MTV, gives selfie enthusiasts a chance to whip out their phones and strike a pose with the ‘MTV The Great Selfie Challenge’. An innovative digital show to kill boring and legitimize the unhealthy obsession with taking selfies, ‘MTV The Great Selfie Challenge’, is a unique show where five selfie enthusiasts will get the opportunity to travel across India completing challenges in the quest for the most epic selfie ever! Selfies go back to the mid 1800’s where Robert Cornelius took the first ever ‘Selfie’ only he didn’t know it was called that. Since being coined in 2002, the word ‘selfie’ and selfies themselves gained popularity in 2010 and by 2013 it was declared the ‘Word of the Year’. As people around the world are going crazy taking selfies in every pose and situation possible, MTV, is all set to pay tribute to the biggest phenomenon of our times with ‘MTV The Great Selfie Challenge’. Explaining the phenomenon further, Ekalavya Bhattacharya, Digital Head at MTV India says, “The selfie was supposed to be like every other fad that came and went; but that hasn’t happened and I personally don’t think it is something which will die any time soon. While several brands have tried to create a quirky campaign around selfies, none of them have been particularly striking. They have almost always exclusively been contests asking users to send in their photos. How boring! What’s different about this show is that – It isn’t just about an epic selfie but also the incredible, crazy and adventurous story that’s behind every great click.” MTV is looking for selfie buffs who are willing to travel thousands of kilometers, go to logic defying lengths, doing some of the craziest stuff imaginable – from cliff diving to going underwater to hanging out with ghosts – all in the bid to get that perfect selfie. All one needs to do in order to be on this show is to complete three selfie challenges that have been laid out on www.mtvindia.com/selfie. The five best entries will be selected to experience the most thrilling and adventurous selfie dares which forever will leave their mark in selfie history!
Read More
A recently conducted survey suggests that the past decade has witnessed the re-emergence of the wedding card industry. In their pursuit to have a big fat wedding, people are taking special care of every small detail. Wedding cards in the past were used as a formal invitation to the nuptial but with the advent of technology and with more creative ideas flowing; people now use wedding cards as a tool to generate anxiousness and excitement for the guests. EE reached out to few notable wedding card designers in the country to get an insight into some rapidly evolving ideas and trends in the wedding card business. Rahul Jain, Co-Director, King of Cards says- Well, the industry has changed completely. There was a time when people would ask us for discounts on wedding cards and bargain but today they are willing to pay even 1500 INR for a single card even when they are ordering in bulk.” When asked upon the latest trends existing in the market Jain told us, “Recently new concepts like in built personal message and musical messages are very much in trend. Also, electronically designed LCD cards are being appreciated. These cards actually have an LCD panel installed in them that plays a customized video when you open it and the LCD can also be used for other purposes.” With people willing to thrive on unique and innovative ideas a strong demand for unconventional wedding card invites such as inflated balloons, small baskets with toys, chocolate engraved wedding invites and saplings of plants are also being widely used. Vikas Marwaha, Owner, Baklawa House responds by saying, “Few years back we have had musical cards that played a musical message but now pop up cards are the new buzz word. These are actually made inside wooden boxes with the help of laser lights and as soon as someone opens them you have a laser light effect that displays the invitation. People today want their wedding cards to be unique and hence we have recently used a lot of metal work to design them.” Speaking on some of the most demanded cards Vikas says,” Our customers today easily spend around 5 per cent of the total wedding expenditure on invitations and they also want special invites for bachelor parties. We have recently used gold printed metal sheets that give a 24 carat gold effect and engraved the invitation on the same to add a royal touch.” Himanshu Sharma of Wedding Cards says, “Today, the trend is heavily determined by technology as the people want to get their art-works, doodles, lifestyle and memories incorporated in the wedding cards to give it a more personalized touch. The most recent trend is also of Whatsapp cards which have to be digitally designed. Also today people want to give expensive gifts to the invitees and hence the invitation is also engraved on gifts like selfie sticks tablets and mantle showpieces.” Sharing his personal favorite from the wedding invitations Himanshu says, “For me laser pop-up cards are definitely a must try. Today if an overall wedding budget is 2-4 Cr then people at least spend 5-10 percent of that on wedding cards which is a tremendous amount.”
