JANUARY - MARCH 2017 by EVENTFAQS Media

EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING MAGAZINE

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 VOLUME 8, ISSUE 1 PRICE Rs.100

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1

RNI REGISTRATION MAHENG/2010/35733

EVENTS ENTERTAINMENT PROMOTIONS MICE BTL SPONSORSHIP SPORTS

CONTENTS

UAE UPDATES

BRAND MARKETING

BRIEFS 8 MARKET PULSE -- Sponsorship with a Vision 9 IN FOCUS -- Dubai Hosts the First BestCities Global Forum 10 PHOTO FEATURE -- Carnival-Inspired: The Arab Social Media Influencers Summit 12 MARKET PULSE -- Truth to Dare 14 PHOTO FEATURE -- Ghazal Symphony: An Evening to Remember 15 FEATURE -- Reaching New Heights: Event Technology in the UAE 16

BRIEFS 30 MARKET PULSE -- Marketing Must Play the Lead Role in Shaping Business Strategy in 2017: Yuki San, VP and CMO, Ricoh 32 -- India’s Move to Healthy Products and How Borges Fits In 33 IN FOCUS -- Hammer Entertainment Nails nubia Smartphone Launch with a Dazzling Fashion Show 34 -- Planking with Puma 36 FEATURE -- ExM Catch-Up with Fastrack, LG, TATA Motors, Red Chief, DHL Express & AKAI 38 PHOTO FEATURE -- French Finesse 44 -- Mapping Hero’s Story in Argentina 46

ENTERTAINMENT BRIEFS 20 IN FOCUS -- Bollywood to Rock the Capital 22 PHOTO FEATURE -- Debut Edition of Eat Play Love in Mumbai Thrives on Art, Music, Food & Experience 24 -- Enchanted Valley Carnival 2016 Enthralls Audiences with Multi-Genre Lineup and Majestic Experiences 26

M.I.C.E BRIEFS 48 MARKET PULSE -- What is Meeting Design? 50 IN FOCUS -- Slovakia: A Refreshing Destination 51 -- F1 Circutainment: The Ultimate R&R Experience 54 -- Fountainhead MKTG Produces the Stunner that was Aditya Birla Group Awards for Outstanding Achievement 2016 56 -- MICE with a Difference 58 FEATURE -- MICE in India: Decoding the Hottest MICE Destinations Across the Country 60

Disclaimer: i. Experiential Marketing magazine is published by EVENTFAQS Media. Pvt. Ltd. with RNI Registration MAHENG/2010/35733. ii. Every effort is made to ensure that the magazine’s content is correct. However, the publisher accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions. iii. All material published in this magazine is copyright protected. Unauthorised reproduction in part or full is forbidden. iv. The publisher takes no responsibility for content used in advertisements and advertorials. It is assumed the advertiser has rights to use the content. v. The publisher takes no responsibility for photographs and information published in features which comes from external sources such as PR agencies, direct sources, etc. It is assumed that the parties involved have the right to provide the information for publishing purposes. vi. Any dispute/error liable vis-a-vis this magazine is strictly restricted to local jurisdiction in Mumbai only.

FROM THE EDITOR

64 INDUSTRY WATCH BRIEFS 62 THE CUE CARDS BY SUSHMA GAIKWAD -- Productivity at Work–the Key to Success 63 COVER STORY -- Kolkata Rising 64 FEATURE -- Reveling in the Power of Rural 70 -- Sanjay Shukla–DDB Mudramax Experiential Talks About His Journey, Clients and Agency Focus for 2017 72

TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS 76 IN FOCUS -- A 110-ft Stage, Projection Mapping and MindWarping AV Content 78 MARKET PULSE -- InitLive: The Ultimate Staff Management Technology at Events 80

The City of Joy; The City of Palaces; The Cultural Capital of India; With such titles, how could Kolkata be anything but an extremely buzzing Experiential market? Its unique place in India’s history, its grand colonial architecture, and its orientation towards art and culture, necessitates it being a niche events hub as well. An in-depth study of Kolkata and the experiential market there, is testimony to the ever-diverse and growing events industry of India. With a country of such large expanse, every quarter is in fact a unique market in itself. With its own challenges, but also its own style of experiences and more so, its own opportunities, that unanimously contribute back to enhancing the over-all industry. As we continue to delight in the re-discovery and study of this fascinating industry, we commit to aggregate insights from across markets. karishma@eventfaqs.com

JANUARYâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; MARCH 2017 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1

KARISHMA HUNDALANI karishma@eventfaqs.com

VISHAL NAGDEV vishal@eventfaqs.com

EDITORIAL TEAM RACHAEL RAJAN rrajan@eventfaqs.com +91 9766071741 KANIKA MEHTA kanika@eventfaqs.com +91 9810018658 SHANTANU JAIN shantanu@eventfaqs.com +91 9990881440

CFO & DIRECTOR JIMMY CHOUDHARY jimmy@eventfaqs.com +91 9821428197

CIRCULATION RAMESH PATIL ramesh@eventfaqs.com +91 22 26300673

MARKETING SERVICES TEAM SONAL GUPTA sonal@eventfaqs.com +91 9833885521 RADHIKA SETHI radhika@eventfaqs.com +91 9920661129

ADMIN & ACCOUNTS NILESH PAWAR accounts@eventfaqs.com +91 22 26330674 SAMEET ELKAR admin.mumbai@eventfaqs.com +91 9769306799 AKASH GUPTA admin.delhi@eventfaqs.com +91 9911755871 GRAPHIC DESIGN VINAYA PRASHANTH vinayaprashanth@gmail.com PRASAD KARAMBAT

GENERAL MANAGER LIZANN PINTO lizann@eventfaqs.com +91 9833996461

MARKETING OPERATIONS TEAM KRITI JAIN kriti@eventfaqs.com +91 9911696980 REBECCA FERNANDES rebecca@eventfaqs.com +91 9833993885 CHARMI JANANI charmi@eventfaqs.com +91 9920574595 ZAFAR KHAN zafar@eventfaqs.com +91 9004839027 PRIYANKA NAYAR priyanka@eventfaqs.com + 91 9833993226

Experiential Marketing (ExM) is a quarterly magazine published by EVENTFAQS Media (India) Pvt. Ltd. Founded in 2007, EVENTFAQS is a multi-channel business media platform focussed on the MICE, Experiential Marketing, LIVE Entertainment & Social Events industry and engages over 40,000 stakeholders via its print, digital and event platforms. Visit www.eventfaqs.com for more details. For subscription enquiry: info@eventfaqs.com Editor: Karishma Jamnu Hundalani. This issue contains 84 pages including covers. Printed & published by: Vishal Vashulal Nagdev on behalf of (or owned by) EVENTFAQS Media Pvt. Ltd. and printed at VSSU Graphics, Unit # 36, Ideal Industrial Estate Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel-West, Mumbai 400013, Maharashtra, India, and published at EVENTFAQS Media Pvt. Ltd. 112, 1st Floor, Embassy Centre 207, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021, Maharashtra, India.

BRIEFS

UAE UPDATES

N&M Provides Event Technology to Connect MICE Professionals at IBTM Arabia 2017 MICE industry professionals gathered for the 11th edition of IBTM Arabia that saw three action-packed days of networking, meetings, knowledge and business opportunities, with the technical support of Neumann&Müller Event Technology (N&M). IBTM Arabia 2017 took place from February 7 to 9 at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi. Shinu Pillai, Manager, Reed Travel Exhibitions remarked, “With the ever changing technical requirements of an event such as ours, an event technology supplier needs to have an understanding of the entire event, not just their area of specialism; this is what we get from Neumann&Müller.”

Shinu Pillai

Manager Reed Travel Exhibitions

Spectacular Inaugural Edition of the Sandstorm DXB Obstacle Course Race Sees 2800 Participants Done Events has added another feather to their cap in the form of the region’s largest obstacle course race, Sandstorm DXB, which took place in Marmoum on Febraury 10. The event, which was under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and powered by Dubai Holding saw over 2,800 participants tackle over 40+ obstacles spread over both 5k and 10k courses.

Girish Bhat

“One of our main objectives was to create an enjoyable experience not only for those taking part but also for those who came to cheer them on”, remarked Girish Bhat, Managing Director, Done Events.

Managing Director Done Events

52-Day Long Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival Sees Dedicated Technology by Protec Protec has successfully pulled off one of its most demanding production support challenges ever at the annual Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Abu Dhabi. The event, which was held at the Al Wathba race track, celebrates UAE’s cultural inheritance as well as the diversity of other cultures around the world. Simon Travis, Project Manager, Protec said “The new EV speakers we purchased for the occasion were perfect for the conditions and the audio distributed clearly and evenly over such a large site by the Optocore system provided a logical solution.” Simon Travis

Project Manager, Protec

Moment International Manages Inauguration in Jubail The inauguration ceremony of SADARA and SATORP took place at the King Abdullah Cultural Centre, Al Jubail in Saudi Arabia to celebrate new infrastructure projects by the Sadara Chemical Company (Sadara) and the Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Co (Satorp).

Fabio Umilta

Fabio Umilta, Project Manager, Moment International remarked, “The project was challenging from the start as we only had 3 weeks’ notice to plan and deliver an event of this size. Shipping and programming time were only two of the challenges faced. Delivering a project of this size in such a short time would scare anyone.”

Project Manager Moment International

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

UPDATES FROM THE UAE / MARKET PULSE

SPONSORSHIP WITH A VISION Executive Director for Yas Island Destination Management, Gerardo Llanes shares with ExM the broader vision and objectives behind the announcement on sponsorships for events on Yas Island. BY RACHAEL RAJAN

Aerial View of Yas Island

Yas Island Destination Management recently announced an inaugural window of opportunity to event organisers based locally and internationally who are interested in applying for sponsorship to host their event on Yas Island, to help encourage people to visit, dine, shop and stay on the island. The window, which closed on January 24, is providing the opportunity for event organisers to secure sponsorship from Miral, for events being held between July 1, 2017 and December 31, 2018. While the decision process is still on with respect to events shortlisted for sponsorships, ExM interviewed Gerardo Llanes, Executive Director for Yas Island Destination Management, to understand more about what goals Yas Island hopes to achieve by supporting events.

Miral wants to secure event content which will complement our existing events and ensure we have event content to continue positioning Yas Island as a vibrant event location all year round. GERARDO LLANES

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR YAS ISLAND DESTINATION MANAGEMENT

What are the criteria/standards that proposed events will have to meet to get sponsorship? Miral, on behalf of Yas Island, are seeking events which will help the continued growth of the island into a globally renown events location. Events are assessed on their ability to deliver one or more of the following outcomes: • The level of economic impact which will be generated based on the ability to drive overnight visitation and event related expenditure. • In terms of social impact, our aim is to attract local attendees to Yas Island creating a sense of community, celebration cultural diversity and bring world-class experiences to Yas Island. • In terms of broadcast exposure, this will enable us to have exposure for Yas Island via broadcast or media coverage into our key domestic and/or international markets.

Events are assessed on the outcomes they deliver, as well as the alignment with other sponsored events in the Yas Island event portfolio. This includes taking into consideration additional elements such as (a) how does the timing align with other events in our portfolio, (b) is this a one-off event or annual, (c) how do the forecasted event outcomes align with the overall performance of the event portfolio. Miral wants to secure event content which will complement our existing events and ensure we have event content to continue positioning Yas Island as a vibrant event location all year round. Will the sponsorships be monetary, as direct investments into the events? All sponsorships event applications from Miral will be monetary & in-kind marketing support.

How many visitors will be expected at Yas Island as a result of these events? The Yas Island event strategy will assist the island with meeting our ambitions which are outlined in the Yas Island vision 2022. By 2022, Yas Island has an ambition to be one of the world’s top 10 destinations for families, with over 48m visitors. Yas Island secured 25m visitors in 2015; 2016 results are still pending but it is expected the attendance will increase 15% YoY. How will Yas partner / support potential organisers beyond the sponsorships? Outside financial support, Miral is happy to liaise with event organizers to ensure any event hosted on Yas Island is a success. We have strong connections with all YI stakeholders and can assist in finding event venues, providing marketing support and connecting you with key stakeholders to make events on Yas Island a success.

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

UPDATES FROM THE UAE

ubai Business Events in collaboration with the BestCities Global Alliance and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), inaugurated the first ever BestCities Global Forum on December 5. The three-day Forum which took place at the JW Marriott Marquis in Dubai presented the ideal learning environment for senior association executives responsible for organising international events. THE BESTCITIES GLOBAL ALLIANCE AND THE FORUM BestCities Global Alliance is a strategic collaboration between 11 of the world’s premier meeting destinations. The Forum also had over 35 international association executives in attendance, including World Autism Organisation, International Society of Endocrinology, International Astronautical Federation and SWIFT; in addition to all 11 BestCities partner cities.

THE RESPONSE AND PLANS FOR THE NEXT FORUM Talking about the response to the Forum, Wilstrup says, “The feedback from attendees at the inaugural Global Forum was incredibly positive. One hundred percent of delegates surveyed post-event reported the Forum fulfilled their main objectives and would recommend it to other international association meeting planners. Our ambition is to build on that success in 2017. Education, innovative learning, inspiring speakers and the opportunity for delegates to get a taster experience of the host city will all feature going forward. And of course, BestCities commitment to supporting clients to build meaningful legacies for their events will remain at its core.” The second BestCities Global Forum will take place in Tokyo in December 2017 and is open to senior association executives (or AMC on behalf of Associations) considering

Dubai Hosts the First BestCities Global Forum Dubai Business Events in collaboration with the BestCities Global Alliance and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) organised the first BestCities Global Forum which took place at the JW Marriott Marquis.

Elaborating on the vision of the Forum, Jonas Wilstrup, Board Chair, BestCities and Convention Director, Wonderful Copenhagen Convention Bureau remarks, “As a global alliance of 12 premiere convention bureaus, BestCities offer meeting solutions beyond any individual city or bureau. The Global Forum is the ideal example of the collective strength BestCities provide our clients as an Alliance, championing inspiring thought-leadership and practical and hands-on support in association legacy development.” WHAT THE FIRST FORUM OFFERED Over the course of the week, the Forum featured thought provoking sessions from speakers including: Dr Tommy Weir, Speaker and Professor of Hult International Business School; Oliver Martin, a stakeholder engagement strategist, specialising in destination development; Philip Davies, President of strategic brand consultancy EMEA Siegel; and Gale and Sherrif Karamat, Chief Operations Officer, PCMA. “From a BestCities partners’ perspective, the Global Forum is the much-anticipated flagship event of our annual event calendar. All partners host small group sessions with all the delegates, enabling them to both gain a clear understanding of each associations’ requirements, while providing an in-depth and tailored overview of each city’s unique, high-quality offering, guaranteed by the BestCities Alliance standard,” says Wilstrup. The forum also offered participants plenty of networking opportunities. One of the Forum’s most successful sessions at Dubai was a finale workshop which challenged delegates and BestCities’ partners to work together to create a meaningful legacy-creation strategy for a hypothetical future conference. 10

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From a BestCities partners’ perspective, the Global Forum is the much-anticipated flagship event of our annual event calendar. All partners host small group sessions with all the delegates, enabling them to both gain a clear understanding of each associations’ requirements, while providing an in-depth and tailored overview of each city’s unique, high-quality offering, guaranteed by the BestCities Alliance standard JONAS WILSTRUP

BOARD CHAIR, BESTCITIES AND CONVENTION DIRECTORWONDERFUL COPENHAGEN CONVENTION BUREAU

UPDATES FROM THE UAE

DUBAI AS HOST Steen Jakobsen, Director, Dubai Business Events says, “The response to the Forum is a strong testament to Dubai’s reputation for holding world class business events and highlights the cooperation which exists between the government and events industry in the emirate. In addition, the forum laid the foundation for continued education and strong content around event legacy and the impact that associations and their meetings can have on a host city. Dubai benefitted immensely from being the host city for BestCities Global Forum. It served as a premier platform for discussion around advancing the purpose of international association meetings through long-term legacy development. The event also gave association executives a chance to see the strong business event proposition in Dubai, allowing them to experience the city’s warm hospitality and gain deeper insights into its rich heritage and ambitious vision for the future.”

hosting International Business Events that rotate globally, relevant to any of the 12 BestCities Global Alliance partner cities: Berlin, Bogotá, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Dubai, Edinburgh, Houston, Madrid, Melbourne, Singapore, Tokyo and Vancouver. More will be revealed surrounding the programme theme at IMEX Frankfurt in May. The Forum came at a time where Dubai’s reputation for holding world-class business events is steadily growing, a strong testament to the cooperation which exists between the government and the business events industry in the Emirate. The BestCities Global Forum is just one example of the significant strides Dubai Business Events is making in the field.

IMAGES 1. Assocation legacy Q&A Stephanie Stevenson, IFCN with Philip McCabe, Federation of Irish Beekeepers 2. BC Chair Jonas Wilstrup Wonderful Copenhagen hands the GF baton to Kana Nomoto TCVB 3. Paul Valee BestCities 4. BestCites GF delegates head off into the wilderness to explore the Dubai desert 5. Delegates round-table discussions and workshops at BCGF6

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

UPDATES FROM THE UAE / PHOTO FEATURE

CARNIVAL-INSPIRED: THE ARAB SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS SUMMIT

n December 13 and 14, 2016, Dubai World Trade Centre’s Saeed Hall and Done Events played host and organiser to the Arab Social Media Influencers Summit with over 2,500 guests in attendance. The theme was a mix of traditional carnival-inspired aesthetics, city fair elements and clean pastel infused palettes and tones. The theme featured a central boardwalk-style path, which brought guests through the event landscape, complete with a beautifully detailed carousel, a social shooter LED column, rollercoaster inspired speaker area and a Social Slide. “The Media Office and Done Events always produce amazing results when we work together. From Arab Media Forum to the Emirati Media Forum and now this, we have a great synergy with the client and it shows. We’d like to thank Mona Ghanem Al Marri and her wonderful team for giving Done Events the opportunity to deliver another amazing event,” remarked Girish Bhat, Managing Director, Done Events.

