Chennai | August 9, 2026
EEMAGINE 2026, the flagship annual convention of the Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA), enters its final day today at ITC Grand Chola, Chennai, bringing together leading event professionals, experiential marketers, entertainment companies, brands, policymakers and industry stakeholders from across India.
Being held from August 7–9, this year’s EEMAGINE marks the convention’s first edition in Chennai and has placed the rapidly expanding Indian experience economy at the centre of industry conversations.
The three-day convention has provided a platform for discussions around the future of live experiences, experiential marketing, entertainment, weddings, MICE, technology, artificial intelligence, sustainability, talent development and destination-led growth.
The Chennai edition comes at a particularly significant time for the industry. Ahead of EEMAGINE, EEMA unveiled its Vision 2030 roadmap, setting out an ambition to position India as the “Experience Capital of the World.” The roadmap projects India’s experience economy to grow from approximately US$32.2 billion in 2024 to US$59.2 billion by 2030, driven by live entertainment, destination weddings, MICE and cultural tourism.
EEMA estimates that the organised events industry already contributes between ₹3.5 lakh crore and ₹4 lakh crore to the Indian economy and supports more than one crore jobs, highlighting the scale of the sector and its multiplier effect across hospitality, tourism, aviation, logistics, retail, food and beverage, production and technology.
Chennai takes centre stage
The choice of Chennai as the host city has also been an important part of EEMAGINE 2026’s narrative. EEMA has highlighted Tamil Nadu’s tourism strength, cultural heritage, creative talent and growing events infrastructure as examples of the potential that can drive India’s experience economy.
With more than 800 industry professionals, leaders and decision-makers expected to participate, the convention has also created opportunities for the South Indian events ecosystem to connect with national and international stakeholders.
The convention is also expected to feature the release of EEMA’s socio-economic impact research developed with KPMG and Mastercard, aimed at providing a deeper understanding of the events industry’s contribution to employment and the wider economy.
From events to economic opportunity
A key message emerging from EEMAGINE 2026 is that India’s events and experiences industry can no longer be viewed merely through the lens of entertainment or celebrations.
The sector is increasingly becoming an important driver of tourism, destination development, employment, entrepreneurship, brand building and economic activity.
EEMA’s Vision 2030 therefore calls for stronger infrastructure, policy reforms, technology adoption, talent development and greater collaboration between industry and government to unlock the sector’s full potential.
As EEMAGINE 2026 draws to a close in Chennai today, the convention leaves the industry with a larger question — can India transform its natural strengths in culture, celebrations, creativity and storytelling into global leadership in the experience economy?
For EEMA, the ambition is clearly defined: to make India the Experience Capital of the World.