MTM and LLTM 2026 opened the year with the launch of its strategic two-day Advantage programme, in which International and National Tourism Boards showcased their destinations and interacted with a select high-level audience.
The event further strengthened MTM and LLTM corporate MICE Travel Mart’s core competence of high-intent, face-to-face business meetings in the Reverse Marketplace and reinforced its position as India’s most outcome-driven platform for corporate MICE engagement
The 29th edition of MTM and LLTM (MICE Travel Mart and Luxury Leisure Travel Mart) unfolded on 9 January 2026 at Pullman New Delhi Aerocity, cementing the platform’s standing as the only focused buyer-seller marketplace for corporate MICE decision-makers and the global travel industry’s most ambitious partners.
Designed as a business-first forum, MTM and LLTM brought together a carefully curated mix of affluent travel purchasers and travel solution providers, including corporate buyers, senior travel and procurement leaders, wedding planners, event organisers, and MICE specialists. Over the two-day format, the event reinforced a belief now widely shared across the industry: when the market is moving fast, formats must move faster. MTM and LLTM’s edge continues to lie in two consistent strengths: curation and structure.
The result was a programme that balanced destination-led storytelling on 8 January with a conversion-driven Reverse Marketplace on 9 January, creating the kind of continuity corporate buyers value most: pre-qualified conversations, real business context, and enough time to move interest into an actionable opportunity.
Introducing the Two-Day Advantage: A First-of-Its-Kind Add-On for International Tourism Boards
One of the most notable additions in 2026 was the launch of the MTM and LLTM Two-Day Advantage Programme, created exclusively for Domestic and International Tourism Boards seeking deeper engagement and stronger conversion outcomes within India’s outbound corporate and incentive travel market.
The thinking behind this format is simple and strategic. Most destinations meet buyers on the same day as everyone else, inside a crowded exhibition narrative. The Two-Day Advantage programme changes that rhythm. It gives destinations the benefit of speaking first, building early recall, and arriving at the main mart day with relationships already warmed.
Day 1: Curated Destination Presentation and Networking Evening (8 January 2026)
The first day opened the floor to a more intimate, conversation-led environment. A concise destination presentation format allowed Visit Qatar, Nepal Tourism Board, and Tamil Nadu Tourism to place their destination narratives directly before a highly curated room of pan-India corporate MICE buyers.
Visit Qatar underlined its evolution as a compact, infrastructure-rich MICE hub, supported by strong global air connectivity, post-FIFA venues, and operational efficiency suited to time-sensitive corporate programmes.
Nepal Tourism Board presented a more experience-led proposition, highlighting intimate incentive formats, seasonality-led planning, and the role of strong local DMC partnerships in delivering nature-immersed, high-engagement corporate journeys.
Tamil Nadu Tourism showcased a diverse domestic MICE canvas, blending heritage circuits, resort-led incentives, and emerging urban centres, supported by improving connectivity and scalable hospitality infrastructure.
What followed was an evening designed for genuine rapport: networking cocktails and dinner, where buyer curiosity could evolve into practical discussions about access, seasonality, incentive formats, DMC strength, flight support, and proposition building.
This Day 1 design created a more human lead-in to the business-heavy mart on 9 January, allowing destinations to address not only the “what” of their offering, but the “how” corporate buyers care about most: planning ease, commercial logic, execution capability, and on-ground reliability.
Day 2: The Main Mart and Reverse Marketplace (9 January 2026)
The second day delivered the mart’s core strength: structured one-on-one meetings inside MTM and LLTM’s trademark Reverse Marketplace format, supported by hosted hospitality and high-value networking.
Morning Session: A Tone of Optimism, Urgency, and Readiness
The morning session opened with a ceremonial ribbon cutting, followed by the traditional lighting of the lamp, marking an auspicious start to MTM and LLTM Delhi 2026. The inauguration was led by dignitaries – Nikhil Sharma, Managing Director & COO – South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, Nathan Andrews, Strategic Advisor, DS Group, Manish Dahiya, General Manager, Novotel and Pullman Aerocity New Delhi, and Kamal Gill, Executive Editor and Managing Director, Gill India Group, alongside Kewal Gill, Chairman, Gill India Group. The inauguration set the tone for the day’s business agenda—rooted in tradition, yet sharply focused on outcomes and the evolving needs of India’s corporate MICE ecosystem.