The Media Office and Done Events always produce amazing results when we work together. From Arab Media Forum to the Emirati Media Forum and now this, we have a great synergy with the client and it shows. We’d like to thank Mona Ghanem Al Marri and her wonderful team for giving Done Events the opportunity to deliver another amazing event. GIRISH BHAT

MANAGING DIRECTOR DONE EVENTS

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

UPDATES FROM THE UAE / PHOTO FEATURE

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TRUTH TO DARE

BY HANY EZZAT

In this series, UAE-based advertising professional and Co-Founder of Crystâl Brand House, Hany Ezzat explores what makes brands meaningful and relevant. In this piece, he delves into the need for REINVENTION, showing how Madonna is a perfect example of this.

Madonna once said, “I am not the owner but the manager of my talent”. I happen to be lucky to manage a few hats of my own. One of them is being a Hypnotherapist. Pursuing Clinical Hypnotherapy helped me fulfil my curiosity for the Human Mind & Soul. What I realised is how this study has/continues to help me create more meaningful associations between the Brands I manage and their respective audience groups. Brand Communication is hardly driven by purchase. Brands are truly built when they become part of a consumer’s life. The question then becomes, how can a single Brand stay relevant? Another way of asking the same question is, how can a single brand and its target audience remain connected and grow that connection? The word that I initially planned on using as the heart of this article was: Innovation. But being a Brand custodian, I realised that Products Innovate while Brands Reinvent. Innovation happens on a product level, driven by technology, scientific muscles and also, business vision and funds. Reinvention on the other hand is driven by emotions, feelings, experience and connection. Products Innovate while Brands Reinvent. I would go as far and say, an Iconic Brand never FOLLOWS but CREATES…and ANTICIPATES the Change. What is mostly happening nowadays is that Brands are reactive to consumers’ needs & expectations. Brands wait for consumers’ needs to determine their next move, their next innovation and their next launch. Established Brands have both the vision and insight to create trends rather than play catch-up. Madonna launched her career almost 32 years ago and recently wrapped up her 10th world tour that consisted of almost 82 shows around the world. Madonna is not 14

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only a Brand but a master in Reinvention. Most people I talk to, including non fans, acknowledge both facts. However, Reinvention isn’t a recipe that can be achieved by just adding ingredients. Reinvention has its secrets. Madonna reinvented herself across 3 decades simply by being true to herself. Every album is born out of personal Hany Ezzat experience and her own individual takes and perspectives on whatever she writes about at the time. Once the theme of the album is born, the music & her image follows. Madonna chose her own personal growth and evolution, as a human being, to be her source of inspiration and her ‘brand differentiation’. This sense of authenticity & personal mark is what connects her to fans to this day. In the world of communication, innovation starts with the product but we, as communication professionals, have an equal responsibility in the creative process. Our challenge is not only to create an emotional association with a particular Brand but also constantly & consistently Reinvent this association, renewing our vows with our audience with each step of the Brand Journey.

TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN PRODUCT INNOVATION

BRAND REINVENTION

SCIENTIFIC MUSCLE FUNDS VISION EMOTIONS FEELINGS EXPERIENCE CONNECTION

UPDATES FROM THE UAE / PHOTO FEATURE

Ghazal Symphony: A N E V ENIN G TO R EMEMBER

Raging Tiger organised the Ghazal Symphony on December 16 at Zabeel Hall 3 of the Dubai World Trade Centre. Presented by Jaguar and Al Tayer Motors in association with RMD, the event featured musical performances by Rekha Bhardwaj, Pankaj Udhas, Talat Aziz and Sanam Marvi. Ghulam Ali also made a special appearance at the event to receive an award for his contribution to ghazals.

The production was backed by several key partners and sponsors; while the event was organised in collaboration with Perfect Harmony Global, the co-sponsors were Mircalz by Danube, and Showtech, which provided all sound, lighting and event technology for the evening.

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UPDATES FROM THE UAE / FEATURE

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS: EVENT TECHNOLOGY IN THE UAE ExM talks to the Heads of two leading event technology providers in the UAE to find out why the region is a leader when it comes to using innovative and new technology at events. BY RACHAEL RAJAN

Museum of the Future

Clients and their Evolving Demands With the growth of the economy in the region, budgets for events have also been on the rise, with clients spending more on events in order to make them stand out. This has led to technology being used in combination with content to produce truly immersive experiences for attendees.

ompared to the rest of Asia, the UAE without a doubt stands out for its use of technology at events, even providing experiences that set new global standards. ExM talks to the Heads of two leading event technology providers in the UAE to find out why the region is a leader when it comes to using innovative and new technology at events. Steve Lakin

The Economic Situation Steve Lakin, CEO, Protec says, “The UAE’s economy is strong and stable and the country is experiencing continuous growth as a result. The nation’s leaders ensure there is no compromise when it comes to quality and this is also reflected in the events that are produced here.” Local and Government Initiatives “Dubai Tourism recently released an event industry white paper, to help grow the events industry across the UAE and we have no doubt that there is more growth to come with the UAE’s commitment to quality paving the way to it being recognized as a globally recognized leader for its events,” adds Lakin. Rick Wade, General Manager, Neumann Mueller Event Technology LLC adds, “When Dubai won the right to host 2020 World Expo, all eyes were set on the region. The UAE has certainly become the tourism hub of the Middle East. Now, more than ever, the government has been playing a significant role in this industry by being actively and directly involved in the process. They also have started to reach out to the event professionals through the association, called ILEA ME, to talk about how to better the industry in general.”

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

“As the market has become more discerning, the clients’ expectation of quality and delivery have tremendously increased as well. They demand the same level if not better standards as that of European or international shows. The industry players have had to up their game to cope with the competition. Client’s demands are what set the boundaries to ensure that the execution of the event is up to their standards,” remarks Wade. Proliferation of Tech Providers and Specialist Engineers The economic growth and the resulting expansion of budgets for events has resulted in new entrants in the market for events and event technologies. The UAE is home to world-class production companies as well as AV rental companies. The event infrastructure in the UAE is also immensely supportive of creative productions using technology. The availability of service providers and production companies willing to experiment and use their services and products to maximize creative output is another reason why the region constantly produces such mind-blowing experiences. Says Lakin, “At Protec, we don’t just pay attention to high quality equipment but also ensure the crew to run it is trained to the highest standards and strictly adhere to Health & Safety regulations. Each one has had their part to

UPDATES FROM THE UAE / FEATURE

Dubai Canal Opening

Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival

play in the growth of the industry over the last few years. A bit of healthy competition has kept everyone on their toes, especially within Protec as we make it our aim to develop and grow creativity within events by continually investing in the latest technology to give our clients more inspiration and specialist tools to enhance their own creativity.” The people behind the equipment are an Rick Wade important contribution to the growth of the event industry, allowing international event organisers to tap into local resources to produce events that often outdo even global standards for such events. According to Lakin, the growing awareness of the potential in the region itself has been beneficial as earlier, organisers unaware of technology available would bring their own equipment and engineers with them. The global recognition of the UAE for its production companies and man power definitely helps in bringing even more international events down. “Tagged as a City of Superlatives, Dubai is indeed living up to its name and the rest of the Emirates is following suit when it comes to demanding the latest AV technology for events, to be seen as a world class event destination,” says Wade. “Employing specialist engineers that not only understand the latest technologies but also have the skill set to operate the equipment and develop it further, is something we pride ourselves on here at Protec,” observes Lakin. Extraordinary Events with Tech Integration For 3 years in a row, Neumann Mueller was awarded the project, ‘Museum of the Future’, a unique initiative

by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum that explores the future of science, technology and innovation. The project engaged some of the world’s leading futurists, designers to conceptualise, design, and prototype new technologies. Lakin says, “We helped realise this project by providing, audio, lighting and rigging. At Neumann&Müller Event Technology, we treat each project special and focus our attention to every detail the same way depending on the brief of the requirements.” “Over the past year Protec has been a part of so many wonderful and creative events and have enjoyed being able to use new technology along with existing AV equipment to create memorable experiences,” says Lakin. Protec has seen its industrial robotic arms fit in all the different sectors of events and combined them with not just video and lighting fixtures, but it has also had the chance to program them to evolve into their own personality through choreographed human interaction pieces apart from serving drinks for guests and drawing pictures for guests’ entertainment at events. “We have used BlackTrax combined with video to project content on to a moving sphere which we believe was an industry first. Robotics, motion tracking, projection on live performers, etc are just a few examples of what we’ve accomplished which we’re convinced will only get more exciting and dramatic,” adds Lakin. The possibilities are endless with the right mix of knowledge and creativity. JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

BRIEFS

ENTERTAINMENT

Rider’s Music Festival Partners with New Age Brands to Increase the Aspirational Quotient With more than 20+ brand associations and partnerships, 16+ artists and multiple experience zones, Rider’s Music Festival first edition is all set to take place on February 18 and 19 at JLN Stadium, New Delhi. Nisha Narayana, COO, Red FM said, “We have always ideated on building and sustaining new and exciting platforms to connect with our listeners and ‘Riders Music Festival’ is another significant step in this direction. With more than 20 brand associations and partners, it will be a one-stop leisure destination for everyone to relax, revive and re-ignite energies.” Nisha Narayana COO, Red FM

Trap Artist Grandtheft to Play Mad Decent Pre Party Tour this Weekend! Remix producer and experienced hand behind the decks, Grandtheft will make his India debut as the headliner of the Mad Decent Pre Party tour. The Toronto-based DJ and producer, who has pushed his own brand of dance music whether through his own productions or remixes or through his selections on the dancefloor, will play in Mumbai (February 9), Delhi (February 10) and Hyderabad (February 11).

Multi-Format Festival Taalbelia Celebrates Culture of Mandawa, Rajasthan The heritage and ancient royal charm of Mandawa met with a world class mix of music, art and culture at the debut edition of Taalbelia, a fully sold out four-day long multi-format festival that was held from January 26 to 29. The festival was brought alive by Event Crafter in collaboration with the Royal Family of Mandawa. Siddhartha Chaturvedi, Festival Curator and CEO, Event Crafter remarked, “Taalbelia-is a dream, a dream I’ve lived through my life as a music lover who seeks distinct and unique musical experiences beyond boundaries of genres. Creating a space which becomes a meeting point of everything which is good music and everyone who is a universal music lover.”

Siddhartha Chaturvedi Festival Curator and CEO Event Crafter

Pivotal Partnerships Behind the Upcoming Nexa P1 Powerboat Set to Take Place on Mumbai Waters Procam International has announced the launch of the Nexa P1 Powerboat, Indian Grand Prix of the Seas. To take place through the weekend of March 3, this new sporting paradigm will redefine India’s maritime landscape and spearhead a powerful movement for marine sustainability.

Anil Singh

Anil Singh, Managing Director, Procam International said, “We are privileged to partner with P1 Global, where we are seeding a global sport structure from Mumbai. With the Nexa P1 Powerboat, Indian Grand Prix of the Seas, sports fans will experience the joy of watching the fastest men and women on sea competing on the world’s first-ever course on water.”

Managing Director Procam International

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BRIEFS

ENTERTAINMENT

Real and Reel Heroes at the 62nd Filmfare Awards The 62nd Filmfare Awards ceremony, presented by the Filmfare magazine, honoured the best Hindi language Indian films of 2016. The ceremony was held on January 14 at the Dome, NSCI and was cohosted by Kapil Sharma, Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan. The theme for Filmfare 2017 was ‘Real & Reel Heroes’. Mohomed Morani, Director, Cineyug remarked, “One of the most important things-sometimes the hardest thing- is to have an open mind! The entire team at Cineyug follows this motto which keeps us together producing the finest events year after year.” Mohomed Morani

Director, Cineyug

White Fox India Confirms Justin Bieber to Bring Purpose Tour to India in May After a week of speculation and uncertainty, the sole promoters of the tour, White Fox India are elated to confirm that they will be bringing the 22-year-old Canadian megastar’s Purpose World Tour to India’s DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai on May 10. Arjun Jain, Director, White Fox India remarked, “This tour is one of the most successful in the world at the moment and will further enhance India’s current cultural repertoire. We are the sole promoters of the Purpose Tour in India and after 6 months of negotiation we have finally closed the India leg of the tour.” Arjun Jain

Director White Fox India

100 Pipers to Bring Dire Straits Experience LIVE in India 100 Pipers ‘Play for a Cause’ promises to be bigger and better this year with The Dire Straits Experience, performing live for the first time in India. The performance will take place in Gurgaon and Bengaluru on March 17 and 19, respectively. Jagbir Singh Sidhu, Vice President-Marketing, Pernod Ricard India said, “100 Pipers Play for a Cause has been committed to making a difference to society. This time we have planned to help the villages in Rajasthan. We are very proud of Dire Straits Experience and thankful to them in partnering with us to help the cause and “Be Remembered for Good”.

The Social Street Rocks the Finale of the International Premier Tennis League 2016 International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) is an annual Tennis property which was launched in November 2014 to fulfil the increasing demand for top level tennis players in Asia. The most recent edition of this event concluded with a finale on December 9, 10 and 11 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad. The Social Street was roped in to manage the opulent affair.

Gaurav Gupta

Gaurav Gupta, Associate Vice President, The Social Street said, “We had to create a new brand identity for Indian Aces and also host the final leg in India. The finale had to have participation from 4 global teams - Indian Aces, OUE Singapore Slammers, Japan Warriors, UAE Royals.”

Associate Vice President The Social Street

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

ENTERTAINMENT

Asia’s largest Bollywood Music Festival, the Bhutani Group presents Micromax Bollywood Music Project is set to storm the capital after wowing audiences in Mumbai. Organised by Event Capital (A Laqshya Media Group Company) and TM Talent Management, the event will be held in New Delhi on March 25 and 26, 2017.

BOLLYWOOD TO ROCK THE CAPITAL The Delhi edition of Bollywood Music Project is all set to take place in Delhi in March, and has succeeded in drawing in an interesting set of sponsors.

We have recently partnered with BMP. This strategic alliance will enhance our already significant reach, brand recall and presence across North India. Associating with Bollywood Music Project is a strategic decision to establish our brand presence across India as the leading real estate player. ASHISH BHUTANI

MANAGING DIRECTOR, BHUTANI INFRA

At the debut edition of the festival held in Mumbai, Bollywood Music Project featured performances by over 60 artists including Arijit Singh, Hariharan, Papon, Rekha Bharadwaj, Sachin – Jigar, Sajid-Wajid, Sonakshi Sinha and Vishal – Shekhar. For Delhi’s millennials, this would be the first opportunity ever to watch their favourite Bollywood icons perform live in a multi-genre, multi-stage format. For the Delhi edition, the line-up will comprise of over 50 iconic artistes, supported by over 200 musicians on three stages: The Experimental Stage, The Alternative Stage and The Emerging Artistes Stage. Having established Live Bollywood across genres such as sufi, hip-hop, funk, rock and pop music, BMP’s second edition promises to touch millions of hearts again. A nationwide voice hunt, band hunt and DJ hunt will also be rolled out soon, where aspirants can submit online video entries and get a chance to open for headlining acts at the music festival. The online submission will be followed by an on-ground audition in Delhi NCR, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Kolkata and Mumbai.

Being a youth centric brand we are always focused on bringing alive experiences that connect our consumers to their passions. Clearly, Music and Bollywood are two of the key interest points that resonate with our consumers, and hence we are excited to partner with the Bollywood Music Project - to bring the music lovers closer to their favorite genre of music like never before. SHUBHAJIT SEN

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER MICROMAX INFORMATICS

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ENTERTAINMENT

Bollywood Music Project is one of the most important projects for us which has Music in its epicenter. With BMP, we wish to give music lovers of the most popular genre in the country a great experience. TARSAME MITTAL

FOUNDER, TM TALENT MANAGEMENT

Bhutani Group presents Micromax Bollywood Music Project is the only festival in India to have two editions in Season one itself. Like Mumbai, where we managed to engage over 30 Million Bollywood music fans through the television, digital and on-ground; we aim to give all music lovers in Delhi NCR a great musical experience through the festival. Moreover, it is heartening to see the faith instilled in us by sponsors like Bhutani Group, a real estate giant, and Micromax, India’s leading mobile brand, especially since it’s the debut year of the property. They have come onboard in a very large way and we are excited to develop these relationships going further, as we announce phase wise, you will also see a lot of young brands join this massive live Bollywood party. SWAROOP BANERJEE CEO, EVENT CAPITAL

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

ENTERTAINMENT / PHOTO FEATURE

DEBUT EDITION OF

‘EAT PLAY LOVE’ IN MUMBAI THRIVES ON ART, MUSIC, FOOD & EXPERIENCE

Lucky Ali

xploding with flavors, aromas and recipes, Mumbai witnessed a fun celebration of delectable gourmet garnished with aesthetic cultural demonstrations at an inimitable two-day food, art and music festival-Eat Play Love on December 17 and 18, 2016, at Turf Club, Mumbai. Spearheaded by Percept Live and The Eat India Company, the festival witnessed participation from over 100 exhibitors, brand experiential zones, graffiti walls, art installations and performances by top artists like Voctronica, Ayushman Khurana, Baba Sehgal, Lucky Ali & others. Speaking about it Manuj Agarwal, CEO, Percept Live said, “With long-term access to the finest venues across the country, Percept will not only enable the perfect setting for the festival but will also add value by bringing in existing relations from state and city authorities & boards, celebrities, exhibitors among other things. We aim to contribute 45% to the tourism and state revenues over the next three years.”

