Bengaluru's nightlife is thriving, with all kinds of experiences for the party-goer and an array of opportunities for entrepreneurship. Still, it's an industry into which few women venture - safety being one concern, social stigma another. That's what 'The Sisterhood Soiree' a platform that is hosted by women, for women and of the women on Friday, is trying to address.
"This is the third edition of the Sisterhood Soiree in India - the first one was hosted in Delhi, followed by Mumbai. We received great response from both men and women who are keen to make a difference in the hospitality industry, " says Aman Anand, Director, INCA and Kickstart Entertainment. " The India Nightlife Convention and Awards (INCA), a joint project by Riyaaz Amlani and myself, has made a splash since it began in 2016, helping usher in a new age of bar and party life," he adds.
Amit Roy, Partner - ThinkTanc says, "The Sisterhood Soiree is a great initiative to bring to the forefront the growth and advent of women in this business. It serves as encouragement for women to pursue their hospitality dream. We are encouraging and praising their efforts across other industries. I do believe that it is time to focus on recognising their efforts in the hospitality industry as well."
The Soiree will host a panel discussion featuring film actor Ragini Dwivedi, Riyaaz Amlani (CEO of Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt. Ltd), musician and actress Monica Dogra, restaurateurs Nikki Ponappa and Meghana Vakada, business leaders Bhargavi Naidu and Gurpreet Singh and restaurateur/F&B Consultant Amit Roy.
"Women on the panel will talk about their journey in hospitality, highlighting opportunities as well as challenges that they faced. For the first time, we even have men on the panel, who will be share their experiences of having women in the industry. The panel will provide suggestions on how this industry can be more gender diverse, safety issues, the career growth opportunities for women. The aim is to create as much awareness as possible so there is no taboo associated with this sector. The event will witness women taking the lead, from security and bartending to DJing and event curation," he said.
"INCA is focused on making the hospitality and nightlife experience better, and we received feedback, through previous events, that we don't seem to be promoting the cause of women in the nightlife industry. 'The Brotherhood of Nights' - and in our mind this catered to the entire hospitality fraternity. However, our audiences thought otherwise, and we value this feedback. And therefore, we created this initiative - The Sisterhood Soiree - solely focused on recognising and promoting the cause of women in nightlife be it bartenders, DJs, hospitality staff or just consumers headed out to experience a city's nightlife," adds Anand.
"We want to create awareness that will tell our societies that it is ok for women to work in the nightlife industry. They do in every other country, and by creating a negative perception here, we are curbing their potential in this industry," Anand said.
