
Building Bridges, Not Just Events: The Visionary Journey of Nova Exhibitions & Conferences
Siddharth SarafCo-Founder of NOVA Exhibitions & Conferences Siddharth, co-founder of NOVA, has over 13 years of experience in the construction industry. He’s known for his strong business sense and his drive to succeed. After earning an MBA in Finance, Siddharth joined his family’s well-established construction business, where he gained a deep understanding of the industry. His background in Delhi and Mumbai has influenced his approach to business, helping him start Nova Exhibitions and Conferences. Siddharth is passionate about sustainable design and promoting local innovation. He’s a supporter of the ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative and has worked to encourage responsible construction practices. Outside of work, Siddharth enjoys fitness, art, fine food, and luxury experiences. On LinkedIn, he has over 6,000 followers and maintains close connections with more than 8,000 professionals in the construction field. Nova Exhibitions and Conferences is a company that brings people together from across the construction industry. Since its start in 2018, Nova has been organizing events like exhibitions, trade shows, and conferences to help professionals connect, learn, and grow. They focus on creating spaces where people from various fields such as architecture, fire safety and security, and building materials, can gather to share ideas and learn about new developments in the industry. Other than iDAC Expo, the key event organized by Nova is FSIE, the Fire & Security India Expo, held in partnership with the Fire & Security Association of India (FSAI). FSIE is one of India’s major events for fire safety and security industry. It brings together experts, architects, engineers, and safety professionals to discuss and share information on fire protection and security solutions. FSIE provides a platform for networking, learning, and discussing industry trends that affect safety in buildings and infrastructure. This year, Nova is to hold FSIE during 11-13 September 2025 at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, New Delhi. SecurityLinkIndia spoke to Siddharth on the preparation, foresight and anticipated success of FSIE 2025. Here are the excerpts: Can you share your individual journey before co-founding NOVA Exhibitions & Conferences? For me, I was always drawn to problem-solving and systems thinking. My background is in business development and brand building across various sectors. But I always felt a pull towards creating platforms, spaces where people and industries could connect more efficiently. Can you kindly give a brief of the entity called NOVA. Nova isn’t just an organizer of trade shows, exhibitions, conferences, and business events across the global construction industry; it’s an ecosystem of ideas, industries, and innovations. Since 2018, we’ve built platforms that spark innovation, encourage dialogue, and push industries forward, especially in construction, design, fire safety, and security. Our vision is deeply rooted in building sustainable and transformative connections through high-impact gatherings. Take iDAC, for example it’s more than an expo; it’s a celebration of the entire built environment. From architects and interior designers to developers and brands, iDAC brings together every stakeholder in a format that’s bold, immersive, and deeply collaborative. We’ve also recently launched the Dubai Intelligence Series, which has been incredibly exciting. It’s a focused, invitation-only format that brings global thinkers and regional innovators into the same room for real conversations around future cities, sustainable design, and nextgen construction. It’s smaller in scale but huge in intent, exactly the kind of meaningful dialogue the industry needs right now. At its core, Nova is about building bridges – between people, between sectors, and across borders. What inspired you to start Nova, and how did you come together with your co-founder? We saw a gap. Trade shows, exhibitions, and conferences were happening, but they weren’t changing much. I believed they could do more, connect deeper, solve real problems, and leave a mark. I had the drive to build something meaningful, and when I met Dhaval, it was clear we shared the same ambition. We weren’t interested in doing things the usual way; we wanted to create platforms that push boundaries and genuinely serve the industries we touch. What is the core mission behind NOVA Exhibitions & Conferences? To build platforms that matter. Whether it’s iDAC – the Architecture and Design Summit or FSIE – the Fire and Security Expo, I want every Nova event to stand for purpose, not just presence. Our mission is about sparking conversations that lead to action. We aim to be the bridge between industries, ideas, and innovation. What’s the most difficult decision you’ve had to make as a founder? The pandemic forced us to rethink everything. Do we wait it out? Do we pivot? We chose to adapt – and that meant tough calls, from budgets to formats. We had to cancel some events, delay others, and restructure teams. But in hindsight, those decisions revealed the grit of our team and helped us build a more resilient company. What other verticals for NOVA is organising Exhibition and Conference other than Security industry? A lot! We proudly organize the iDAC Expo, one of the country’s largest platforms for architecture, design, interiors, construction, and technology, bringing together the entire Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Design ecosystem under one roof. Alongside, the iDAC Intelligence Series Conferences travel across 10+ cities to build localised knowledge-sharing hubs. We also host the Infinity Awards, a national-level recognition platform that celebrates excellence in design and innovation. While FSIE is our flagship for the fire and security ecosystem, each of these verticals is rooted in our mission to foster collaboration, elevate standards, and build stronger communities across industries. Nova Exhibitions and Conferences is a company that brings people together from across the construction industry. Since its start in 2018, Nova has been organizing events like exhibitions, trade shows, and conferences to help professionals connect, learn, and grow. They focus on creating spaces where people from various fields such as architecture, fire safety and security, and building materials, can gather to share ideas and learn about new developments in the industry What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during the early days of Nova? Getting people to believe in a new name, we had to prove that…