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ENTERTAINMENT / PHOTO FEATURE

Bollywood Actor and Singer Ayushman Khurana

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ENTERTAINMENT / PHOTO FEATURE

ENCHANTED VALLEY CARNIVAL 2016 ENTHRALLS AUDIENCES WITH MULTI-GENRE LINEUP AND MAJESTIC EXPERIENCES

Farhan Akhtar

eld at the picturesque valley of India, the Aamby Valley airstrip on December 17 and 18, 2016, Enchanted Valley Carnival stands as one of the most impressive musical extravaganzas of 2016. The fourth edition of the carnival featured a bouquet of more than 80 International and Indian artists that included top performers such as Florida, Arijit Singh, Farhan Akhtar, Alan Walker, Badshah, Chris Leibing, Hot Since 82, Papon and many more. The two-day multi-genre, multi-faceted festival witnessed a footfall of more than 24,000 people across both days and hosted a bunch of adventurous engagement activities and experiential zones at the festival. Shoven Shah, Founder, EVC and Director, Twisted Entertainment stated, “In the fourth edition of Absolut Enchanted Valley Carnival, it has certainly surpassed its own benchmark by creating a fun filled weekend with fabulous music, international artists, amazing delicacies and adrenaline rushing sports that have certainly left a lasting memory for a lifetime.”

In the fourth edition of Absolut Enchanted Valley Carnival, it has certainly surpassed its own benchmark by creating a fun filled weekend with fabulous music, international artists, amazing delicacies and adrenaline rushing sports that have certainly left a lasting memory for a lifetime. SHOVEN SHAH

FOUNDER, EVC & DIRECTOR TWISTED ENTERTAINMENT

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ENTERTAINMENT / PHOTO FEATURE

Arijit Singh

Badshah

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BRIEFS

BRAND MARKETING

Jossbox Curates Guinness World Record-Breaking Concept Tetley’s Super Green Tea Launch Jossbox, a leading digital media and content agency showcased their innovative prowess through a recent Zumba event which broke the Guinness World Record for most number of people wearing capes during Boomerang, a Zumba concert specially conceptualized for the launch of Tetley Super Green Tea by Tata Global Beverages. Omer Basith, Director, Jossbox said, “The idea of having everyone wear capes comes from that of superhumans, and we wanted this to be a visual spectacle to drive home engagement and brand recall – Tata Global Beverages Limited was game to try something unconventional, so it was a win-win for all!” Omer Basith

Director, Jossbox

Evenflow Experiences Manages Virtual Launch of Ujjivan Bank Across 5 Locations The third largest micro-financing entity in India, Ujjivan Financial Services recently transformed into Ujjivan Small Finance Bank by opening five branches across Bengaluru. Evenflow Experiences was roped in to manage the virtual launch that happened simultaneously across five locations. Vipul Ganatra, Founder and Director, Evenflow Experiences said, “Samit Ghosh is one of the most inspiring people to work with. The event was huge not only on the scale it was operated on but also because it was exciting to see how creative elements merge with technology to create something extraordinary.” Vipul Ganatra

Founder and Director Evenflow Experiences

Encompass Helps IVFA Find Their True North with Andre Agassi in a Grand Launch Event India Value Fund Advisors (IVFA) has made the news for bringing down Andre Agassi for its grand event organised to re-brand IVFA as True North. The Grand Launch managed by Encompass Events on January 18 took place at the Grand Hyatt Lawns. Ria Agnihotri, Client Servicing Director, Encompass remarked, “We came up with a concept of a chat show that would showcase a personality who embodies these values. And there was no better fit than Legend – Andre Agassi. We brought him on board to take us through his journey, which in turn was not just a visual delight but an experience like none other.”

Ria Agnihotri

Client Servicing Director Encompass

Kids Culinaire Returns with 3rd Edition with McVitie’s as Title Sponsor Kids Culinaire Festival returns with its 3rd edition in the capital to be held on February 18 and 19 at PSOI Garden, Nehru Park. McVitie’s endorsed by Kajol is the title sponsor for this year’s festival organised by Pilcrow Communications.

Ratika van Noord Bhatnagar

Founder of Pilcrow Ratika van Noord Bhatnagar said, “We don’t say ‘don’t eat candy’, but focus on balance, to achieve what Popeye has with spinach. Through this festival, we also hope to raise awareness about some relevant concerns around food today, such as lifestyle diseases, proper hygiene, waste segregation and much more”.

Pilcrow Communications

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BRIEFS

BRAND MARKETING

200 Volini Experts Help Over 13,000 Runners Recoup at Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2017 The 14th edition of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon was held on January 12 in Mumbai. After two successful years of partnership with SCMM, Volini continued its association with the marathon by activating via a recovery zone at the event. Subodh Marwah, Vice President & Head – Consumer Healthcare, Sun Pharmaceuticals Ltd., said, “As a brand, we encourage a more active lifestyle and with the launch of ‘The Recovery Program’ we are working towards enabling runners to run that extra mile. We look forward to continuing our association with SCMM and equip race participants with recovery tips.”

Subodh Marwah

Vice President & Head – Consumer Healthcare, Sun Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Work Ventures Takes Colourpro LEAP Initiative Across 10 Cities Work Ventures has been executing LEAP for Asian Paints Colorpro for the last 3 years. For its third edition, Asian Paints wanted the platform to be bigger and better than ever. The agency created an experiential zone in 10 cities comprising of different spaces to showcase different products and services. Monica Rankawat, Senior Manager, Work Ventures said, “Our team has worked day and night to bring out the essence of this setup along, without losing the true colours. All in all it was a great experience and we look forward to more such opportunities with Asian Paints.” Monica Rankawat

Senior Manager Work Ventures

Percept ICE Produces First Ever ‘Camp Jeep Off Road Drive Experience’ in India Percept ICE, the Special Projects, Events and Conventions Domain Company of Percept Limited, bagged the mandate of conceptualizing and executing a ‘Camp Jeep Off Road Drive Experience’ for the very first time in India, held from December 9 to 11 at a private farmhouse located in the Bandhwari Village on the Gurgaon-Faridabad highway. This unique event witnessed an attendance of 300 people over 3 days. Nazneen Karimi, Chief Executive Officer, Percept ICE said, “Kudos to the Percept team for their dedication and hard work for making this event a grand and successful one.” Nazneen Karimi

Chief Executive Officer Percept ICE

Uflex-STAIRS Himachal Khel Mahotsav 2017 Sees Over 2000 Young Sports Persons! Uflex-STAIRS Himachal Khel Mahotsav, a state-level mega sporting event organised by STAIRS (Society for Transformation, Inclusion and Recognition through Sports) in association with Uflex Ltd., started on January 2 at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Una. The event featured more than 2,000 young sportspersons and champions of the age group 12-24 years from rural areas of Himachal Pradesh vie for honours in over 12 sports. Siddhartha Upadhyay, Founder and Secretary General, STAIRS said, “Sports event like Uflex Stairs Himachal Khel Mahotsav celebrates the sporting excellence among rural athletes and promotion of sports at rural level.”

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BRAND MARKETING / MARKET PULSE Marketing is one of the pivotal functions in any organization. Marketing plays a crucial role, in identifying the market, along with understanding customer needs and wants through segmentation, targeting and positioning. Strategic innovation is possible only if we integrate the customer experience with the changing trends in technology, human behavior, economic and social scenario to identify the customer’s latent needs. With the market evolving and consumer gaining power, it is imperative for the organization to build a better understanding of the various requirements. One of the key roles of a marketing manager and the CMO is to keep the organization updated about the market by analyzing and sharing strategic, insightful and actionable marketing research. Another way for CMOs to contribute to the company is by taking a more central role in developing organization strategy and plans so that the organization becomes better at addressing market requirements which are constantly evolving. Thus, CMO should work along with various teams such as sales, service, operations, and strategic partners, to deliver the desired experiences.

MARKETING MUST PLAY THE LEAD ROLE IN SHAPING BUSINESS STRATEGY IN 2017 YUKI SAN VICE PRESIDENT & CMO, RICOH

Technology is changing so quickly--for us, and for our customers. We believe it is up to marketing to keep up to speed with these changes. When it comes to our customers, they face the same rapid evolution as we do every day. Our job as marketers is to have a clear understanding of customer requirements and communicate these relevant topics and details to impact sales. When customers call one of our sales reps, the customer should already have a solid idea about how and why we are the right company to solve their challenges. Sales close the deal, of course, but hopefully, the customer is more than halfway there in the decision already. This is crucial now and will be even more critical in the future for marketers. Digital Media provides us with tools to understand the customer profile, characteristics, and behavior using the numerous trails that one leaves all over the internet. No wonder, there is a rapid shift in demand from broad-based mass media like print to focused ‘new media’ or Digital the Customer gets to see or choose only those messages that are relevant to them, while the Marketer gets a very focused audience for communication and engagement. Thus, CMO will have to play a crucial role as he has to guide the strategy of an organization to win the customers and market share – and drive profitable growth. We see marketing playing a much larger role in communicating changes, enhancements and how business issues will be solved.

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BRAND MARKETING / MARKET PULSE

India’s Move to Healthy Products and How Borges Fits in Rajneesh Bhasin, Managing Director, Borges India elaborates on the company’s marketing efforts and consumer engagement programmes.

Our Consumers

Today’s Indian consumer is well read, well-travelled and does not hesitate to invest in the trial of products which offer better health and functional benefits. Right now, Borges is focussed on SEC A & B, since the heavy import duties and the cost of the product keep it out of reach of many consumers. But our effort is to introduce healthier range of products at a lower price range in order to have wider reach. The larger chunk of our business comes from the SEC A & B class of consumers and so our presence is stronger in metropolitan cities and Tier 1 cities rather than Tier 2 towns and cities.

Marketing Efforts

We were the first olive oil player in India to have incorporated a 360° Marketing Initiative focused on the health benefits of Mediterranean Diet with Chitrangada Singh as the face of Borges for a substantial period of time and it helped establish the brand in its early days. The most recent marketing bursts have happened with newer advertising and marketing platforms like Cinema, Airline and Cab. Our main focus has always been on consumer engagement and recruiting more and more households into the fold. For the same we invest big on BTL activations whether it is instore sampling, RWA activation, Corporate activations, etc.

Competing to Win

The categories we operate in i.e. Olive Oil, Pasta, Seed Oils are very niche categories and not just that, though

the categories are niche and not very well penetrated, yet you find many players competing for their share of market. This makes it all the more important for us to be able to differentiate ourselves at the point of purchase; whether through the means of In-store Branding or point of purchase material or marketing initiatives like Wet Sampling.

Experiential Marketing

We invest big on sampling as our focus till today is to drive trials through the means of consumer education. We strive to empower the consumer with adequate knowledge about our products and their health benefits, so that they make a wise choice; with the same intent we have our sales promoters present Pan-India which are solely present to make the consumer experience and understand Borges products. In the coming year, we aim to grow by around 20-30% in our overall turnover. There are few launches in the pipeline which will help us expand our base in the healthy foods category. Borges would focus on creating awareness, empowering the consumer with right knowledge and know-how and help escalate the category. We aim to try newer platforms and means to reach our target consumers whether through engagements with fitness clubs, corporate activation programs or through the means of association with chefs, nutritionists, etc. For categories like Olive Oil which are niche and not well penetrated till now, it is important to invest in consumer education while being able to differentiate yourself from the other players.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rajneesh heads the India operations for Borges and is responsible for establishing it as a leading player in the Olive Oil Category. Bhasin also currently serves as the President of the Indian Olive Association, the national apex association of olive and olive oil producers, growers, distributors, users and consumers.

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BRAND MARKETING

Hammer Entertainment Nails nubia Smartphone Launch with a Dazzling Fashion Show BY SHANTANU JAIN

ubia, the international smartphone brand recently launched its flagship smartphone, nubia Z11 in the Indian market. Unlike other smartphone brands, nubia wanted to put a bit of a spin on the traditional concept of a press launch, and thus had curated a concept ‘Live your Dreams’. The brand roped in Hammer Entertainment to manage the launch event held on December 14 at Pullman New Delhi Aerocity wherein the agency brought to life the glamour and lifestyle of an ideal nubia user through a conceptual fashion show, supported with an unconventional stage setup. Instead of a straight ramp, the agency created two diagonal ramps that led into a square ramp with a giant nubia logo at the centre. LED Screens separated with mirrors added to the depth and glamour quotient of the event. Eric Hu, Country Manager India at Nubia, introduced the brand officially to the audience followed by Suhail Chandhok, a well-known presenter, film & TV personality, introducing the two new handsets of the brand. The fashion show, choreographed by Ketan Bhatia, one of the top Delhi choreographers, had three sequences which showcased different features of the phones through lifestyles of ideal nubia users. In the first sequence, depicting high street fashion, 12 models walked the ramp dressed in vibrant, colourful styles curated by our stylist Paras. The second sequence focused on the long battery life of the all new Nubia N1 and the third and final sequence focused on the edgy corporate and red carpet life. Actor Tapsee Pannu graced the event and fashion show as the show stopper for the event.

Hammer Events was shortlisted after a month long pitching process between the China and India offices. Our team spent a long time to understand brand’s expectations and worked towards meeting nubia’s global standards, specifically the launch that took place at IFA Berlin, making sure nubia enters India with not just an impactful launch but also one that lives up to its global image. Clients at nubia are really supportive to new ideas and showed a brave openness to our unconventional ideas, which helped us in bringing our concept, from design to life. BHUVANESH MANHAS

BUSINESS DIRECTOR, HAMMER ENTERTAINMENT & PRODUCTIONS

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BRAND MARKETING

As nubia India we wanted to present our brand philosophy ‘Dream Without Boundaries’, that pushes the idea of challenging the conventional living, in the most honest way possible. This was one of our main criteria for selecting Hammer Entertainment as the agency to make it happen, as their concept was in-sync with our vision, which they interpreted and brought to life meticulously. By merging mirrors with LED panels, Hammer Entertainment truly manifested our brand philosophy, ‘Dream Without Boundaries. DHEERAJ KUKREJA

MARKETING DIRECTOR, nubia India.

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BRAND MARKETING

PLANKING WITH

PUMA INSIDE THE RECORD-BREAKING EVENT Toast Events was called on to manage this phenomenal event that saw celebrities Jacqueline Fernandez, Sakshi Malik and others hold a minute-long plank with 1623 women.

THE PREMISE It all began with PUMA aiming to enter the Guinness Book of World Records by inviting the largest number of women to hold the longest plank and create a new world record. This was achieved on November 6, 2016 with 1623 women participating and holding the abdominal plank for 60 seconds at Reliance Jio Park, BKC. On the occasion of International Girl Child Day, PUMA launched DO YOU, a movement with women at the core of it. Launched internationally in September, the campaign aims to inspire confidence in women across the globe to do what they want to do. All on-ground aspects of the campaign were managed by Toast Events. BEFORE THE BIG PLANK In order to train women and to help them build their core strength, PUMA organised a series of regular ‘planking events’ in Mumbai. Right from October 2016, these events took place at various malls which witness high footfalls from customers, especially women, including High Street Phoenix (Lower Parel), R City (Ghatkopar), Phoenix Market City (Kurla), Viviana Mall (Thane) and Infiniti II (Malad). Following the mall activations, planking events were also held at popular corporate parks to target the growing female workforce of Mumbai. CELEBRITIES ON BOARD Talking to ExM about how the movement came about, Debosmita Majumder, Senior Marketing Manager, PUMA said “We announced the campaign on International Girl Child Day – as we wanted to make a statement. We associated with women achievers like Sakshi Malik, Lisa Haydon, Sucheta Pal, Jacqueline Fernandez and many more to share videos of their story and thus encouraging women to embrace their own stories. This created a ripple effect as many women started talking about their stories and how they are bracing themselves to do what they want to do.” With acclaimed actress Cara Delevingne helming the movement globally, PUMA got fitness addict Jacqueline Fernandez, avid marathoner Lisa Haydon, Olympic wrestling maven Sakshi Malik, and a host of other women achievers to lend their voices and their stories for the Indian leg of the campaign. Some of the

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other incredible women involved were the Everest sisters Tashi and Nungshi Malik, musician Anushka Manchanda, international Zumba education specialist Sucheta Pal, supermodel Ujwalla Raut, actress Kalki Koechlin, fitness and nutrition specialist Nidhi Kamal Mohan, and professional golfer Sharmila Nicollet. A TOAST TO A GREAT CAMPAIGN Talking to ExM about Toast’s whole experience managing the campaign, Nilesh Gurav, Director, Toast Events Pvt Ltd. “We’ve had a long association with Puma and our objective with each event is to do something different which creates its own landmark. With the Do You movement, it had to be something that spoke the essence of the global campaign and that’s where Toast Events came up with the concept of the Guinness World Record. Instantly synergies were met with the brand and 3 months of work, laying each brick piece by piece, showed the world the tremendous power that Indian women have and what the world needs to look out for. Toast Events is proud to have been part of an initiative that has created history.”

We announced the campaign on International Girl Child Day – as we wanted to make a statement. We associated with women achievers to share videos of their story and thus encouraging women to embrace their own stories. This created a ripple effect as many women started talking about their stories and how they are bracing themselves to do what they want to do. DEBOSMITA MAJUMDER SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER, PUMA

BRAND MARKETING / FEATURE

ExM CATCH-UP WITH FASTRACK, LG, TATA MOTORS, RED CHIEF, DHL EXPRESS & AKAI BY SHANTANU JAIN

In this exclusive feature, we explore the marketing strategy of 5 brands: Fastrack, LG, Tata Motors, Red Chief and DHL Express by speaking to their brand custodians about the relevance of experiential, recent brand campaigns & more.

FASTRACK Ayushman Chiranewala Marketing Head You have recently associated with Vh1 Supersonic. How did the association come through and what were the reasons behind it? Fastrack has always been one of those brands that have been inclined towards experiential. Our association with music-related events started when we came on board as the title sponsors for The Music Run in Bangalore. As a youth-centric brand, we feel it is important to engage our audiences in an environment that they like, hence taking this approach, further association with Vh1 Supersonic was a natural turn. The property is one of the biggest music festivals in the country today and we are glad to be associated with them. What are some of the engagement activities that Fastrack will be executing at the main festival grounds in Pune? We have pretty exciting stuff up our sleeves to engage the audiences at the festival and we have been doing the same through ‘Campus 101’ editions of the property as well as ‘Supersonic Takeover’ and ‘Supersonic Club Night’ editions of the property. At the main festival, we will be executing activities like Fastrack Mannequin Challenges, Jump Shots, Freeze Time Photo-ops, Excitometer, Fastrack Claw, light-and-sound-based installations, a humongous sunglass installation and so much more. Have you roped in an event agency to manage these activations? The Vh1 Supersonic crew will be helping us execute these initiatives on-ground. In line with the festival, Fastrack had launched an online contest from where we selected 10 people and gave them the opportunity to come and work with Vh1 Supersonic and grasp the nuances of managing such a magnanimous music festival hands on. 38

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What is the overall marketing philosophy of the brand and what are the marketing mediums you use? At Fastrack, our core target audience is between the ages of 18-21 years and hence, we must be very interactive, innovative and modern in our approach. The most impactful marketing medium for us is digital as most of our TG is very active there. Additionally, ATL is one medium you can’t do without as it gives you a mass reach. Events and Experiential is an important focus for us too as it helps to break the clutter and engage with our audiences and gain direct feedback. It’s a balance between these that needs to be carefully maintained by any brand to succeed.

