Rashi Entertainment emerged as a winner in the multi agency pitch & bid process by Delhi Tourism & Transportation Development Corporation to win the rights to conceptualize, execute & manage Swaraj Parv in Delhi from 14th – 16th Aug 2015 at Central Park, Connaught Place. Swaraj Parv will be a celebration of the 69th year of India’s independence and aims to capture masses with multifold cultural programs throughout the day and wide array of entertainment in the evening. The event will be inaugurated on the 14th Aug by the Hon’ble minister of Law, Arts & Culture Sri Kapil Mishra & chaired by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi, Sri. Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Sri. Manish Sisodia. Entertainment during the day will comprise of Kavi Sammelan, Bands & DJ while the evening capsule will have artists like Sonu Niigaam/ Sunidhi Chauhan, Ghazal Mushayra’s etc. Speaking about bagging the prestigious event, Rajeev Jain, Director, Rashi Entertainment says, “There is indeed a feeling of euphoria and pride in the team. Our pitch was driven by concept & creativity which set us apart from our co bidders” Speaking about the Logistics, he further elaborated “The logistical intervention required for an event of such a scale is put in perspective when you consider that we are expecting a footfall of about 2,00,000 people and an area of 5,00,000 Sq. ft. is to be fabricated on the theme of ‘Independence Struggle’ of India. All aspects of this event are being managed and executed by Rashi Entertainment, right from planning and celebrities to venue management, F&B and other logistics.
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Videocon Telecom, the telecom arm of the Indian conglomerate Videocon Group, today announced the third season of its youth engagement program ‘Young Manch’ at venue Taj, Chandigarh. This unique and popular talent hunt program which is now commencing its season 3 will cover over 210 colleges/institutes across 45 cities in Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh & Chattishgarh. Videocon Telecom roped in Aditi Arya, Ms India 2015 as the youth icon for Young Manch to get a better connect with the youth. Ms Aditi Arya is the winner of Ms India World pageant 2015 and will be representing India in the Miss World Beauty pageant this year. Aditi is also a Research Analyst with Ernst & Young and has been awarded Young Leader’s scholarship by the Indian School of Business (ISB). She is also the youth ambassador for state of Haryana. Videocon Telecom’s ‘Young Manch’, as the name suggests is a unique platform for the youth to showcase their talent, be it singing, dancing, acting, modeling/ramp walk and others. The program was initiated 2 years back to create a strong connect with the youth and associate them with the dynamic telecom brand. The last two seasons of this unique Young Talent hunt initiative have received an overwhelming response from students across cities and connected with over a million students. The format of the program is 3 tier, starting with talent hunt events in select colleges/institutes in select cities, followed by winners of these events competing in City Finales of their respective cities, and finally winners of these city finales competing in the Grand Finale. All events are hosted by RJs of leading radio station MY FM to ensure engagement, and are judged by a panel of eminent judges and voting on Digital media and SMS. The program promotion is a mix of on ground i.e. events in colleges/institutes, on air i.e. radio, print i.e. newspaper ads and Digital media including YouTube and Facebook integration. The winners at each stage of the program are awarded starting with free mobile connections to mobile handsets/tablets going upto LEDs. Further, the winners of the modeling round are awarded the title of ‘Face of Videocon Telecom’, who will be featured in the advertisement of the brand in next 1 year. Speaking on the announcement of 3rd season of Young Manch, Mr. Arvind Bali, Director & CEO, Videocon Telecommunications Ltd.said, “Riding high on the success of last two seasons, we are pleased to announce the 3rd season of our youth-centric initiative ‘Young Manch’. With each season the program gets bigger and better and this year we plan to cover over 210 colleges/institutes in over 80 cities across our 4 operational circles. We are also pleased to rope in Aditi Arya, Ms India World 2015 as the youth icon of Young Manch. We are very proud to associate a young, charismatic & passionate talent like Aditi which will set a perfect example to motivate & inspire students to perform at the best of their caliber. We hope to take this relationship ahead for a long time in future, Mr Bali added Sharing her views on ‘Young Manch 3’ and Videocon Telecom, Ms India World 2015, Aditi Arya said, “I am pleased to be associated with Videocon Telecom and being appointed as the youth icon for this unique youth oriented program. I feel that due to lack of opportunity, encouragement & hesitation there is a lot of talent doesn’t even surfaces. I strongly feel that such initiatives & platforms would definitely help the young & the talented to overcome all fears & come forward to unveil the talent in them,” I have watched few of the performances on YouTube & am excited to witness a few of these events in person, Aditi added.
