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EE News Desk
The first session of AIM or Artist Industry Meet-up is kicking off on 2nd June at Bandstand, Aurobindo Market in New Delhi, and is stirring up quite some excitement. Seeded by ArtistFAQs and propelled by Everything Experiential and BW APPLAUSE the event has a lot on offer to the community of live entertainment- from insightful discussions, to unique talents, to a distinguished audience and a fabulous after-party; but here is our cut of the ‘top 4 reasons’ why you wouldn’t want to miss this! #1 AIM is an insightful networking opportunity and event for entertainment programmers and live entertainers at large. #2 AIM generates direct B2B business opportunities for artists and entertainers across genres of live entertainment. #3 AIM showcases the talent of promising independent artists from across categories. #4 AIM engages focused communities of event organisers, wedding planners, talent agencies, multimedia production studios, M.I.C.E. agencies and live venues.
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Brazil is on the receiving end of its worst recession in several decades. The Organizing committees for the 2016 summer Olympics have taken on a novel approach and are concentrating on barter deals for prospective sponsors and reaping better results. Following the precedent set in the previous Olympics -- when London, carried out similar activities when it was suffering from the 2008 financial crisis, Rio is encouraging “value-in-kind” agreements. Rio had planned a 50-50 split, but organizers now are relying on a record of more than 60 percent barter for the 3 billion real in local sponsorship revenue needed to support the Games according to a Bloomberg report. Hitesh Gossain, CEO of Onspon.com thinks it is the perfect way to go about garnering support for the event, “It is a valid way of functioning. With the economy struggling, not only are companies unfavorable towards cash sponsorships for the right to co-brand with the 2016 Olympics, they possess surplus capacity Olympic organizers can use effectively.” “For me to go to a company now and say, ‘Hey get money out of your bank account and give it to me’ -- it’s a very tough discussion,” said Rio 2016’s Chief Commercial Officer Renato Ciuchini. “We started seeing VIK as a much easier discussion." Not stocked with money, organizers will be looking for more deals like the one they recently entered into with Aliansce Shopping Centers. The 2016 Olympics will take several hundreds of car parking spaces close to the games in return for allowing stores to be branded in Olympic signages. On same lines, Brazilian rental-car company Localiza has signed on as a sponsor. They will be supplying approximately 150 Nissan cars adapted for the 95-day cross-country torch relay and in turn use its Olympics tie-in to attract foreign tourists for rentals, said Herbert Viana, head of marketing. The 2016 Olympics logo will hang from car-rental counters, and a print and digital media Olympic campaign is in the works. Not all sponsorships can be paid for in-kind. Some 90,000 Olympics workers, including 5,000 staffers within the organizing committee itself, have to be paid in cash, and that cash has to come from somewhere. As many as 10 new partners still might be signed before the games begin, though organizers aren’t expecting too lure another top tier partner like Nissan. However Hitesh predicts a positive spin for those brands that are now looking to power the upcoming Olympics, “Brazil’s currency has dropped by 43 percent in the last year and a half. The value of Rio sponsorships was approximately $1 billion in December. That is just $740 million today. With the deals all paid in real, foreign partners maybe getting more for their money, because the value of goods has increased in local terms.”
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The third edition of JLF at Southbank kicked off with eager audiences arriving for a day of discussions, ideas and debates along the bank of the River Thames. In true JLF fashion, Tanusree Guha and Nilima Jog, accompanied by Dhanraj Parsaud, from the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in London, set the mood for the day ahead with their spellbinding Morning Ragas. Festival Director Namita Gokhale described JLF at Southbank as ‘all the chaotic magic of the Jaipur Literature Festival compressed into a single intense day,’ from incarnations to contrarians. Gokhale dedicated the unveiling of Translating Bharat, Reading India (edited by Neeta Gupta, published by Yatra Books) to ‘translators and translation everywhere.’ Festival Director William Dalrymple called JLF at Southbank a ‘byway’ off the Jaipur Literature Festival, bringing ‘a pot pourri of the best of Indian literature to London.’ Festival Producer, Sanjoy K. Roy of Teamwork Arts, paid testament to the global reach of the Jaipur Literature Festival, which will celebrate its 10th year in Jaipur in 2017. He commended the Festival’s platform for ‘free speech, debate and discussion, all extremely important in today’s world where we tend to be divided.’ Roy added that it is only through open debate that we can understand each other’s point of view. India’s High Commissioner to the UK, Navtej Sarna, quipped that having less time to write worked to his advantage as being busy forced him to ‘steal moments’ to put pen to paper. Commenting on the upcoming 10th anniversary, Sarna observed that ‘the Festival has done a huge job as far as Indian literature is concerned,’ adding that it had created a ‘soft power’ platform in India around literary, social and political ideas and issues. The daylong JLF at Southbank shone light on a staggering range of perspectives and invited all voices to be heard. With transgender rights becoming an increasingly important global flashpoint, The Third Gender, led by A. Revathi and Jerry Pinto, threw light on the subject. This emotionally charged session explored a number of ideas ranging from conventional European academic gender theory to the broader Eastern notions of gender and sexuality. A prominent transgender writer and activist, A. Revathi also discussed her own incredible physical and emotional journey towards selfhood. British Asians: The Changing Face brought together writers and academics Yasmin Khan, Mukulika Banerjee and Sathnam Sanghera with historian Patrick French to discuss the evolution of the British Asian community and the need to emphasise that the history of British India is also about Britain and not solely about India, as a necessary step to prevent historical amnesia. Questions of race and identity also emerged, with Sanghera remembering the era of his childhood when Africans and Asians were clubbed together in one category. The session Ideas of India highlighted the bewildering diversity and plurality of India, which has been under intense scrutiny in recent times. Prominent writers and thinkers Swapan Dasgupta, Mukulika Banerjee, Rakhshanda Jalil and Pragya Tiwari, introduced by Malvika Singh, explained ‘their’ individual perceptions of India. Tiwari spoke of the profound conflict between India’s plural reality and the extremists’ reductive formula of a sanitised entity largely influenced by Colonial ideas of the Golden Age of Hindu rule. Dasgupta postulated a ‘sacredness’ that united India, but said that trying to restrict India to a particular aspect or idea was ‘a bit silly,’ since the country contained multiple identities. Khurshid suggested that if the idea of India was indeed as plural, there would be little support to political tactics like re-naming roads, an act he equated to the re-writing of public memory. Banerjee suggested that the current trend of looking to elite Delhi-based forms of politics to debate ideas of India needed to change. Jalil expressed her frustration that it was left to minorities to defend a secularist fabric for India, instead of it being the dominant narrative. Whilst all the panellists agreed that multiplicity was fundamental to the ‘Idea of India’, they disagreed profoundly on how to politically manifest this idea. In a candid lunchtime conversation, Sharpshooting with Shotgun, Bollywood actor Shatrughan Sinha spoke to Rachel Dwyer about his biography Anything But Khamosh, which chronicles the highs and lows of his acting career, his personal life and the decision to delve into politics at the peak of his success as an actor. Sinha stressed that more than anything else, the book was about his life as a self-made man, and he hoped it would inspire his readers. When asked about the Festival, the Bollywood bigwig said, ‘Such festivals encourage intellectuals and interested people to engage. I have deep appreciation for the organisers of the Jaipur Literature Festival, as well as the participants.’ In another intense session Against the Grain, Sinha was joined by journalists Barkha Dutt, and Gideon Levy and author and journalist Salil Tripathi to examine strategies of steadfast truth telling. Levy spoke powerfully about the need to speak truth to power in the face of prejudice and popular perception. A group of protesters interrupted the proceedings in opposition to one of the festival sponsors. Festival Producer Sanjoy K. Roy and Dutt invited them to join the debate and present their point of view, which they refused to do. The session The Poetic Imagination investigated the sources, inspirations, contexts and philosophy of the poetic imagination. Award-winning British poet and author Ruth Padel read one of her poems on environmental degradation in spite of the ongoing protests. The protests soon ended and the Festival continued on schedule. In The Fictional Leap, writers Tahmima Anam and Jerry Pinto spoke of the pursuit of fiction, which involves a leap of faith between material and literary reality. In conversation with scholar and journalist Pragya Tiwari, the pair read and discussed their work. A British-Bangladeshi writer and columnist, Anam’s latest book The Bones of Grace was released in May. Pinto is a Mumbai-based Indian writer, poet and translator and his first novel Em and the Big Hoom, which was published in 2012, won the 2016 Windham-Campbell Prize for fiction. Savage Harvest: Literature of the Partition focused on the multiple histories of Partition with Navtej Sarna, Tahmima Anam, Rakhshanda Jalil, Amrit Kaur Lohia and Salil Tripathi discussing the many historical and human dimensions of Partition Literature from the subcontinent. Highlighting the emphasis that the Jaipur Literature Festival places on the work of translators and translations, the session Inner Life of Translations discussed South Asia’s vibrant multilingualism, an important and integral part of its literary heritage and of its local and diasporic culture. Translators Jerry Pinto, Divya Mathur, Gillian Wright and Rakhshanda Jalil spoke of the intangibles of translation, the silences between languages and the word made flesh. The session also paid homage to Lakshmi Holmström, the Indian-born British translator of Tamil fiction, who succumbed to cancer and passed away last month. Reporting India explored the challenges of being a journalist, specifically a foreign correspondent, in a dynamic country like India. Veteran foreign correspondents John Elliott, Dean Nelson and Andrew Whitehead spoke to Barkha Dutt about how foreign correspondents often come under more scrutiny for the choice of their words because the insider/outsider dichotomy is more pronounced. Dutt later tweeted about the conversation calling it ‘A most fun session with three witty charming men’. The day ended with a performance by London-based group Lokkhi Terra, playing their unique blend of traditions and wowing audiences across genres.
