Guests dining on a boat on the Bosphorus at sunset, with a bridge behind them

International destination

Istanbul for corporate offsites and incentive trips from India, with Cappadocia

Bosphorus palaces, a 3,000-seat congress centre and hotels with ballrooms for 1,000 or more, with non-stop flights of about seven hours from Delhi and Mumbai. ICE India plans Istanbul programmes, with Cappadocia, Antalya and Bodrum planned separately as extensions.

Plan an event in Istanbul
Getting there
Delhi and Mumbai have non-stop flights of about 7 hours; other cities connect on one ticket
Best months
April to June and September to October, with highs of 16 to 26 °C
Suits
Groups of 50 to 3,000 attending a conference, a dealer meet, an incentive trip or a leadership offsite
ICE India in Istanbul
Planned by ICE India, with vetted local partners on the ground.

Why companies choose Istanbul

  • One city on two continents

    Istanbul sits on both sides of the Bosphorus, so a single programme crosses from Europe to Asia by ferry, with Turkey two and a half hours behind India.

  • Venues no other city has

    Groups dine in an Ottoman palace on the water, an underground cistern or a Golden Horn congress centre.

  • Space for large groups

    Hilton Istanbul Bomonti has a ballroom for 1,600 at dinner, and the Haliç Congress Center has a 3,004-seat auditorium.

  • Sightseeing that needs no set-building

    Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are minutes apart in the old city.

  • Food that suits vegetarian groups

    Turkish meze are largely vegetable dishes, and Indian restaurants take group bookings in the Old City and near Taksim.

  • Easy to add Cappadocia or the coast

    Cappadocia, Antalya and Bodrum are each about an hour and a quarter from Istanbul by air.

Istanbul for corporate groups

Istanbul works for Indian companies that want real history in the programme. Hotels and venues cluster in a few districts, and the Bosphorus ties them together by ferry and coach.

A leadership offsite of 50 can take a palace hotel on the water. A dealer conference of 1,000 fits the ballrooms of the larger hotels, and a conference of several thousand has the Haliç Congress Center and the Lütfi Kırdar centre in Harbiye.

ICE India plans Istanbul incentive trips and offsites through vetted local partners and runs conferences in Bosphorus hotels. A second country can be Greece; the Middle East is the other direction. For group flights, hotels and visas to Turkey, see corporate travel.

Visas for Indian passport holders

Indian passport holders need a visa for Türkiye before they travel. ICE India prepares the paperwork for the whole group.

e-Visa
Available online at evisa.gov.tr to travellers who hold a valid Schengen, US, UK or Irish visa or residence permit. It is single entry and valid for one month.
Sticker visa
Everyone else applies in person at a Gateway International visa centre, with fingerprints and a photograph taken at the appointment.
Processing time
Allow about three weeks for a sticker visa, and longer between April and September. ICE India files group applications early.
Documents
A passport valid for six months with two blank pages, the signed application form, photographs, flight and hotel bookings, travel insurance and bank statements.
Visa on arrival
Not available to Indian passport holders.

Two experiences groups book in Türkiye: the Bosphorus and Cappadocia

An evening on the Bosphorus and a sunrise over Cappadocia. Most programmes build their best night or best morning around one of them.

A lit-up passenger boat on the Bosphorus at night, with the illuminated bridge behind it

Palaces, mosques and two bridges from the water

Bosphorus dinner cruise

Boats leave the European shore at dusk and pass the Ottoman palaces, the Ortaköy mosque and the lit-up Bosphorus bridge. Dinner is served on board, with live music and a folk or belly dance show.

Small groups take a private yacht. A larger group books an event boat or several boats sailing together. As a Bosphorus gala dinner, it ends with the awards ceremony on deck.

Time
A few hours in the evening, with sunset the favourite slot.
Group size
Event boats carry up to 150 guests, and a fleet takes more.
As the gala night
Dinner on deck, a show, then the awards.
Food
Turkish meze and grills, with vegetarian and Jain menus agreed beforehand.
Dozens of hot-air balloons rising at dawn over the valleys near Göreme in Cappadocia

Sunrise flights over rock valleys

Hot-air balloons over Cappadocia

Balloons lift off before sunrise from the valleys near Göreme and drift for about an hour over rock cones and cave villages. Baskets hold 16 to 20 guests, so a group of 100 flies in several baskets.

The civil aviation authority decides each morning whether flights go ahead. Weather cancels flights on roughly a third of days, so groups plan two or three possible mornings.