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Beach activations are a sure shot way to create memorable experiences for any brand. Just think about it, people are in a good mood, they want to loosen up and unwind with a lively attitude and any brand that will help its prospective customers achieve that is going to be a winner at the end of the day. However the difficulty of successfully carrying out a beach activation lies in its execution. The challenges range from sudden downpour, licensing hassles to the last minute constraints that just crop up out of nowhere. Hence, to help all our readers’ better plan and execute a beach activation the next time, we at EE are listing down 4 handy hacks to help you better execute beach activations. 1-Plan ahead of time Most beach activations require a variety of permits ranging from security licenses to beach clearance clauses. Thus, it is always better to plan your beach activation much ahead of its time and comply with all the government legalities. In case you are not getting all the licenses for a particular activity, the advance planning will help you in tweaking your beach activity accordingly to fit the bill. Because let’s face it last minute battle against the government authorities is every event organizers nightmare. 2- Use beach as a backdrop Beach activations not necessarily mean a longer and more exhausting sampling process. Beaches can also be used as experiential touch points to create good creative set ups to attract the audiences. A beverage brand can create a convertible party area for people on the beach while a technology driven brand can try creating a social media booth with live streaming and add a technical element to elevate ordinary beach games. With beach at the backdrop and the added advantage of the audience in good mood, there is nothing that a brand cannot achieve. 3-Use minimum to create the maximum impact A reason why most beach activations in India have failed miserably is because the brand marketers of the country believe in the philosophy of bigger is better. They insist on creating larger than life experience for their prospective customers even on beaches. However, marketers need to understand that on a beach the best experience that you can make available to your target group is one that involves the minimum of elements. Very few consumers want a beach to be turned into a discotheque today, if they wanted a discotheque, they could have gone one instead. A successful beach activation should aim at elevating the beach experience of the customers and not manipulating or fabricating it. 4-Flexible concept Though beach as an experiential venue offers a lot of creative opportunities for event planners to play around with but it is always better to have a flexible concept while designing a beach activation. It also very important that elements of the overall activation are tangible, waterproof and mobile so that incase of any contingency they can be moved or relocated. Having flexible concepts are always better as they can be tweaked according to ones need on a beach otherwise in the absence or failure of any of the elements the overall concept of the execution might just fall apart.
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Phoenix Market City, Kurla, was the centre of attention within the corporate world over the just concluded weekend at the 8th Smaaash Corporate Indoor Soccer Challenger 2015, where close to 50 teams participated in the 4-a-side football tournament. The matches were played on specially constructed pitches with netting on all sides. The format and rules were revised, so as to make the game faster and with fewer stoppages. Over the two days, major corporate houses such as Star India, Morgan Stanley and Marico Ltd participated in the tournament conceptualized and organized by Saran Sports. Saturday saw the teams play league matches and Sunday witnessed the knock-out matches with there being six different categories totally. A special guest in the form of Indian football star Steven Dias, known as the “David Beckham of Indian football, also came to witness the festivities, where he interacted with the players and took photos with the fans and families. The tournament was sponsored by Smaaash; co-sponsored by Garnier Men, Franklin Templeton, Capgemini and Carlsberg. The associate sponsor was Cadbury Bournville; the food sponsor was Mad over Donuts, and was partnered by Alea Global Consultancy and Indusind Bank. Finals Results: Bowl: McDonald’s (Santosh, Cyrus (2), Anuj) 4 – 1 JSW Dolvi (Akshay) Salver: Capgemini (Selvin (3), Pradeep) 4 – 0 KPMG Champions Cup: Star India (Sagar, Vivek (2), Sheldon (3), Alvin (2)) 8 – 3 OMD (Neil (2), Melvin) Elite Cup: Kotak Securities (Alex (3), Mangesh (2)) 5 – 2 Asian Paints (Kevin, Wilson (2)) Super Cup: WNS Global (Arnold, Santosh) 2 – 0 EClerx Ladies Cup: J P Morgan (Marilyn, Bindiya) 2 – 0 Morgan Stanley
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Indian weddings are the ultimate celebration of indulgence, opulence, togetherness and unforgettable memories. Adding to the festivities, The Singleton of Glen Ordin association with the Vogue Wedding Show hosted a bespoke evening atTaj Palace, New Delhi, on 7th August with Reserve Brand Ambassador Nicholas Ord playing a befitting host. Introducing the guests to the finest malt selections from theUSL-Diageo portfolio, Nicholas curated an interactive masterclass that helped enthusiasts appreciate the Classic Malts and showcased some exotic cocktail concoctions that are sure to enhance any wedding celebration. Taking guests on a flavour trail, The Singleton Masterclass traced the legacy of the Singleton of Glen Ord 12 YO, whisky that has a special appeal for the Asian palate. The malt conversation further dived into busting myths on how‘Single Malt is not for cocktails’. Nicholas created an interesting mix of malt cocktails like the delicious Singleton Sour, The Singleton Maple-Smoked Rob Roy and Singleton Vanilla Julep with sweetened almond. Interesting recipes combined with a tasting session of The Singleton and mixology tips on the finest must have blends at your wedding bar, etc., were few among many highlights at this delightful evening that prepped the audience for planning the perfect wedding bar/party.