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Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts today launched the Shangri-La Events Collection and Golden Circle Event Planner Rewards, an industry-leading meeting and events loyalty programme for meeting and travel professionals. This programme will offer meeting and travel professionals and any Golden Circle member the ability to earn elite status as well as earn and redeem points for groups, meetings, conferences and events across the Shangri-La, Kerry and Hotel Jen portfolio. With nearly 100 hotels located around the world from Lhasa to London, Shangri-La offers one of the most extensive collections of inspired meeting and event venues, boasting more than 300,000 square metres of dedicated event space. The group’s hotels are known as the venues of choice for hosting heads of state, Fortune 500 companies, high-profile product launches, weddings and social events. The new meetings and events loyalty programme dovetails with Shangri-La’s “Loyalty Is” conversation and ongoing loyalty transformation, which aims to make Golden Circle one of the most attractive and meaningful hotel reward programmes. “We are connecting with and building deeper recognition for an important group of customers as well as further extending our relationship with our existing loyal Golden Circle members. Meetings and events account for over a quarter of Shangri-La’s business, and we want to reward meeting planners and event organisers for partnering with us to do what they do best,” said Wee Kee Ng, vice president of loyalty and partner marketing. Golden Circle Event Planner Rewards offers the highest level of rewards of any meetings and events loyalty programme. Planners can earn up to 40,000 Golden Circle Points on an event booking – the equivalent of 40 complimentary room nights. In addition, it is the only programme that allows members to earn double points for any subsequent meetings or events booked in the same calendar year. “With Event Planner Rewards, Golden Circle has significantly broadened the value we offer group and event planners worldwide. Event organisers can now earn Golden Circle points on all conferences, meetings and events as well as redeem points towards their future events and meetings or use them for leisure travel and unique culinary experiences.” said Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd. Chief Marketing Officer Steven Taylor. As part of its focus on delivering personalised experiences, Shangri-La has revamped its meetings offering with the launch of the Events Collection, which provides planners greater flexibility as well as rich personalisation and experiential options. Unique destination events, anchored in the community and curated by Shangri-La, are among the experiential elements organisers can incorporate into their meetings and events. These “Meetings with More” activities can be team building exercises or themed social activities that allow attendees to contribute to the local community as well as connect with each other. “Our philosophy is simple – we don’t just help planners to organise events, we enable them to design their own experiences with the best of Shangri-La. We take care of the smallest details and deliver beautiful and personalised events which are engaging, polished and productive,” said Taylor. One of the key pillars of the Events Collection is flexibility. To enable planners to enhance their events with added Shangri-La services – including everything from guestroom upgrades to airport transfers, coffee breaks to audio visual equipment – an automatic three per cent event credit is provided. Furthermore, up to 50,000 Golden Circle Points can be redeemed instantly against the event cost, which is unique in the industry. For information about the Shangri-La Events Collection, please visit www.shangri-la.com/EventsCollection. The site features a downloadable Events Collection brochure as well as detailed information on the programme and on unique destination events, including “Meetings with More” team building activities. To join Golden Circle, please visit www.goldencircle.shangri-La.com. Shangri-La has also launched an Events Collection video, a platform on LinkedIn and a dedicated Instagram feed to share event and meetings inspiration from around the world.
