Loading
TAMPA — The International Indian Film Academy has chosen Tampa for its 2014 “Bollywood Oscars,” marking the first time the four-day event has been held in the United States.
Tourism officials contend the event is akin to hosting a Super Bowl and will likely result in the booking of more than 24,000 hotel rooms, says a news release.
“Much like Super Bowls and national political conventions place Tampa in the national spotlight, this event will place unprecedented international attention on Tampa Bay,” said Santiago Corrada, CEO and president of Visit Tampa Bay.
A delegation from the Tampa Bay area is in Macau, a special administrative region of China, for this year's Bollywood Oscars, which began Thursday and continue through Saturday.
The delegation traveled to Macau to support Tampa Bay's bid for the event that is estimated to generate $11 million in economic impact for its host communities.
Members of the delegation include Hillsborough County Commissioner Al Higginbotham; Visit Florida Vice President of Global Brand Susannah Costello; Tampa Bay Trade and Protocol Council Vice President Deborah Wilkinson; and Tampa Bay businessman Chetan “Jason” R. Shah, as well as Visit Tampa Bay board member James Ransom and prominent members of the area's local Indian community.
IIFA, conceptualized and produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment, is supported by key members of the Indian film fraternity. It is India's biggest media event with a viewership of nearly 600 million people.
The first event was a one-night event in 2000 at the Millennium Dome, London. Over the past 13 years, it has grown into a packed weekend of film festivals, workshops, global business forums climaxed with the IIFA awards.
Your free article limit has been reached this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited digital access to our award-winning business news.
Join thousands of executives who rely on us for insights spanning Tampa Bay to Naples.