Read More
One Up Productions has brought the latest technology of video mapping for stage design in India in a wedding event they executed recently. The technology which is mainly used for monument projections and museums was adopted by the agency by fabricating a structure using cubes. After going through a series of designing process the agency finalized a structure onto which projection mapping needed to be done. This type of mapping on such a big structure for a social function has never been used in India and is most definitely a benchmark in the event industry. One Up Productions used 2x2x2 feet of cubes to build the 10 feet high structure with a width of 22 feet and 7.5 inches. The structure was placed at a height of 6 feet from ground level. The structure was in a pyramid shape and hence the content was developed best suiting for the specially designed structure. The designers prepared contents such as waterfall, underwater, forest, cubical animations and other 3D animations. Watchout software from Dataton was used for the scaling and content mapping onto the specially designed structure. This software interacts with the projectors and help to get the desired image onto the surface of that object. Both video and audio feeds are recorded onto its timeline which can be streamlined according to the sequence of the show run. The agency also placed sharpies along the cubes in an attempt to make it look more attractive. It took a night before the actual start of the event for programmers to align and scale the entire mapping onto the structure. Two Christie DLP projectors of 20,000 lumens each were used to have a high intensity as the projection is executed along with other specialized lighting and not a dark isolated place. The projection angle and the throw distance also needed to be fixed beforehand to build the content for the projection. Talking about the introduction of 3D mapping technology Siddhartha Mallik Senior Manager One Up Productions said, “It was an idea we adopted after watching a youtube video of a club party in New Zealand. Luckily, we found a client who was willing to experiment technology at a pre-wedding function. It took us one and a half months to come up with the structure and it is definitely for the elite clients. The concept is different and expensive from other technologies and we look forward to now experimenting more with it. “
Read More
Marriott International Asia Pacific recently announced its unveiling of Meetings Imagined (MeetingsImagined.com) and its Meeting Services App to the region’s events planners and organizers. The two digital innovations are intended to assist the planner, from inspiration to execution. Meetings Imagined will be launching across approximately 100 properties throughout Asia Pacific and 13 Marriott International properties in India as follows. Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield Goa Marriott Resort & Spa Jaipur Marriott Hotel Kochi Marriott Hotel Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity JW Marriott Hotel Pune JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel Transforming Meetings into an Experience: Meetings Imagined Meetings Imagined is an online platform modeled on the user-friendly Pinterest.com and the Chinese Huaban.com online forum. It provides expert tips on everything related to meetings, including networking activities, maximizing social media exposure and creating the right meeting environment. Meetings Imagined also includes the latest meeting trends and hundreds of inspirational images to spark creativity. Marriott International’s research discovered that there are seven purposes for meetings: celebrate, decide, educate, ideate, network, produce and promote. Meetings Imagined allows meeting planners to design their meeting with a purpose in mind; the website is curated around these purposes and the component building blocks of meetings – setup, food & drink, tech & supplies, and experiences. In addition to the website, event planners can collaborate on event creation with Marriott International’s Meetings Imagined specialists who are available in 11 Asia-Pacific markets. “Marriott International has been studying the way planners interface with hotels when they organize events. We have mapped out the planners’ journey, from the moment they have a need for a meeting, all the way through to how they search, book, plan and design the meeting. We aspire to provide something different to address the milestones – and pain points – in the planners’ journey.” said Ms. Peggy Fang Roe, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Asia Pacific at Marriott International. “Meetings Imagined is a unique approach to help planners and organizers to design more inspiring and engaging meeting experiences for their delegates based on the purpose of the meeting.” Offering real-time connectivity: Meeting