Following the ceremony, Kamal Gill, Executive Editor and Managing Director, Gill India Group, and Director, OptiMICE Events, delivered the welcome address and reflected on the renewed momentum in travel and the growing relevance of face-to-face engagement. She shared, “The past year has been reassuring for the travel and tourism industry. Global tourism crossed 1.3 billion international arrivals in 2024, reaching 97% of pre-pandemic levels. Quite simply, people are travelling again, and they are doing so with confidence. Here in India, the story is even more encouraging. Domestic travel crossed 300 crore trips, and international visitor spending went beyond ₹3 lakh crore. These figures reflect a renewed desire to explore, to gather, and to connect in person.”
Underscoring MICE as a key driver of that momentum, she added, “The MICE sector continues to be a strong driver of this growth. With a domestic market valued at ₹25,000 crore and corporate travel spend growing by 15-18%, one thing is clear. Face-to-face meetings are firmly back, and they continue to matter.”
Partners Who Power the Platform
MTM and LLTM also acknowledged the partners whose sustained commitment strengthens the platform year after year. Their support reflects a shared belief in the value of curated engagement, meaningful buyer access, and a forum designed to convert conversations into long-term business outcomes.
The 2026 edition was supported by: Tamil Nadu Tourism, State Partner; Athiva Hotels and Resorts, Joy Partner; Radisson Hotel Group, Partner for the MTM Star Awards for Wedding Planners; Airmark, Gifting Partner; Today’s Traveller, Media Partner; OptiMICE Events, Organiser.
Their presence and participation added strength to the programme, amplified the experience for buyers and exhibitors, and reinforced MTM and LLTM’s positioning as a high-impact, relationship-led engagement platform.
Voices from the Industry
Across the day, a clear sentiment shaped conversations: MICE demand is real, but buyers are more discerning, and destinations and brands must arrive with sharper propositions and clearer delivery.
Leaders representing airlines, tourism boards, and travel management stakeholders shared perspectives on the changing nature of corporate movement and the growing seriousness with which MICE is planned.
Reverse Marketplace: The Core That Powers MTM and LLTM
If there is one feature that continues to define MTM and LLTM, it is the Reverse Marketplace, a format built around what corporate buyers value most: time efficiency, relevance, and real decision-making.
The Reverse Marketplace structure ensures exhibitors sit down with buyers curated for fit, intent, and authority. The format prioritises direct dialogue, clear requirements, and rapid qualification, which drives outcomes in corporate MICE.
On 9 January 2026, the Reverse Marketplace returned as the mart’s commercial engine, setting a tempo closer to a working boardroom than a traditional exhibition hall. The format unfolded through two premium meeting blocks, designed to facilitate direct, structured interactions between exhibitors and buyers across regions and business segments, reflecting the market’s clear preference for clarity, pace, and purpose in every conversation.
Business Conversations That Moved Quickly and Stayed Meaningful
Across the mart floor, conversations extended beyond introductions. Corporate buyers and exhibitors discussed incentive formats, offsite programming, seasonal considerations, destination feasibility, venue flexibility, experiences that can scale, and the operational nuances that determine whether a proposal progresses.
The day’s design made something clear: when buyers are carefully selected and time is respected, meetings become more than introductions. They become early-stage deal rooms.
What stood out was the balance between first-time exhibitors and returning partners. For returning exhibitors, the mart served as a momentum builder, strengthening relationships and accelerating ongoing discussions. For first-time exhibitors, the platform offered immediate access to a buyer room that would otherwise be difficult to assemble in a single day.
Get Lucky with the Lucky Dip: A Celebratory Moment with Leadership Presence
One of the most anticipated moments of the day remained the Lucky Dip, adding energy and warmth to a business-heavy schedule.
A highlight was the presence of senior hospitality leadership, creating a visible buzz and reinforcing the value of face-to-face engagement in a relationship-led industry. The Lucky Dip prizes, including luxury hotel stays, added charm and delight, and became a shared moment of celebration for participants.
The Lucky Dip reflected the softer intent behind MTM and LLTM. While firmly business-driven, the platform allows space for human connection, recognising that partnerships often take root in moments that feel natural and unforced.