Time
Hotel pick-up before dawn, then a flight of about an hour.
Group size
Operators run fleets, so groups of 100 or more fly together.
As the gala night
A marquee at Museum Hotel in Uçhisar takes up to 300 guests all year.
Food
Cave-restaurant dinners with folk shows, and vegetarian and Jain menus agreed beforehand.

Where to go in Istanbul and beyond

Istanbul is a string of districts along the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. Most groups base themselves in one, then add Cappadocia, Antalya or Bodrum by air as separately planned extensions.

The Blue Mosque and its minarets at sunset in Sultanahmet, Istanbul
Hagia Sophia and its dome at sunset

Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque

Sultanahmet and the Old City

The historic peninsula, where the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern stand within a short walk of each other. The Four Seasons Sultanahmet, with 65 rooms, and several boutique hotels are here.

The area suits sightseeing days and small leadership groups. Large conferences meet in newer districts across the Golden Horn, so groups usually visit the Old City on a free day or as a half-day between sessions.

Topkapı Palace was the sultans' home for centuries and is the long half-day on most programmes, with courtyards, pavilions, the Harem and the treasury, where the 85-carat Spoonmaker's Diamond is kept. Large parties split into smaller groups, each with its own guide, so each tour keeps moving.

Sights
The Hippodrome, with its Serpent Column and Egyptian obelisk, lies between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. The Chora Church, with Byzantine mosaics, is a short drive away.
Gala option
The Binbirdirek Cistern, a 4th-century water hall, takes seated dinners of about 1,200 beside the Hippodrome.
Team activity
Old City races of about two hours send teams on foot between the main sights, with clues to solve at each stop.
Shopping
The Grand Bazaar and the Arasta Bazaar behind the Blue Mosque are a short walk away, so gift shopping fits between sights.
The Ortaköy Mosque beside the water with the Bosphorus bridge behind it
The white marble front of Beylerbeyi Palace on the Bosphorus

Beşiktaş, Ortaköy and the palace hotels

The Bosphorus shore

The waterfront from Beşiktaş to Ortaköy holds the Çırağan Palace Kempinski, the Four Seasons Bosphorus and the Conrad, with the Ortaköy mosque and its cafés close by. Swissôtel The Bosphorus sits above the shore in Maçka.

This is the base for incentive groups who want the water on their doorstep. Dolmabahçe Palace and the ferry piers are within a short drive, and the Asian shore is a ferry ride away.

Most gala evenings in this district use a hotel ballroom or a palace garden, and many groups end the night on the water. The Bosphorus ferries run between the European and Asian shores all day, which makes the crossing itself an easy group activity, with tea served on deck.

Palaces
Beylerbeyi Palace, on the Asian shore, and the Sait Halim Pasha Mansion at Yeniköy are used for private dinners.
Gala option
The Çırağan palace terrace seats about 1,200 for dinner on the water. The Esma Sultan Mansion at Ortaköy is a smaller waterfront option.
Largest rooms
The Çırağan Ballroom holds 800 in theatre style, and the Four Seasons Bosphorus ballroom seats 700 at banquet.
Team activity
Sailing and yacht team events leave from the Bosphorus piers, with teams racing between the two continents.
The red nostalgic tram on İstiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu, Istanbul
The Galata Tower against the evening sky above Karaköy

İstiklal Avenue, Galata Tower and the nightlife

Beyoğlu, Taksim and Galata

The lively European quarter around Taksim Square, with İstiklal Avenue running down to the Galata Tower. The InterContinental and the Ritz-Carlton are in this district, and the Hilton Bosphorus and the Lütfi Kırdar centre are a short drive away in Harbiye.

It has the city's rooftop bars, meyhane restaurants and small shops, so free evenings need little planning. The red nostalgic tram runs the length of İstiklal. Small galleries and cafes in Cihangir and Karaköy fill a free afternoon.

Galata Tower, built in the 14th century, has a viewing gallery over the Golden Horn and the old city, and groups visit it at sunset. From the tower the lanes of Karaköy lead down to the waterfront, where small cafes and galleries make a relaxed hour before dinner.