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Announcing the kickoff of the 5th edition of 'The Smart Commute' in the city today, project #Cycle2Work, invites working professionals, cycling enthusiasts, and others to come together to get out of their homes and cycle2work. An independent effort introduced by Smart Commute Foundation, it aims at inspiring and encouraging citizens of Mumbai to participate collectively in this endeavor directed towards the benefit of the city. The 5th Smart Commute ride will be held on ‘World Environment Day, 5th June 2016, in partnership with Radio City, powered by Vodafone, and enabled by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and Indian Oil Corporation. Cyclists from across 8 locations in Mumbai will begin their journeys from the respective starting points at 6:45 a.m. and come together at the Indian Oil office in Kala Nagar. From there, they will simultaneously proceed to the endpoint, Sofitel Hotel at BandraKurla Complex. Smart Commute Foundation's commitment is to encourage and enable corporate India to Cycle2Work on a regular basis. The foundation urges citizens to partake actively in the reduction of the city's carbon footprint and define a healthy road sharing culture for motorized and non-motorized transport on the city streets. Speaking on the occasion, Firoza Suresh of The Smart Commute Foundation said, “The Cycle2Work culture has been growing rapidly in cities across India. The numbers have seen a sharp rise in Mumbai over the last five years. What has been encouraging for us is not just the tremendous response from Mumbaikars but also the support we have received from the BMC and Mumbai Traffic Police. I feel quite confident today that Mumbai will succeed in designing a cycling friendly mass transport environment for tomorrow.” Commenting on this initiative, Ishmeet Singh, Business Head, Mumbai Circle - Vodafone India said “Vodafone is pleased to partner with Smart Commute to encourage the spirit of cycling as a means of transport in Mumbai to commemorate World Environment Day. Opportunities like this to engage the masses in endeavors to bring about a positive change in the society are always good. Promoting health & wellness is an integral part of our culture at Vodafone and also a part of our people-centric policies at the workplace”. The previous edition of 'The Smart Commute' witnessed more than 700 registrations and saw participants from different walks of life. 2016 Event Details: Event Date: Friday, 05th June 2016 Entry: Free Route: Start points – 1) Hypercity, Malad 2) Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali 3) Tulip Star, Juhu 4) Raymond, Thane 5) Everest Cycling Co, Vashi 6) Skyline, Marol 7) HiranandaniPowai 8) Traffic Police HQ, Worli Endpoint – Sofitel, Mumbai – BKC Duration: 2 ½ hrs (6.45am to 9.15am) Registration: Open to all Working professionals, Cycling enthusiasts, fitness personnel, etc. FB Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/projectcycle2work/?ref=br_rs
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Cougar Motorsport Pvt. Ltd. is organizing the first edition of the India 4X4 Week in Goa from 22nd July to 24th July 2016. This is going to be a convention exclusively focusing on vehicles with 4 wheel drive (WD) capabilities, their manufacturers and owners and everyone who shares an interest in the same. India 4X4 Week 2016 will see participation from the large Indian 4X4 and off-roading community. A major component of the event will be the Force Gurkha RFC India 2016, 12 Prologue Special Stages of which will be held as part of India 4X4 Week 2016. The mega convention will also have a range of activities in store for the visitors like displays, test tracks, contests, off-road tracks and trails, night camping, knowledge, training & certification sessions as well as evening entertainment with live musical performances. India 4X4 Week 2016 is being organized in collaboration with some of India’s most prominent 4X4 clubs and institutions including Aravli Offroad Adventures, Association of Offroaders Nagaland, BODA Offroaders Bengaluru, Charminar Off Road Adventure Club Hyderabad, DOT Goa, Explore the Outdoors, Extreme Offroaders Mumbai, Gerrari Offroaders Chandigarh, Jeepers of Bangalore, Kannur Riders & Offroaders Club, KTM Jeepers, Northern India Offroad Club, Pune Pathfinders and Terrain Tigers. Highlights of India 4X4 Week 2016 Unveiling Force Gurkha RFC India 2016 - The motorsport enthusiasts and off-road fanatics can enjoy the Prologue stages of Force Gurkha RFC India 2016 - acclaimed as India’s toughest off-road motorsport event. About 25 teams, comprising the most evolved offroaders from across India, will be participating in the event. Displays – A number of displays will be featured from leading 4X4 vehicle manufacturers, off-road equipment manufacturers and distributors. Proving Grounds - Displays of uniquely modified and rare heritage 4WD vehicles will be an added attraction. The heritage vehicles displayed stand a chance to win prizes across various categories. Test Tracks – There will be SUV, Moderate and Extreme Offroading test tracks of manufacturers for visitors to experience the capabilities of their 4WD vehicles. Offroading Trails - Registered visitors looking for offroading action and more adventure can camp for an unforgettable night at the base of the Western Ghats in South Goa. Knowledge Sessions - Knowledge, training and certification sessions on off-road driving, vehicle preparation, restoration and many other intriguing aspects of 4WD vehicles will be offered to the visitors by a panel of experts. Contests - The convention will host various contests and competitions for registered visitors and their 4WD vehicles to test their articulation, torque and endurance. Evening Entertainment - Entertainment sessions are also lined up for the visitors in the evening which include unveiling from manufacturers, release of the first all India 4X4 directory, prize distributions for contest winners as well as live performances by leading musicians including A26 from Goa, Motherjane from Kochi and Vinayak Gupta’s Khayal featuring Kamakshi Khanna from Delhi. Registration Fee - Witnessing India 4X4 Week 2016 is free of cost for all the visitors. However, registered visitors are entitled to certain benefits including merchandise, decals, participation in select activities and knowledge sessions, inclusion in the 4X4 directory and privileged access to the evening entertainment venue. The online registration fee is INR 3000 per person, whereas, the per person on-spot registration fee is INR 4000. Though access to the evening entertainment venue is free for the registered visitors, an additional fee of INR 1500 per night per person (in case of online registration; INR 2000 for on-spot registration) will allow them to have starters and buffet dinner along with three drink coupons for Indian soft and alcoholic beverages at the evening entertainment venue. For registrations and further information, you can visit: www.india4X4week.in'.
