Venetian Macao has successfully hosted the Tata Motors International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA), the largest event in the annual Indian cinema calendar. Dubbed the Oscars of the Indian film industry, the event was organised by Wizcraft International Entertainment and saw the Venetian resort cater for an audience of 7000. The gala event has been held for 14 years running at a different location outside India each time.
The IIFA is also the largest Indian media event with over 600 million people tuning in to see the show. The awards themselves are a culmination of a weekend long calendar of events that includes screenings, exhibitions, workshops, film showcases and global business forums. As venue host, the Venetian Macao was the key location for many of the activities related to the IIFA.
This year saw the ceremony return to Macau for a second time having previously been held in the SAR in 2009. The awards were hosted by Bollywood superstars, Shah Rukh Khan and Shahid Kapoor. Jean-Claude Van Damme also presented an award and the live performances included top-tier Indian stars such as Sridevi and Prabhudeva, Ayushmaan Khurrana & Parineeti Chopra. A high-tech finale saw Madhuri Dixit-Nene wearing an LED dress, which lit up as she took to the stage.
As well as hosting the 2013 IIFA, the Venetian Macao was also the official host partner of the even and the Macau Government Tourist office was the official supporter.
For more info: iifabuzz.com
Graeme Park