LG INDIA Amit Gujral CMO LG Electronics’ India sales figures in the last fiscal have grown by merely 4%, while the home appliance market and television market of the country has grown by 18% in total. What do you think went wrong for the brand there and with you coming on board as the new CMO, how do you plan to spice up the brand? Consumer Electronics industry in India stands as a conducive market and 2016 has equally clocked growth for us. We have seen several new entrants in the industry due to the growth opportunities the domestic market holds. Our brand is driven by the philosophy “Life’s Good” and throughout the years we have ensured that we live up to it. My focus shall continue to be on two pillars, namely – quality and service. Consumers know us for the best in industry service mechanism and we shall ensure we continue to offer to innovate in the technology space and strengthen our service mechanism. Consumer satisfaction is key to our brand and we shall endeavor to live up to the expectations of people.

BRAND MARKETING / FEATURE Comment on the marketing strategy that the brand will adopt to outlast competitor brands in the market? We shall be investing in all the platforms; however, the primary focus will be on Experiential measures. LG has always connected with people’s emotions and develop products suited to their needs. As consumer electronics no longer fit in the luxury category, we shall take the experience to the larger mass people with our measures. We follow a consumer’s first approach, and thus our strategies are developed to enhance consumer experience or connect with their emotions. LG is yet to make any hallmark product introductions in the rapidly growing smartphone market of the country. How does the brand aim to make a significant dent in that segment? LG has always launched unique and high-quality products in the smartphone sector. Our products are tailored as per the consumer needs. We have also been the brand to launch first in segment features with our models. LG phones introduced varied features in the industry like Dual Camera, Quad HD Screen, Dual Screens, Rear Key, IPS displays, Quick Memo, Gesture Selfie, Maximum brightness in the screen, etc. Further, we ensured that the featured were equipped across the range of models and not only on high-end smartphones. Comment on the marketing mix for LG? As mentioned earlier, in the new age marketing, being close and experientially connected to consumers would be the way forward. India is fast-paced in the Digital arena and we shall be omnipresent across digital platforms and forums. Multi-Screen campaigns, Always On campaigns would be something to look forward to from us in 2017. Moreover, we would be emotionally closer to consumers living up our Life’s Good sentiment. Any targets that you have set for the new year since the management re-shuffle in the country? As a marketer, certainly targets are essential to anything and everything we shall plan and do. Not just enhancing brand track indices but increasing revenue generation up by two digit percentages are set as a target for 2017.

TATA MOTORS Vivek Srivatsa Head of Marketing What is the marketing strategy for Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and how does the brand use experiential marketing to engage its audiences? Our market strategy is to get Brand Tata Motors to be increasingly relevant to the discerning Indian car buyer. This customer is well informed of the latest international trends and is very clear about his expectation from his car. We will reach out to this customer by getting him to experience the outstanding design of our products as well as the next level of customer experience. We are present on traditional mediums like TV, print, radio and are increasingly on new-age mediums be

it Virtual Reality or unique concepts like ‘Tripling with Tiago’ on the digital platform. Experiential marketing is an extremely important platform for us as it allows the customer to get an interface with our product, Brand and feel the evolved and contemporary design philosophy of our cars. With the Tata Hexa, we have kicked started the prelaunch buzz with yet another unique innovative and engaging initiative called the #HexaExperience Centre, for customers, enthusiasts and their families to try out the Tata Hexa before its launch. We also offered the #HexaExperience to around 75 CEOs over a weekend in Jaipur. Over 100 bloggers drove the car over a weekend in Hyderabad to prove how the HEXA was a delight to a varied set of users. We have associated with Excel entertainment for the film Rock On 2, to present HEXA as the Drive of the New Generation, where the star cast of the movie jammed to a leading song in the Tata HEXA. All these initiatives thereby indicate that Tata Motors is firmly on the experiential platform of marketing which immerses the customer on the product and helps deliver a two-way conversation. Comment more on the #HexaExperience centre by the brand? What is the concept and how will it benefit audiences? The Hexa is very capable and we are supremely confident about the performance and abilities of the vehicle. The ‘Hexa Experience Centre’ provides an opportunity to our discerning customers to experience the sheer width of capabilities of the vehicle, not experienced in a normal test drive. Besides trying out the Hexa, customers can also enjoy the attention and hospitality of other Tata Brands with friends and family. The premium set-up is made up of a challenging offroading course, a customer lounge and a dining area, giving customers an opportunity to take the Hexa to its limits. Customers also can book the vehicle at the venue, ahead of its launch in January 2017. The offroading course of the #HexaExperience Centre is HEXTRAORDINARY, with inclines, declines, side slopes, axle twisters and alternate rumblers. Each one of these is designed to test the power, stability and the driving experience of the HEXA. Adding further excitement, visitors can also experience the Hexa, at the hands of professional stunt drivers. We kicked off the ‘HEXA Experience Centre’ in Gurgaon on November 25, to November 27, 2016, and will soon take the experiential initiative to Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. How are these on-ground initiatives conceptualized? Previously, your brand entrusted Wizcraft, Inextis, THOT media to execute your BTL campaigns. What does Tata Motors look for in an agency before they rope them in? At Tata Motors, we conceptualize and work closely with multiple agency partners and involve them early in our plans. We seek creative as well as strategic inputs from JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

BRAND MARKETING / FEATURE them and expect our agency to understand the brand deeply and deliver on timelines. We are not aligned with any particular agency and choose on the basis of the most suitable proposal for each initiative. Over the years how do you think the phenomenon of automobile marketing has changed? What are the current trends and how has the market evolved? Today, the customer journey begins on-line and by the time he/she walks into a showroom, he is all but decided on the car he wants to buy. It’s very important to be intuitive on Digital and equally responsive when the customer visits our showrooms. Marketing is end to end in the customer buying journey and not restricted to just communication.

RED CHIEF Manoj Gyanchandani MD and Founder Red Chief Shoes is a trusted brand in the footwear category of the country. How has the brand marketed itself over the years and how has its marketing strategy evolved? While entering the footwear industry, the prime objective of the group Leayan Global Pvt. Ltd. (LGPL) was to meet the growing demand for branded high-quality leather footwear at affordable pricing. Since 1997, the USP’s of our product have not changed which is to acquaint oneself with the science that goes into the manufacturing of world class leather products. The market of Red Chief which is already well established in tier 2 cities is now eyeing Metro cities. The most important thing that has changed in the international market scenario is that with the recession/ slowdown all over the US and EU, India and other Asian countries will have to rely less on International economic growth and more on domestic markets. What is the upcoming campaign by the brand and what will it focus on? Our latest media strategy and the campaign will revolve around Rock Wolf, which is our recently launched outdoor footwear collection. This collection is more fresh and youthful to meet all your fashion and outdoor needs. It has a variety of colors and styles; also, this range has been created keeping in mind the need of an outdoor enthusiast. The range offers shoes made of genuine leather in the variations of smooth suede and top grain nubuck. On the other hand, we are focusing to showcase the ‘RED CHIEF’s’ wide product offering, which is very rare compared to any other existing Indian brand. What is the crux of the marketing strategy of Red Chief shoes and what are the marketing mediums you use? Our Marketing strategy revolves around the USP of the product; we want to be known for our genuine leather products and the world-class quality that goes into the making of such products. Our marketing mediums relate to the new trend of advertisement and digital promotions, which can relate to the youth’s psyche. 40

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How is your brand thriving on experiential marketing and on-ground initiatives? Our strategy related to experimental marketing directly engages consumers and encourages them to participate in the evolution of a brand. How does a brand like Red Chief zero down on an agency partner who crafts ATL/BTL campaigns for you? What are the qualities you look for? A good, talented, devoted team which not only has the capacity to create great campaign but also has the strategic capabilities as well is something that we look for. How is the marketing budget of Red Chief shoes allocated across different marketing mediums? The marketing budget of Red Chief shoes is allocated across different marketing mediums as follows: 50% to ATL, 30% to BTL and 20% to Digital Marketing.

DHL EXPRESS R S Subramanian-Sr. VP and Country Manager You have recently launched ‘We know, great is in the detail’ campaign in association with Indian Super League. How was it conceptualized? In the global market, DHL is already associated with numerous football leagues and sports and we have always used this space. We are the logistics partner of Manchester United, Irish Football League, Copa America and multiple others sporting leagues and tournaments. Therefore, there are a varying degree of association that we have had with football over the years. The basic reason behind the associations is that we fervently believe in driving our brand through sports related platforms. We have also been associated with Formula One as we manage the logistics of the entire circuit for them. The associations are driven by the fact that any sport is about passion, involves a lot of precision and insatiable thirst for excellence and that is what DHL is all about. A lot of teamwork is involved in logistics delivery and our global network is one global symphony. This is the connect and hence, the association with sports is quite natural for us. What is the current market share of DHL Express in the logistical segment of the country today? In the express category, we currently have anywhere between 40%-50% market share. What is the marketing budget of DHL Express and what are the marketing mediums you use? We don’t comment on our marketing budgets but in terms of marketing mediums, the objective is to do a holistic 360-degree campaign. “We know, great is in the detail” is one such campaign where we have used ATL as well as BTL wherein we have used in stadia branding, we are the Ball Delivery Partner, DHL winning pass is there and there are also in-stadium activations such as antigravity booths and everything has a social media leg too. Additionally, you will see DHL vans with ISL branding in the city where matches are happening. So, the idea is to

BRAND MARKETING / FEATURE thrive on every opportunity to promote the brand that is what we are doing. How much out of your market budget do you allocate to BTL or experiential marketing? It all depends on from year to year. We are a service brand and we have to strike an equal balance between ATL & BTL so that we can touch our customer base

AKAI Anurag Sharma Chief Executive Officer How important is India as a market for AKAI and what were the primary reasons for entering the market again after a gap of 16 years? Indian consumer electronic industry projects tremendous growth prospects and the market right now is in favorable condition owing to the pro-industry-government regulations and increase in disposable income. India is one of the significant markets for AKAI now despite numerous players; there are still gaps which AKAI is aiming to cater to with its product portfolio. We are coming in a bigger, better, and bolder way. We have identified the void which is present in the Indian Consumer Electronic industry and with the broad range of products we will focus on meeting the needs of every section of society. AKAI India has adopted a “Consumerfirst” approach and is dedicatedly channelizing its efforts toward developing a transparent 24*7, 360-degree consumer redressal system. Our aim is to meet luxury with affordability and experience comfort to all. What new product offerings will AKAI offer Indian consumers? The focus for us is to provide the best quality at most competitive rates. AKAI is known for its consumer-centric products and this time our product lineup is much broader encompassing an elaborate range of LED TV’s, Music Systems, Air Conditioners, Home Appliances, Washing Machines, Air Purifiers, refrigerators, etc. To cite one, the air purifier is new for us as we didn’t have it in India in the past but with the on-going environmental condition, it is one of the most important products to stay healthy and thus we will be introducing it as well. The Indian marketing ecosystem has become very dynamic over the past decade. New marketing mediums are in place; brands are focusing on experiential campaigns, etc. What will be the new marketing strategy of AKAI and what marketing mediums will you use? We will explore a 360-degree marketing approach across the country. The strategy is focused on both urban and rural markets. We will be investing in both traditional and digital mediums. As the brand is driven by a “Customers First” approach, we will surely invest on experiential marketing along with developing the right infrastructure for the execution of the activities.

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What is going to be the marketing budget of AKAI when it re-enters the market? How much of that budget will be spent on experiential? We shall be investing in all mediums including outdoor and experiential marketing. The budget is around INR 100 Cr. for next one year. Basis the market condition we will roll out our campaigns and it will be large scale. What are the targets that you have set for yourself in the year 2017? We have a sound research & development team, and we are currently working on developing the strong infrastructure which we would need for efficient execution. From a fresh product portfolio to a 24*7, 360- degree consumer redressal system we are working towards making AKAI India one of the top 5 players in the consumer electronics industry by 2020.

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EO2 EVENTS BRINGS

‘french finesse’ TO INDIA AT SOMANY INDIA FRENCH COLLECTION LAUNCH

n artistic launch full of classical French elegance took place at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi on December 14, 2016, as EO2 Events unveiled the breathtaking French collection from the house of Somany India. The theme of the overall event was inspired by the vintage French galleries and its set-up was created using an 8 ft. tall head sculpture along with a French opera inspired 50 ft. double platform stage design that immediately turned the event into a French-flavored affair. Commenting on the stunning design of the project, Rishabh Agrawal, Creative Director, EO2 Events said, “The idea of bringing each aspect of the magnificence of France to our event like music, art, sculptures made our event ‘An evening in Paris’ kind of experience for the attendees.”

The idea of bringing each aspect of the magnificence of France to our event like music, art, sculptures made our event ‘An evening in Paris’ kind of experience for the attendees. RISHABH AGRAWAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR EO2 EVENTS

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BRAND MARKETING / PHOTO FEATURE

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BRAND MARKETING / PHOTO FEATURE

MAPPING HERO’S STORY IN

ARGENTINA

Hero MotoCorp entered Argentina with the launch of the Glamour motorbike on January 12 in Buenos Aires.

Hemant Dahiya, Managing Director, Salt Experiences and Management remarked, “Hero Motocorp’s launch in Argentina came to us with the mandate to create a true global experience. A daunting task in a foreign country but the team rose up to the challenge by crafting what was clearly a spectacular experience for all those who attended and the thousands who saw it across the globe. We brought together partners from across continents, like the award-winning Malevo performers and The Circus Company, and turned the iconic Facultad de Derecho (The University of Law, Buenos Aires) into a visually stunning 3D mapping canvas that was the highlight of Hero’s foot forward into the 35th country.”

HEMANT DAHIYA

MANAGING DIRECTOR SALT EXPERIENCES AND MANAGEMENT

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

BRAND MARKETING / PHOTO FEATURE

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BRIEFS

MICE

The Social Street Produces a Stunning Partners Meet for Srei with Boman Irani as Guest Speaker Srei, a leading infrastructure financing company in India, wanted to host a gala evening to thank its partners and customers for the fabulous journey of the company so far, and roped in The Social Street to execute this splendid soiree which took place on December 13, 2016, at the Kingdom of Dreams (Courtyard Section) in Gurgaon. Anchit Bhatia, Account Manager, The Social Street said, “Our job was to make the event a grand affair, and hence special emphasis was given to all aspects of the event to make the evening a magnanimous success.”

Anchit Bhatia Account Manager The Social Street

AGP World Charms Audiences with ‘Bottoms Up Limited Edition’ at Bayer’s Employee Meet Bayer organized their annual meet for Vapi division employees in Daman on January 23. The event was managed by the Niche Group and its main highlight was the production of ‘Bottoms UP Limited Edition’, a musical revue written and directed by Bharat Dhabolkar.

Ashvin Gidwani

Ashvin Gidwani, MD & Producer at AGP World said, “It was very easy to incorporate Bottoms Up into the overall event as the productions has multiple themes, all of which can be customized as per the audiences at the event. In fact, this is a show which is fit for all genres of events be it MICE, Launches or even Weddings.”

MD & Producer AGP World

engage4more Introduces Mascot ‘Sunny’ for Mahindra’s Rise Run engage4more recently organised ‘Rise Run’, a flagship initiative of Mahindra Financial Services with participation from group-wide employees. The event took place at MMRDA Grounds, Mumbai on January 8. The event had many firsts, including a mascot - ‘Sunny’, a website for online registration, flash mobs, and the addition of a 10 km run to the format, to name a few. Nishant Parashar, Founder-Director, engage4more commented, “The Rise Run was an opportunity for us at two levels – we were managing an event but at the same time we were also helping raise funds for a cause. I think that is what kept the team motivated and enthused throughout.”

Nishant Parashar Founder-Director engage4more

E3 Integrated Produces JK Cement Annual Dealers Conference and Awards at Indana Place, Jaipur E3 Integrated Events managed the Annual Dealer Conference cum Award Ceremony for JK Cement on January 25 at Indana Palace, Jaipur. Themed ‘Dangal’, the event witnessed a gathering of over 400 guests from Rajasthan. E3 Integrated Events came up with the innovative theme of ‘Dangal’ to celebrate the fighting spirit and the determination to achieve one’s goals. The main objective behind the theme was to motivate the channel partners to excel in their performance. Sports and motivational acts were woven seamlessly into the event flow to create a connect with the theme.

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BRIEFS

MICE

Yogesh Mudras - UBM India Reveals Attractions and Key Highlights from SATTE 2017 UBM India, one of country’s leading live media and exhibition organizing company will host the 24th edition of SATTE, South Asia’s leading travel trade show from February 15 to 17 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India said, “Spread over 3 days, SATTE is one of the key platforms by UBM India that offers a comprehensive platform to global tourism market to congregate and conduct business under one roof. Visitors at the signature expo can expect to witness several innovative features.” Yogesh Mudras

Managing Director UBM India

Make in Odisha Conclave Sees Laser Show and Odissi Fusion Dance; Brings in 2.3 Lakh Cr. Investment Prelude Novel Ventures (PNV) organised the grand inaugural of ‘The Make in Odisha Conclave’ held from November 30 to December 1, 2016, with a spell-binding laser show showcasing the manufacturing prowess of the state, as well as a fusion flash mob by 210 dancers depicting the rich culture of Odisha. The Laser show was one of the main attractions at the event, showcasing the vision of the event in a creative manner, projecting Odisha’s conducive policy and regulatory environment for tremendous investment opportunities across focus sectors.