Evenings
Rooftop bars and clubs line the streets around Taksim and Karaköy, and the Bosphorus is a short walk from Galata.
Indian dinner
Dubb Indian has a rooftop restaurant at The Marmara Taksim, and Musafir and India Gate are in the same district.
Shopping
Small shops on İstiklal sell sweets, ceramics and glass, and bargaining is expected.
Team activity
App-based city hunts run through Galata and the lanes of Karaköy.
Uçhisar castle rising from the rock cones of Cappadocia
Göreme village seen from a cave hotel terrace

Cave hotels, valleys and underground cities

Cappadocia

A high plateau of volcanic rock cones, valleys and cave villages in central Türkiye. Groups tour the Göreme Open Air Museum, with its rock-cut churches, and the castle at Uçhisar, which looks over the valleys.

Hotels here are small and cave-built, so large groups split across several. Ürgüp has the bigger hotels, such as Dinler, and Uçhisar has Museum Hotel with 34 rooms. Sunrise balloons are the main draw.

A typical programme spends two nights here. The first morning goes to a balloon flight, the afternoon to the Göreme valleys and the underground city, and the second evening to a gala in a cave restaurant or under a marquee. Balloon flights depend on the weather, so a spare morning is built in.

Underground city
Kaymaklı has eight levels, with the top four open to visitors, reaching about 40 metres down.
Gala option
Museum Hotel's Love Hill marquee takes up to 300 guests year-round, and cave restaurants serve Turkish Night dinners from about 8 pm.
Meetings
Rooms are small, with the largest at about 150 guests, so plenaries are usually split or held in a marquee.
Best months
September, late May, June and October. Nights fall below freezing from December to February.
Selected corporate venues in Cappadocia
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Museum HotelUçhisar341 meeting roomMeeting room for up to 50, with a marquee for up to 300 outdoors
Dinler Hotels ÜrgüpÜrgüp1885Largest meeting room: about 150 guests
Visitors at Hadrian's Gate in the old town of Antalya
Old town walls and a garden terrace in Kaleiçi, Antalya

Beach resorts with ballrooms for 1,000 or more

Antalya and Belek

Antalya is a Mediterranean coast city with a walled old town, Kaleiçi, and Hadrian's Gate, built in AD 130. Perge and the Aspendos theatre are a short drive away.

The resorts of Belek, about 35 km from the airport, hold the largest ballrooms in Türkiye outside Istanbul. Groups stay in one resort for the whole programme, with meeting rooms, beach and golf in the same compound.

Kaleiçi, the old quarter around the harbour, is the usual evening walk, with restored Ottoman houses turned into restaurants and small hotels. The harbour has boat trips along the coast, and groups often pair a conference morning in Belek with an afternoon in the old town.

Venues
The Antalya Expo Center has 15 meeting halls for 10 to 1,000 people, and Regnum Carya hosted the 2015 G20 summit.
Sightseeing
Perge is open daily from 8 am to 8 pm, Aspendos hosts a September opera and ballet festival, and the Düden waterfall drops about 40 metres into the sea.
Golf
Belek has 15 or more golf courses, which suits incentive groups.
Best months
Late April to early June and late September to October, with highs of 20 to 27 °C. November to February is wet.
Selected corporate venues in Antalya and Belek
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Regnum CaryaBelek5578Carya Hall: about 22,600 sq ft, 2,000 theatre
Titanic Deluxe Golf BelekBelekNot availableNot availablePacific Main Saloon: about 21,500 sq ft, 1,650 theatre
Rixos Premium BelekBelekAbout 700Not availableDiamond Hall: about 14,500 sq ft, 1,400 theatre
Bodrum Castle above the harbour and marina on the Aegean coast
Stone castle walls and the sea at Bodrum

A castle, a marina and the Aegean coast

Bodrum

A resort town on the Aegean, with a harbour castle that houses the Museum of Underwater Archaeology. The castle opens for night visits and concerts in summer, from 7 pm to 10 pm.

Gümüşlük and Yalıkavak are known for seafood dinners and marina restaurants. Bodrum suits smaller incentive groups, because its largest indoor hall holds about 800. Free evenings are easy to fill, with beach clubs and bay-side restaurants along the Yalıkavak coast.

The coast around Bodrum is a string of bays. Yalıkavak has a modern marina with restaurants, and Gümüşlük is a fishing village on a quiet bay where tables stand almost in the water. Both suit a sunset dinner for a group arriving by coach or by boat.