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Preceding a public event with promotional campaign isn’t uncommon! However, apart from the mass media, it is important to add promotional means that align with the event and keep the organizers, participants and the people focussed towards its theme till the end. This was firmly kept in mind as Red Carpet Events were designing the promotional campaign for the upcoming Surat City Night Marathon ’15 (SCHM15). For the event that is 6 weeks away, the organizers (Surti Runners – city’s running enthusiast community) and Red Carpet Events put together an activity focussed on health and among people who are fitness enthusiasts. The activity was ‘The 12-hour gym run’. The 12-hour gym run was organized in 6 premium gyms and health-clubs across Surat city. Members of the Surti Runners community took over these treadmills one by one from 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM in a non-stop relay run of 12-hours at each location. They clocked in between 2 and 4 hours per person and at the end of the day clocked in 989 KM in a combined timing of 107 hours – oh and the city gymkhana treadmill crashed too! City’s prestigious doctors, businessmen and professionals who are a part of Surti Runners were seen in all these gyms sporting the bright yellow promo t-shirts highlighting the upcoming SCHM15 coming up on 13 Sept ’15. The treadmill runs took form of a festival with enthusiastic runners and equally enthusiastic gym trainers and curious members flocked, cheered, supported and a number of new registrations happened towards the end of the event.
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Automobile brands thrive on selling experiences. While some brands in the market sell themselves by offering their prospective customers dreamy experiences that they will have, a majority others market themselves by offering free test drives. And even though the last two decades have noticed a phenomenal shift in the innovations seen on the technological front of the automobiles, what has remained unchanged all these years is the same marketing strategy of offering free test drives. It is indeed true that almost all automobile brands follow the same marketing strategy these days. They invest heavily in ATL campaigns but when it comes to BTL engagements the only options available are either mall activations or test drives. What brand marketers of the industry do not realize today is the fact that since all brands follow the same strategy to cater to the same target audiences; they are not even giving their brands a reason to stand out differently from their competition. Thus it is high time that automobile brand marketers do away with the conventional test drive experience offering and rather innovate on the BTL front to spell success and establish a distinguished identity for their brands. Citing an example from a truly immersive and successful automobile engagement, In New York in 2011, Fiat hosted an event to reintroduce its brand in America after nearly three decades. The brand hosted a pop-up gallery during the New York International Auto Show, and then, months later, the car maker organized a large consumer campaign that brought a fleet of cars to Times Square and used an enormous screen to create an urban drive-in movie experience. The concept for the activation combined American culture of theaters and Times Square and the campaign was a huge success and brought Fiat as a brand back in the minds and hearts of consumers. Similarly, in 2013, Lincoln Motor Company hosted an 11-city Hello Again marketing tour centered on its new product MKZ. The program included a series of experiences for drivers to see their home cities from behind the wheel of the cars. In each city, guests signed up online for a tour time, then checked in at a venue known as the Hello Again Hub. They could then choose a car to drive or be chauffeured for a tour, led by a brand rep in a front car that provided directions by way of walkie-talkies in each car. In india too, Tata Motors took an initiative of organizing the T1 Truck Racing Championship. The experiential event not only garnered high sales figures but it has also resulted in Tata Motors successfully establishing itself as the most reputed automobile brand in the country. However such initiatives are a rare sight in the country as marketers of the domain today are hesitant to truly go all out in the race of experiential. Yes, it is an understandable fact that no car purchases are ever made without a hands on experience but automobile marketers today should also realize that there are more innovative and creative ways to showcase the features of their products. As it is often said, one cannot expect to be a winner among the dogs if they are running in the rat race similarly to establish their brand as the most successful ones brand marketers need to experience and engage their potential customers in more unique ways than the conventional methods.