MR B Live Entertainment Manages the 5th Edition of Financial Budget Meet The Annual Financial Budget Meet has rapidly acquired prominence as one of the foremost platforms in the country for debating, dissecting and discussing the Union fiscal budget every year. This year saw the 5th edition of the event being organized on February 11 by the Chennai chapter of United Way, a registered society for promoting voluntary charitable services and volunteerism. The meet brought together over 500 delegates from across India and was managed by MR B Live Entertainment.

2000 Delegates Attend Criticare 2017 at Le Meridien Kochi Executive Events was responsible for managing Criticare 2017 at the Le Meridien Kochi from February 3 to 5. With the theme ‘Striving for Affordable Criticare’, the event saw 2000 doctors attend from both India and around the world. Organised by the Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM), the conference was inaugurated by Dr Azad Moopen, Chairman and Managing Director, Aster DM Healthcare.

Raju Kannampuzha

On managing the event, Raju Kannampuzha, Managing Director, Executive Events said, “We were invited to manage the conference for the second time. It was a huge reponsiblity for us but I think we fulfilled the expectations.”

Managing Director Executive EventsS

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WHAT IS MEETING DESIGN? Managing Partner of MindMeeting Mike Van der Vijver describes what Meeting Design is and how it can help to achieve better programmes for meetings—any meeting!

Let’s suppose the fictitious Acme Corporation organises an internal Convention on how to use social media because management wants to strengthen the relationships within the company’s workforce. The theme is “Linking People”, in other words: connect staff members and foster the feeling of being a community. So, what in the meeting programme builds more of community? Listening to an external speaker who is an expert on social media? Or having the meeting participants decorating the meeting room for the Convention themselves (with balloons, festoons, etc.)? And setting up a Facebook page before the meeting where the same participants can agree on who brings what? What criteria should the meeting organiser apply to choose between these two alternatives? Provided anybody proposes the second solution to him-which is unlikely.

Driving Purpose

The task of a Meeting Designer—in close cooperation with the meeting organiser—is to come up with the best possible programme for a meeting in order to achieve the desired outcomes. Designing the best possible programme to achieve the meeting’s objectives sounds like common sense. However, when working on this in practice, a number of basic issues rapidly emerge. The first one is: what exactly are the meeting’s objectives and how can we know that we have actually achieved these? The Meeting Designer extensively explores the overt and covert objectives Meeting Owners mention and together they decide what the meeting needs to produce. A specific number of new contacts for each participant? A new and aligned perspective on a specific are of content? A decision on a moot issue? If the meeting limits itself to a series of speakers reading out their contributions, how can you tell that anything is going to happen with the knowledge

distributed? That might be a very costly way of distributing information in comparison to the investment.

Aligning Content with Objectives

Once the objectives have been clearly established, the Meeting Designer analyses the triangle objectivesparticipants (and their expectations)–content. As a perspective, he chooses that of the person present in the meeting room. What needs to happen there? How must the content develop, change, or–in other words– flow? In this respect, the Meeting Designer assumes a radically different position in comparison with the traditional Meeting Planner, who is essentially involved in the logistical-organisational process and stays away from content. Naturally, the Meeting Owner tends to be deeply involved in the content. The point is that she is not necessarily a specialist in the communicative dynamics in large groups of people that will ensure something happens with the content; something that makes the content move through a productive exchange of ideas, a mobilisation of the wisdom of crowds, the alignment of positions, decisionmaking, networking–whatever is required to eventually produce the desired behaviour change in the participants.

Creating an Experience

From that analysis arise ideas for the next fundamental issue: what experience will the meeting offer to participants? It is going to produce an experience anyway. Inevitably. A physical and didactical experience for participants, whatever you do. Each Meeting Owner aspires for his meeting to provide a useful, a powerful, yes preferably even an unforgettable experience. In short, designing a good programme for a meeting means that at the outset, the Meeting Owner should know exactly what each participant x at any point in time y is doing with content z, in order to achieve the meeting’s objectives for the organisers and to satisfy (or exceed!) the expectations of participants. That is Meeting Design.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mike van der Vijver is the co-founder of MindMeeting, “Designers of successful international meetings”. MindMeeting has an international client base, comprising a wide variety of organisations and industries. Together with his colleague Eric de Groot, Mike wrote “Into the Heart of Meetings”, the first book ever on Meeting Design.

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Slovakia:

A Refreshing C Destination

With a range of hotels and convention centres all equipped with excellent meeting facilities, plus plenty of options for group activities, Slovakia proves to be an excellent choice of destination for conferences, incentives and meetings.

ities like Kosice and Bratislava in Slovakia may not be as well-known as destinations for MICE events as neighbouring European cities Prague, Vienna and Budapest. But they are gradually increasing in popularity among conference organisers and corporations planning incentive programmes in Europe. And not without reason. Slovakian authorities have in recent years been very focussed on positioning the country as a MICE destination, with the Slovak Tourist Board coming out with international campaigns to achieve an increase in the number of visitors from around the world, including India. Talking about the increasing number of MICE groups coming to Slovakia from India, Linda Šimeková, Manager, Slovak Convention Bureau remarks, “The overall number of visitors from India to Slovakia are increasing. The data we have from the first three quarters of 2016 shows 32.1% growth comparing to the numbers of 2015. Overall number of visitors from around the world to Slovakia is also steadily growing for the last four years thanks to the improving level of MICE infrastructure and services.” One of the biggest benefits for MICE groups from India is the accessibility of the two biggest cities in Slovakia. Bratislava, the capital is only a 40 minute drive from the biggest airport in the region, the Vienna International Airport. And Kosice is easily reached for groups from India via Istanbul or Vienna. Once reaching these destinations, the cities are easy to navigate and they are both near interesting countysides full of incentive potential.

LINDA ŠIMEKOVÁ

MANAGER, SLOVAK CONVENTION BUREAU

Here we look at what Bratislava, Kosice and the High Tatras have to offer groups from India.

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BRATISLAVA

KOSICE

In a Nutshell

The capital of Slovakia, Bratislava is a modern city with developed congress infrastructure that includes hotel chains like the Sheraton, Crowne Plaza, Radisson Blu and Falkensteiner. The city offers visitors much to explore on foot as it is compact and very colourful. While not being excessively commercialised, the city is fully equipped to host congresses and conferences.

If Bratislava is the capital of the country, then Kosice is the country’s creative centre, one that impresses with vibrant urban zones, positive diversity and an urban transformation of the city throughout layers of history. Košice lends itself well to the accommodation and organisation of congresses and has a specific local identity that gives the city its charm and soul. It is one of the most promising Eastern European convention destinations.

Recommended Hotels • Grand Hotel River Park This is a Luxury Collection Hotel situated on the Danube river bank, operated by Starwood, now Marriott. • Crowne Plaza Bratislava This is the biggest conference hotel in Bratislava with 14 meeting rooms. Also features an Indian restaurant. • Sheraton Hotel Bratislava Located in the new city centre, Sheraton Hotel is next door to the Slovak National Theatre and a large shopping mall!

Incentive Ideas • Speed-boating on the Danube river • Trying Out Local Cuisine A popular national dish of Slovakia, Bryndzové Halušky is made of potato dough noodles or dumplings (halušky) with sheep cheese (bryndza) and bacon sprinkled on top.

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Recommended Hotels • Hotel Yasmin This is a design hotel next to the city centre. • DoubleTree by Hilton This is the biggest conference hotel in Kosice, directly in the city centre overlooking the gothic Cathedral of St. Elisabeth.

Incentive Ideas • A Street Tour Visitors can discover the historical richness of Kosice in a street tour passing by concrete housing estate areas, visit a Cold War shelter, an abandoned magnesite factory and railway tunnel, a local pub, former barracks and a swimming pool transformed into a cultural venue. • Attend a Festival Kosice is host to a number of festivals including a Gourmet Festival, Wine Festival and Kosice White Night that take place in June, September and October, respectively. • Witness the Kosice Peace Marathon Taking place on the first Sunday in October each year, the Kosice Peace Marathon provides attendees with an interesting experience.

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THE HIGH TATRAS

PLANNING YOUR MICE TRIP

In a Nutshell

Turkish Airlines operates flights from both Delhi and Bombay to Istanbul, as well as from Istanbul to Vienna, which is the nearest international airport to Kosice. From there passengers can either take a flight which would take about an hour, or get there via alternative transport, depending on their itinerary.

The High Tatras is a great option for visitors looking for something different, with a health and wellness aspect to their trip. The High Tatras are a part of the Carpathian Mountain range, which extends in a large, north-easterly arc from Bratislava to Orsova. The 15-25km wide and 26km long granite ridge stretches from west to east, is open to the north and to the south is peppered with reefs. Locations in the High Tatras have good transport connections and the congress-hotel offer can be divided into four main spots. These are Štrbské Pleso, Old (Story), Upper (Horny) Smokovec, and Tatranská Lomnica.

Turkish Airlines also operates two flights a week from Istanbul directly to Kosice and two flights a week from Kosice to Istanbul.

Recommended Hotels • Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras Ideal for destination weddings and awarded best hotel in Slovakia, the Grand Hotel Kempinski is situated on the bank of a mountain lake. • Grand Hotel Bellevue This is the biggest conference hotel in High Tatras, with stunning views of the mountains. • Hotel Tri Studnicky Ideal for smaller destination weddings, this is the first Feng Shui hotel in Slovakia.

Incentive Ideas • Go Hiking The Slovakian mountain trails are excellently furnished with road signs and markings, as well as with numerous guides, and hiking is actually amongst the most developed of its tourist activities. • Visit Lomnický Peak A modern gondola from the Lomnický peak village leads to the Skalnaté pleso, at an altitude of 1,760m, and from there the old gondola, which can accommodate up to 15 passengers, carries onwards to the summit. • Go Skiing The High Tatras features a number of ski resorts that are a perfect alternative to a staying at a hotel, allowing you to make sports a part of your trip.

Turkish Airlines connects India to Vienna and Kosice covering Eastern and Western Slovakia. To Vienna we have daily connections via Istanbul. Kosice as a new station in Slovakia has 4 weekly flights. The connection in Istanbul is a bit longer but we provide passengers a city tour in Istanbul free of charge. MEHMET ŞENYURT

SALES MANAGER, TURKISH AIRLINES

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he F1 Circutainment was a mega show for over 1300 people that took place at the Buddh International Circuit, Noida on January 18. Managed by The Moving Heads, the mind-blowing Gala evening was an apt culmination to 2 days of adrenaline, thrill and fun that was ICICI’s semi-annual R&R convention. This is among the most exciting experiences created for a corporate event held within the country itself!

ACTIVITIES The enormous space of India’s only F1 racing venue was transformed into a huge F1 Circuitainment fair with an adventure activities tower by Natura, go-karting tracks, RC cars field spread outside and track racing inside the circuit. The BIC’s pit garages were transformed into fun zones with plenty of additional activities like air hockey, human foosball, snooker, a mini-spa and more.

The Moving Heads won the mandate to manage this event in a multi-agency pitch that had a number of leading event agencies participating including Fountainhead, Seventy Seven Entertainment and Prime One Events and Entertainment.

At noon, everyone reconvened at the track for the official flag-off carnival parade with dancers, drummers, jugglers, and stilt walkers. Stunt cars and bikes swarmed on the track, turning all heads with thrilling stunts involving breathtaking speed and precision.

F1 Circutainment:

This F1-themed experience conceptualised and produced by The Moving Heads for the last day of ICICI’s semi-annual R&R convention, was something else altogether!

The Ultimate R&R Experience THE THEME As the client’s contest was built around a Formula 1 theme provided by the client, Moving Heads had to make sure every element was consistent with and added to the overall racing vibe. True to the event’s name of F1 Circuitainment, the mission was to take the F1-related entertainment experience to the next level. Moving Heads won the pitch for its unique conceptualisation of the event that saw the use of shipping containers as the main feature of the Gala event and Staging. Talking about conceptualising the event, Farhan Ali, CEO, Moving Heads says, “The client wanted to create an international experience here in India with a larger than life event. And as an agency, we aim to do one flagship project in a year that differentiates our work from others. Last year it was 270 degree projection and the Falaknuma Palace projection. Our motivation with this is to win us a gold WOW and create something extraordinary.” THE BLACK CIRCUIT PARTY The first highlight, which set expectations for the entire event, was the Black Circuit Party, inspired by real F1 Grand Prix legendary after-parties. The guests were awestruck facing a DJ console made in the shape of a giant F1 car with LED mapping on it, along with an entourage of SFX at the disposal of performing DJs. DJ Akbar Sami was the star of evening, followed by DJ KAZ and DJ Julia. They were accompanied by a bartenders show at the island bar by Guinness Book of Records record holders Pankaj & Sachin along with their team.

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The client wanted to create an international experience here in India with a larger than life event. And as an agency, we aim to do one flagship project in a year that differentiates our work from others. FARHAN ALI

CEO, THE MOVING HEADS

After this, everyone enjoyed a vast spread of food available at multiple food trucks which the agency arranged for an F1 Food Truck Festival–Moving Head’s creative response to conventional lunch breaks. In the afternoon Senior Leadership participated in an exclusive session with Jonty Rhodes.

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THE GALA EVENING In the evening all breaths bated once the opening act commenced–an acapella singer against a black background and no lighting. This was followed by all lights suddenly sparkling as 50 dancers of V Company took over the stage followed by LED dancers placed on stage as well as at different levels of the container-construction, giving way to bikers on stage, a STIGMA fire show, electric violinists and aerial LED drummers flying in just in front of the unreal 3D mapping projected on the containers. All this was put together by Natya Nectar Cirque de India. Sophie Choudry entered the stage in a sports car as the host of the ceremony. The evening continued with multiple fireworks (comets, pyros and more), a thrilling acrobatic performance with accompanying parkour dancers and the audience being completely hypnotised with the plethora of dream-like mapping content and special effects. All this culminated in fireworks-entry of KK who performed the biggest hits straight from the Heart of Bollywood.

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Shipping containers as part of the design and setup provided the main character to the evening. “Typically these sort of events feature mapping on a building or some structure as the main visual attraction. However, today just mapping alone is quite passé. It’s important to create something as well and then do mapping,” adds Ali. The logistics involved in setting up the shipping containers was also a challenging affair with each container weighing 4 tonnes. “To get a 5-storey setup in place we had to take all safety precautions as the structure went up to 40-50 ft. Working with people in Delhi was also challenging, as the whole idea was novel and we had to draw our resources from people in the shipping industry and others who were not all professionals. We also had to trying out multiple crane before hitting on the appropriate one”. PARTNERS To execute an event of this scale that was very high on technology, The Moving Heads had on board Suresh Madan of Dynamix Media to handle the Mapping, while Modern Stage Services was engaged for Sound, Light and Technology outdoors. Pyros, SFX and aerial rigging was managed by Akbar Sheikh.

EXECUTION The evening created a history for the Moving Heads, with a 300+ event crew, more than 100 shipping containers used, multiple cranes working for 10 days of set-up and not to forget 6-degree temperatures.

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Fountainhead MKTG, the experiential marketing agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, was roped in to manage Aditya Birla Group Awards for Outstanding Achievement 2016. The awards are an annual property by the Aditya Birla Group and the property is aimed at celebrating the achievement and performance across the Group’s global operations. Fountainhead MKTG has been associated with the property for over 15 years. However, the awards this year were larger than ever as the annual mega event was attended by more than 2000 top, senior and middle management employees. The three-day event started with ‘The Aditya Birla Group Conference’ on November 16 and 17. 2016 at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai, followed by the Chairman’s Dinner. For the ‘ONE ABG’ Conference, Fountainhead gave a very

moving LED Screen panels. The talented Ukrainian group Freckled Sky called for a huge round of applause from the audience as they introduced the award category “Living the Values” with their act featuring hydraulics and 3D projection mapping, with the performers interacting with the projection to absolute precision. An extremely harmonious, upbeat and thrilling performance was introduced for the first time at the ABG Awards by a group of musicians from Los Angeles called Earth Harp. A gigantic, life-size harp was set up prior to the event which ran along the periphery of the stadium. The gala awards night concluded on a high note with a dynamic performance by Bollywood star Ranveer Singh and a mindblowing collaboration with the Royal Family Crew from Auckland.

