Everyone loves a good surprise. People love it when a certain unexpected moment stirs out a positive emotion in them and leaves them with a memory worth being cherished. Events too are unpredictable where an unexpected outcome to a situation can certainly make your audience take a notice. Event organizers today can use the element of surprise to their benefit by using it to liven up the content of their event. A good surprise will not only bring uniqueness to your event but will also generate positive buzz among the attendees about the organizing company as a whole. We list 4 innovative ideas to add the element of surprise to your next event. 1- Check-in to Surprise When your attendees are registering themselves for the event an added wow factor at this stage can be used to get them excited for the event from the get go. Technology like QR codes and mobile phone applications can be used efficiently for this purpose. One can use QR codes to allow the guests to register themselves or develop a procedure where the attendee can also avail surprises from the check in by scanning the mystery gift box through QR codes. A similar concept was used by the club Turquoise Cottage in Delhi recently and was voraciously admired by the audience. Also, mobile phone applications that already have the attendee credentials enclosed in them can be used to customize a surprise for a specific attendee or attendees as per the convenience of the organizer. The better is the surprise the more engaged the audience is. 2- Celebrity Presence It is everyone’s dream to have a picture with their favorite celebrity when they are not expecting anything at all. A surprise photo session with their favorite movie star or the sporting legend that they adore can really bring out the best emotions in your attendees. All one needs to do is have a celebrity presence planned in advance and not advertise about it. Not only this move will help you as another engaging element to the overall event but the post event buzz created will help generate positive influence on prospective event attendees of future events. 3- Decorating ideas The basic look and decorative contents of the event can also be used to infuse the element of surprise at events. One can easily use the photographs of event attendees to decorate the event premises and also use them to add captions to their photos and place it as the event backdrop. In case of a smaller audience the seats of the attendees can also be customized as per the likes and dislikes of the attendee. The genre of horror can also be used as a surprise at events with suddenly emerging scary objects are also tested and proven ingredients to wow audiences at events. 4- Audience Engagement The surprise element can also be added to an event in the form of an audience engagement activity. An example of such can be a music performer involving the participation of the members of the audience for an overall song or a particular performance. The audience can also be expected to play a certain musical instrument kept hidden under their chairs. Similar concepts have also been effectively used in Global India Music Awards in the past and have been appreciated by the viewers as well as the audience. Also, the emcee at the event can use audience to involve them into many surprising activities such as an impromptu karaoke performance or fun filled activities such as a food fight, slogan contest, tug-of-war, kiss cam, live proposal etc. Such little surprises will add a positive flavor to the overall event that are guaranteed to win over the hearts of the audience.
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Black tie events are the most tricky to organize. Every aspect of a black tie event has to be carefully timed, curated and well thought upon failing which this highly formal event can easily turn into a snooze fest. However, with the right ingredients and creative ideas carving the way for the evening, a black tie soire can turn out to be an evening to remember. We share with you the 5 tips on better organizing a black tie event- 1- Dress code Though the traditional idea of a black tie event is to stick to a an already decided dress code of a black suit or tuxedo for men and evening gowns for women but rules can be broken every once in a while depending upon the requirements of the events. Once can easily not force the guests to fix on a tuxedo rather than opting out on a “look your best” dress code. By everyone wearing what they feel they look best in takes away the sense of being over and undressed and always people to freely connect with each other. Also one can also play around with the use of ties in different patterns and shapes to add a stylish element to the event proceedings. 2- Seating Arrangements Black tie events usually involve a large dining space filled with numerous attendees and it becomes really difficult to keep a track of every attendee if the organizer is not already prepared. It is always a good idea to have a sitting area planned out for every guest in advance so that not only does the guest feels more comfortable by avoiding the hassle of finding a place for themselves but it is also very easy for the organizer to approach a guest when needed. The seat details of the attendee can be communicated to the attendee through innovative uses of technology such as use of QR codes or through a verified procedure of a mobile application. 