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The Glitch, a leading independent agency today announced the elevation of Pooja Jauhari to the post of Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect. In this new role, Pooja will be taking charge of all the agency business nationally and will help carry the company vision forward as they expand into newer markets both locally and internationally. Pooja was leading the Strategy & Business function prior to this in her role as Vice-President, Client Strategy at Glitch. She comes with a vast array of experience of over 12 years in companies like Unilever, JWT, Contract Advertising and World Wide Media. Speaking more about the new appointment, Rohit Raj, Co-Founder & Right Brain at The Glitch said, “Pooja has been a key part of our evolution & growth as an agency and has been taking decisions and moving the company forward the way we would have and sometimes better than we would have. We feel very fortunate to have someone as talented as her to run the company and this frees up time for us as founders to concentrate more on our core areas of expertise and help scale the company further.” Varun Duggirala, Co-Founder & Left Brain at The Glitch further added “At its core Glitch has always stood for disruption in the advertising landscape and as we expand further the need is to have someone at the helm of affairs who unleashes this disruption with a strong strategic and business focus. So it was a no brainer to have Pooja take over this role to lead the charge for Glitch as our CEO.” Adding more about her role, Pooja Jauhari, CEO at The Glitch said, “We are in the business of impact driven advertising, we help clients sell their products and not just talk about them. The fact that today I get to grow, evolve with and lead the most diverse set of creative and strategic talent helps make this stint exciting and challenging. I look forward to continue working with the founders and taking forward our collective vision.” Founded in 2009 by Varun Duggirala and Rohit Raj "The Glitch" has delivered several award winning campaigns over the years. With offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore, The Glitch manages close to 50 accounts across industries including brands like Lakme, Whisper, Kurkure, Lifebuoy, Lay’s, Pears, Cornetto, Set Wet amongst manyothers.
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Artists Industry Meetup (AIM) is the first of its kind networking event involving largely performing artists and the live experiential industry of India. Think of it as a platform where artists come together to network, not just in their limited circles but also with the big shots, the hot shots, the decision makers and the power players. This initiative is being spearheaded by ArtistsFAQs.com in assocation with Business World Applause & Everything Experiential. The event aims to resolve and reshape the way the live performing industry works today and to attempt eradicating the common problems faced both by the artists and events industry. The first edition of AIM kicks off at Bandstand at Aurobindo Market, New Delhi on 2 June '16. India boasts of perhaps one of the largest repositories of artists across genres. Indian entertainers, some of the finest in the world, have been globally recognised and continue to remain popular across cultures. This is outlined by the rising popularity of Indian musicians across the continents as well as the wide following that the Hindi Cinema actors have garnered and continue to amass. According to an “unofficial“ survey in 2015, majority of artists (approx 40-45%) in India fall under mainstream event entertainers, who make under INR 2,000,00/- per show or an event. Celebrity Entertainers in India (read A+ grade entertainers which occupy approximately 35-40%) take home above INR 10,000,00/- for every show or event that they perform in. In the minority are the niche entertainers (approx 10-15%) who perhaps are not the best known or are the fringes of a successful careers. These artists pocket less than INR 5,000,00/- per show or event. While the balance of equilibrium is certainly tilted in the favor of international artists, where any teenage artist can demand thousands or even millions of dollars, for a single performance, the scenario back home is different. In India, generations of seasoned musicians and brilliant independent artists despite possessing oodles of talent and if not more craft,find it difficult to score even a few thousands on our own turf among our own people. You really do not need to rely on fancy figures of a large survey to realise the truth that that there are millions of artists and entertainers across categories in India. However, we only recognise a few thousands if we are seasoned pros in the industry, a few hundreds if we are just casually interested and perhaps a few tens if we are just another casual walker by the street. Why is it that in a nation, where practically 70% of the citizens can verbatim read out names of crickets from the deep secrets of their mind, yet struggle when it comes to naming few good artists ? - Is it because, artists are generally are too expensive to afford in India?, Is it because, there aren't enough events and opportunities for most artists to showcase their talents? Or is it because there isn't enough quality talent in the country? These and many such questions have kept producers & planners worried, while keeping great artists, on their toes looking for opportunities which just seem to not arrive. Given the ever growing interests in live events and multinational brands allotting a substantial part of their yearly spending budget to the experiential segment, India with its teeming millions stands on the threshold of an all out revolution in the live event scenario. KPMG says that “Events are now considered a part of integrated communications programmes, which include traditional and digital media platforms as well.” There is very little doubt that with time the organisers and planners have become more efficient. This has lead to live artists becoming more creative and innovative in terms of application of their art forms in various events at multiple dynamic levels, eventually