State all set to host Vibrant Goa summit from today

NT NETWORK

Panaji

With close to 500 individuals involved in coordinating, assisting and pre-event planning, the state is all set to host the mega, three-day Vibrant Goa global summit from October 17- 19.

Organisers have roped in around 400 senior students from local colleges, the engineering institutes and Goa University (GU) as ‘buddies’, who are escorting international delegates from the time of their arrival at the airport to the venue – the S P Mukherjee Stadium at Taleigao Plateau.

Every international delegate is assigned a ‘buddy’ to facilitate their stay in the state. Buddies have been given training in training sessions conducted at the auditorium of GU to act as guides. All buddies sport distinctive t-shirts sporting the Vibrant Goa logo.

Around 530 international delegates are expected to attend the trade summit, most of who have already arrived in the state and have been accommodated in six hotels. The domestic visitors, estimated at around 2,000, are yet to arrive in full strength and are expected in groups. Most of the delegates will be in the state for the entire duration of the three-day summit with several expected to extend their stay, said the organisers. 

The state’s first Vibrant Summit aims to attract investments and showcase Goa as a destination for business. “Conceptualised on the lines of similar vibrant summits held in other states, its objective is to give the Goan businessmen an

opportunity to seek new trading partners and forge collaborations, joint ventures with outside companies,” said Manoj Patil, member of the event managing committee. 

Local self-help groups (SHGs) have been given a special place in the trade expo with around 80 SHGs expected to participate in the summit by displaying their products in the stalls. The state government also has several stalls at the event.

The summit will have 25 knowledge series lectures addressed by around 86 speakers. The lectures are aimed at helping Indian and Goan diaspora set up units in foreign countries. In addition, there will be B2B sessions, sector-specific panel discussions and booths set up by local companies. The opening function on Day 1 will have a battery of speakers with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant inaugurating an investor booklet.

The state hopes to attract investment through the Vibrant Summit with special focus on tourism-related projects, IT industry, education hub, construction, shipbuilding and green industry. Sports, wellness and entertainment are other focus areas where the government is anticipating investments.