Fountainhead MKTG Produces the Stunner that was Aditya Birla Group Awards for Outstanding Achievement 2016 BY SHANTANU JAIN dynamic and niche look to the entire set-up with classy and stylish hexagonal structures and multiple LEDs. Speakers like Renee Mauborgne (Author, Blue Ocean Strategy) and Malcolm Gladwell (Journalist, author, and speaker) kept the audience enthralled with their knowledge and insights. The Chairman’s dinner on Day 1 saw David Blatter of America’s Got Talent fame entertaining the audience with his comic timing interspersed with some amazing magic tricks. The morning of Day 3 was a rather cozy affair where 3 lucky nominees got a chance to get up-close and personal with the Chairman, Kumar Mangalam Birla. The highlight of this chat with Chairman was when the spotlight was on Birla while the nominees played a fun rapid fire with him. The guests then proceeded for the much-awaited Aditya Birla Awards for Outstanding Achievement 2016. While the umbrella theme of the entire event was ‘ONE ABG’, the guests celebrated “Legions of One” during the awards night as well. The new Aditya Birla Group logo was also revealed in the form of 3D installations placed throughout the venue. Two walls were also created at the entrance of the dome with multiple units that had half the ABG logo reflected in a mirror to complete the logo. Hosted by the popular actress and television presenter Mandira Bedi, the awards night began with a dramatic AV to get the nominees pumped for the evening. The Awards night kicked off with a spectacular performance by Ganesh Hegde Troupe. This power-packed and jaw-dropping act was choreographed with an outstanding crew of approximately 200 dancers from India, New Zealand, China and the United Kingdom, ended with a human wall of the ABG abbreviation. It was then followed by a keynote address by the Group’s Chairman, Kumar Mangalam Birla. The competition categories were introduced by dancers interacting with the 56

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Spanned over 3 days, the Aditya Birla Awards for Outstanding Achievement 2016 was an extensively planned mega event. The entire setup and the rehearsals of around 300 Indian, as well as international dancers, were done in a time of mere 4-5 days. To manage multiple performances and technologybased award category revelations with an exact precision, we planned a time-consuming rehearsal schedule for the smooth execution. By the end of the day, hearing “World Class Event” from Mr. Birla only verified the super success of our efforts. KANGNA SHRIMAL

GROUP ACCOUNT MANAGER–CS & BD FOUNTAINHEAD MKTG

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E X P E R I E NTI A L P LA N N E R

We have a long-standing relationship with the Aditya Birla Group for almost 2 decades. As the agency who has been handling this prestigious event for the last 15 years, our challenge every year is to upscale it and raise the bar from its previous edition. Considering the event of this stature, the brief was to come up with a theme that fosters pride alongside commemorating performance and sharp skills. While keeping the brand values, we were responsible for conceptualizing and executing the entire event by outdoing ourselves and we did it determinedly with months of extensive planning. ROHAN SALVI VPâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;CS & BD FOUNTAINHEAD MKTG

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E X P E R I E NTI A L / INDUSTRY WATCH PLA N N E R

MICE with a Difference Pacific World is set to provide innovative MICE experiences with the recent appointment of Naveen Rizvi as its new Regional Director for the India & Indian Ocean Region.

Founded in 1980 in Hong Kong, Pacific World is a dedicated destination and event management company operating in 42 countries and over 100 destinations in Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and The Americas. With the appointment of Naveen Rizvi as the new Regional Director for Pacific World India and Indian Ocean Region, the global Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Event company is set to offer new experiences for local and overseas planners seeking to place business in the region. Rizvi will manage India, Nepal and Bhutan - as well as other countries within the Indian Ocean including Mauritius, Sri Lanka, The Maldives, United Arab Emirates (Dubai and Abu Dhabi), Oman and Southern Africa. He will be part of Pacific World Management Board as well. NOVEL INCENTIVE IDEAS Pacific World India will specifically focus on product development and innovation with regard to meetings, incentive and event experiences within India and overseas. Some of the latest incentive ideas that the Pacific World team have started to conceptualise in India include exploring an untouched island and spending the day by indulging in fishing in India, feeding elephants with the help of a Mahout in an Elephant Village near Jaipur. Talking about this new focus, Rizvi remarked, “Presenting India with a different perspective to our guests is our aim 58

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with key focus on product development and innovation to give “Out Of The Box” Meetings & Incentive Solutions to our clients. The team is regularly churning out new products and ideas, few of the new products we have developed recently include witnessing an exhibition match of the princely sport of Horse polo and going Treasure hunting in in a UNESCO World heritage Site in Delhi or in the walled city of Fatehpur Sikri.” Rizvi comments, “Our core strengths lie in our ability to efficiently handle important international conferences and events in India as well as overseas. One of my key objectives will be to bring a new and innovative perspective to every meeting and incentive organised in the region. SHAPING LIVES Pacific World is also focussed in developing programmes in conjunction with ‘Shaping Lives’ the organisation’s CSR Foundation, providing a bridge between clients and the local population of India to give something back to society. Key work includes supporting children and the elderly as well as those who have been marginalised and abused. The charity also actively pursues programmes supporting animal welfare. “With an attempt to give something back to society through carefully scrutinized and selected NGOs, we have created new experiences for our clients combining an incentive tour with visit to any of our NGO’s in varied locations,” remarked Rizvi

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E X P E R I E NTI A L / INDUSTRY WATCH P LA N N E R

Pacific World India Provides Experiences that Combine Social Work within an Incentive Itinerary

Presenting India with a different perspective to our guests is our aim with key focus on product development and innovation to give “Out Of The Box” Meetings and Incentive Solutions to our clients. NAVEEN RIZVI REGIONAL DIRECTOR PACIFIC WORLD INDIA

• During a Kerala tour, guests can visit a hostel for tribal girls in Trivandrum which provides them education and social exposure and has over 150 inmates studying in various classes from 1st to 10th standard. There are innumerable other activities including khadi gram, cultivation of medicinal plants, model agriculture and dairy farm, environmental programme, self-employment programme, etc. • Visit an NGO in Delhi that provides a 24 x 7 shelter for approximately 250 abandoned senior citizens / destitute / HIV cases and abused women. Volunteers can assist in cleaning, cooking and feeding at the Centre. They can assist with providing daily hygiene and other medical requirements or just spend time with inmates by listening and talking to them. • Spend a day at an institution in Jaipur that deals with special children afflicted with cerebral palsy, autism, Down Syndrome, mental disorders, and other such ailments. It is a well-run organisation with 200 children and currently has 5 outlets for sale of its products such as paintings and cards made by its children. Volunteers can teach students arts and crafts, computers, undertake story-telling sessions, render volunteer experience at the unit and engage in outdoor activity like a picnic and games outings.

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E X P E R I E NTI A L / FEATURE PLA N N E R

MICE IN INDIA:

DECODING THE HOTTEST MICE DESTINATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY!

Popular MICE destinations in India continue to be the metro cities, largely because of venues, hotels and infrastructure. However, leisure destinations like Kochi and Goa too remain on the MICE map, along with Jaipur, Agra, Pune and Bangalore. The Delhi NCR region has developed infrastructurally in a big way with Manesar, Moradabad and the Delhi-Jaipur highway throwing up viable options. Bhubaneshwar in Orissa boasts a hotel that can accommodate a large group, and has the added attraction of its heritage temples. ALISHA SHIRODKAR

MARKETING DIRECTOR, TAMARIND GLOBAL

BY SHANTANU JAIN

“India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India.” The preceding quote by Mark Twain is a true testament of what India as a destination offers to its travelers. The country has a rich heritage, glorious history, vibrant culture and offers natural beauty, because of which India is also emerging as one of the most popular MICE destinations inviting not just outbound but inbound travel as well. When we talk about India being a preferred MICE destination, we are not oblivious of the obvious challenges ‘like under-developed infrastructure, inadequate banqueting spaces and lack of convention centers. But, with the PM’s Make in India Campaign running in full gear, state and central governments are taking the necessary steps to encourage MICE travel in India because of which corporate travel in India has seen a significant rise. In this exclusive feature, ExM reaches out to a variety of MICE organizing agencies in the country to decode which are the hottest MICE destinations in the country and what are the factors that make them so.

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Goa is always on top of the list when we talk of MICE in India, reason being that it has a solid infrastructure plus offers a lot of unique experiences to make corporate meetings and events more interesting and experiential. Additionally, in the East Gangtok is a hot property while Jaipur has been an evergreen favorite owing to its historical and cultural significance. Kochi in Kerala is very popular too; these destinations are preferred because of their unconventional attractions. JD MAZOOMDAR

FOUNDER & CEO, REAL SHOW

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Hyderabad is without a doubt one of the most prominent MICE destination in India right now along with Mumbai and Goa. The reasons for this depends upon the banquet size and the ease of getting a venue around the destination. As an example, Hyderabad International Convention Center (HICC) is surrounded by several five-star hotel properties that can accommodate hundreds easily. Big banqueting spaces invite more MICE and that is how hotels are being designed these days as MICE is a big priority to them. NEIL SANGHAVI

DIRECTOR, OXYGEN ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA SOLUTIONS

E X P E R I E NTI A L / FEATURE P LA N N E R

Goa, Agra and Hyderabad are the most popular MICE destinations in the country as of now. Hyderabad has HICC and multiple five-star hotels that makes it idea, also Jaipur is one city that is being preferred because of its history and good hotel properties. The choice of a destination sometimes also depends on the accessibility factor and budget as well. Under such circumstances cities like Agra make for an interesting choice. However, that being said for India to invite more MICE, it needs to develop bigger banqueting spaces and hotel properties. TUSHAR MAHESHWARI DIRECTOR, E3 INTEGRATED

In India, as of now there are only a handful of destinations like Goa, Hyderabad and Jaipur which are ideal for MICE tourism. The reason being that these cities have the right infrastructure to support it with several eccentric offerings that make them most suited. In east, there are a couple of destinations that are in process of becoming MICE friendly as well. GAGANDEEP SINGH BIRDIE DIRECTOR, QUINZI EXPERIENCES

Mumbai has always been a MICE favorite as it has dominated this market with their corporate charm, along with the options for large-scale exhibitions and conferences. Recently, I think the heritage resorts and convention centers in Rajasthan and Kerela are the upcoming destinations for corporate meetings and conferences. They have a great tourism structure and a highly-developed space for VIP meetings and conferences which works tremendously in their favor. ABHISHEK MAZUMDER

CEO- THE THINK TANK ENTERTAINMENT

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BRIEFS

INDUSTRY WATCH

Fountainhead MKTG Unifies Digital and Activations Verticals to Create Integrated Experiences Fountainhead MKTG has unified its Activations vertical in the West Region with Fountainhead Digital MKTG, its Digital Marketing and Creative Technology vertical. The agency operates across 4 specialist verticals - Fountainhead Events, Oranjuice Entertainment, Fountainhead Corporate Journeys and the newly unified Fountainhead Digital & Activations. “We are truly excited about this blend of Digital and Activations that will prove to be a great platform for promoting true mastery and excellence in the experiential marketing industry,” said Brian Tellis, Group Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Fountainhead MKTG.

Brian Tellis

Group Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Fountainhead MKTG

Dentsu Aegis Network Announces Launch of CSR Advisory InDeed Dentsu Aegis Network has announced the launch of InDeed, a CSR Advisory that will facilitate corporate investments by companies in Corporate Social Responsibly, through insights and a brand-led approach. Ashish Bhasin, Chairman and CEO, South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network said, “Today several of our clients are making a huge investment in CSR but in an adhoc manner. Many corporates want to give back to the society but often don’t know how to go about it in a consistent and meaningful manner. InDeed will act as a catalyst in this entire process.” Ashish Bhasin

Chairman and CEO, South Asia Dentsu Aegis Network

Blue Umbrella Events and Media Now Enters Mumbai Blue Umbrella Events and Media, an agency providing brand solutions through integrated on-ground events in tier 2 and 3 cities as well as towns in Maharashtra since 2011 has now expanded its horizon to Mumbai to better serve its clients based in the financial capital of the country. Sumit Shahane, Director, Blue Umbrella Events and Media said, “With rest of Maharashtra as the focus market and increasing pressure of highly cost-effective cum measurable marketing efforts, Blue Umbrella Events and Media emerges as the most preferred partner to execute on-ground activations, launches, and experiential marketing events.”

Sumit Shahane

Director, Blue Umbrella Events and Media

Ola Appoints Ex-GM of Pepsico Vishal Kaul as Chief Operating Officer Ola has appointed Vishal Kaul as its Chief Operating Officer. Vishal is a PepsiCo veteran, who has been with the company since the start of his career in 1999. He has held key leadership positions across Operations, Sales and Marketing in his career spanning 18 years with the company. Vishal was most recently the General Manager of PepsiCo Foods for Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. Vishal Kaul added, “I am delighted to join Ola and be part of solving for the mobility needs for a billion Indians. Ola has redefined the mobility experience in every way for Indians in all walks of life.” Vishal Kaul

Chief Operating Officer, Ola

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INDUSTRY WATCH / THE CUE CARDS

PRODUCTIVITY AT WORK -the Key to Success The Cue Cards is a series created to provide a few insights and to explore the possibilities of self expression and career growth in order to experience fulfilment in life. So here is a set of cue cards that introduce concepts and enable us to navigate our way through circumstances and create our own destiny. BY SUSHMA GAIKWAD There is a distinct difference between working hard and working smart. Productivity at work is directly impacted by time management, task allocation and tracking work done. It is pivotal to get important things done first. Unfortunately, urgent tasks grab both our attention and time which leaves us grasping for straws, overworked and sometimes running out of time. Stress is a condition that develops when productivity diminishes and our careers lead us instead of the other way round. Let us explore some simple techniques to increase productivity by leveraging and planning time in the work place.

CUE CARD 1 Pen it down! Task list it! The first step is to generate a job list for every project you own and make a detailed task list. Devote half an hour of your time to create and update this list. It will enable you to keep track of work to be done as well as enable you to leverage manpower.

CUE CARD 2 Work in Time Frames The key to productivity is planning your time. Work out a time schedule a day before and ensure you keep to it. Schedule in your external and

internal meetings as well as factor in the time to get the tasks done. If you lead a team, do leave some room for team huddles to create a fostering relationship at work. If you have a day in the office, work in blocks where you take a 10 min break every 70 minutes. This practice is a refresh button for your mind.

CUE CARD 3 Important Tasks First Important tasks are those that ensure that you meet your KRA’s. So take a fresh look at your responsibility sheet and write down all that is important to get done. It is best to do the important work the first part of the day which will ensure you optimise your best resource i.e. an alert brain.

CUE CARD 4 Streamline work processes Work processes include client job lists, status reports, financial systems and manpower allocation. Streamline systems and work processes to ensure that the enterprise functions smoothly. It is as important to follow systems as it is to create them. If there is a kink in the system, evaluate the problem and solve it.

CUE CARD 5 Organise your life

There is one myth that needs to be busted and that is career comes at the cost of personal life. In fact, a productive resource is one that plans not the day, but also organises her/ his life. Get your personal finances on track, make time to grab that dinner with friends and schedule in time with family. Work is influenced by life experiences and it is important to live a complete life in order to bring joy, motivation and productivity to the work place

In Conclusion Infuse productivity at the work place and in a very short duration, time on hand will not be a scarce resource. It is certainly challenging at first to work to task lists, systems and time frames – yet in the long run work life becomes much more productive, impactful and fulfilling. An ‘Extraordinary Life’ is one that is created of choice, so let’s make the right ones!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR With her roots firmly entrenched in the experiential industry, Sushma forayed into the field of learning & development over a decade ago. Sushma has made her mark in the industry as a sought after Skill Facilitator, Leadership Coach and Life Mentor and specialises in transformative, breakthrough & NLP techniques.

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INDUSTRY WATCH / COVER STORY

KOLKATA R

KOLKATA IS STEADILY EMERGING AS A PROMISING MARKET FOR ALL KINDS OF LARGE EVENTS,

INCLUDING MUSIC FESTIVALS, SPORTS EVENTS AND BRAND ACTIVATIONS.

olkata’s event industry today may not be as evolved as Delhi’s or Mumbai’s, but it is definitely a far cry from what it was a decade ago. With EDM properties like Sunburn and sport IPs like TATA Steel Kolkata 25K, Kolkata has been enriched by vibrant events of the scale and quality of those in cities better known for their event landscape. In recent years, Kolkata has also given birth to its own IPs that are tremendously successful, including those that were conceived as events to be executed on a national scale, beginning with Kolkata. In 2008 the GDP of the city was estimated to be US$104 billion, which was the third highest among Indian cities, behind Mumbai and Delhi. The city is doused in vibrant cultural extravagance and the demographics of the metropolis reveal an interesting amalgamation of young as well as matured audiences in equal proportion. We talk to top experts and players in the industry to explore the growing potential of the capital of the East for a variety of events.

VENUES AND EVENT INFRASTRUCTURE

While earlier the main venues used were auditoriums, new venues, especially outdoor ones, offer greater opportunity for experimentation, whether it’s for wedding décor or tech-driven setups for large-scale productions. Outdoor venues such as Salt Lake Stadium and Eden Gardens have the capacity to host over 68,000 people while indoor venues like Netaji Subash Chandra can accommodate over 12,000 which makes the city more than perfect to host an array of large-scale events and newer IPs that can be introduced in the region.

“The outlook for events in the city look brighter than before. While infrastructure is still underdeveloped, the current government’s propensity for qualitatively superior events will possibly shape the way for better venues and facilities in the near future.” RAMJIT RAY FOUNDER-DIRECTOR MATRIX INTERNATIONAL GROUP

Talking about the growing infrastructure for events, Aparajita Chowdhury, the Director of A2Z Events Promotion Entertainment says, “We have some of the best event planners, vendors, the talent pool of the city is amazing and the infrastructure is solid too with venues like PC Chandra Garden and Orchid Garden, etc. What needs to happen is that the market needs to be developed with more brands coming on board to create engaging experiences for audiences.” Kolkata boasts of luxury hotel properties like The Oberoi Grand, The Taj Bengal, The Hyatt Regency, ITC Sonar Bangla and of course the latest addition to the property basket — JW Marriott. Further north, the city has expanded and developed tremendously into Rajarhat where you have gorgeous properties for celebrations at Eco Park overlooking the ponds and the Ekante Island. The golf greens in South Kolkata have always been a top pick for lavish pre-wedding parties. For residential wedding getaways there’s The Ffort Raichak, Raichak on the Ganges and Vedic Village Resorts close by. Golden Acres is another great venue for weddings. These developments are promising, but experts feel the city still has quite a way to go before it can host certain kinds of large-scale events. Ramjit Ray, Founder-Director, Matrix International Group remarks, “The outlook for events in the city look brighter than before. While infrastructure is still underdeveloped, the current government’s propensity for qualitatively superior events will possibly shape the way for better venues and facilities in the near future.” 64

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“People in Kolkata have the tremendous passion and courage, and in the past have managed to do large scale events even with the limited infrastructure.” TARSAME MITTAL FOUNDER, TM TALENT MANAGEMENT

INDUSTRY WATCH / COVER STORY

Sunburn, the EDM festival property by Percept

Tarsame Mittal, Founder, TM Talent Management adds, “Kolkata is a city of Celebration and I have never seen people in any city worshipping music how people in Kolkata do. However, the city does not have too many organised venues for concerts and exhibitions. You may find venues for weddings in Kolkata and around it. In terms of infrastructure I am doubtful if Kolkata can host large-scale events and festivals. However, people in Kolkata have the tremendous passion and courage, and in the past have managed to do large-scale events even with the limited infrastructure.”