resulting in better acts and popularity. Pioneering artists have recently coming out with more live experiential and immersive acts such as Delhi’s own Midival Punditz’s ‘Lights’ which is a live act that involves the stage along with lights, sounds and visuals to give the audience a never seen before immersive and intrusive experience.. Despite this improvement and popularity rise all is far from being smooth sailing in the live industry and the performing artists today. Several problems, which really could have been solved with some patient and organisational work such as delay in payment, behaviour problems, lack of professionalism, lack of the right artist for the right act at the right price, still crop up and stand out like a sore thumb. AIM meetups, organised monthly, essentially promises an open dialogue and discussions among artists, industry and those ruling the corporate sector in an attempt to iron out some of the aforementioned common glitches that leave those working behind the scene of such amazing live experiences; disappointed and disheartened. The meetups will focus on targeted communities, groups and individuals like performers, experiential event planners, organisers, owners, food and beverage brands as well as the multimedia and event production firms. Needless to say that it also engages the live performing artists community and independent musicians, dancers, special acts and performers and brings them all together. Think of AIM as an intersection point. AIM also provides an unbiased platform, with complete freedom for new upcoming independent acts and artists who are noteworthy and open a common meeting ground for people from the planning, production and execution levels of the industry, thus opening unique opportunities for them. People from the live industry are often busy, and seldom get time to catch up with coworkers and other friends in the industry. Through AIM, everyone comes together under one roof to socialise and attend informative and enlightening talks about cutting age technologies used in the experiential world today, and of path-breaking creativity. Media heavyweights such as Business World and BW Applause provides in-depth and essential news and insights that are crucial today to understand the industry and decipher where the live market is headed to in the near future helping nurture the growth of fledgling careers. People attending the AIM meetups discover and uncover new talent and ideas to convert their events and performances into experiences that would stay memorable for the various reasons mentioned above. Adding cheery on the top is that they do all this while enjoying some of the finest independent live musicians, along with a delectable cuisine and refreshments. With AIM, the industry of events and performing artists will hopefully change for the better; all in good faith, time while achieving better transparency. Our aim is that new and unknown acts who are talented and innovative, get showcased to the right group of people at the right time, under one roof on a unified re-curated stage. Now is the time to get rolling as the first AIM meetup event happens on June 2nd. We hope to see you there.! * This article was originally posted on blog.artistsfaqs.com. The content above has been used with permission of the owner of the blog. No copyright infringement intended.
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Jagran Solutions, a leading marketing agency that provides solutions for brand activations via consumer connect strategies recently concluded one of their biggest events with two time European Free Style Stunt Rider Aras Gibieza across 9 cities of India. The 26 year old Red Bull athlete Aras toured India for the second time in his career. Aras was hired to perform across 9 key cities of India as a part of Suzuki Gixxer Day which is a gathering of Suzuki Gixxer owners and fans to celebrate the spirit of the hugely successful Street Sport Bike. Gixxer Day celebrates Suzuki’s passion for motorcycling, and is a platform for enthusiasts to meet, explore their bikes and share their interests. Having executed a number of sports events for Red Bull, Jagran Solutions was chosen as the event partner clearly on the merit of its execution strength. Starting from the capital of Delhi, the Aras Tour kicked off on 9th of April 2016 and concluded after a month at Pune on 15th of May 2016. Aras Gibieza performed across Delhi, Kolkata, Shillong, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kochi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune. Aras enthralled masses across each and every venue with his trademark stunts like ‘Bunny Hops’ and 360 degree wheelies. The champion athlete is largely known for popping wheelies and dragging his feet on the ground at the same time. Biking enthusiasts couldn’t ask for more out of the Suzuki Gixxer Day. As an agency, Jagran Solutions was responsible for managing the entire event starting from permissions to logistics of venue, event management and security. Out of all the events executed across 9 cities, the event held at Inorbit Mall in Malad, Mumbai certainly deserves a special mention. The event was attended by attended by none other than the Sultan of Bollywood – Salman Khan. Coming dressed in his patented Being Human T-shirt, Salman Khan made a grand entry on a Suzuki Gixxer the brand which he had been endorsing for a very long time. After having addressed the audience and a friendly chat with the Red Bull athlete Aras, the Bollywood superstar posed for some pictures. The Aras tour has successfully managed to touch base with over 45,000 audiences across the 9 cities. Stunt biking which is picking up as a sport in India received a massive boast out of the whole Aras tour – several amateur groups of stunt biking in India witnessed this event across their respective cities and got a chance to interact with Aras during the course of the event. Speaking on the occasion, Pawan Bansal, COO of Jagran Solutions said, “We are delighted to be associated with Red Bull for an event of this magnitude. Executing a sports event always involves a lot of challenges and I’m proud that our team rises up to the occasion every single time.”