Gulet cruises
Day cruises take 3 to 99 guests, and fleets of four to six boats carry 100 or more delegates. The charter season runs from May to October.
Gala option
Mandarin Oriental's Olive Garden Beach takes celebrations of 800 to 1,400, and Yalıkavak Marina Beach Hotel hosts events for up to 200.
Meetings
Titanic's Pacific Ballroom holds 800 in theatre style, and Mandarin Oriental's Oriental Ballroom takes 250 to 300.
Best months
Mid-May to mid-June and September to mid-October.
Selected corporate venues in Bodrum
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Mandarin Oriental BodrumParadise BayNot available4Oriental Ballroom: up to 300 guests
Titanic Luxury Collection BodrumGüvercinlik394Not availablePacific Ballroom: about 10,340 sq ft, 800 theatre

Flights from the main Indian cities to Istanbul

Indian airlines land at Istanbul Airport (IST), about 40 km from Taksim and 49 km from Sultanahmet. Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) is on the Asian side, about 50 km from Taksim.

Reaching Istanbul
FromAirportNon-stop flightsOne-stop routes
MumbaiChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (BOM)Turkish Airlines and IndiGo, about 7h 30mNon-stop
DelhiIndira Gandhi International (DEL)Turkish Airlines and IndiGo, about 6h 50mNon-stop
BengaluruKempegowda International (BLR)No non-stop serviceMumbai or Delhi on one ticket, or Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi
ChennaiChennai International (MAA)No non-stop serviceMumbai or Delhi on one ticket, or Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi
HyderabadRajiv Gandhi International (HYD)No non-stop serviceMumbai or Delhi on one ticket, or Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi
KolkataNetaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (CCU)No non-stop serviceDelhi or Mumbai on one ticket, or Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi
KochiCochin International (COK)No non-stop serviceMumbai on one ticket, or Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi
AhmedabadSardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (AMD)No non-stop serviceMumbai or Delhi on one ticket, or Dubai
Pune, Jaipur and other citiesLocal airportNo non-stop serviceA single ticket routed through Mumbai or Delhi

Hotels and venues for groups in Istanbul

Twelve hotels offer ballrooms and meeting rooms for 100 to 1,600 guests.

Selected corporate venues in Istanbul
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Çırağan Palace Kempinski IstanbulBeşiktaş, on the Bosphorus31716Çırağan Ballroom: about 10,290 sq ft, 800 theatre
Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the BosphorusBeşiktaş, on the Bosphorus17012Atik Pasha Grand Ballroom: about 10,760 sq ft, 700 banquet
Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at SultanahmetSultanahmet654Sedef: about 3,010 sq ft, 204 banquet
Raffles IstanbulZorlu Center, Beşiktaş1859Raffles Ballroom: about 12,950 sq ft, up to 1,200
InterContinental IstanbulTaksim39014Dolmabahçe Ballroom: about 7,580 sq ft, 900 theatre
Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference CenterŞişli, Bomonti82935Grand Ballroom: about 26,670 sq ft, 1,600 banquet
The Ritz-Carlton IstanbulŞişhane, near Taksim23910Ballroom: about 7,480 sq ft, 650 theatre
Swissôtel The BosphorusMaçka, Beşiktaş56728Fuji Ballroom: about 11,520 sq ft, up to 1,100
Hilton Istanbul BosphorusHarbiye, Şişli47517Connie Ballroom: about 12,490 sq ft, 850 theatre
Conrad Istanbul BosphorusBeşiktaş53934Conrad Ballroom: about 10,370 sq ft, 950 theatre
Wyndham Grand Istanbul EuropeFatih30714Grand Ballroom: about 6,360 sq ft, 600 theatre
Hyatt Regency Istanbul AtaköyAtaköy, near the airport road28415Ballroom: about 10,760 sq ft, 1,200 theatre

Convention and exhibition centres

For conferences beyond hotel capacity, Istanbul has two large congress centres, one in Harbiye and one on the Golden Horn.

  • The Lütfi Kırdar Convention and Exhibition Center building in Harbiye, Istanbul

    Harbiye, Şişli

    Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar Convention and Exhibition Center

    The city's long-standing home of international congresses, with a large auditorium for plenaries and an exhibition wing with its own entrance.

    • Anadolu Auditorium: 1,900 seats
    • Rumeli Hall: about 75,350 sq ft of exhibition space
    • Interpretation booths for 32 languages
  • The Haliç Congress Center on the shore of the Golden Horn with a boat in the foreground

    Golden Horn

    Haliç Congress Center

    A converted 1920s slaughterhouse complex on the Golden Horn, with five auditoriums and 17 function rooms across four buildings.

    • Haliç Auditorium: 3,004 seats
    • Sadabad Auditorium: 1,131 seats
    • Haliç Foyer: 1,200 banquet

Where to hold the evenings

Where Istanbul groups hold the gala night, the Indian dinner and the team challenge.