Recognition to the Deserving: Celebrating Corporate Excellence
A key highlight of the programme was the MTM Corporate Star Awards 2026, warmly applauded by an engaged audience. The segment honoured corporate organisations and professionals whose work continues to raise standards across business travel planning, incentive programmes, meetings and exhibitions, training initiatives, and sustainability-led leadership, reinforcing a core industry truth: excellence in planning matters as much as excellence in execution.
The awards were presented on stage by Kamal Gill, Executive Editor and Managing Director, Gill India Group, and Kewal Gill, Chairman, Gill India Group, as the first set of honours was announced.
Among the corporate winners, Titan Company Limited won Best Incentive Programme for Employees and Associates. Impetus Technologies was recognised for the Most Well-Planned Business Travel. Artech Infosystems won Best Programme for Employees and Associates. Canara HSBC Life Insurance received the Most Well-Planned Business Travel. JK Lakshmi Cement won Best Incentive Programme for Distributors and Dealers. Pramerica Life Insurance won Best Incentive Meeting and Exhibition Programme.
Further recognitions included Niva Bupa Health Insurance for Most Well-Planned Business Travel, MongoDB India for Best Training Programme for Employees and Associates, and People Strong for Most Well-Planned Business Travel. Dalmia Cement Bharat won Best Incentive Programme for Distributors and Dealers. Sony India was awarded Most Well-Planned Business Travel. Aye Finance won Best Meeting and Exhibition Programme. Axis Max Life Insurance Company won Best Incentive Programme for Distributors and Dealers.
The final set of corporate awards recognised Konica Minolta for Best Incentive Programme for Employees and Associates; Technip Energies for Most Well-Planned Business Travel; Maruti Suzuki India for Best Meeting and Exhibition Programme; and Star Cement for Best Incentive Programme for Employees and Associates.
In a special recognition segment for individual excellence in the corporate MICE ecosystem, awards went to Janmesh Raval (MTM Visionary Leader in MICE), Pankaj Sharma (MTM Rising Star in MICE), V. Veeramuthu (MTM Sustainability Champion in MICE), Parth Satpathy (MTM Visionary Leader in MICE), M D Siddiqui (MTM Best MICE Professional of the Year), Hitesh Kainth (MTM Visionary Leader in MICE), Ritu Rawat (MTM Best MICE Professional of the Year), and Rajan Verma (MTM Best MICE Professional of the Year).
Evening Session: MTM Star Awards for Wedding Planners Bring Energy to MTM and LLTM 2026
As MTM and LLTM 2026 moved into the evening, the platform shifted from structured business conversations into a format built for recognition, storytelling, and deeper relationship-building. The mood was celebratory, yet purposeful, a natural extension of the way MTM and LLTM has always positioned itself as a room where the industry meets with intent.
Kamal Gill, Executive Editor and Managing Director, Gill India Group, and Director, OptiMICE Events, said, “Being together this evening for MTM and LLTM 2026 feels genuinely special. Not because of a programme or a set agenda, but because this platform has always been about people coming together with intent, trust, and a shared sense of purpose.”
The sentiment captured the room’s energy perfectly with familiar faces, new alliances, and a shared belief that what matters most in travel, events, and experiences is the quality of relationships.
Reflecting on how the platform has evolved alongside the industry, the address reinforced that MTM and LLTM have grown in step with the market itself: “Over the years, MTM and LLTM have grown alongside the industry. We have seen MICE evolve, luxury travel expand, and celebrations emerge as powerful economic and cultural drivers.”
Wedding Economy Context: Why Wedding Planners Matter More Than Ever
A key theme underscored during the evening was the scale and accelerating momentum of India’s wedding and celebration economy. As stated in the address, India’s wedding economy is valued at over ₹6 trillion annually, positioning it among the largest celebration-driven markets globally.
The address further highlighted the growing integration of travel within wedding planning: nearly eight out of ten couples now travel for at least part of their wedding celebrations, and over 60% plan destination weddings, placing wedding planners at the centre of an expanding ecosystem that sits at the intersection of hospitality, experiences, and high-value travel.