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Madhya Pradesh, winner of 6 National Tourism Awards, has been one of the forerunners among the economically rising states of the country and is teeming with vast potential of investment in tourism sector. To showcase this resurgent and fast growing tourism sector of the state, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Corporation held a road show in Delhi on 27th May, to present to the Travel Agents, a glimpse into the heart of India. The occasion was graced by AMD, Ms Tanvi Sundriyal & Shri Subhash Goyal, immediate Past President, IATO. M.P. is the no.1 state in India in terms of Forest cover .It has 77,700 sq.kms of forest area cover. These Forests are famous for Sal Trees & Bamboo. M.P has 9 National parks & 25 Wildlife sanctuaries, the major ones being Bandhavgarh, Pench, Kanha, Panna, Satpura Wildlife Sanctuary, Chambal Ghadiyal Sanctuary etc. In addition to wildlife, it boasts of 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Khajuraho, Bhimbetka and Sanchi. Orchha , Gwalior & Mandu are other beautiful architectural sites out of many others. Water bodies like i.e.lndrasagar, Bansagar, Tawa and fun filled Cultural Events i.e. Khajuraho Dance festival, Malwa Utsav, Tansen Festival, Allauddin Music fest, represents M.p's strong culture and traditions. MP has 2 Jyotirlings: Ujjain & Omkareshwar out of 12 in India, Ujjain is also the city of the holy Shipra River where the Simhastha Kumbh Mela, which happened after 12 years, recently took place. Bhopal and Burhanpur boast of the Muslim Mughal Architecture and thus it is a state with many cultures, religions & traditions. In textiles, Malwa & Nimar Regions are renowned for their hand Block printed cotton textiles, famously known as Bagh Prints and Chanderi and Maheshwar for their Chanderi and Maheshwari Sarees. Worlds 1st Broad gauge Rail Restaurant and ’Sair Sapata’at Bhopal &" Holiday on Wheels” by Caravan Tourism. Caravan Tourism has been very popular not only among tourists but also with the film industry. Jal Mahotsav was one of the biggest achievements and was organized in February 2016. With all water sports and adventure activities together at one place. Tourists from all parts of the country came in huge numbers to attend the 10 days festival. Madhya Pradesh is also one of the best locations for cinematic Films. Many Famous Films have been shot in M.P.locations . MP Tourism has made policies and incentives to promote various tourism projects in the state and to facilitate their easy implementation. The main amongst them are its forward looking Wayside Amenity policy, land allotment policy and incentive for heritage projects. Incidentally, bids are out for 3 heritage projects. MP Tourism facilitated the National Conventions of IATO, ATOI and ADTOI in Madhya Pradesh. Lastly, it celebrated 2015-16 as the “MP Tourism Year” which focused on all tourism parameters. Madhya Pradesh Tourism– Major Achievements • Tourism Policy: The Tourism Policy focused on development of tourism through Public Private Partnerships. Government land has been provided for Infrastructure developments, Film Tourism and provisions for relaxation of stamp duty, luxury tax, land diversion etc have been made under the Policy. • Land Bank: Madhya Pradesh emerged as the first state to have a tourism land bank as well as a policy for attracting private investment, both in place. • TVC & Radio Commercials: Highlighting the major tourist destinations, the popular TVCs ‘Hindustan ka Dil dekho’ and ‘MP Ajab hei’ have been widely acclaimed in national and international channels. The latest ‘Rang hai – Malang hai’ has successfully unfolded the different hues of the colourful State. To reintroduce Madhya Pradesh and to offer a vivid experience to tourists, Madhya Pradesh Tourism is working on new TVCs and Radio Jingles. • Promotional Material in Foreign Languages: For overseas promotion and to reach diverse tourists, Madhya Pradesh Tourism is printing brochures in foreign languages like Chinese, Japanese and German etc. • International Presence: Madhya Pradesh Tourism in its endeavor to enhance its International presence and to promote State Tourism on a global platform is participating in various International Roadshows organized by Ministry of Tourism and other important Travel Marts like ITB- Berlin and WTM- London, our stall winning the 6th place in its category in ITB Berlin. • Destination Marketing: Madhya Pradesh Tourism has focused on individual destination promotion. Emphasis on Individual destination like Mandu, Khajuraho, Gwalior, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Orchha and Burhanpur. • Destination Photography: Photography of new and adventurous destinations like Bansagar Lake, Gandhi Sagar etc. are being done from time to time to promote them. • Promotion of Water Sports: Keeping the adventure lovers in mind, MPT is promoting water sports including river rafting at orchha, cruises, jetski, etc. throughout