Running the Rockefeller Foundation's heat-health partners summit in Khandala

A residential summit needs rooms, a hall that can be partitioned and outdoor space in the same place. ICE India shortlisted resorts across the Karjat, Lonavala and Khandala belt and set them side by side on room count, ballroom size and theatre and round-table capacity. Some suited retreat-style leadership groups; only a few had a hall large enough for 70-plus people at round tables.

The summit ran at Athiva Resort in Khandala. The main banquet hall was partitioned into two or three sections for breakouts, the garden hosted the welcome gathering, dinners and evening sessions, and meeting rooms and dining areas gave the learning pods extra space.

Delegates travelled from four continents. ICE India prepared visa invitation letters on the Foundation's behalf; flights were booked outside ICE India's scope.

Traveller details were collected on a single sheet: flights in and out, dietary needs, accommodation requests and hotel pick-ups for anyone arriving in Mumbai a day early. That sheet fed the transfer plan, the rooming list and the delegate badge list, so a change made once was reflected in all three.

Arrivals fell mostly on 30 March, with smaller groups on 29 and 31 March. ICE India grouped delegates by flight into 13 arrival groups and sent each person a message with group number, pick-up time, pick-up point and vehicle. Coaches, vans, SUVs and sedans were matched to group size and luggage.

Departures followed the same method in 17 groups across 2 and 3 April, with a reminder to check out and be in the lobby 15 minutes before the pick-up. In all, the plan covered more than 120 transfers, with the late-night and early-morning flights that long-haul itineraries bring.

Delegates stayed for four nights, with a few arriving a day early. ICE India kept one rooming list covering check-in and check-out dates, suites, room requests and dietary needs, which included vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal meals. Badges and lanyards were prepared from the same traveller data.

Two environments needed sound and visuals: the indoor conference hall and the lawns. The indoor hall was set up on the night of 30 March with a stage platform, a podium, an LED screen, a video switcher with an engineer, a digital mixer, cordless, lapel and podium microphones, preview and delay monitors and a sound engineer. The lawns had their own PA, lighting and a lighting engineer.

A diesel generator ran the outdoor set, and photography and videography covered the programme. Dismantling took place on the night of 2 April, after the closing evening.

The evening programme was curated and run by a separate agency appointed by the Foundation, so it sat outside ICE India's scope. ICE India's part was the infrastructure around it: sound, lighting and power on the lawn, the hall turnaround between day sessions and evenings, and vehicles for an optional local excursion on the third day.

Each delegate received a welcome gift made in India. ICE India presented options such as jute laptop sleeves, tote bags, stainless steel and collapsible silicone bottles, Warli-art notebooks, hand fans and cork coasters, and sourced the chosen items, including jute laptop bags, silicone bottles and hand fans, alongside lanyards and name badges.

One traveller sheet

Feeding every list from one sheet meant visas, transfers, rooms and badges stayed consistent when plans changed.

A room that could change shape

Partitioned halls, the garden and spare rooms let the Foundation move between plenary, 12 to 14 breakout groups and simulations without the venue getting in the way.

Long-haul timings handled

Arrivals and departures clustered around early-morning and late-night flights, so transfers were planned by flight rather than by day.

Production matched to the format

Screens, sound and lighting were specified for working sessions and garden evenings, not for a keynote auditorium.

ICE India ran this as conference management and event logistics for an overseas client, the work described for agencies and organisations bringing events to India. Hill-station settings are covered in the nature retreats guide.