Services App The Meeting Services App is a continuation of Marriott International’s innovation in technology, spaces and services, and builds upon the brand’s existing offerings. The app provides real-time connectivity to Marriott for meeting planners and features a wide range of functions. This includes a chat facility to connect MICE organisers with Marriott’s event team throughout the planning and execution process, and allows Marriott to respond immediately to any issues or requests, and to inform the planner on how the request is being handled. As of this year, the Meeting Services App is available in 20 languages , at 100 hotels under Marriott Hotels, JW Marriott, Renaissance, The Ritz-Carlton, Autograph Collection and Courtyard by Marriott across the region. The app would be active in India from June, 2015. The app will be available to meeting planners who use Marriott’s facilities through the following brand names: Marriott Hotels: Red Coat Direct JW Marriott: JW Event Concierge Renaissance: R.E.N. Meetings Expert The Ritz-Carlton: ((chime)) Autograph Collection: Meeting Services App Courtyard by Marriott: Courtyard Connect Win a Stay at any Marriott International Hotel in India To inspire event planners to share their meeting ideas, Marriott International is launching a “Share & Win” game until May 9, 2015. Participants simply create an account and compile their set of meeting ideas in the form of photos which will be shared via Meetings Imagined. A two-night stay at any Marriott International hotel in India will be awarded to the winner whose set of photos is most actively shared.
Read More
[caption id="attachment_1982" align="alignnone" width="300"] Challenges Road Sign with dramatic clouds and sky.[/caption] Experiential marketing may have caught up with the big brands in India but a big chunk of them might refrain from taking the leap. Contrary to popular belief that the brands in India simply do not want to shift from the traditional marketing means, there are many other challenges that Indian marketers might face in executing experiential marketing campaigns as it is widely done in the west. Let’s look at some of these factors that may hamper an Indian marketer’s plan to create and execute engagement activities: Lack of qualified and skilled talent This not only applies to the IT industry, which is actually a big challenge for pretty much most industries in India, but finding the right talent is a war to be won in the country. India is a country where hundreds of thousands of students graduate each year in various streams but most of them are not employable and lack skills, as it is widely reported. Similarly, out of most MBA graduates, few are trained to exploit experiential domain in marketing and many are not even aware of this new marketing space. Creative is another attribute that is very vital to experiential marketing, which again is not easy to find. Short term visibility Many agencies in the experiential marketing domain are seen often complaining about the short term visibility of marketers. They are more inclined on hiring an agency for PR purposes but resist investing in engagement activations that are long term in terms of return and are not immediately measurable. This short sightedness makes brands refrain from giving experiential marketing a chance and benefit in the long run. Vandalism Experiential activities in the west are often done through kiosks and various installations that are outdoor. India is a country where even the dustbins and copper wirings get stolen and vandalised. Factors like these may not completely hamper an experiential activity but may limit the scope of what can be done and what not can be done. On the positive side, it encourages the marketers and agencies involved in engagement activities to be more creative. Pressure on agencies to measure The humans have a tendency to take control of every aspect of their lives including the outcome of every effort they put. This applies on ROI too. Before making any investment, we want to know the immediate benefits, which drives many marketers from taking a step forward towards initiatives that may bring huge returns in the long term. It may be hard to measure ROI with engagement activities but many brands have been successful in leveraging engagement to attract loyal following. Professional courses Today, any field requires a professional degree that could be true for experiential marketing. Although many big names in the space may have started early with a simple management degree or management experience over time, but a degree certainly helps. However in a country like India, there aren’t many professional courses offered that specialize one in experiential domain and trains students with hands-on experience. So, finding a fresh talent in the domain might be a bit of challenge at the moment, especially for agencies.