the state in its many water bodies like Bargi, Choral, Bhedaghat and Hanuwantiya. • DTPC: District Tourism Promotion Council, in association with Madhya Pradesh Tourism organizes various Adventure, Culture based theme festivals and Camping activities through which lesser known destinations around the famous ones are being promoted. • Marketing Offices: New marketing offices are being opened, the latest ones being in Bangalore and Noida, to cater to the growing demand of tourists. • Tourist Helpline: For Tourist facilitation, Madhya Pradesh Tourism started its Tourist Helpline at Toll free no. 1800-233-7777. We are trying to improve its efficiency by outsourcing it to a professional call centre agency • WSA: Realizing the importance of key facilities like food, restrooms etc. on highways, `Way Side Amenities’ are being developed at a distance of every 40-50 km. As on date 26 WSA’s have been made out of which 5 units are functioning and a new logo of WSA has been designed. Bids will be out soon for Brown field, green field & invites for Franchise Model. • Digital Marketing: Madhya Pradesh Tourism in its strive to enhance its digital presence and realizing the importance of Digital Marketing in the current scenario has revamped its website to make it more responsive & user friendly that provides complete information about tourist destinations and bookings the department is having its strong presence on various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube etc to encourage direct customer interaction. • Training Institute: MP Hospitality Training Institute has been initiated in Bhopal, Indore in order to provide better service to the tourists. With various courses onboard, the institute is paving way to generate innumerable employment opportunities throughout the state. Under ‘Hunar se Rojgar Yojana’ scheme, Madhya Pradesh Tourism has successfully trained many students, who are now successfully employed in various sectors. Under ‘Paryatak Mitr’ program, it has also trained Coolies, Guides to be informative about their State and be in line with “Atithi Devo Bhava”. • Tourist Facilitation: Initiatives are being taken to improve the experience of the customers. MPT properties are being up-gradation of facilities by including facilities like swimming pool, conference halls, club, gym etc. • Standardization in Quality: The Corporation has achieved standardization in quality to such an extent that world record with 24 ISO certificates was set in May 2015. During this period many of the hotel properties also achieved 3 Star and heritage classification from the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India. • Home Stay Scheme: Madhya Pradesh Tourism’s Home Stay Scheme is for all those Apartment /Bungalow /Cottage owners who can provide accommodation and food facility to domestic and international tourists. This scheme is based on India’s core philosophy and tradition, Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam. This unique and profitable scheme enables property owners to introduce tourists to the culture, cuisine, customs of Madhya Pradesh. Currently, under the Home Stay scheme, 22 property owners have been registered with MPT. • Infrastructure Development Apart from the Buddhist Circuit, Heritage Circuit for destinations like Mitavli, Padawali, Bateshwar, Orchha, Datia and Chanderi are are also being developed to attract the tourists under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Government of India. • Narmada Darshan: Packages for Narmada Darshan has been introduced. • ERP System: Through SAP, ERP system, Resort Management System and Accounting System has been introduced. • Awards & Accolades: MPT has proved that Madhya Pradesh is the heart of Incredible India and its commendable efforts have been heartily recognized by the many awards and accolades it has won over the years. MPT has won numerous National Tourism Award from Ministry of Tourism, Government of India for consecutive years from 2007 to 2015. The Year 2015 was a record as Madhya Pradesh State was awarded Six National Tourism Awards, the highest number by any State. • Caravan Tourism: MP is also the first state to introduce caravan tourism service. It has been awarded ‘The Most innovative Tourism Product’ by Ministry of Tourism for this endeavour. • SEL Shows: After the popularity at Gwalior, Orchha & Khjauraho, sound and light show have been recently started in Indore and Ujjain. • Rail Coach Restaurant: The Corporation also spread its wings in ushering in innovative tourism projects like Bhopal Express- World’s first broad guage rail coach restaurant in the lake city of Bhopal. • Cruises: Introduction of Floating cruises in various water bodies across the State serving food and organizing parties. • Sair Sapata: Development of Sair Sapata in Bhopal as one of the finest in-city picnic spot of the country accessible by a foot suspension bridge.
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