  • Gala dinner venues

    Palaces, a cistern and congress halls. Capacities are for seated dinner.

    • Çırağan Palace Kempinski, palace terrace: 1,200
    • Binbirdirek Cistern, Sultanahmet: about 1,200
    • Haliç Congress Center, foyer: 1,200
    • Beylerbeyi Palace, Bosphorus, Asian side
    • Sait Halim Pasha Mansion, Yeniköy
    • Bosphorus event boats: up to 150 guests

  • Indian restaurants for groups

    Istanbul's Indian restaurants include fine dining and pure vegetarian kitchens, and many accept group bookings. Jain menus are arranged beforehand.

    • Dubb Indian, Sultanahmet and Taksim
    • Madhu's Istanbul, Maçka
    • India Gate Indian Restaurant, Cihangir
    • Musafir Indian Restaurant, Taksim

  • Team activity venues

    Operators and places for team-building and incentive days.

    • Heybeliada and Büyükada, Princes' Islands: island races for teams of 8 to 10
    • Golden Horn dragon boats: for 50 or more
    • Old City city-race and Galata scavenger hunts
    • Çemberlitaş and Cağaloğlu hamams
    • Rahmi M. Koç Museum, Golden Horn: events for 20 to 350
    • Bosphorus sailing and yacht team events

What groups do in Istanbul

  • Topkapı Palace

    The Ottoman sultans' palace of courtyards, pavilions and the Harem, with a view over the Bosphorus.

  • Hagia Sophia

    The great domed church of Emperor Justinian, now a working mosque. Visits avoid prayer times.

  • Basilica Cistern

    A 6th-century underground water hall of columns, lit for visitors, beside Hagia Sophia.

  • Princes' Islands race

    A ferry to Heybeliada, then teams race on foot, by bicycle and by horse carriage.

  • Grand Bazaar scavenger hunt

    Teams with a budget and a list hunt through the lanes, with stops for carpet weaving and glass making.

  • A Turkish hamam

    A marble bath house with a scrub and massage, a favourite way to end a day outdoors.

A sample programme in Istanbul

A sample programme for 80 to 150 guests that fits in a working morning, the gala at the Binbirdirek Cistern and an Indian dinner. Each brief reshapes it.

4 nights, 5 days

  1. Galata Bridge and the Golden Horn seen from the Galata TowerDay 1

    Arrival and the Golden Horn

    Guests from every office land at Istanbul Airport and are met. After check-in the group crosses Galata Bridge for a welcome dinner by the water, with a sunset cruise on the Bosphorus for a smaller group.

  2. Tiled corridors and a gilded doorway in the Harem of Topkapı PalaceDay 2

    The Old City and an Indian dinner

    A morning at Topkapı Palace, then the Basilica Cistern and the Hagia Sophia exterior. The afternoon is free for the Grand Bazaar. Dinner is Indian, at Dubb Indian.

  3. A bay with a jetty and green hills on Heybeliada, one of the Princes' IslandsDay 3

    Princes' Islands and a hamam

    A ferry to Heybeliada for the team race on foot, by bicycle and by horse carriage. Back in the city the group relaxes in a hamam before a free evening in Beyoğlu.

  4. A gala event lit in purple among the columns of the Binbirdirek CisternDay 4

    Conference and gala dinner

    The morning is for sessions in the hotel ballroom. In the evening a Mehter band leads guests into the gala dinner at the Binbirdirek Cistern, with Turkish tea and delight at the door and the awards ceremony on stage.

  5. Shoppers in the arched hall of the Spice Bazaar in IstanbulDay 5

    Spice Bazaar and departure

    A last morning of gift shopping at the Spice Bazaar and on İstiklal Avenue, then coaches to Istanbul Airport for the flights home.

Food, souvenirs and shopping in Istanbul

Gifts and food tastings slot into stops on the programme, so shopping seldom needs a day to itself.

  • Local food to try

    Istanbul eats well at every price, from street stalls to meyhane dinners of shared plates.

    • Meze, shared vegetable and cheese dishes, at any meyhane in Beyoğlu
    • Balık ekmek, grilled fish in bread, at the Eminönü waterfront
    • Simit, sesame bread rings, from street carts
    • Kebabs and pide, Turkish flatbreads with toppings
    • Baklava and Turkish delight, bought fresh
    • Turkish tea in tulip glasses, and Turkish coffee

  • What to bring home

    Guests usually bring back sweets, tea and spices for the office and for family.