Read More
City-to-city ridesharing app, ‘BlaBlaCar’ has entered into a partnership with travel search marketplace ixigo. The strategic partnership allows BlaBlaCar to advertise its ridesharing services to ixigoers through its website and apps (trains app, PNR status app and bus app). As a part of this partnership, when ixigoers search for travel options between any two cities in India, they will be shown information about available car ridesharing options on BlaBlaCar as well. BlaBlaCar connects people looking for a city-to-city travel solution with car-owners going in the same direction, so that they can travel together and share the cost of their journey. The service allows users to choose co-travellers in a member community with declared identities and peer-to-peer ratings. ixigo offers travel search and planning across flights, hotels, buses, trains and packages, and has recently entered the taxis and cabs segment. Over 20 million people around the world connect using BlaBlaCar’s people-powered network which is present in 18 countries. BlaBlaCar members include students travelling to see their friends and family, as well as urban professionals returning to their family on weekends. Raghav Gupta, India Country Manager, BlaBlaCar said, “India’s response to BlaBlaCar has been great. In our first 100 days, over 100,000 seats have been offered on BlaBlaCar across 700 unique cities and towns. ixigo’s market leadership on travel search & planning apps made it a natural partner for us. This partnership gives us a potential reach of over 60 million travellers across India. BlaBlaCar provides a strong alternative to people for their city-to-city travel needs especially as public transport infrastructure is insufficient.” Aloke Bajpai, co-founder & CEO, ixigo said, “We are delighted to be bringing Europe’s largest ride-sharing platform closer to Indian travellers. With this partnership we are able to offer ixigoers more choice and convenience over overcrowded buses and hard to get train seats.” BlaBlaCar is a friendly sharing community, not an on-demand or a professional driving service. Price per co-traveller is limited to a partial contribution towards the cost of the journey and does not allow the car-owner to make a profit. The platform makes a distance-based cost recommendation for every journey that is fair and transparent for both parties.
Read More
[caption id="attachment_1968" align="alignnone" width="300"] Best practice pinned on noticeboard[/caption] There is no one size fits all solution to everything in life, similarly, there is no thumb rule when it comes to marketing. Every person is unique, every situation is unique, but is it possible to tailor a product or solution for every individual? Definitely not, this is why we need guidelines, not a set of fixed rules that can be applied universally. In the experiential marketing domain, there are many success stories like the Coca Cola ‘Open Happiness’ campaign that has set a benchmark for emotional connect with consumers through its various initiatives across the globe. Every brand cannot replicate that and should not. However, there can be best practices or in other terms strategies that every brand can leverage to create its own successful experiential campaign for its target consumers. Connect Emotionally This goes without saying, the need for experiential marketing arose for the sole purpose of emotionally building a relationship with a consumer. It is probably the most important reason why brands even explore experiential domain. It is the only factor that separates it from other marketing tactics. Even most cleverly written copy or visually striking ads cannot compare with the emotional power of human-to-human interaction, which is why business meetings are still done in person even today in a world of Skype, FaceTime and WhatsApp. Brands should be investing time in understanding their potential target audience, their overall persona and what kind of messaging can resonate amongst them. To summarize, every activity needs to address how it will impact consumers emotionally. Event Marketing Event marketing is a powerful strategy that many brands have mastered like Red Bull. Creation and fostering of long-term relationship between brands and people happens where there is interaction. An event provides an ideal platform for this to happen. Brands today are increasingly making use of events to build relationships and create positive experience of their brand with customers. Red Bull has created events like Red Bull Flugtag in India, where audiences become participants. Once consumers get involved in an activity physically, they automatically build a relationship. So, event marketing can be used by brands to achieve higher level of consumer engagement that can be turned into long-term consumer loyalty. Sponsorship Sponsorship may not be always about attracting brands to your event but it is also about co-branding for an event that can amplify a brand’s messaging. For example, Red Bull is a co-sponsor of many extreme games and sporting events that makes its flagship drink resonate with consumers as a drink meant to revitalize one when they are doing a tough task such as sports or any activity that has ‘toughness’ quotient to it. Being co-sponsor at major events not allows a brand to convey a subliminal message but gain more visibility at the same time. Social Media This medium provides a parallel platform to engage with customers as well as amplify a regional or event-centric activity to the wide pool of people on social media, who may otherwise not even come to know about an activity of a brand. Not only that, using social media a brand can connect and engage with customers before an activity, during an activity and post an activity. We live in a digital age where news breaks on social media before traditional mediums of news, so it offers a huge potential if leveraged right. Today, brands have started becoming inclusive of social media links and hashtags even in their outdoor advertisements. In 2014’s Super Bowl, most brands were seen carrying social media links and tags on their advertisements, which reflects the increasing importance of this medium for brands today. Follow-Ups Once the engagement happens, the duty of a brand doesn’t end there. The engagement isn’t an eternal proposition and agreement that just happens once. The brands needs to follow up with consumers on a regular basis, so through experiential marketing, brands ambassadors are created where they go to their friends and family and genuinely promote the product. Follow ups also make consumers feel valued by the brand and a sense of relationship is established. However, a brand must ensure that they do not over communicate with consumers that they feel spammed.
