The 17th edition of WOW Awards Asia 2026 concluded at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on 3rd and 4th July 2026, marking a significant milestone for India's live events, experiential marketing, MICE, tourism, weddings, and entertainment industries. Presented by Maharashtra Tourism, the event operated under the theme "Community To Collective Consciousness" and reinforced India's growing status as a premier destination for live experiences, cultural programming, business events, and large-format entertainment.
Union Minister Engages with Industry Leaders
A key highlight was the presence of Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, who engaged with senior leaders from the live events and experience economy. The Minister participated in a strategic industry interaction attended by prominent stakeholders, including Deepak Choudhary, Founder & MD of EVA Live and EVENTFAQS Media, and Sabbas Joseph, Co-Founder of Wizcraft Group, along with other senior members from the events, tourism, hospitality, and live entertainment ecosystem.
The high-level interaction focused on the future of India's experience economy and the role of live events in strengthening tourism, culture, destination marketing, employment, and global perception. Industry representatives discussed how India's event infrastructure, talent base, and cultural depth can be further developed to attract global events, large-scale weddings, cultural showcases, music festivals, business tourism, and international entertainment formats.
Discussions on Infrastructure and Collaboration
The discussion also addressed the need for stronger industry recognition, improved infrastructure, streamlined execution support, and deeper collaboration between government bodies and private-sector stakeholders. With India already hosting some of the world's largest cultural, religious, business, and entertainment gatherings, the conversation placed renewed attention on the potential of live experiences as a serious economic driver.
Speaking on the direction of the industry, Deepak Choudhary said, "India has the scale, talent, culture and audience depth to become one of the world's most important experience economy markets. The next phase will depend on collaboration between government, venues, brands, artists and event professionals to build platforms that can travel, scale and create long-term value."
WOW Awards Asia 2026: Scale and Participation
WOW Awards Asia 2026 brought together thousands of delegates and professionals from across the events, experiential marketing, MICE, wedding, live entertainment, tourism, brand experience, hospitality, technology, and creative sectors. The platform featured conferences, masterclasses, showcases, exhibitions, performances, and award ceremonies designed to recognize excellence and shape the next phase of the industry.
The 2026 edition saw participation from more than 25 countries, with a strong international delegation and wide representation from across India's event and entertainment ecosystem. Across the two-day summit, industry leaders and specialists participated in discussions on AI in event ideation, the rise of culinary entertainment, luxury destination weddings, sustainable energy solutions, destination marketing, talent management, creative production, hospitality experiences, and the future of audience engagement.
Key Statistics and Recognitions
According to event inputs, the convention featured over 150 speakers and panelists, more than 100 exhibitors, multiple artist performances, and a large awards program recognizing excellence across the sector. The event also hosted key recognition platforms including the 35 Under 35 Awards, Wedding Power List, Women of the Year Awards, and the Event Managers A-List Awards, celebrating emerging leaders, established professionals, and organizations shaping the industry.
As one of Asia's established recognition and business platforms for the experiential industry, WOW Awards Asia has played an important role in bringing visibility to live events and brand experiences since its inception in 2009. The 17th edition further expanded that role by connecting stakeholders from tourism, government, entertainment, hospitality, media, creative production, weddings, MICE, and destination management.
Industry Voices and Deepak Choudhary's Role
The event also featured participation and insights from leading names across media, entertainment, business, and culture, with sessions involving industry voices, artists, creators, and decision-makers. The programming reflected how experience-led formats are increasingly influencing tourism, brand communication, live entertainment, destination storytelling, and consumer engagement.
Deepak Choudhary, who has spent over two decades working across event education, industry media, intellectual property-led platforms, large-format concerts, talent development, and live entertainment, noted the importance of EVA Live's work. Through EVENTFAQS Media, WOW Awards Asia, Shows of India, EVA Live, MSEED, and related initiatives, Choudhary has contributed to different layers of the industry, including education, recognition, business networking, content, artist programming, and large-scale entertainment. His work has also extended into the India-Middle East live entertainment corridor through EVA Live.
EVA Live's Impact and International Reach
EVA Live has been associated with concerts, festivals, and live experiences featuring leading Indian and international artists, including Arijit Singh, A. R. Rahman, Bryan Adams, Enrique Iglesias, Atif Aslam, Tiesto, Shreya Ghoshal, Jubin Nautiyal, Prateek Kuhad, Satinder Sartaaj, Abida Parveen, Snarky Puppy, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, and Russell Peters, among others. The company's work across India, the UAE, and Qatar reflects the rising demand for large-scale Indian and South Asian live entertainment. Its regional projects have included shows at venues such as Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, and QNCC Doha, while its India portfolio includes major concerts and tours across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Goa, Kolkata, Jaipur, and other cities.
At WOW Awards Asia 2026, Choudhary's presence alongside senior industry figures and the Union Minister underscored the increasing importance of structured dialogue between policymakers and the live-event business. With India's tourism and cultural sectors expanding, industry leaders are seeking to position events not only as entertainment, but as a driver of employment, destination value, cultural diplomacy, and economic growth.
"The experience economy is not only about events; it is about how people remember cities, brands, destinations and cultures," Choudhary added. "India has a unique opportunity to build world-class event platforms that combine creativity, infrastructure, technology and cultural strength."
Future Outlook for India's Event Industry
The conclusion of WOW Awards Asia 2026 in Mumbai has further strengthened conversations around India's potential to become a global hub for events and live experiences. With government engagement, private-sector leadership, and international participation coming together on one platform, the edition marked a strong step forward for the country's event and entertainment industry. As India looks to expand its presence across tourism, culture, MICE, destination weddings, festivals, concerts, and global live experiences, WOW Awards Asia 2026 placed the spotlight on a sector that is rapidly becoming central to the country's creative and economic growth story.
About WOW Awards Asia and EVA Live
WOW Awards Asia is one of Asia's leading recognition and business platforms for the experiential marketing, MICE, live entertainment, wedding, tourism, and event industries. Since its inception in 2009, the platform has recognized excellence in live events, brand experiences, business events, destination experiences, weddings, and entertainment-led formats. EVA Live is a live entertainment company associated with concerts, festivals, cultural experiences, comedy shows, and original entertainment IPs across India and the Middle East. The company works across artist programming, venue partnerships, brand associations, and audience-led live experiences, with a focus on scalable entertainment formats across key markets.
