designers, visual merchandisers, service providers and retailers.
The seminar has also roped in international speakers like Martin Pegler, the renowned guru of visual merchandising and store design, as well as Martin Kingdon, POP Advertising International director general, UK and Ireland.
Pegler is one of the most respected authorities on visual merchandising and store design. His book Visual merchandising & Display is currently in its fourth edition and is still prescribed reading for students and professionals in the field. Kingdon on the other hand, has spoken extensively across the world on various aspects of the display market and specialises in the effectiveness of retail displays and layouts and also on brand and retailer attitudes to in-store communications.
According to Pegler, “POP industry has become the visual arm and now encompasses store design, visual merchandising, point of purchase, store construction and exhibit design. All the extensions of visual field are involved in presentation. It is all about making things look better and more desirable than they may actually be”.
Other well-known speakers include Raghu Pillai -RPG Enterprises retail sector president and CEO, HLL VP/head – personal wash business Gopal Vittal, ACNielsen ORG-MARG director client servicing Nehal Medha, RAMMS India director and president R Kannan and Ravi Poovaiah – Faculty in visual communication and product design at the Industrial Design Centre (IDC), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.
POP Asia 2005 will showcase the best and latest international trends in point-of-purchase advertising.This will be the first time that an event will bring the industry buyers and sellers into direct contact from across continents. This exhibition-cum-conference aims at being the ultimate destination of producers and end users of POP who will be provided a ready platform to forge mutually rewarding business partnerships.
The event has already confirmed participation from POP designers, POP manufacturers, sign makers, electronic signage makers, visual merchandising and store fixtures, creative agencies, exhibition designers, modular systems, POP technology. These will be from both developed and emerging markets in Europe, Middle East, China, Far and South East Asia and the Indian sub continent. Depending on the company profile, exhibitors will be classified into four distinct pavilions: absolute POP, retail signs, V M and storefix and cutting edge technologies.
The Indian POP advertising industry currently stands at around Rs 180 billion and is on the upswing growing at a healthy 30-40 per cent annually. Organised retail has also grown three-fold from Rs 495 billion in 2000 to Rs 1485 billion today, with a potential to expand to around Rs 3600 billion in 2005. About 25 million square feet of organised retail space would be added to the existing eight million by the year 2005.
India today ranks fifth in the top list of the 30 emerging retail markets. In the overall 12 million retail outlets, only 5 million are in urban India and contribute to the overall magnitude of the retail opportunity in India. It is estimated that approximately 25 million square feet of organised retail space will be added to the existing eight million by 2005. Organized retail has grown three-fold from US$ 11 billion in 2000 to US$ 33 billion today, with a potential to expand to around US$ 80 billion in 2005. Growth of retail would be driven by an increase in consumer spending which has grown at an average rate of 11.5 per cent over the last decade.
Brands
Info Edge reshuffles senior roles, Ambrish Singh to 99acres, Bhisham Dhingra to lead Shiksha strategy
Leadership changes at Shiksha and 99acres aim to drive sharper growth focus
MUMBAI: Info Edge (India) Limited has approved an internal reorganisation of its education and real estate verticals, setting the stage for leadership changes aimed at sharpening execution and accelerating growth. The move, cleared by the board on April 14 through a circular resolution, will come into effect from May 1, 2026.
The restructuring impacts the company’s Shiksha and 99acres businesses, two key pillars in its portfolio, and involves role changes for senior management personnel. As part of the reshuffle, Ambrish Kumar Singh, previously executive vice president and head of sales and customer delivery for Shiksha, has been redesignated as executive vice president and head of sales and sales enablement at 99acres. A long-time company leader since 2003, Singh is expected to focus on boosting business performance, strengthening client relationships and building high-performing teams in his new role.
Meanwhile, Bhisham Dhingra, who led sales and customer delivery at 99acres, will now take on an expanded mandate as head of sales, strategy and client delivery for Shiksha. With over two decades of experience across global and Indian organisations, Dhingra will spearhead growth strategy, corporate sales and client engagement for the domestic education vertical.
Both executives will continue as senior management personnel, albeit with revised responsibilities aligned to the company’s broader restructuring goals.
Info Edge said the changes are part of ongoing efforts to leverage leadership expertise across business lines and improve operational effectiveness. The company added that the reshuffle is designed to drive stronger outcomes by aligning talent with evolving business priorities.
As Info Edge continues to fine-tune its structure, the latest leadership moves suggest a clear intent to keep its core platforms nimble, competitive and ready for the next phase of growth.
