The International Indian Film Academy, commonly know as IIFA, will be in making its way to Tampa this week for their 15th annual weekend and award show from April 23rd to 26th. The primary focus of IIFA is to promote Indian Cinema around the globe. The IIFA weekend and awards have been hosted by numerous countries, including: United Kingdom, South Africa, Netherlands, China, Canada, and now the United States.
Tampa International Airport will be flooded throughout the week with international celebrities from the Indian film industry. On April 23, the event begins at TPA where there will be opportunities for meet & greet, a Wall-of-Fame, autograph and photograph sessions, and much more. Throughout the weekend, each day will begin at Tampa International Airport to welcome the stars.
Day 1 also features IIFA Stomp to kick off the IIFA weekend as a ‘welcome party’ open to the public. Stomp is an entertaining mix of Indian food, music, and handicrafts that will take place at the Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. DJ Ravidrums and DJ Akbar Sami will be featured at Stomp, so you better be ready to dance!
The next event is the beginning of the FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum at the Tampa Convention Center. The 2-day event will be hosted by University of South Florida where business leaders from India and America will come together to explore new commercial oppurtunities. Speakers include Shabana Azmi, Actress, Social Activist & Former Member of Indian Parliament, Nisha Biswal, United States Assistant Secretary of State, Judy Genshaft, President of University of South Florida, and many more! The cost for the event is now $249.00 for both days. Registration for the 2-day event can be done at the IIFA website: iifa.com.
The rest of the events that will take place on April 24th include: the IIFA Premier & Workshop with Anupam Kher, the IIFA Expo, the IIFA Weekend Press Conference, and concluding with the IIFA Rocks. IIFA Rocks is an exclusive night of music and fashion, where actress Malaika Arora Khan will be walking for the designer Vikram Phadnis. Other Bollywood stars such as Shahid Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, and many more will be in attendance.
Day 3 begins with the second day of the IIFA Global Business Forum and Expo. Other events include the IIFA Media & Entertainment Summit and Magic of the Movies. The Media & Entertainment Summit will be led by Ernst & Young and FICCI’s Entertainment Division and will be held at the Marriott Waterside. The Magic of the Movies will take place at the Mid Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre, which will highlight the music of Ustaad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Tickets are being sold through ticketmaster.com.
IIFA continues onto Saturday, April 26th, with the Master Class Panel at the Hilton Downtown Hotel with Kevin Spacey and Vidya Balan. Followed by the final day of the IIFA Expo at the Tampa Convention Center. The IIFA weekend concludes with the TATA Motor IIFA Awards that will be held at Raymond James Stadium at 8 pm. Tickets are being sold through ticketmaster.com.
For more information about any of the events throughout the weekend please visit the IIFA website at www.iifa.com.