Read More
Kingfisher has announced a strategic collaboration with Twitter, making them the first Indian brand to run a cross-platform Twitter campaign. With this tie-up, Kingfisher’s Twitter campaign aims to engage every cricket lover in India with a mobile phone to not only share tweets but also receive tweets from their favourite players, teams, commentators and former cricketers. The campaign will see Kingfisher engage all cricket lovers to share tweets whether or not the user has access to the mobile Internet. The Tweets will be available to offline users through the following two routes: Promoted Tweets sent by Kingfisher’s account (@kingfisherworld) in the Twitter app The Best of Cricket Tweets sent via SMS to any user who places a missed call to 080 6753 0303 Kingfisher aims to create the longest virtual cheer by asking their online community to sing along with them by tweeting with #OoLaLaLaLeO to create the longest string ever. Since Kingfisher are the Good Times partners to 7 teams, all the teams will re-tweet out the #tag OoLaLaLaLeO asking their players to pass it on. The teams will be tweeting out a vine with their players singing the jingle and using #OoLaLaLaLeO, thereby urging their community to participate in creating the longest cheer. Samar Singh Sheikawat, Senior Vice President – Marketing, United Breweries Limited, said, “Kingfisher is all about getting people together to have a good time, and providing them with innovative experiences. We have been long-time supporters of the T20 Tournament and its teams, and innovation has always been at the heart of all of our activities around it. The tournament provides the perfect opportunity to bring people together over real time, real-world moments to carry the conversation forward, on a digital platform..The partnership between Kingfisher and Twitter is a natural fit, and we’re looking forward to much more Good Times in the weeks ahead!” Taranjeet Singh, Business Head, Twitter India, added, “Kingfisher is one of the first brands in India to boldly leverage the full power of the Twitter ecosystem to connect and engage with their customers – be it online, mobile or offline users. Thanks to Kingfisher, cricket fans around the country can get updates on the IPL action and hear the roar of the crowd through organic, promoted or curated Twitter content delivered to their mobile device. Powered by Twitter’s mobile advertising platform and its ZipDial partner’s mobile solutions, Kingfisher’s campaign can be seen on any mobile device with or without Internet access.