Keynote Segment: Samit Garg Takes the Floor
Samit Garg, President of EEMA and Co-Founder of E-Factor Experiences, joined the evening as Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker, offering a grounded perspective on the evolving wedding and celebrations economy in India. Addressing wedding planners, hospitality leaders, and industry stakeholders, he drew on deep on-ground experience to explain why creativity, intent, and discipline are now more critical than scale or spectacle.
Samit Garg kept his keynote sharply focused, delivering a series of direct, uncompromising reflections on where the wedding and celebration economy is headed.
“If something can be replicated, it is already obsolete. The biggest threat to our industry is not budgets; it is templates. Mood boards and social media have created an illusion of creativity. Originality today has to be intellectual. If you don’t own the idea, you are only renting relevance.”
“We have confused effort with creativity. Making mood boards and presentations is not thinking. Your mind is the only asset nobody can take away, and that is where this business must come from.”
“Scale without soul will be penalised. We confused excess with excellence, more functions, more décor, more noise, but less memory. Bigger is no longer the goal. Relevance and soul are.”
“One event needs one hero moment. That is what people remember. Not five functions that look the same. It is not quantity, it is quality. It is curation and intentional silence, not decoration.”
“Stop calling yourself a wedding planner. The term has been diluted. Logistics is not leadership, and execution is not authorship. Clients are paying for thinking. Become Experience Designers. Become emotional choreographers.”
“Everything else has a market price, from hotels and transport to artists. Creativity does not. Your healthiest margin will always come from thinking. If someone cannot pay for your thinking, they do not deserve you.”
“Safety, security, hygiene and ethics are not optional. We create grand celebrations and forget basic human dignity. When India becomes conscious of the value of life, there will be no better destination than this country.”
“An Indian wedding is our strongest cultural exhibition. In three days, we showcase music, dance, food, colour and humanity. Every destination wedding is a soft-power moment. Planners are cultural ambassadors.”
“Social media fame is fragile. Institutions endure. The next decade will reward teams, systems, IPs and legacy, not followers. 2026 is not about better weddings; it is about what kind of industry we want to be remembered as.”
Partner Spotlight: Radisson Hotel Group and the Wedding Experiences Ecosystem
A dedicated note of appreciation recognised Radisson Hotel Group for its support of the awards. Kamal Gill stated, “I would like to express our sincere thanks to Radisson Hotel Group for sponsoring the MTM Star Awards for Wedding Planners and for their continued belief in the power of weddings, experiences, and the people who shape them.”
The evening shifted into a brand-led spotlight with the Radisson Wedding Showcase, highlighting Radisson Hotel Group’s wedding proposition and the operational strength that enables experience-led celebrations at scale. Led by Vikram Berry, Senior Regional Director, Operations, South Asia, the showcase underscored Radisson’s focus on seamless execution, hospitality detail, and destination-ready formats built for modern wedding requirements.
Framing weddings as experiences that extend far beyond logistics, Vikram Berry positioned hospitality as the emotional backbone of celebration design. He said, “Weddings in our region are not just events. They are deeply emotional and multisensory journeys. At Radisson, we moved beyond offering venues to curating stories, because today a wedding is not about a single moment, but about creating a complete experience.”
“The customer has changed. The decision maker has changed. The way we do business has changed. Weddings are no longer transactional; they are a movement, and the question before all of us is who wants to lead that movement.”
“We invite this community to innovate, collaborate and create magic with us. At Radisson Hotel Group, every moment is more than a celebration; it is an art form. With strong budgets for 2026, you will be seeing and hearing much more from Radisson in the coming year.”
MTM Star Awards for Wedding Planners: A Proud Moment of Recognition
The evening’s centrepiece was the MTM Star Awards for Wedding Planners, presented as a recognition of excellence that is built over the years. As expressed in Kamal Gill’s address, “Tonight also marks a proud moment as we present the MTM Star Awards for Wedding Planners.”
The winners honoured represented achievement with substance, “excellence that goes beyond success, reflecting consistency, resilience, and the ability to create moments that truly last.”
The awards segment also reflected the broader direction of the industry: celebration-led travel is no longer a niche. It is a major driver of hotel demand, destination marketing, experience design, and high-value event movement across India and outbound markets.
