Bamboo pavilion by NMBA wins gold award

From 14-27 November, The Bamboo Store has been at the India International Trade Fair IITF 2009 as part of the National Mission on Bamboo Applications ( NMBA)'s specially designed bamboo pavilion. We had a display there of our bamboo products and I was conducting the first of its kind bamboo festival called BAMBOOSTIC ! I am happy to report that the festival was a super success with participation from people of all age groups and backgrounds ( from 3 to 60 year olds) who expressed themselves creatively in the painting, slogan and poetry writing competitions, all bamboo themed.

The icing on the cake however is that the NMBA pavilion won the Gold Award for Best Display ....................... putting bamboo definitely in the forefront !!

And while everyone focusses on the problem of climate change and global warming, all of us in the bamboo world including the participants of BAMBOOSTIC would like to offer bamboo as part of the solution to deforestation and other environmental problems.

BAMBOOSTIC 2009 - FIRST OF ITS KIND BAMBOO FESTIVAL

The Bamboostic poster

At the IITF 2009, there was a special festival at the NMBA pavilion.

Called BAMBOOSTIC 2009, this festival aimed to win hearts and minds to the cause of bamboo. A creative mix of competitions and events - painting, poetry, paragraph and slogan writing on bamboo and the environment had over 300 participants of all ages - from 3 and 1/2 year olds to 60 year olds ....everyone had a blast and the pavilion got really crowded during competition hours as each participant was encouraged by hordes of family members and friends !

As Coordinator of the Festival, what made me happy was to see people's joy - young and old - in expressing their creativity - in fact many people thanked us for the opportunity TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES. Another heartening thing was that so many people actually sat and thought about bamboo and how it coud be useful to combat deforestation, global warming and climate change - normally many of these people would not have bothered about bamboo. All in all, it was extremely gratifying.

In addition to the competition events, we organized live craft demonstrations ( toy-making, kites and weaving) and also had an artist making what else but "Bamboo Tattoos" on the face and hands - everyone wanted one !! We also distributed 20, 000 windscreen stickers promoting bamboo - the slogan was

CHOOSE BAMBOO FOR A CLEANER, GREENER EARTH !

BAMBOO PAVILION AT THE INDIA INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR 2009

The National Mission on Bamboo Applications (NMBA) has built a stunning all bamboo pavilion at the India International Trade Fair 2009 Pragati Maidan. A total of 1.5 lakh daily visitors to the IITF had a chance to see the pavilion and all the bamboo innovations here which included bamboo housing for rual tourism, disaster relief housing, bamboo and solar lights, a bamboo bicycle capable of generating electricity, bamboo flooring, handicrafts, machinery, bamboo microscopes, and much more.

And yes, the Bamboo Store was there too !!