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In an exciting news for electro house fans! Vh1 Supersonic Club Nights brings the Swedish sensation ‘John Dahlback’ who is all set to spin his vinyl across the cities of Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore from 4th – 6th September onwards. A staple within the electro house music scene for years through his productions and record labels, the performer will get audiences grooving to his beats with his electro magnifying performance. John Dahlbäck has been established at the forefront of the global dance movement alongside the endless list of Swedish success stories such as Axwell, Ingrosso and of course Avicii. With a successful label continuously delivering high quality productions and landing some dream collaborations, Dahlbäck is one of the most sought after DJs around, who has produced some of the best tracks like Bling, Hustle Up, Life, and Pyramid to name a few. Announcing his upcoming tour, John Dahlbäck said, “I had a terrific time the last time I was here in India. The crowd is so loving! Was humbled to see my fans throng the venue. I can’t wait to spin some of my new sounds to audiences and am looking forward to my tour.” Commenting on the event, Mr. Jaideep Singh, Sr. Vice President and Business Head, Live Viacom18 says, “Over time we have realized that the audience base for unconventional music genres is growing in a country like ours. Thus, bringing down some of the biggest acts in the international music scene becomes key for engaging and building that connect with consumers. ‘Vh1 Supersonic Club Nights’ takes audiences on a joyous musical ride and grooving to the music of their favourite Indian and international artists. Last year we were happy with the response we received for our Club Nights and are convinced this year will be no different.” Conceptualized by LIVE Viacom18 as an extension to Vh1 Supersonic, the Club Nights series will widen the reach of the property, thereby allowing more people to experience the craze and excitement in their home town with performances by the top domestic and International DJs. Schedule: 4th Sep – Bombay, Blue Fog – Lower Parel, CD House, Ground Floor, Behind Benefice House, Mathuradas Mills Compound, Lower Parel 5th Sep – Bengaluru, Blue Frog, 3 Church St, Opp Kristy Cream, Next to Matteo Coffee Shop, Bengaluru 6th Sep – Pune, Blue Frog – Ishanya Mall, Arcade 6, Opp. Golf Course, Off Airport Road, Yerwada, Pune
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Over 120 writers are expected to visit the Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest, which will run from November 14 to November 17, 2013 at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai. In conversation with EE, Anil Dharker, Festival Director, Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest 2013, talks about the role of Litfests in the society today and how has the concept evolved over the years. What is the USP of Tata Literature Live! Mumbai Litfest, 2013? TATA Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest retains its individuality by being true to its own values. As a small team, we put in what we think is interesting, rather than our idea of what the audience wants. At the same time, we have tried at Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest to bring in new ideas and directions from all over the world, every year. That stimulates us as much as it stimulates the audience. How has this festival grown over the years? The audience keeps evolving and has been getting progressive over the years. For instance, when the concept of litfests evolved in India, most of the people who attended were older, serious readers and collectors of books. They still continue to come, but they have been joined by quite a large number of younger people, many of them new to the world of books. Tata literature Live counted 12,000 people at the inaugural edition, and 22,000 last year and we are expecting around 25,000 people this year. Which are the top attractions for this event? As is the festival’s tradition, the Landmark Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award will honour a legend – Khushwant Singh and the Tata First Book Award which will recognise promising talent. This year, there will be a First Book Award each for Fiction and Non-Fiction. Besides, the festival will present for the first time an art and photography exhibition which investigates the relationship between literature and art by inviting artists to create art works inspired by Khushwant Singh’s autobiography, Truth, Love and a Little Malice. On display will be paintings and photographs from illustrious artists. In addition to this, there will be an exhibition of unique cricket memorabilia by Boria Majumdar to coincide with Sachin Tendulkar’s participation in his career’s 200th and last Test match. Additionally, on the centenary of Tagore’s Nobel prize, Prof Sugata Bose from Harvard will launch his new translation of Gitanjali while psychoanalyst Sudhir Kakar’s book, Young Tagore will also be released on the occasion. We also have evening performances that promise to be a great blend of literature and theatre. What are your efforts to drive a larger footfall to this event? Which are the marketing strategies you are concentrating on to connect with the target group? The festival will present various verticals of literature — fiction, non-fiction, poetry and plays. They will be presented in a way that appeals to the academic and the lay reader, the bookworm and the occasional browser, the experienced writer and the aspiring author. Various activations like social media, communication the message through our networks, outdoor publicity are activated to spread the message of the festival this year. In the larger scheme of things, what can you say about the role played by Litfests in the society? Collective intelligence of the internet is too often sullied by a collective unintelligence, the tendency of people to shoot off unconsidered and ignorant reactions, encouraged by the instant nature of the medium and the cloak of anonymity it gives the user. Public discourse, as witnessed at a literary festival, is a completely different kettle of fish. To start with, experts speak to experts, writers to writers, all of them on a subject they know well, and have worked on for years. The level of conversation and debate, therefore, is at a pretty high level. Interaction with the audience is also well-informed, simply because the people who attend litfests are generally well read, and attend particular sessions because they have a special interest in that subject. The intellectual stimulation that participants and audience derive from a literary festival, not only acts as a spur to further intellectual growth, but it also acts as a catalyst to strike off on diverse and often unplanned intellectual paths.
