The Sisterhood Soiree – an Initiative by India Nightlife Convention and Awards in Association with Heineken

Event witnessed the participation from industry leaders such as Anurag Katriar (President NRAI /Executive Director & CEO – Degustibus Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.), Minister of Ports, RDA, Science & Technology and waste management Michael Lobo, Head Institutional Sales of UBL, Bhargavi Naidu and The Founder & CEO, The Chocolate Spoon Company/ Author – Adventures with Mithai – Rachel Goenka.

Goa/March 7^th, 2020: The India Nightlife Convention and Awards (INCA) in association with Heineken, hosted #TheSisterhoodSoiree – an initiative to recognize and encourage women in the nightlife and hospitality industry at Saligao Stories & Soro – The Village Pub, Goa.

The event saw key business leaders from the hospitality industry under one roof and students from different colleges aspiring to pursue a career in the nightlife industry with an ultimate aim to achieve equal participation of women in the industry. To commemorate the potential of women, Heineken in association with INCA witnessed stalwarts from the industry like- entrepreneurs, bartenders, DJs, staff and bouncers – all being women.

The Sisterhood Soiree is an initiative by INCA in collaboration with Heineken, is specifically designed to create awareness about opportunities for women in the nightlife industry. The event opened with a workshop by Ethel D’Costa (An Award-winning lifestyle and fashion journalist) in conversation with Rachel Goenka (Founder and CEO – The chocolate spoon company & Author – Adventures with Mithai) about Career Graph and discussing various opportunities for the students which ended with a Q&A session. The afternoon concluded with a power packed panel discussion at Saligao Stories featuring Bhargavi Naidu (Head of institutional sales – UB), Radhika Timblo (Owner Café Mira), Aakritee Sinh (Chef Patron/Co-Owner – A Reverie), Sabreen Sukhtankar (Owner – The Black Sheep Bistro & Black Market), Shveta Salve (Actress/Model/Restaurateur), Aliya Rashid (Owner – Villa Nova) & Reshma Alves (VP SKAL Club Goa).  Women achievers on the panel shared their journey and experiences of being associated with this industry, while the established male business leaders discussed how more women can be encouraged to participate and contribute to this industry. The panel also discussed how to address challenges that act as deterrents for women in this industry – safety, societal mindset, recognition were some of the issues that came up. The evening continued at Soro – The Village Pub with DJs Ayesha Pramanik, Shania & Ana Lilia dishing out groovy tunes for music lovers.

With women contributing a substantial amount at every level in the nightlife domain, it is imperative to bestow recognition and allow this energy to transform the hospitality sector.

Speaking on the successful reception of this event, Aman Anand, Director,INCA and Kickstart Entertainment said “With an aim to encourage equal participation of women in the nightlife, hospitality & F&B Space, the whole execution of Sisterhood Soiree has been taken by a team of women right from event management, bartenders to bouncers acknowledging and promoting the women workforce of the industry. As we step forward, this year, we have encouraged college students to participate and interact with the women entrepreneurs while they share their journey”

Speaking on Heineken’s association, Gurpreet Singh, Head Marketing, United Breweries Limited said, “Heineken’s association with INCA is a testament of our commitment towards building a safe and gender-neutral nightlife industry. India boasts of a vibrant nightlife and we realize the immense scope that lies in empowering and providing a level playing field for women. It is our endeavor to further build a nightlife landscape that is safe, welcoming and most of all, inclusive”.

Furthering the cause of INCA and in recognition of the massive talent pool in the nightclub Industry, Mr. Anurag Katriar, the President of NRAI (National Restaurant Association of India) & Executive Director & CEO DeGustibus Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.  states that – “Hospitality comes naturally to women and with Sisterhood Soiree, we aim to build a platform that encourages equal and active participation of Women in the hospitality industry. The event also offers an opportunity of interaction between the youth and the veteran hospitality experts.”

About INCA

The India Nightlife Convention & Awards annually brings thousands of industry professionals from the on-premise and beverage community to discover new products & trends in the industry. First ever platform which is B2B specific and aims at bringing change in the Nightlife fraternity together. It is a 2 – Day Convention for attendees from the bar and the nightlife industry across the country. It brings all the stake-holders of nightlife under one roof to create a more vibrant nightlife in India. It offers a platform to understand, appreciate and interact with the best people in the nightlife sector.International night mayors gracing the event with their presence and sharing insights on the Nightlife policies world-wide 

About Sisterhood Soiree 

It is an initiative taken to encourage equal partnership of women in the Nightlife Industry becoming an integral part of the Nightlife fraternity and coming together to create a one of a kind events. We intend to welcome the female influencers from the Nightlife fraternity along with their friends/relatives and to celebrate a fun evening with us. The uniqueness of this evening is that the entire staff attending to the guests in any capacity would be led by women Bouncers, Waiters, Bartenders, Performers etc.  As we step forward, this year, we had associated with colleges namely IHM, Father Agnels & Goa University to encourage their students to be a part of the event. We hosted   a workshop for the students “In conversation with Rachel Goenka – Founder & CEO Chocolate Spoon Company/Author – Adventures of Mithai” on Career Graph to educate & share her insights on what it takes to succeed in this industry.

ABOUT HEINEKEN:

Heineken®, the iconic global beer brand, founded in 1873 in Amsterdam. It is enjoyed by consumers in over 193 countries across the world. United Breweries Limited launched India-brewed and bottled Heineken® Lager Beer from its brewery in Taloja, near Mumbai, in August 2011. Heineken® is positioned as a super-premium lager beer that targets the discerning beer drinker in India. Across the world, Heineken® connects with consumers through marketing activation campaigns based on its global platforms of SPORT, MUSIC and FILM. These include the UEFA Champions League Football and the Rugby World Cup.  Heineken® also partners some of the world’s most premium & high-profile music festivals, such as Coachella and Ultra in the USA, Rock in Rio in Brazil and the Open’er Festival in Poland. The brand has also been James Bond’s preferred beer for some time now, and was the global partner for the last Bond film – Spectre. Consumers are invited to join the world of Heineken® on Facebook (www.facebook.com/heineken) and Twitter (@heineken_in) or visit www.heineken.in for more information.

About United Breweries Ltd.:

United Breweries Ltd. is the market leader of the Indian beer market. It has an extensive production footprint with 21 own breweries and 10 contract units providing Pan-India coverage. United Breweries Ltd. sells beer under its flagship brand ‘Kingfisher’ and Kingfisher Strong is India’s largest selling beer. International beer brands Heineken and Amstel, along with the imported portfolio complement United Breweries’ Kingfisher franchise and offers consumers the best portfolio of national and international brands in India. In 1915, the foundation of Good Times was laid with the coming together of 5 breweries in South India. Today, the beer business has shown tremendous growth and the Kingfisher Premium Lager beer is currently available in 69 countries outside India, leading the way amongst Indian beers in the International market.