3- Decorations Creating an innovative environment for the black tie event is a must. Though such events already follow a theme but having another theme within the black tie theme can also be done. A themed black tie events creates an element of intrigue among the attendees and they feel they have something more to look forward to than a simple fine dine experience. An example of a themed black tie event may be a Las Vegas or casino night. And the decorations could include a Las Vegas entrance way, parlor game centerpieces, card tables, and a color scheme that one might find in a casino. Activities would include games of chance and prizes that lucky guests have a chance to win. Creating a unique environment supplies guests with entertainment and beautiful ambiance while sticking towards the original theme of the event. 4- Engaging with technology After the guests have been welcomed the organizer then, carefully needs to engage them with fun filled activities that do not supersede the theme of the event. Technology and various elements associated with it can be the best help in such situations. Having digital photo booths with creative accessories is known to be a tested and proven success when it comes to engaging people at such events since people are best dressed for them. Avid use of social media elements such asking people to tweet and share by following hashtags, posting live suggestions and having all the buzz updated with a social media station also helps. Also activities like Casino and Digital Bingo can help generating the necessary interest amongst the attendees. 5- Food Every event that aims to enthrall and entertain its attendees needs to have the best quality of food first. Food at such events needs to be exquisite and the menu should always highlight the theme of the event. Dishes can also be creatively named and delicately presented to engage the audiences at the event. As an example of this can be the menu presented on playing-cards when the theme is casino or spoons in the shape of cigars being used in James Bond themed parties. Adding different makeovers to the menu like these not only makes the menu more appealing to the attendees but also adds a unique quotient to our black tie event.
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SABMiller India has joined hands with Rapid Metro Gurgaon Limited (RMGL) to promote responsible drinking and road safety. Rapid Metro commuters will be greeted by Respect the Road – Don’t Drink and Drive Mascot ‘Traffic Tau’ with innovative messages on responsible drinking and overall road safety. Respect the Road programme was launched in 2011 and is supported by the Gurgaon Police. The creative programme messages will be promoted both at the platforms and inside the trains to encourage people to follow road safety rules and spread awareness to all. Speaking about the alliance, Ms. Meenakshi Sharma, Vice President- Sustainability and Communications at SABMiller India said, “Promoting responsible alcohol behaviour is one of our key sustainable development imperatives. We are happy to associate with Rapid Metro Gurgaon to help us promote responsible drinking and road safety. The initiative should help us reach commuters in Delhi and Gurgaon who use rapid metro every day.” Mr. Sanjiv Rai, RMGL Managing Director & CEO said, “Rapid Metro Gurgaon has been catering to its commuters providing safety and convenience. With the same thought we have partnered with SABMiller India’s ‘Respect the Road’ programme to promote responsible drinking and road safety. Through this initiative, we aim to reach out to more commuters and spread awareness about the programme.” Other partners of the programme include Home Safe India – call a chauffeur partner, Radio Partners – Radio City 91.1 FM and TAXI partners Mega cabs. The programme is also being promoted on digital with innovative posts on Road Safety and urging people to look for alternatives to drinking and driving.
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After 34 events in India and 3 events in USA, India’s prominent Mixed Martial Arts Organisation – Super Fight League (SFL) truly celebrated its global presence. The 38th Fight Night opened amidst applause and cheer at The Dome, Sportscity, Dubai. Present at the showdown were Founder Raj Kundra, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Sports Minister of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Nahyan, Prince of Bahrain and boxer Amir Khan. On the occasion, Mr. Kundra also announced to have 4 events a year in UAE. The night witnessed the face-off between two strong adversaries – India and Pakistan.The combat saw some fantastic fights on the show that endowed the crowd with outstanding entertainment and uncovered some real star potential at the event. SFL 38 also has its own philanthropic ideals. The proceeds collected from the SFL 38 Fight Night will support the charity organization of boxer Amir Khan that works for the betterment of the victims and their families affected in the Peshawar attacks in Pakistan. India crowned yet another smashing victory against Pakistan winning 6-1. The bouts saw some unbelievable and implausible techniques used by the fighters that certainly satisfied the appetite of the MMA & SFL fans.