“The two editions of United have been significant successes with over 2500 people present at the last edition. We have tweaked the property to make it a multi-genre music festival now and its third edition is set to unveil around Holi this year and promises to be a crowd pleaser.” APARAJITA CHOWDHURY DIRECTOR, A2Z EVENTS PROMOTION ENTERTAINMENT

EDM AND MUSIC IPS

Aparajita Chowdhury, the Director of A2Z Events Promotion Entertainment, the organiser of UNITED, Kolkata’s own EDM property, points out that in terms of profitability while the first two editions of the property managed to break even, United has crossed that stage with its upcoming third edition based solely on tickets sold. This fact reveals that the market for large-scale events in Kolkata is at a nascent stage yet is a breeding ground for brands who will receive tremendous responses provided they hit the ground running early. “In Kolkata you cannot predict the audience behavior and response to events as these keep on fluctuating. However, for an event to succeed here what is integral is to have an incredible marketing plan. Also, the ticket pricing, venue, headlining artists are important factors in this market. Kolkata has everything going for it to become the next big destination for events,” remarks Choudhary On the willingness of audiences to be engaged by events, Ramjit Ray says, “As in the rest of urban India, Kolkata’s socio-cultural behaviour is being increasingly shaped by a new generation of youth that’s more cosmopolitan and experimental, rooted more in the future than in the past. This generation is now ready and willing to embrace and pay for events that reinforce their lifestyle and life choices. While earlier generations still retain their relatively conservative approach, the future of events, especially large-scale public events, is being shaped by the youth of the city.” “The two editions of United have been significant successes with over 2500 people present at the last edition. We have tweaked the property to make it a multi genre music festival now and its third edition is set to unveil around Holi this year and promises to be a crowd pleaser,” observes Chowdhury. Sunburn, the EDM festival property by Percept has been one of the first few festivals to penetrate the Kolkata market. Speaking on his experience in the geography, Manuj Agarwal, CEO, Percept Live says, “Recently the city has developed enough technical inventory to successfully host semi-large festivals like Sunburn arena. The audience is ready; however, the market is yet to fully develop. We recently hosted an edition of Sunburn arena with DJ Snake & Nucleya and the response was phenomenal with over 8000 attending the event.”

“Recently the city has developed enough technical inventory to successfully host semi-large festivals like Sunburn arena. The audience is ready however, the market is yet to fully develop. We recently hosted an edition of Sunburn arena with DJ Snake & Nucleya and the response was phenomenal with over 8000 attending the event.” MANUJ AGARWAL CEO, PERCEPT LIVE

According to Agarwal, Kolkata has always had the audience for live events and large scale music festivals, though the technical infrastructure was been missing from the city because of which it remained untouched by the thriving EDM market for long. “The international artists that came to India for EDM then did 2-3 shows only and other metro markets were better developed to accommodate them then,” he says. This is definitely changing now with the sprouting of several outdoor venues that work well for large events. He adds, “The market in Kolkata has huge potential and has several JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

INDUSTRY WATCH / COVER STORY

TATA Steel Kolkata 25K

good venues too. We did not face any hassles in terms of licensing and event hosting. These are a few features that will work beautifully for the city to make it more event appealing; however, it needs more local involvement and encouragement from the state government.”

SPORTS IPs AND EVENTS

“While spectatorial sport like football and cricket have been ever popular in Kolkata, the big paradigm shift is in participative sport.Over the past 2 editions the event has raised 1.89 crores in charity. I think this is just the tip of the ice berg and Kolkata is surely and firmly establishing itself as a great running market.” DILIP JAYARAM CEO, PROCAM INTERNATIONAL

Adding to the sporting culture of Kolkata, Procam International brought to the city its first unique distance running event, India’s premier Tata Steel Kolkata 25K in 2014. India’s first AIMS accredited 25km run, focussed on Indian running talent, giving India’s professional and amateur runners from Kolkata and around the country a proven platform to showcase their talent and experience. Going over why Kolkata proved to be a great market for an event of this scale, Dilip Jayaram, CEO, Procam International says, “Over the past half-decade there are a lot of positive developments in Kolkata. While spectatorial sport like football and cricket have been ever popular in Kolkata, the big paradigm shift is in participative sport.” He reveals that since the inaugural edition of the Tata Steel Kolkata 25k in 2014, there are now 6-7 substantial road races that are being conducted, while this year 10,000 plus runners registered for the TSK 25. “Also, the support for awareness and fund raising, which is a unique facet of road races, has seen a lot of positive traction. Over the past 2 editions the event has raised 1.89 crores in charity. I think this is just the tip of the ice berg and Kolkata is surely and firmly establishing itself as a great running market”. Without saying, an event of this scale also generates interest from brands and partners looking to reach audiences in the city Another sporting event that generated great interest across the country was India Speed Week, a drag race cup that took place for the first time in 2016, organised by The Modi Group. “Drag racing is still in its infancy in India. This is expected to grow exponentially as the interest in motorsport is anyway on the incline. People are buying fancier cars and bikes. We thought we should get into the market while it’s in its infancy. We did not want to get into the motor sports event industry to do something small or local. We wanted to go pan India and do it the best way possible. We decided it should be on an airstrip. And have a very grand event design around the airstrip,” remarks Indraneel Majumdar, CEO, Amit Kumar Modi (AKM) Group, the organiser of the event. The first edition of the event took place at the Behala Flying Club, giving the city a chance to experience the thrill of gearing up their car/bike across this runway, amidst live music and glamour! Drag racing is a popular type of motor racing in which two or more automobiles or motorcycles (specially prepared for the purpose) compete over a short, straight course, to be first to cross a set finish line. The losing car and driver are eliminated from the event while the winner advances to the next round, until a champion is crowned. “We chose Kolkata as it’s the regional capital, where 8 to 10 states are dependent on Kolkata’s abilities and trade and commerce. All automobile manufacturers are also present in some form or the other. There’s a huge propensity for people to buy cars and bikes in this part of the country, either for legacy issues or because they’re upwardly 66

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“Some events like music and sports have done phenomenally well in Kolkata. But cultural programmes and literary festivals not so well.” INDRANEEL MAJUMDAR CEO, AMIT KUMAR MODI (AKM) GROUP

INDUSTRY WATCH / COVER STORY

India Speed Week

mobile. Marrying commerce and sports we wanted to do an event to showcase these vehicles”. The event also featured an Auto Show, music and sound section, food and beverage, viewing galleries and corporate boxes. India Speed Week has emerged as a national event, with an upcoming edition at Lonavala. It was extensively covered in the media as well.

“We saw the opportunity to enter in the sphere of comedy, as that was something there was a demand for with people wanting to go for shows though there were no shows happening. That’s how we conceptualised the first show. It was based on intuition that audiences would lap it up.” KARAN MEHRA FOUNDER, GREENBACK EVENTS

Talking about the market for large events in Kolkata, Majumdar adds, “Some events like music and sports have done phenomenally well in Kolkata. But cultural programmes and literary festivals not so well”.

COMEDY

Kolkata audiences have quite the sense of humour and have proven to be extremely welcoming to comedy events, with properties like ‘Comedy Visarjan’ regularly taking place with a full house of anywhere from 1000 to over 4000 people, depending on the venue capacity. Karan Mehra, Founder, Greenback Events, the agency that conceptualised this property describes his decision to enter this market. “We were into advertising at first. And we were aware of smaller events happening in Kolkata already. We saw the opportunity to enter in the sphere of comedy, as that was something there was a demand for with people wanting to go for shows though there were no shows happening. That’s how we conceptualised the first show. It was based on intuition that audiences would lap it up. When we put together our first show, we promoted it with basic advertising and it did really well”. In 2016, the first event had a full house of 2000 people, and it kept growing from there. The third show featuring most of the cast on the Kapil Sharma Show had an audience of 4000 people.

“The demand for destination weddings in Kolkata is growing. More and more people want this experience for their family and friends. Thailand and Malaysia are very popular, and Sri Lanka is coming up too now. Dubai is growing in popularity as well.” ADITYA JAIN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO MICKEY JAIN BEAUTIFUL WEDDING MANAGEMENT

According to Mehra, while sponsorships can be challenging, it gets easier with each edition of an event. While at first Comedy Visarjan’s revenues drew entirely from ticketing, the property presently gets 50% of revenue from sponsors that in addition to banks and real estate companies also include startups and local businesses.

WEDDINGS

Kolkata weddings are well-known for their grandeur, and the wedding industry in the city has only been flourishing. In addition to weddings hosted in Kolkata, people in the city are also increasingly opting for destination weddings. Aditya Jain, Executive Assistant to Mickey Jain, one of the most well-known destination wedding planners in the city and Founder, Beautiful Wedding Management remarks, “The demand for destination weddings in Kolkata is growing. The greatest advantage of destination weddings is you get a very limited crowd, only your near and dear ones. Everyone stays in one venue. More and more people want this experience for their family and friends. Thailand and Malaysia are very popular, and Sri Lanka is coming up too now. Dubai is growing in popularity as well.” According to Jain, while the number of people doing destination weddings is growing

“The Kolkata wedding market was perhaps the most rapidly evolving since it took very early to wedding planning and destination wedding services.” PRAMOD LUNAWAT DIRECTOR, MARRIAGEUANA

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

INDUSTRY WATCH / COVER STORY in Kolkata, destinations in Europe and other niche locations are not the choice yet. Thailand remains the favourite and their market keeps growing, even as places like Malaysia are being selected as well. Budgets have grown and when it comes to weddings in the city, the availability of better venues is definitely a factor that stimulates growth. Jain observes, “In Kolkata, the new 5 stars coming in like JW Marriott and Hyatt mean there are more weddings happening here rather than in a community hall.” Pramod Lunawat, Director, Marriageuana says, “The Kolkata wedding market was perhaps the most rapidly evolving since it took very early to wedding planning and destination wedding services. However, at present it would be fair to say that currently it may still be one of the leading market in terms of vegetarian food services for weddings and ethnic entertainment but one of the slowest on innovation in décor, presentation and furniture. This is largely because planners here outsource décor to generations old decorators who are resistant to change and it is therefore often found that the planning community ‘imports’ decoration services from North or West India and floral services from South East Asia.” Others, however would disagree that Kolkata is lagging in wedding décor services. Dipti Shah, Director, White Salt Entertainments remarks, “People in Kolkata specially the young generation are extremely well travelled. When you’ve seen the best, eaten the best and, talk, live and breathe the best, it automatically calls for professional and articulate wedding planning too! Planning that involves elements of grandeur, fun, entertainment, food and of course aesthetic appeal. So I see a vast weddings market here and one that shall stay for good. Besides this, weddings in this city are full of spirit and the most awaited events in every family”. Shah also reveals that Kolkata’s penchant for exquisite weddings dates back to the 1990’s when Kolkata had these sprawling greens in Ballgunge and Park Street and also South Kolkata. “‘Bengali Raajbaris’ and ‘Marwari Kothis’ always paved the way for grand luxury wedding celebrations. Of course with time these have all been commercialised and made into beautiful wedding venues today that witness some of the most affluent extravaganzas in the city”. Outdoor weddings in Kolkata are most looked forward to during the chilly winters that make for fabulous weather, notes Shah. Talking about services and vendors to meet the growing demand for weddings, Shah adds, “We have the best of best vendors for decorations, set designers from Tollywood and of course a great network of technical vendors and entertainers. We have a fantastic team of pyrotechnic specialists in the city, the most professional event managers and production teams who we work very closely with. The city has seen a fantastic new generation of professional wedding photographers and cinematographers too. All in all, Kolkata is fully equipped for extravagant weddings and already boasts of having its well known decorator panels across the world.”

“People in Kolkata specially the young generation are extremely well travelled. When you’ve seen the best-eaten the best and, talk, live and breathe the best, it automatically calls for professional and articulate wedding planning too! So I see a vast weddings market here.” DIPTI SHAH DIRECTOR WHITE SALT ENTERTAINMENTS

“The city of joy becomes a carnival for the days of the Durga Pujo. At the same time, it also becomes a maze of branding with every major street covered in rows and rows of brand hoardings/posters/banners etc.” MILIND ACHARYA HEAD OF MARKETING, BUNGE INDIA

A recent wedding featured Masterchef Priyanka Malik on the wedding set working closely with a well-known caterer of the city. For another there were Russian artist acts and famous Bollywood and Television Stars to host the evenings.

BRAND AND CORPORATE EVENTS

Brands also see potential in the city for events and experiential initiatives that can help achieve marketing objectives. Dalda, for example, has over the years hosted some of the most impressive experiential campaigns in Kolkata. Their most recent Dalda Durga Puja Activation is counted amongst one of the finest brand experiences in the past year and has also received multiple awards in the industry. Speaking from their experience of creating brand experiences in the city Milind Acharya, Head of Marketing, Bunge India (Head brand of Dalda Oils) says, “The city of joy becomes a carnival for the days of the Durga Pujo. At the same time, it also becomes a maze of branding with every major street covered in rows and rows of brand hoardings/posters/banners etc. Thus, for a brand the task is rather complex because not only do you need to break this clutter of brand real estate but also the real estate of Pujo elements (Pandals). Another important dimension that a brand needs to take care of is understanding the multitude messages being bombarded to the audience during Pujo. At any given point of time during Pujo, the audience is getting multiple messages of hymns + music + visual elements + brand messages. With 68

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“We have found good response of the city and its joyous residents for our activations. The infra is definitely in place to go creative and push the limits of brand activations and consumer engagement. With a reliable execution partner, a brand can achieve great success in Kolkata.” PRASHANT SUKHWANI SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER BUNGE INDIA

INDUSTRY WATCH / COVER STORY so much of audio and visual layers, the audience needs to be tapped with a concept which does not overload its senses but rather blends in the cacaphony yet carves a separate identity and leaves a memory with them. This is what we as a brand have tried to achieve in all our Pujo Activations thorughout the years.” Commenting on if the city of Kolkata is ready for branded events, Prashant Sukhwani, Senior Marketing Manager, Bunge India responds, “We have found a good response from the city and its joyous residents for our activations. The infra is definitely in place to go creative and push the limits of brand activations and consumer engagement. With a reliable execution partner, a brand can achieve great success in Kolkata.” He adds, “We have found good traction with our installations. We have found organic videos and comments on soical media including youtube. The live audiene has also been very appreciative and encouraging towards our efforts. The Kolkata market is definitely ready to see bigger activations provided brands including us have relevant objectives which are part of our consumers’ journey and not a white noise in their lives.” Another major brand that has recently penetrated the Kolkata events market is IDBI Federal which recently associated with the Kolkata Marathon. Talking about the experience, Karthik Raman, CMO, Head-Products & Strategy, IDBI Federal Life Insurance says, “East is a very large market for any brand, most importantly to us as 25-30 percent of our business comes from there. Running as an event in Kolkata is still at a nascent stage however, the audiences are more than ready to respond positively to initiatives takes by brands. We had over 8000 runners participating at the marathon and the incredible support from the local city police and enthusiasm from audiences is a testament to the spirit of the city.”

“East is a very large market for any brand, most importantly to us as 25-30 percent of our business comes from there. Running as an event in Kolkata is still at a nascent stage however, the audiences are more than ready to respond positively to initiatives takes by brands.” KARTHIK RAMAN CMO, HEAD-PRODUCTS & STRATEGY IDBI FEDERAL LIFE INSURANCE

TRAINING AND NEW ENTRANTS

Sneha Maloo, Brand Consultant and Head, National Academy of Media & Events (NAME), who also managed The Edutainment Show for Event Capital for two years, is extremely optimistic about the growth of the industry in Kolkata, pointing out that students finishing their training are increasingly looking to get absorbed in agencies in Kolkata or start their own companies in the city, as opposed to moving to Delhi or Mumbai for work. The number of students signing up for the course have also been nearly doubling year on year, indicative of the potential for great events in Kolkata. Maloo says, “The good thing about event management as a career is it is very entrepreneurial by nature. Every year we have new entrants doing good work. There are lot of properties started by young entrepreneurs. Event managers here today are not just managing events for clients, but event companies also tend to each have their own IP. There’s definitely growth in terms of agencies creating their own IPs.” The entrance of new players in Kolkata’s event industry and the proliferation of new IPs point to the potential event professionals see in the market. At the same time, established players find they can realize their potential better in an environment that’s only improving in terms of infrastructure, the openness to ideas, and a greater opportunity for profitability.

