After having started his career in the dynamic field of advertising when he was only 19, Tarun Sarda has indeed come a long way in his career spanning over almost three decades. Today as he stands firmly as the CEO of Celebrating Vivaha and Timeless Jewels; one of the most successful wedding magazines of the country, he is also sphere heading the responsibility of organizing Vivaha Exhibitions In and outside India whichs plan to provide solutions to all the problems of a wedding planner.
EE caught up with TarunSarda, CEO, CelebratingVivaha on the challenges being faced by the wedding industry, the future ahead for it and so much more.
Q-After a successful stint in the advertising industry what triggered the switch into wedding magazine publication?
A-The Wedding business in India is the fastest growing recession proof industry. Dealing with various clients for my advertising business, I realized the potential of the wedding market and its contribution to the economy. Weddings is one occasion where people spend the maximum in India and so naturally most of our consumer business – be it clothing, jewellery, travel, home etc is somewhere related to it. The idea of launching my own magazine came about when irealised most of my clients were looking for a platform that would help them reach out to their target audience.
Q- What were the challenges you faced while establishing a magazine for the wedding industry in the country?
A-When the magazine was launched, there were not too many players in the market. To tell people that this was a one stop solution to all their wedding needs as it covered all aspects of a wedding was a matter of time and effort. Also, the concept of niche quarterly glossies was new. To sustain a qualitative and informative product that would eventually become a must buy for someone getting married had its own gestation period which we passed through.
Q-Since you have closely observed the changing trends in the wedding industry please share how has it evolved over the years from your eyes?
A-Over the year’s weddings have transformed from being close knit affairs comprising family and friends into big status speaking symbols. Hence the money spent on a wedding has also multiplied many fold. Two decades back people would organise a wedding to celebrate the occasion with people who mattered. Today, a wedding you organise should be such that it becomes a ball mark for weddings in the pipeline. If you cannot do something new and novel, at least do something that is superlative and extravagant beyond comparison.
Q-What are the current trends in the wedding industry?
A-Destination weddings with celebrity singers and performers has been the trend for a couple of years. What comes as the next step to this is ‘special appearances’ by celebrities. Yes, if you have the money you can well rope in your favourite film star to be the guest of honor at your wedding – who will come like a near and dear one, sit for the function, mingle with the guests, get clicked with you and your family and go back. Who said playing cameo was only for movies?
Q-How was the idea of Celebrating Vivaha Exhibitions conceptualized?
A-With the wedding magazine having gained acceptance and popularity, the exhibition was the next natural step – an onground shopping experience for people where they can shop anything for a wedding under one roof instead of going from city to city or vendor to vendor in search of products and services. I wanted to make wedding shopping a pleasurable experience for people.
Q-What has been the response received so far from the exhibitions?
A-It’s our 14th year and we have only increased the number of exhibitions from 2 to 18 annually. The exhibitions have also taken an international route and our Dubai exhibition is looked forward to by the Indians living in the Middle East.
Q-What was the idea behind Vivah Pre Wedding solutions and how fruitful is the endeavor in terms of return on investment?
A-Pre- Wedding Solutions is aimed at the wedding related services. More than often we are stressed to find the correct venue, caterer, planner and decorator for our wedding and pre wedding functions. Pre-Wedding solutions gets all these people under one roof so that you can finalise vendors and per your comfort, convenience and budget.
Q-Where do you see the Indian wedding Industry heading in the next 5 years?
A-The Indian Wedding Industry, as I mentioned in the very beginning of our conversation is the fastest growing recession proof industry. No matter how the economy is, a father will always give his daughter the very best. Since the economy is on a boom any which way, the next 5 years should be peak time for the industry. Weddings will only grow bigger and better and thus the industry too will be in its full bloom.
