BW IHA 2020 West Jury deliberates to decide on the ‘best of the best’

Although the pandemic derailed some of the best-laid plans, it could not deter BW HOTELIER from hosting the 5th edition of the Indian Hospitality Summit & Awards (IHA) scheduled from August 31. The IHA is back this year to honour the sheer excellence and celebrate the work of the hospitality sector at large. Nominees showing exemplary creativity, innovation, leadership and perseverance will be walking away with the awards during the five-day gala. To lay the groundwork for the awards, the Regional Jury from the West met on August 19, 2020.

Taking a digital route this time, the West Zone Jury met to deliberate upon the nominees and select the best among several categories. Headed by Farhat Jamal, Group Advisor - Hospitality, Hiranandani Group, the West Zone Jury comprised some of the most distinguished names from the Hospitality Industry. Applauding the efforts of the BW HOTELIER team for organising the event amid a pandemic, he said “It is a commendable and brilliant effort on the part of the team to organise an event digitally and particularly in such times. I am really looking forward to the five days ahead.” 

The hospitality industry which has been hit hard by the ongoing health crisis is going through some seriously challenging times. Commenting further on the role that BW HOTELIER has played, Jamal said, “The hospitality industry needed representation and BW HOTELIER has done a fantastic job for the same.”

The other renowned jurors in the panel included, Hemant Oberoi, Chef & Owner, Hemant Oberoi Restaurant, BKC; Deepa Misra Harris, Founder & CEO, BrandsWeLove; Romil Ratra, Executive Director & CEO, Graviss Hospitality Ltd.; Kunal Vijayakar, Food Writer, Author, Television Presenter & Travel and Food Documentarian; Antoine Lewis, Journalist, Radio Commentator & Food Consultant and Jehangir H Aibara, Director, Mahajan & Aibara. The jurors came from a variety of spectrum including, media, hospitality and finance. All in all the jury panel was a perfect balance of industry veterans and newcomers with diverse knowledge and experience. 

On conducting awards now, Chef Oberoi said “BW HOTELIER has taken a lead for having organised awards during these times and making such experienced personalities from all over the country come together on one platform, it is a very vital and positive step forward.”

The Regional West Jury was divided into three teams of two jurors each having to judge four different categories. The jurors mulled over the nominations across various categories and discussed at length the achievements of the nominees. It was a session of intense conversations and decisions. While some of the categories saw clear winners, there were those which were close contenders thus making the jury break into discussions to arrive at the most deserving candidate.

Talking about his experience as a juror, Romil Ratra said “It was a very thought provoking and enriching experience and I am grateful to be a part of the jury, who all have serious knowledge and decades of experience.”  He also said that he was very impressed with the variety of nominations ranging from budget to mid-sized to luxury hotels.

Appreciating the quality and variety of nominations, Kunal Vijayakar expressed “I personally got insights into the backend of the working of the hotels. Reading the thoughts, answers and contributions of the nominees was a very fulfilling experience as a member of the jury.” 

The jurors kept reiterating time and again that the decisions have been arrived at based on common consensus and quality of the applications received. 

Recognising and congratulating the BW HOTELIER team on its role at the backend of the journey, Antoine Lewis stated, “The process was so well thought, streamlined, clear and clean that the job of evaluation and judgement had become easy”.  

Honoured, to be a part of the jury, Deepa Harris commented, “The entire conduct and format was very well conceived. I was extremely impressed with the variety of nominations that arrived for the categories I judged”. 

Not only did all the jurors appreciate BW HOTELEIR for organising an event during such challenging times but also recognised their journey and commitment towards the hospitality industry. The West Zone Jury meeting saw the industry luminaries come together for a session full of power packed discourse, deliberation, and decision. 

BW HOTELIER’s 5th Indian Hospitality Awards will air live on BWHOTELIER.COM, across BW HOTELIER social media platforms: FACEBOOK and TWITTER.

Be there for India’s biggest hospitality summit, 5 days, 9 Keynote sessions, 18 panel sessions, 100+ speakers, 5 Juries: 4 Regional and 1 National and 100+ Hospitality Award.

Register for IHA 2020 here: https://iha.virtex.in/