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Percept Live, the creators of Sunburn, launched Fly, their new age contemporary live international music property with Ed Sheeran – a young global phenomenon and a new age artist. Fly Music festival will be the window connecting fans across the globe to their favourite artists and uniting them under one passion – Music! Ed Sheeran best known for international hits ‘I See fire, inside the mountain’ from the Blockbuster movie Hobbit’s original soundtrack, brought the stage down at the event and gave his Indian fans a magical experience. Brought to India for the very first time by Percept Live, Ed Sheeran performed in front of music crazy fans at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Race Course and enthralled one and all with his ultra combination of Pop, R&B, Folk, Hip-Hop and Acoustic compilations. Karbonn was the title sponsor for the show.
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From cost cutting techniques they could have followed during the event to what went wrong with the security management and from what lacked in the décor to whether the performances were good enough- Event organizers need to keep a tab on everything today. Organizing an event today involves heavy investments and thus after the event there are many questions that need to be answered. One of the most prominent questions is regarding the ROI of the event. Every event organizer wants to know whether their event was a successful one or not and what the return on investment was from the event. The calculation of ROI in the industry today is not only complex but also varies in perspective and most organizers feel unsure about the success of their event. We ask industry veterans on how they determine the ROI on Events. Reema Gupta, Director, Red Entertainment comments-“It depends upon the kind of event you execute. For events where in a direct exchange for cash is involved we directly subtract the expenses from the incomes. Also consideration of other factors such word of mouth publicity and the kind of buzz generated helps us.” Lalit Jain, Founder and CEO, Lakshya Events says-“It is without a doubt a daunting challenge for us. The calculation is very vague and what creates the worst confusion is that there is no fixed metric to determine the ROI. I have heard EEMA (Event and Entertainment Management Association) is working on that for now but till it comes up with something every calculation is an assumption as there is no full proof method. For now what we do is that we adopt standardized data from the market and work on it our own way. The result is very near to ROI but still it’s estimation at the end of the day.” One of the most followed system to calculate ROI around the world is (Gross Profit – Marketing Expenses) / Marketing Expenses. Wherein the Gross Profit has to be the benefits received from the attendance of the event, which however is an uncertain figure to zero down upon. “For me a satisfied audience is the biggest return on investment”-says Harimom Jatiya, Owner, Excellency Time Entertainment Pvt Ltd. He says money is not always important but it is the success of the events that counts. “An organizer too makes new contacts from the event for his business. I calculate ROI from the success of the event itself. If the event is executed properly, the audience is happy and it has managed a good response then it is all the return on investment I need. Many times when we have multiple events on a single date we hire artists for full day and make them perform on multiple locations to control event budget. It all depends on what you really expect from the event in return”- he completes.
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Experiential is an important part of the marketing strategy of any brand today. However they are more so important for brands in the alcohol segment because alcohol brands are not allowed to thrive on the benefits of ATL advertising and marketing. Thus they try to woo their prospective customers and build on experiences by constantly coming up with innovative and engaging experience driven initiatives. With their experiential activities ranging from development of intellectual properties to forming associations at rock concerts and festivals, the world of experiential has over the years truly witnessed some amazing campaigns by alcohol brands. This time at EE, we share with you top 5 Innovative experiential campaigns by brands in the alcohol segment. 1-Heineken time travel While most alcohol brands mainly invest in BTL by organizing EDM festivals and music concerts, Heineken in this particular campaign took the road less travelled and used technology at its optimum to charm its customers. Indeed, educating your customers about your brand’s history is a fantastic way of bringing them closer to the brand and make them feel that they are part of its overall identity. Heineken through this campaign got people talking about its history in a very futuristic way; the brand installed a time travel booth which used Leap Motion technology and allowed users to unlock different stages in the history of the creation of Heineken by simply using hand motion. 