The MTM Star Awards for Wedding Planners were presented by Radisson Hotel Group’s operations leadership, with Yogendra Agnihotri, Senior Director Operations, Radisson Hotel Group, presenting the first set of awards, followed by Shashank Pundir, Senior Director Operations, Radisson Hotel Group, and Faisal Nafees, Senior Director Operations, Radisson Hotel Group, presenting the final set of awards, reflecting Radisson Hotel Group’s continued commitment to the wedding and celebrations ecosystem.
The MTM Star Awards for Wedding Planners recognised a powerful cross-section of India’s wedding planning community, with winners including Le Florence Weddings, Designer Events Inc, Barati Inc, Foreign Wedding Planner, The Event Designer, Yuna Weddings, Plush Weddings, The Dreamcatchers Company, Midas Events, The Hospitality Handlers, Pitara Events, Wedding Duo, Man With A Plan, Phoolvati & Co, Ten Events, K Events, Airbotix Technology, Redeye Weddings, Aroosi Events, Shubh Muhurat Luxury Weddings, Norza Events, Nazara Decor, Innocept, whose work continues to shape the evolving language of Indian weddings.
The People Who Quietly Strengthen the Platform
The evening also took a moment to recognise individuals whose consistent support strengthens the MTM and LLTM platform year after year.
A special mention was made of Kaveri Vi, recognised as the VIP Support Star in appreciation of the warmth and generosity she brings to the event ecosystem and long-standing contribution to strengthening industry relationships. Vikramjeet Sharma, as the other VIP Support Star, was recognised for his consistent support and collaborative spirit across the wedding fraternity.
Key Takeaways
- A two-day structure that created momentum, not fragmentation. The separation of narrative-building on the first day and deal-making on the second proved to be one of MTM and LLTM 2026’s strongest design decisions. By allowing destinations and partners to build recall and relationships before entering structured meetings, the platform created continuity that is rarely achieved at traditional trade shows.
- MTM and LLTM 2026 reinforced its core identity as a focused engagement room for corporate MICE leadership. The Reverse Marketplace format once again demonstrated why it remains central to MTM and LLTM’s value proposition. In a market that is accelerating, MTM and LLTM showed that speed comes from design, not volume. The conversations across the two days reflected a clear shift in buyer mindset. The four forces reshaping MICE planning continued to influence programmes and procurement conversations.
- The Two-Day Advantage programme gave International Tourism Boards a first-mover benefit within India’s outbound corporate market. Continued support from partners strengthened the platform’s credibility.
- The MTM Star Awards reaffirmed the importance of celebrating consistency, leadership, and disciplined planning. The wedding and celebration economy emerged as a major driver of travel and hospitality demand.
- Samit Garg’s keynote set a creative and ethical benchmark for the sector.
- The Radisson Wedding Showcase reinforced hospitality’s evolving role in experience-led weddings. Beyond business, MTM and LLTM reiterated that human connection remains the constant—and when engagement is designed intelligently, mindshare converts into meetings, momentum, and meaningful opportunities.
About MTM and LLTM Travel Exhibition
MTM and LLTM (MICE Travel Mart and Luxury & Leisure Travel Mart) is a bi-annual corporate travel engagement platform connecting India’s leading corporate MICE buyers and event decision-makers with global destinations, hotels, DMCs, airlines, tourism boards, and travel solution providers.
Renowned for its Reverse Marketplace format and high-quality buyer curation, MTM and LLTM continues to serve as a hub for innovation, deal dialogue, and industry collaboration, strengthening partnerships across MICE, luxury, and leisure travel segments.
About OptiMICE Events Pvt Ltd
OptiMICE Events Pvt Ltd is a specialist event management company dedicated to designing customised events and meetings that deliver measurable value for corporate buyers. Founded in 2010, OptiMICE bridges the gap between corporate buyers, tourism boards, and travel service providers, fostering collaborations and enabling impactful MICE engagement throughout the year.
With deep connections across India’s corporate community and travel ecosystem, supported by the long-standing publication Today’s Traveller, the company has cultivated strong ties with trade associations and industry stakeholders. Under the leadership of Kamal Gill, OptiMICE continues to shape engagement formats that support destinations, hotels, and travel partners in building long-term relevance and conversion in India’s outbound corporate travel market.
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