    • Turkish delight and baklava, from the shops of Eminönü and Karaköy
    • Turkish tea and apple tea
    • Spices and dried fruit from the Spice Bazaar
    • Carpets and kilims from the Grand Bazaar
    • Iznik-style ceramics and tiles
    • Nazar, the blue evil-eye charms, and hand-blown glass

  • Where to shop

    Bazaars for gifts, avenues for brands, and malls for an easy afternoon.

    • Grand Bazaar: carpets, ceramics and glass
    • Spice Bazaar, Eminönü: spices, sweets and tea
    • İstiklal Avenue: shops from Taksim to the Galata Tower
    • Arasta Bazaar, beside the Blue Mosque: crafts and ceramics
    • Zorlu Center, Beşiktaş: international brands
    • Kanyon, Levent: a mall with a rooftop view

When to go

April to June and September to October are the main seasons, with daytime highs of 16 to 26 °C. July and August average 28 °C. Winters are cool, with highs of 9 to 11 °C, and October to December are the wettest months.

Ramadan 2027 should begin around 8 February and end about 9 March. Hotels stay open, though group dinners are timed to sunset.

Cappadocia
September is the best month. Sub-zero nights and snow from December to February can cancel balloon flights.
Antalya
Late April to early June and late September to October, with highs of 20 to 27 °C. November to February is wet.
Bodrum
Mid-May to mid-June and September to mid-October. Gulet charters run from May to October.

  • We worked with ICE India for Confluence, our annual global partners meet. There were 4 other agencies who were pitching for this event and we finally chose ICE India due to their thorough understanding of our needs and the innovative ideas which they suggested for the event. Since this was the first time that we were working with ICE India for such a large scale event, we were a bit skeptical, but Mufaddal and his team were involved in every small aspect of the event and executed it seamlessly. The biggest thing that they bring to the table is the organized way in which they work, which leads to minimum last minute issues, which we all know is bound to happen in a large scale event. All in all it was a very good experience working with them.

    Ashwini NagarkattiCategory Marketing Manager - Godrej Appliances

  • We have been associated with ICE India for more than 5 years to manage our Annual Customer Networking Event. Mufaddal has an eye for detail and perfection. As our audience is more or less the same every year, we need new concepts and ideas every year. Mufaddal is our “go to man” for creative ideas. We strongly believe he thinks “out of the box”. We have been in a tough situation during one of our events. We thank Mufaddal for making last minute arrangements to ensure that the show goes on flawlessly. This could not have been possible without his strong network and equity that he has built over the years. Kudos to team ICE India. Keep up the great work. Wish you more success in years to come.

    Brajesh ThakurAssociate Director, Sales - West India, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

  • Dear Mufaddal and Shreya, This was our first event and we approached ICE India for support. You both were very calm, composed and able to make decisions at once, quickly. You were able to understand our needs and always happy to help even when the plan changes last minute. You are very organized in your work which leads to minimum last minute issues – which we all know are bound to happen. We had a fantastic experience and were treated with thorough professionalism right from planning, organizing and executing the event. It was a fabulous experience working with you both and we cannot thank you enough for executing it so well. Kind regards, Gita

    Gita WaghelaTalwar, Thakore and Associates

Planning an event in Istanbul: questions

Are vegetarian and Jain guests well served in Istanbul?

Yes. Meze are largely vegetable dishes, and menus for vegetarian and Jain guests are agreed with each kitchen before arrival.

What should a group wear to visit mosques?

Shoulders and knees are covered, women cover their hair, and shoes come off at the door. Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are working mosques, so ICE India schedules visits outside prayer times.

Does the working week affect the programme?

The weekend is Saturday and Sunday. Friday prayers fall around midday, so conference sessions are planned around them.

Which side of Istanbul should a group stay on?

Most conference hotels, Sultanahmet and Beyoğlu are on the European side. The Asian side has Beylerbeyi Palace and Kadıköy. Traffic and bridge crossings are slow at rush hour, so ICE India keeps each day's programme on one side.

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Photographs via Wikimedia Commons: Bosphoruscruisetour, MusikAnimal, Maurice Flesier, CeeGee, Jelican9 and Dosseman (CC BY-SA 4.0); Moonik, Wolfgang Moroder and CeeGee (CC BY-SA 3.0); Joe Wallace and Adam Jones (CC BY-SA 2.0); Ninara (CC BY 2.0); Joseolgon and Gargarapalvin (CC BY 4.0). Other photographs are from Unsplash and public sources, and remain the property of their owners.