2- VeuveClicquot’s post office party Another innovative experiential campaign on our list belongs to the champagne brand VeuveClicquot who threw a stylish and immersive branded party for Champagne lovers in New York. As a reference to the mailbox design of its new bottle preserver, which could keep a bottle cool for as many as two hours, Veuve Clicquot transformed an empty studio in New York into a post-office and used the same theme to deliver a grand old school party with waiters dressing up as postmen and many other post offices references. The party was a smart move by brand to engage a large crowd with an initiative of a innovatively themed party that you can simply never go wrong with. I hope some alcohol brands in India get inspired from the concept! 2- VeuveClicquot’s post office party Another innovative experiential campaign on our list belongs to the champagne brand VeuveClicquot who threw a stylish and immersive branded party for Champagne lovers in New York. As a reference to the mailbox design of its new bottle preserver, which could keep a bottle cool for as many as two hours, Veuve Clicquot transformed an empty studio in New York into a post-office and used the same theme to deliver a grand old school party with waiters dressing up as postmen and many other post offices references. The party was a smart move by brand to engage a large crowd with an initiative of a innovatively themed party that you can simply never go wrong with. I hope some alcohol brands in India get inspired from the concept! 4- Amstel Pause Do Nothing Campaign Amstel’s experiential activations tend to circle on the idea that we all just need to take a bit of a break from the hustle and bustle of the modern world. And contrary to other elaborate activations that most brands execute for their customers this one by Amstel was truly unique as it focused on the aspect of “Doing Nothing”, Yep, nothing. As part of the experience the “Do Nothing” vending machine only produced a chilled can of Amstel if people stood still for 3 minutes.This is experience generation for you even if you are feeling lazy. 5-Grants Awesome Job Campaign Well this one comes from the house of William Grants and is currently an ongoing initiative in India. Through the campaign the alcohol brand hopes to find its brand ambassador in the country and the award a winner their dream job and a six digit salary in the country after they have received a detailed training in Germany. Also the most innovative part of the campaign was that no individual can apply for the job of their dreams by themselves. Yes, surprise, surprise! In this particular campaign it was their friends who would influence the campaign judges and advocate why their friend should get his/her dream job. Experience, friendships, relationships all amalgamated in this one brilliantly conceptualized campaign.
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Delhi-based Artist, Seema Kohli, stands poised to gave back to the city that has given her so much, in her innovative “Cutting Chai” installation at The NDMC Palate Mini from March 13th to 15th, 2015 at Nehru Park, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi: Delhi’s plush park spread over 80 acres boasting of a dazzling collection of blossoming flowers. The NDMC Palate Mini is a chance for one to experience a taste of Palate Fest in a more intimate way. The Cutting Chai installation is made of metal servers traditionally called “Cheekka’ used to serve tea in rural areas. Chai being the common accomplice to any conversation in all strata holds a very recognizable space. Says Seema Kohli, “While painting I can hold my conversation intact with my canvas and me. I have used teacups and the idea of tea as a means of introspection, leading to final liberation. It holds an important dialogue between me and my inner, my outer, my social and my spiritual world. Hence the need for this installation.” The ‘Cheekka’ holds cutting tea glasses with tea lights in it. The size of the installation can be increased or decreased according to the space allotted. The materials used includes metal wire, glass, acrylic color and tea. Seema Kohli’s art practice involves various disciplines from drawing, painting, sculptures, installations and performance. The most significant one to emerge is ‘Performance Art’. Decay, hybridisation and transformation: Creating new identity; reshaping belongings; intimacy; a dialogue of matter and memory, all these constitute the language of her work. “Time” as a factor, is central to her practice, whether it’s a wrapped object or a performance. She uses time as medium, which is extended, assembled and captured. The aspects of continuity, repetition, vulnerability, duration, temporality, awareness, situation and public involvement are also inherent qualities that inform her art practice.