“The good think about event management as a career is it is very entrepreneurial by nature. Every year we have new entrants doing good work. There are lot of properties started by young entrepreneurs. Event managers here today are not just managing events for clients, but event companies also tend to each have their own IP. There’s definitely growth in terms of agencies creating their own IPs. SNEHA MALOO BRAND CONSULTANT AND HEAD NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MEDIA & EVENTS (NAME)

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

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E X P E R I E NTI A L / INDUSTRY WATCH PLA N N E R

Reveling in the Power of Rural: RMAI Rural Conclave 2016 T

The second edition of the Rural Conclave 2016 organized by Rural Market Association of India (RMAI) was held on December 15 & 16, 2016 at Vivanta by Taj, Gurgaon. BY SHANTANU JAIN

he second edition of Rural Conclave 2016 organized by Rural Marketing Association of India (RMAI) kicked off to a celebratory start on December 15, 2016, at Vivanta by Taj Gurgaon. The two-day convention was attended by brand marketers, rural marketing specialists and industry veterans alike, who had come from different parts of the country to deliberate and discuss the challenges, technologies, and trends that ruled rural hinterlands. The conclave began with the opening address by Sanjay Kaul, President RMAI, and Founder & CEO, Impact Communications. In his address, Kaul talked about how rural is the next market destination for brands and how consumption patterns and consumer behavior have evolved over the years. Following him, Harish Bijoor, Brand Strategy Specialist & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. delivered the theme address. Bijoor in his address elaborated on the positive disruptions in the economy and stated, “For brands to succeed they need to look at rural as an ecosystem and not as a market.” PANEL DISCUSSIONS Through both days, Rural Conclave 2016 by RMAI saw multiple panel discussions and addresses on various themes pertaining to the challenges and intricacies of marketing in rural India. The discussions ranged from the theme of ‘Market Prioritization: Smart Sorting by Data Analytics & Technology’, ‘Technology aiding in market prioritization’, ‘Know the Rural Consumer 2.0’, ‘Decoding the BIG DATA: From Data to Insights’, ‘ICT Models for Farming’, ‘Power of Digital in Rural Marketing’, ‘Scope to Leverage Largest Rural Network: Indian Postal Services’ to other relevant subjects.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CONCLAVE Below are a few highlights from the Rural Conclave 2016 in the form of some important learnings derived from the key sessions. “What we are seeing in rural right now is the emergence of ‘Ruburnban’which is a combination of rural growth in an urban environment.” Peeyush Bajpai, Director Big Data Analytics, Nielsen India “Identification of the right market in the land of abundance is the most important beginning step towards building a profitable and sustainable distribution network.” Sankalp Potbhare, Head-Business Strategy and Sales Development at Reckitt Benckiser India “There is no one sentence that can describe rural. Even today the patterns of living and behavior of consumers are no less than that of an urban consumer. The only difference between the two is in reaching them. However, both are open to communication and to simplify it can be said that rural will remain where the farmers are.” Raghu Roy, Managing Director, MaRS Monitoring and Research Systems Pvt. Ltd. “The disruptors in the rural market will influence consumer behavior and hence organizations in rural need to continuously evolve. Also, the objective needs to be clearly defined first before using the big data in rural.” Siddhartha Choudhary, Chief Revenue Officer, CropIn TECHNOLOGY The conclave also saw the presence and insights from rural marketing specialists and industry veterans like Sandeep Seth-Principal Consultant & Co-founder, LDMC (GIS Mapping), Aditya Sinha-Head Rural Business,

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

Map My India, Prashant MandkeVice President & Head Anugrah Madison, Anirban ChaudhuriSenior Vice President & Executive Planning Director at J. Walter Thompson, Venkatram VasantavadaPresident (Crop Nutrition Business), Deepak Fertilisers & Petrochemical Corporation Ltd., Antony CherukaraVP-Corporate Strategy & Head Agriculture & Allied Business, Kirloskar Oil Engines Limited, Puneet Vidyarthi-Head Rural & Digital innovation, JCB, Dalveer Singh-Head Experiential Marketing, APAC WPP, Nikhil Sharma-Partner MART, Kalpana Raina, Head Strategy Planning, Impact Communications and many others. RUHIVE The second day of Rural Conclave 2016 began with an introductory address on RUHIVE (Rural Business Hive) by Mridula Shekhar (RMAI Executive Committee Member and Head Marketing, Retail Business at Tata Steel). This initiative propelled that Collaborating and Co-sharing could be one of the many solutions to reach Rural in an effective and cost-efficient way. This unique networking platform saw Industry veterans such as Ujaya Shakya-Vice President of Advertising Association of Nepal and Managing Director Outreach Nepal, Muntasir Bhuiyan-COO, Market Access Providers Limited, Sidharth Balakrishna-Sr. Manager/Strategist, Business Transformation at Cairn India, Manish Kumar-MD & CEO, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Ashok Kumar-Director Rural Business and Corporate Planning, India Post and others taking on the stage to share key learnings and opportunities for marketers and agencies in rural.

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Sanjay Kaul-President, RMAI

Corporate Excellence Awards

CORPORATE EXCELLENCE AWARDS Rural Marketing Conclave 2016 by RMAI, concluded with Corporate Excellence Awards that celebrated and acknowledged pathbreaking work or initiatives carried out by various companies in rural. WINNERS FOR THE YEAR 2016 1. FMCG Category - Dabur India Ltd. 2. Automobile Category - Maruti Suzuki India Limited 3. Consumer Durables - Samsung India Electronics Pvt. Ltd 4. Auto & Agri Implements Category - Mahindra Tractors 5. Agribusiness – Rallis India Ltd. 6. Govt. Category - Unique Identification Authority of India

Harish Bijoor, Brand Strategy Specialist & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

INDUSTRY WATCH / FEATURE

SANJAY SHUKLA-DDB MUDRAMAX EXPERIENTIAL TALKS ABOUT HIS JOURNEY, CLIENTS AND AGENCY FOCUS FOR 2017 BY SHANTANU JAIN The first quarter of the year 2016 saw Sanjay Shukla joining the media giant DDB Mudra Group as President-OOH & Experiential, DDB MudraMax. The industry movement was the biggest of the year and left people wondering about how Sanjay would take the agency to newer heights. Interestingly, within just a year of spearheading the company not only has Sanjay directed the company to win over some prominent brand accounts to its kitty but also under his guidance the organization now has its eyes fiercely set to expand into the sports and entertainment IP domain. In this exclusive feature at ExM, we speak to Sanjay Shukla about his incredible journey at DDB MudraMax Experiential, the challenges he faced and the action plan for the agency in the year ahead. Why did you decide to take up the assignment at DDB MudraMax Experiential? Well, I for one believe in taking up challenges instead of shying away from them. DDB Mudramax Experiential has had a great legacy in the past and the idea was to take things up for there. Also, before I came onboard, they were primarily an activation agency so a big challenge for me was not just bringing the old glorified days of the company back but to also ensure that we develop new areas in experiential business and create viable event IPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Another herculean task was to build a team that would be able to achieve such magnificent feats and create stunning events and experiential campaigns. What have been the major milestones and achievements since you took up this role? We have grown with our marquee clients and added new clients to the roster as well. We have a strong team in each of our key geographies that are firing on all cylinders and delivering great work for our clients. The regional business leaders have been empowered to build and grow their respective businesses but they also collaborate effectively for national projects. Also, our creative and operations team are serving as effective partners for business leaders and clients. The positive energy in the organization is contagious.

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Sanjay Shukla, President - OOH & Experiential DDB MudraMax Experiential

To what do you attribute the rapid improvement of the business at DDB MudraMax Experiential over your tenure? It is a highly motivated and energized team that deserves the credit. Our client partners have also shown the faith in our work. The combination of both has ensured that in 2016 we grew revenue wise by more than 50% over 2015. Who are some of your biggest clients and what drives client loyalty to DDB MudraMax Experiential? Google, Facebook, Ashok Leyland, Greenlam, Star, FIFA U-17 India 2017 World Cup, SAP, Maersk, Western Union, Hindware, Tata Sky are few of the many brands that we work with. Client loyalty is driven by the organization processes that we have in place to drive operational efficiencies and most importantly, the people - across business, creative and operations. What are the new opportunities for the agency in 2017 and how will you work with your team to achieve these? I think we have just reached the foothills and we in 2017 will aim at climbing the mountain and hoisting the flag. Our endeavor this year will be to achieve ambitious growth as we have our eyes fiercely set on expanding our event IP and sports verticals.

INDUSTRY WATCH / FEATURE

Some Stunning Campaigns from the DDB MudraMax Experiential Stable:

WESTERN UNION Ramadan- VR 360 Degree Nazar-E-Makkah

To build emotional connection with customers and eventually, encouraging transactions through Western Union. To provide TG with the unique experience of visiting the holy mosque during Ramadan by giving them a glimpse of the “Mecca Madina” through virtual reality devices. All these experiences were possible only because consumers who were transacting money to India donated money (The act of Zakat) during this time of Ramadan, hence moving money for better. Result: SEC B & C, Muslim dominated PAN India Activation-8 cities in 1 month touched 50,000 devotees.

COCA COLA Live the Feeling

A picture says a thousand words but a GIF says a million. In this world of Memes and Social Media, Coca Cola wanted its customers to ‘Live the Feeling’ and not just taste it. A perfect opportunity to do the same was given to college students through the setup of a GIF booth, which allowed them to capture their feelings in a GIF which could then be uploaded on social media and made viral. Result: Activity was conducted in colleges of Mumbai and Pune. Total colleges-52 in Mumbai and Pune. GIFs created-2500. JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

BRIEFS

TECHNOLOGY

Creative Factory Creates Stunning Projection Mapping Experience for GVK Sangeet in Hyderabad Creative Factory, a visual content studio headquartered in Mumbai recently produced stunning projection mapping for the high-profile GVK Sangeet Ceremony held on Januray 27 in Hyderabad. Vibhore Khandelwal, Founder, Creative Factory remarked, “Our clients Sandeep Khosla and Sanjay Reddy gave a very clear brief of what they wanted for the event which was an amalgamation of a European and Fantasy Experience. Since the mapping had to be done for a Sangeet function the thought was to create an immersive experience by constantly changing the ambiance of the entire venue.” Vibhore Khandelwal Founder, Creative Factory

Work Ventures Adds the Tech Edge to Colgate All India Sales Conference 2017 Work Ventures recently won a multi-agency pitch to execute Colgate All India Sales Conference (AISC) in Mumbai held at J W Marriott Sahar on January 4th and 5th, 2017. The two-day event was significant for the brand as it marked the 80th year of Colgate Palmolive in India.

Stephy Lobo

Stephy Lobo, Assistant Manager, Work Ventures commented, “Delivering the best has always been our core objective which has invariably always set a new benchmark for us. This year preparing for AISC was a challenge delivering beyond the best was the criteria. We took it as an opportunity to amaze and set a new benchmark again.”

Assistant Manager Work Ventures

The Yellow Stage Creates a Mammoth Setup and Experiential Zone for Ray-Ban at Sunburn Hills The Yellow Stage has been the agency partner to Ray-Ban India for over 2 years now, and was called on yet again as Ray-Ban India executed one of its most ambitious brand activations at the 10th edition of Sunburn, held from December 28 to 31, 2016 at Kesnand District in Pune. Geetika Kohli, Head–Key Accounts, The Yellow Stage said, “The response to the zone was thunderous from the audiences present at the festival which made us realize that we were successfully able to bring out the attributes like fun, cool, iconic, courage, music, etc. because this is what Ray-Ban as a Brand stands for.” Geetika Kohli

Head–Key Accounts The Yellow Stage

Esquare Events Provides a ‘Digital Experience’ at Accenture India Business Meet Accenture organised its India Business Meet 2016 at JW Marriott in Delhi on December 9 and at Taj Lands End in Mumbai on December 16. Esquare Eventz & Promos managed both events in both cities, also handling the digital platforms and technologies associated with these. Jeet Ahuja, Managing Director, Esquare Events and Promos said, “It has always been a great experience to work with Accenture Solutions Pvt Ltd. Events like these give us a chance to showcase our creative bandwidth and help us ‘Innovate in the New’”. Jeet Ahuja

Managing Director Esquare Events and Promos

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

TECHNOLOGY

A 110-ft. Stage, Projection Mapping and Mind-Warping AV Content by Kaleidoscope Events for Daikin BY SHANTANU JAIN

Daikin Air-conditioning India recently hosted its annual Dealer Meet at Hyatt Manesar, Gurgaon. The 2-Day event saw a full house of 1300 people visiting Daikin’s R&D Centre for a first-hand visual experience of the manufacturing facility at Neemrana, and then proceeding to the Grand Ballroom of Hyatt Regency – Manesar to witness the mega R&R event. Taking from the brief of the Managing Director, Kanwaljeet Jawa who wanted his corporate agenda of the evening to be crisp, formal and precise, Kaleidoscope Events conceptualized a 5-hour event flow in such a way that the multi-dimensional stage itself transformed in front of a live audience, thereby depicting a whole new experience.

to perfect time coding to create an experience never witnessed by Indian corporate event audiences before.

This is a very proud moment for DAIPL. We are No.1 in the market and this event has been designed to reflect our No.1 positioning. KANWALJEET JAWA

MD, DAIKIN AIRCONDITIONING INDIA PVT. LTD.

The logo of the event theme came to life incorporating technologies like projection mapping, Kabuki screen drop, customized panels using LEDs and moving heads, all choreographed

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The audience also experienced over 2000 square feet of mind warping AV content through the presentations, product launch, themed AV using live dancers, and of course, the transformation of the stage itself. The Ballroom of Hyatt Regency, for the first time, held a 110-ft. full service running bar and a 110-ft. wide stage. Apart from the agendaspecific achievements made by Daikin and Kaleidoscope that evening, the dealers were thrilled by the performances of Lauren Gottlieb, celebrity dancer Deepak Singh, noted cricketer Zaheer Khan’s special entry and the compelling engagement by Sangeeta Singh and Zuhair Abbas.

TECHNOLOGY

What worried me was the ‘difference’ that we were trying to achieve with this event. What satisfies me is how we managed to pull off exactly what we had envisaged this event to be like. Hats off to Kaleidoscope, they really Transformed a corporate event into an experiential spectacle!

Understanding & commitment are key ingredients for longterm success in any relationship, and Daikin Dealer Awards 2016 is a testament to that. Daikin India & KEPL has always been at the forefront of producing great events year after year that remains as the cornerstone for HVAC companies in India.

ANUJ MANGLA

SHAMIK NANDI

MARKETING TEAM, DAIPL

This event sets a classic example of how a vision is transformed into a reality. Thank you, Daikin, for entrusting us with the prestigious DDM yet again. Looking forward to many more such great experiences to come. RAGHAV AGARWAL

MANAGER, EVENT SERVICES, KALEIDOSCOPE EVENTS

BRAND MANAGER, DAIPL

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

TECHNOLOGY / MARKET PULSE

InitLive:

The Ultimate Staff Management Technology at Events FEATURES Scheduling • Filter master schedule (by venue and location)

• Preview schedule in list view and calendar view • Color code shifts Alyssa Lancefield-Sales Director, InitLive Inc.

ne of the biggest challenges for events planners managing events of a gigantic magnitude is keeping a check on their staff. While most planners in the country continue to have unwavering faith in keeping a tap on event staff through phone calls and walkie-talkie devices, times have evolved and newer tech solutions have been developed to facilitate a smoother staff & volunteer management system at events. Mobile applications like Hike and Whatsapp have without a doubt made the lives of event managers much easier but the restricted functions of these apps leave a lot more desired than received. The panacea of such a predicament is- InitLive, a mobile tool that is designed to improve onsite communication between the event managers, staff, and volunteers during a live event. InitLive provides simple scheduling software and a volunteer database to recruit, track and manage signups. The staff and volunteer management software ensure that an event is set up properly ahead of time to increase efficiency and adaptability on event day. ExM talks to Alyssa Lancefield-Sales Director, InitLive Inc. to understand the features of the technology and how it can benefit event planners in the country.

How InitLive Works

InitLive works from the very beginning of event planning process and ensures seamless staff management till the event is executed. Alyssa shares, “Event managers can begin the use InitLive by building their event from scratch. They can feed the event details, roles and descriptions for the staff at events, create event schedules and decide shifts, and generate a recruitment list or add an excel staff list and ask your volunteers to sign up for the responsibilities they want to take up.” She adds, “By using InitLive event planners can receive real-time updates on the percentage of staff checked-in for your event and always know the location of your staff and volunteers. The tool is high to data analytics as well as it allows managers to gather information recorded during the event such as track hours worked, copy information from previous events to quickly create a recurring event and more.”

JANUARY–MARCH 2017 EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

• Make changes on the fly to your schedule on event day

• Handle no-shows by using our ‘best matches’ function

Communication • Established chain of command based on Managers, Supervisors, and staff

• Target messages based on a custom filtered set (including venue location, role, schedule time, check-in status, etc.) • Push-Notifications through the mobile app will automatically be sent as an SMS text message if the end user does not have the app installed at no extra cost.

• Automated shift-reminders via push notifications and email

Organization Management • Create unlimited amount of organizations

• Custom branding of your volunteer portal

Data and Reporting • Import staff and volunteer lists into the software (excel and CSV)

• Generate multiple reports in excel/CSV format (including schedule shortages, user activity, user profiles, hours worked, etc.)

Price The price of InitLive depends upon the number of staff and volunteers the event managers wants to communicate and supervise through the technology. For a small event team up to 100 users, the mobile tool is available for as low as USD 299.

JOBS ON EVENTFAQS.COM

Phoenix Live

CampHire WorldWide Partners Inc

Senses Creations

Positions:

Manager/ Sr. Manager - Client Servicing

Executive - Admin & HR Asst. Manager - Business Development Sr. Executive - 3D Artist/ Art Direction Sr. Executive - Graphic design, Illustration

Location: Hyderabad

Location: Mumbai

Location: Bangalore

Mail CV to

recruitment@phoenixlive.in

rochelle@camphire.in

kallal@sensescreations.com

Eventales Designs Private Limited

STORY

Deeper Blue Asia-Pacific Pvt. Ltd.

Positions:

Location: Delhi Mail CV to

Location: Bangalore Mail CV to

careers@eventales.com

amit@story.org.in

victor@deeperblueasia.com

Foresight Events & Entertainment

Indian Wedding Planners

Positions:

Rudram Market Development Services Pvt. Ltd. Positions:

Designer Sr. Wedding Planner Executive - Client Servicing

Manager - Client Servicing Manager - Operations

Location: Mumbai

Location: Gurgaon

Location: Delhi

Mail CV to

devyani@foresightmail.com

info@indianweddingplanners.in

jobs@rudramindia.com

Konnect 9

SPIN OFF Events and Media Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Niche Events and Promotions Pvt. Ltd.

Positions:

Manager - Client Servicing Executive - Client Servicing Manager - Operations (Events & Activations) 3D Designer - Creative

Operations/Production Manager Business Head - Weddings/Social 3D Designer- Events and Exhibitions Sr. Executive - Business Development

Content Writer Sr. Manager - Client Servicing & Business Development

Telesales Executive - Female Executive - Client Servicing - Female Accountant - Female Sr. Manager - Business Development

Social Media & SEO Manager Sr. 2D & 3D Designer Sr. 2D Designer

Asst. Manager/ Manager - Business Development Asst. Manager/ Manager - Client Servicing

Sr. Manager - Client Servicing

Creative Designer

Location: Mumbai Mail CV to

Location: Delhi Mail CV to

Mail CV to

sanjay@k9x.in

rahul@spinoff.co.in

hr@thenichegroup.in

Location: Mumbai