Read More
The entertainment industry has witnessed remarkable changes in recent years, and this change has blurred the traditional distinction between agents and managers. It has become typical for managers to behave like agents and vice versa. The relationship between the artist sand their managers is usually the most important one they have. The manager ultimately becomes responsible for looking out for the artists’ best interest when dealing with agents, promoters and press. Thus both artists and their talent managers are accountable for the efficient working of each other in this industry. Here at EE, we delve deep into the issues faced by talent artist managers in the present time. Speaking to a few renowned names in this domain we make an effort to identify and analyze their issues. Listing issues from his industry experience, Mr. Tarasame Mittal, Founder TM Talent Management mentions the following: Problem: Lack of Understanding about the term Talent Management/ Artiste Management/ Celebrity Management – a lot of talent do not understand the process and need of talent management. They either see us as someone who will handle their calls or someone who will get them more business. The truth is these are all short term situations. In long term an association with artist and management can only sustain if both understands the subject matter clearly. Solution: We make sure that before signing any artist/ talent – we make them understand the entire process of Talent management we follow. This includes a presentation, detailed discussions and meeting with the entire team. We try to make them understand the importance of everything- Building Image, Strategic Promotions and Tie Ups, Liaisoning with the Industry, Sales and Service Process etc. Problem: lack of trust – with their past experiences and what they had been hearing about management generally, they don’t really believe in the honesty and transparency of the management. Solution: Honesty and Transparency is the biggest and the most important tool in any association and it’s the same in talent management. We at TMTM have a unique CRM software (1st of its kind in talent management) which gives details and updates of each query / business we discuss and conclude for a talent. The Talent is completely aware of everything what we do for him/ her. Another issue that arises at times is insecurity. This is one of the biggest problem which artists have. When we have good business for them – this problem doesn’t arise, it only happens when the business is low. Although we have not been able to find an apt solution of this as yet as it is more psychological. We try our best to have regular business for them. Mr. Jayesh Shah, Managing Director, Glow Show Entertainment looks at a broader perspective considering both Indian and International artists and relates to the following: Problem: Bollywood artists need to upscale the standard of their performances and need to improve their presentation. With the advent of technology and innumerous bright ideas being incorporated by artists worldwide, people’s expectations have increased to a much greater level. On a general note, International artists are much more punctual, their deliverables are unique and indulging with them is a value for money. Solution: Mr. Shah believes that there is a need for unique concepts to be created. Artists need to work on their packaging and incorporate variations in their performances. They need involve backdrops and be technically advanced and be aware of unique concepts being practiced in the world. Delving deeper into the scenario, Mr. Raj Bhanushali, Director Black Hat Talent Solution & Consulting lists the two problems as follows: Lack of adherence to appearance/call time of a show: There are times when we face this issue especially with some well established artists wherein they don’t adhere to the call time given to them for the show. Their attitude is rather casual & in spite of having ample time to get dressed, do their make-up etc. & be ready for the show, they are late to reach the venue. This happens even when the venue is at the same hotel where they have been put up by the client. It appears that they think it’s acceptable or shall we say their ‘birthright’ to be late. This attitude is highly unprofessional even though they are paid 100% in advance & the standard terms and conditions of the agreement followed by the event industry are totally in favour of the artists. The artist needs to understand that we cannot call them just 5 minutes before their entry as that would pose a serious risk to the timely flow and execution of the event as some of the other activities which are also a part of the event flow (for e.g. speeches by company officials) cannot be timed exactly. Hence it’s paramount that the artist in question be ready back stage at least 25- 30 minutes before their scheduled performance to ensure a smooth and stress-free execution of the event. The uncertainty and stress caused by their late appearance increases the tension faced by the event crew which is often worried that they could miss the timing of their entry which in turn would upset the rest of the event flow. Even if the artist just about makes it on time before the entry I think it’s not acceptable as it adds to the stress for the event crew due to the uncertainty on whether the artist will turn up on time for the entry. It’s anyways a high pressure, stressful job for the event crew. Unreasonable requirements on travel/stay for their entourage There are times when we realise that there are too many people traveling with the main artist(s) whereas the job could have been done smoothly even with a smaller entourage. Just because the cost for such travel/stay is to be borne by the client, the artist shouldn’t expect the client to pay for accompanying family member, additional crew members who