Vivaha La Vida: ICWF wraps up its 3rd edition

With over 10 million weddings being organized in India each year the size of the overall wedding industry is estimated to be somewhere around a whopping 100 million. Safe to say that it is currently a gala time for domain stakeholders.
Given the size of the industry and the immense potential it holds, The 5 Guys Project embarked on a journey three years ago to carve a niche community with the establishment of the International Convention of the Wedding Fraternity. ICWF, a platform that encourages the wedding fraternity to engage and exchange, presented its 3rd edition at Hyatt Manesar from the 31st July-1st August 2015. The event was organized by The 5 Guys Project together with Mapsor.
The first day of ICWF ’15 began with an inaugural address by Samit Garg, Convener- ICWF ’15, who kicked off the event by thanking the attendees for their support and emphasizing why platforms like ICWF are so crucial for the wedding planning industry. The keynote address was delivered by Sabbas Joseph, President, EEMA (Event & Entertainment Management Association).

Mr Joseph in his address highlighted the importance of the 7 pheras at an Indian wedding and said that an event planner’s relationship with his client should be similar to the pheras. He said, “Much like the 7 pheras you should make 7 vows to your client, you should give your client the best and hold nothing back, be honest to them, ensure that more value is delivered than promised, the quality of execution is the best, work within the laws, insist on safety procedures and ask for payments first for vendors and aim to see them as your own families.”
Creative director and filmmaker, Omung Kumar, who spoke on the nuances of architectural applications in set design, delivered the first session of the day. The noted art director and set designer shared with the attendees his experiences of designing sets for cult classic films like Black, Sawariya and Mary Kom. He later performed a live demonstration for the audiences of how he conceives, conceptualizes and executes the process of set designing.
Maestro of floral décor, Tomas De Brunye, spoke on the alchemy of flora and delivered a power-packed session on how the floral décor at a social event can impact its overall theme and how the strategic placement of the smallest of flowers can transform the wedding scenery. Tomas too performed a live demonstration for the audiences which allowed the audiences to grasp the nuances of floral décor hands on.
A special staging by presenting sponsors of the event- Turkey Tourism- highlighted the exquisite experientialvenues in the country and was met by great enthusiasm by the attendees. The highlight of this session was the especially curated magic show that weaved the presentationtogether. To enable the attendees to experience the Turkish hospitality, they were served with Turkish tea and a beautifully prepared brunch platter.
Post lunch a session on the evolving demand for customized entertainment was organized and saw the likes of Roshan Abbas, Director-Encompass, Karan Soorma VP, Cineyug and SamitGarg, Co-owner E Factor Entertainment, speak about customized experiences and the value creation in this process.
Another session highlighted the courageous story of Mr. Vikas Gutgutia, Founder, Ferns and Petals. Speaking on his journey to becoming the intellectual entrepreneur he is considered today,Mr Gutgutia explained how his self-belief and the constant drive for innovation turned his entire life around and made him what he is.
Day 1 of the ICWF ’15 ended with networking sessions and entertainment night followed by cocktails and dinners.
The beginning of Day 2 of the convention was marked with the presence of Sumant Jayakrishnan, a globally renowned set designer. Mr Jayakrishnan delivered a presentation showcasing some of his best works in design and the process that went into its execution.
The second session of the day was based on the theme of designing the experience quotient in private social events. This was an interactive panel discussion chaired by Vandana Mohan, Founder, The Wedding Design Company, Mitja Preslovsek, Interactive Multimedia expert, MarutSikka, Culinary Designer and was moderated by Roshan Abbas. The session began with Mitja Preslovsek showcasing examples how technology can be used to elevate even the most simplest of events and experiences and then the other panelists too shared their opinions on the kind of experience that can be generated at social events using technology and culinary presentation without taking away the spotlight from the event itself. Guests were served a scrumptious kebab platter, courtesy Mr Sikka, to add another dimension and enhance the experience of the session.
Another session was a winner’s roundtable that featured last year’s winners of GIWA- The Great Indian Wedding Awards. The panel was moderated by Atul Nath, Candid Marketing and was chaired by VijayArora, Touchwood Entertainment;Neelabh Kapoor, Studio Neelabh and Bhavnesh Swahney, Wedniksha. The session started with each of the panelists showcasing the efforts that went into the productions of their award winning weddings last year. The panelists also spoke about creating a manual for every event that they execute to submit award winning entries for GIWA.
A session on the Black and White business of weddings and the final session of the ICWF ’15 was chaired by fashion designer Manish Malhotra, the Prince of Udaipur Lakshayaraj Singh Mewar and Karan Soorma Vice President, Cineyug. The session began with individual presentations by the panelists showcasing their experiences in the domain of social events and focused on how the face of wedding planning and the overall industry has transformed over the years.
The conference was followed by recognizing the best of the lot from the wedding community through The Great Indian Wedding Awards 2015. The evening ended with entertainment and a cocktail dinner and also saw ice installations, photo booths and a 3D video show.