UBM India Launch NGO India 2012 Event on March 16

NEW DELHI, March 15,2012 /PRNewswire/ --

-        NGO India 2012 to Launch This Friday - 16 March

-        UBM Creates an Expo for NGOs and CSR professionals

UBM India will launch NGO India 2012 at Epicenter, Gurgaon on 16 - 18 March 2012. NGO India 2012 will be an exhibition and conference aimed at fostering alliances and networking between the country's CSR and NGO communities. As more and more corporates realise the brand value and employee engagement benefits gained by developing a planned CSR strategy, the event will help CEOs, Marketing Heads and other CSR specialists to identify opportunities and share best practices in this area.

Acclaimed actor Rahul Bose will inaugurate the General Public Day on 18 March. His speech will be followed by live performances at a fun packed day, where the general public can learn more about NGOs operating across India and discover volunteering opportunities. The art house film star said, "I have been Oxfam's Global Brand Ambassador for seven years and have also been closely associated with Oxfam India since its inception almost four years ago.  For me the association has been long, deep, abiding, and very nourishing.  During this period, I have become very familiar with the work that NGOs in India are doing for creating a more just and equal society and I am very impressed by that work.  These groups are not benefitting fully from India's development and need all the help they can get.  I would urge the corporate sector to join hands with the NGO sector to create a truly inclusive India."

The event is supported by prominent institutions such as: Guidestar India, Oxfam, The National Trust, The Economic Times, FICCI and many other prominent institutions and media in the CSR space.

IBM India is a main sponsor of the NGO India 2012,  Mamtha Sharma, Manager, Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs (CC&CA), IBM India/SA said, "IBM's focus globally is to enhance the quality of education in schools.  IBM believes in leveraging technology to help children all over the world to better understand the concepts right from an early age.  IBM's global CSR programs like Reinventing Education help teachers in India to transform their classrooms through innovative use of technology and pedagogy tools. Through this program, IBM is supporting India's National Education agenda. We look forward to partner with Govt. Dept. of Education and NGOs to extend the Reinventing Education program to many more states."

NGO India 2012 will host stalls from over 150 NGOs and foundations. They will have the opportunity to profile the work they do in front of an audience of India's corporate houses. There will also be performances and the opportunity to purchase handicrafts made by NGO communities. Free to attend workshops for NGOs on best practices in governance and other crucial back office skills will be hosted.

In addition, a high level paid-for conference aimed at corporate CEOs, NGOs and government will run concurrently at the same venue. Topics will include: The Role of NGOs in Delivering Inclusive and Sustainable Development; Opportunities and Challenges in Executing Social Initiatives; and many more topics throughout the first two days of the event.

"For the first time in India, we are facilitating an event where as part of our CSR we bring NGOs and donors on the same platform. The forum includes networking, knowledge sharing, exploring funding avenues and an opportunity for matching potential donors and recipients. From showcasing their work to voicing their views, NGO India 2012 is an attempt to make a difference to those in the business of making a difference," says Michael Duck, Executive Vice-President, UBM Asia.

The exhibition follows similar initiatives launched by UBM in other regions:

"We have seen tremendous benefits to the NGOs that have participated in our events in London and Brazil and we hope to replicate this success in India. It has been an excellent platform for NGOs to highlight their work and for CSR professionals to identify and network with NGOs operating in a large number of fields and geographies." said Sanjeev Khaira, Managing Director of UBM India.

Entry to the exhibition is free to all and the event is open to the general public on the last day, 18 March.

About UBM India

UBM India is a subsidiary of UBM plc, which is the second largest independent exhibition organiser in the world. It is the largest trade exhibition organiser in India, responsible for 26 exhibitions in different locations across the country. The company is also involved in the organisation of conference programmes throughout India and in the publications of trade journals and magazines. For further details please visit the UBM India website, http://www.ubmindia.in.

Primary Media Contact : Rob Sahi, [email protected], 91-22-6709 2467