have a minimal or no role in their performance. In some cases it would seem that the artist is travelling not for an event but on a holiday with friends which is funded by the client. The solutions to the above issues as he suggests are: I think our industry association EEMA should set some guidelines for the artists & these need to be circulated amongst the artist fraternity. It should encourage agencies to report such incidents or issues faced by them with artists & their managers. I am sure there will also be some cases whereby the artists would be facing issues with the agencies in terms of the deliverables as per the agreement not being met by the event agency. The artists should also be encouraged to report such issues. Although at times it may be difficult for EEMA to ascertain the faulty party as both sides will have their stories to tell. However the artists/agencies that exceed a certain number of complaints against them can be penalised by EEMA. The artist may be warned initially & given a chance. However if they still don’t change their ways & cause trouble for the event manager EEMA should term them as ‘Blacklisted’ & thereby discourage its members to book them. This will ensure that the artists & their managers don’t take event managers for granted. Mr. Sonu Tyagi, Director, Approach Entertainment feels logistics are a great issue while dealing with artists. He says “If an artist asks for a luxury car and a five star accommodation and somehow the client doesn’t provide it, it is when the ego issues arise.” Artists like to be treated as celebrities, and we all know it. So in circumstances like such, there arise trust and ego issues. Another problem as he quotes is at times artists are not in the favour of performing for longer duration at events which they are being asked for either by the client or the crowd. This also results in an issue at times. He says “The problem only arises during the time of the event. We do not generally face any problem while hiring artists.” Solution: I think clients should mention even the minutest of details in the contract to avoid any sort of confusion and disagreement with the artists. This would bring transparency and will be better for both the artists and the clients. These were some of the most important issues faced by talent artist managers these days. There are several other similar issues that talent managers face in this industry. To conclude, talent managers feel that their clients should generate enough trust in them and consider them fair while they quote their prices.
Read More
As India emerges from an extended holiday this weekend, after Navratri festival, many would have had the opportunity to perform the Garba dance at thousands of dandiya events held across the country. Dandiya Raas is a traditional form of dance from the city of Gujarat that is famously performed during the 9 days of Navratri festival. With its recent prominence especially among youth in the country, many event companies have taken the opportunity to host dandiya festivals across the country to celebrate the age old tradition. This year, Delhi city and its surrounding NCR region witnessed its own dandiya festival ‘Dandiya Beats’ at Appu Ghar OYSTERS, Gurgaon. Lasting 10 days, the daily evening event included a specially made statue of goddess durga and a ‘maha aarti’ being performed before the main event. Following the event, dandiya performances would begin with much pomp and circumstance with each night featuring a celebrity gracing the event. The event was organized with four agencies – CRI, E-Factor, Touchwood and Showcraft coming together to make the event memorable. Speaking on the impact that 4 agencies together could make making ‘Dandiya Beats’ a success, the official spokesman for the event, Chief Creative Officer of Showcraft Productions, Lalitt Gattani said, “this association has made Dandiya Beats much bigger, as the strengths of all partner agencies have come together.” Adding further to the conversation, he believes Dandiya Beats is quite different when compared with other such similar events. He said, “there isn’t any other event similar to Dandiya Beats as it is a complete Navratri event for 10 days and no other event is this long. The ambience and music at Dandiya Beats is also very unique and different compared to others.” The NCR region finally witnessed an event this big dedicated to Navratri after 4 years that had mesmerising ambience, maha aarti everyday, a festival-themed ‘Khaas’ bazaar selling chaniya choli, accessories, dandiya sticks etc. Once, a festival presumed to resonate only with middle-aged people is making a comeback with more and more youngsters taking interest in culture based events like these, to which they may not hold ethnic affiliations. “Youths of today are finding Navratri festivals extremely popular as they have been thronging Dandiya Beats in large numbers”, observed Lalitt Gattani based on the turnout. When asked how brands can benefit associating with events like Dandiya Beats, Mr Gattani said, “Dandiya Beats can offer the brands a unique customer activation opportunities for a sustained period as it is a 10 day event.” Showcraft has been a key player in planning and executing the whole event along with its partners. Festivals like these may not be held across the national capital and its surrounding while these could be held in multiple locations within a city like Ahmedabad that celebrates Navratri grandly. When asked about different agencies coming together in a city and holding a mega event for any festival, Mr Gattani replied, “I don’t think that all organisers should come together as everyone has their own niche areas where they excel, which gives people different choices to experience.” However, he believes Dandiya Beats is already a mega event and the crowd will multiply with each passing years.
Read More