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South Korean Marketing & Communications house Cheil has been investing heavily in its capabilities in India and is assembling a formidable presence in Digital.Recently, they appointed SanjeevJasani, one of the most accomplished Digital Marketingprofessionals in the country, as the agency’s Head of Digital. Closely following that announcement, Cheil India is making a number of key appointments to further strengthen itsdigital team, already one of the largest in the country.In Digital Strategy, the agency is appointing Sidharth Shukla as Deputy General Manager and to bolster its Digital Media team, Cheil is also appointing Mohd. Rehan Ali, BaniKalra and Smita Khandelwal. Commenting on these appointments, SanjeevJasani said:-“Cheil India is already one of the biggest Digital teams in the country and we are preparing to grow substantially over the coming months.The core of a great Digital Marketing agency is its people. We are hungry and keen to attract the best in the industry to do cutting edge work.With these talented additions to our team, we are certain to achieve our ambition of becoming the foremost Digital Marketing agency in the country.We are excited to have them join our organization and Cheil India can only get richer by their experience and knowledge.” Sidharth joins Cheil from MRM, McCann Worldgroup where he was National Head- Digital Strategy & Planning. He was with MRMfor over 6 years and has previously worked at Tyroo Media, The Indian Express, TimesJobs.com, MacMillan India and KSA Technopak. With a total work experience around 11 years and an MBA from Amity Business School, Sidharth received a Bachelor’s in English Literature from Delhi University. Rehan, who is joining as Media Director, was working previously with Reprise Media.He helped take one of Microsoft’s key accounts to the global No. 2 position in terms of search performance.Prior to Reprise, he worked with agencies Solutions Digitas, Madison Media and Webchutney and has over 9 years of work experience.He has a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and an MBA (specializing in IT). Bani, who is joining Cheil as Associate Media Director, has over 7 years’ experience in Digital Marketing and her work has spanned Web, Mobile, Social, SEM and Content. Prior to Cheil, she was working with Omnicom Group as Media Director. She has also worked with Starcom Worldwide and FCB Ulka with experience on brands like HP, McDonalds, GSK (Horlicks), Danone, Monster, Aircel, Bausch & Lomb, Whirlpool, SC Johnson etc. Smita, who is joining as Deputy General Manager of Digital Media, is a Chartered Accountant and a CPA by qualification. She has extensive work-experience in India and the US and was previously with Exponential Interactive, a provider of advertising intelligence and digital media solutions to brands across the world. She has also worked with AIG in New York and with South Korean Auto giant Solutec in Michigan.
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Whether you have just launched a startup or are looking to explore new opportunities, networking events are known to significantly contribute to the success of any business venture. In fact the corporate world today can be seen emphasizing heavily on not just attending such events but also organizing the same for their employees and business. Beneficial as they may sound but most networking events today, have a formal tone to them and thus most of the times these orchestrated events prove to be total drag and full of awkward moments. Hence, the onus of creatively organizing networking events lies on the event organizing industry itself. By experimenting with new themes and concepts networking events can truly serve their purpose and still be a lot of fun. We caught up with industry experts who shared their opinions on emerging themes and concepts of networking events. “I think that the new themes of such networking events must be based on current news and happenings around our ecosystem, frequently the most preferred among new concepts are digital and technological in nature”-says Sanjeev Kataria, Business Head, Go live. He further states that since there are a lot of networking events taking place today, it has become a necessity to be unique and still be relevant to the audience. New concepts such as crowd sourcing ideas, unconferencing, user-generated content etc have been talked about a lot but are yet to be implemented. Also other concepts of adopting unique locations, providing a completely different environment and seating is expected to create a lot of interest amongst delegates. Rajesh Varma, Director of CRI Events Pvt. Ltd comments “For me speed dating is a new concept for networking events, making people with different skill sets meet by setting them on communicative interactions, making junior subordinates mingle with seniors and by making people who have never worked together spend time with each other through communicative dates.” Sandeep Soi of EMC Events Pvt Ltd however has a different view. He feels in our country particularly the clients are hesitant to experiment with new themes for networking events. “Huge expenditure is involved in this genre of event too and hence most of the times clients prefer to stick with monotonous themes rather than venturing out. We as event agencies are the catalyst of change but at the end of the day you need to deliver on the exact brief delivered by the client. For now the themes are pretty much the same but how we proceed with the event ensures its success” comments Sandeep Soi. When asked upon how do you comfort and engage the attendees at networking events Rajesh Varma adds-“Pre event socializing on mobile applications and other social platforms takes away the discomfort and collaboration is the buzzword which on its own takes away the discomfort.” “For me team building and ice breaking activities within smaller groups, case studies, getting to know each other games are the most successful concepts that have been tested and proven to deliver magnificent results”-completes Sanjeev Kataria.
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