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Lets face it. Life is fast. City life is chaotic. Work is stressful. Even a walk in the park comes with its own share of worries. So amidst all the drama, on a bright clear day when one is allowed to feel like a part of a group, working together, in the same direction and simultaneously contributing towards a noble cause, it can trigger some pretty overwhelming emotions. And when there are emotions, know that brands are not far behind. Fitness events are becoming hugely popular in the country. It is endearing to see increasing number of cities being mobilized each year. Thousands of people are enrolling to run marathons for fitness and also contribute towards charitable causes in the bargain. As a result of the increasing lifestyle related illnesses people are becoming more aware about the need for fitness and so marathons allow them a platform to engage in the cheapest, most natural and effective form of exercise- running. Taking inspiration from the London Marathon, Procam, awarded the ‘Best Sports Event Management Company’ at the India Sports Award ‘13 initiated the Mumbai Marathon in the year 2004. Standard Chartered Bank, already associated with several marathons across the world, immediately joined hands with them as the title sponsor. In its 11th edition this year the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon engages upto 40,000 participants and raises close to 20 Crore for charity. Bruno Goveas, Director Media Relations at Procam says, “Mumbai Marathon is acclaimed as the biggest fitness event in India. Mumbai is a very vibrant city, people like to get down to the streets, the energy here is spectacular. SCMM has harnessed this energy and channeled it towards inculcating a health and fitness culture. Though the event is organized and managed by Procam, it is often accredited to Standard Chartered. The brand can lay claim to have turned Mumbai into a fitter city. People’s lives have been touched. More lives have been changed with the money raised for charity. This has resulted in tremendous brand value which is incalculable”. The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon offers $250,000 as prize money and will flag off on 19 January, 2014. Procam also organizes the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon and the Tata Consultancy World 10K Bangalore. The Pune International Marathon is another prominent fitness event held annually, scheduled for 1 December this year. Running in its 28th year, this year’s edition named ‘Run for Mother’ aims to create awareness for the cause of women empowerment. KyaZoonga has come on board as the official ticketing partner. On its association with the marathon, Arpita Majumdar, COO KyaZoonga, comments,”The Pune International Marathon is a highly prestigious event and we are very excited to be associated as its ticketing partner. The event is a natural extension of our customer offering, giving them access to top international events in the sporting calendar. Premier events like these give KyaZoonga an opportunity be visible amongst a mass audience globally.” Winners stand to win a total sum of Rs 50 Lakh as prize money from the event. This year Pune will play host to another marathon where participation would be restricted only to women. The Pinkathon, claimed as the first 10 Km run exclusively for women, will be held on 17 November 2013 in the city of Pune. The money raised from the event would go towards creating awareness against breast cancer. Adidas has jumped on board as one of the prominent sponsors of the event while Former Miss India, Gul Panag, has been announced the Event Ambassador. Reema Sanghavi, Managing Director, Maximus MICE & Media Solutions quoted, “I believe we as a populace should do whatever it takes to raise awareness about breast cancer and keep it at bay. Running addresses most of the top 10 ways to help prevent breast cancer, not only promoting well-being but also raising immunity levels and improving health to help fight diseases like cancer. Maximus is proud of Pinkathon as our leading Intellectual Property working towards a noble cause.” If running a marathon is not exciting enough then perhaps you could look at an alternative in Tour De India- an International cycling carnival to be held across Mumbai, Jaipur and New Delhi from 15 December to 22 December 2013. In its second year, the event organized by Total Sports Asia, a premier sports management agency within Asia, will see more than 6000 cycling enthusiasts and 15+ international cycling teams ride for glory and lend their support to charity. Charity Aid Foundation is the philanthropic partner for its Delhi leg and pledges raised from the campaign will go towards charity for underprivileged specially-able people. R. Ramakrishnan, Director Sales and Business Development, Total Sports Asia, says, “Given the congestion due to traffic in cities today, Tour De India is a fantastic opportunity for cycling enthusiasts to not only be able to cycle but cycle towards a noble cause. We are very happy to have Godrej Eon as our title sponsor as the event sees a definite connect in its brand philosophy of producing energy efficient products. Garnier is also onboard as one of the prominent sponsors while John Abraham has been announced the Event Ambassador as of earlier this month.” For a detailed list of all the running events across the country you can refer to the following link: http://indiarunning.com/marathon-calendar-2013.html
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