Percept ICE, the Special Projects, Events and Conventions Domain Company of Percept Limited, bagged the mandate of conceptualizing and executing the launch of digibank, India’s first mobile-only bank by DBS. The launch of digibank was held on 26th April 2016 at Tata Theatre (NCPA), Mumbai, and witnessed an attendance of over 1,000 people. DBS Bank, a leading bank in Singapore, officially unveiled digibank during the event. A revolutionary offering, digibank brings together an entire suite of ground-breaking technology – from biometrics to artificial intelligence (AI) – to enable customers to enjoy a whole new way of banking. Commenting on the success of the event, Nazneen Karimi, Chief Executive Officer, Percept ICE said, “Percept ICE feels honoured to have been chosen by DBS to manage the launch of their revolutionary new banking offering ‘digibank’. The event saw a massive turnout of over 1,000 attendees. The client and visitors were delighted with the on-ground experience, and the positive feedback garnered post event reaffirms the success of the show in achieving its primary objective of generating mass awareness and interest in the TG. Kudos to every member of the Percept team on delivering a successful and memorable event!” Sheran Mehra, Head, Group Strategic Marketing and Communications, DBS India said, “We wanted the digibank launch event to mirror our revolutionary offering and break away from conventional banking events. The theme of the event was innovative, futuristic and liberating which brought out the very essence of digibank. The team at Percept successfully helped us set in motion and redefine the future of banking.” DBS has always believed that banking is about doing real things for real people and continues to stress its efforts to make banking that is easy, fast and effortless through the innovative use of technology. digibank will enable people to do more of what they want and allow customers to ‘Live More, Bank Less’. Percept ICE’s scope of work spanned planning, conceptualizing and executing the entire event inclusive of set production, event content , artist co-ordination, branding and décor, venue selection, managing the entire venue set up, food & beverage, webcasting, merchandise, show flow management, and overseeing the entire technical production of the event. The entire theme of the event was furturistic with wifi, webcasting, instant word cloud selfies and a large LED based stage that added to the show.
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‘EEMAGINE’ the annual convention of the Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA), held across 1 – 3 May at Hotel The Grand in New Delhi, concluded yesterday with the Spotlight 200 awards. The awards made its debut this year at EEMAGINE’s 9th edition as a platform to award and recognize service providers and vendors in the industry.
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EEMAGINE, the annual convention of the event and experiential marketing industry took off yesterday at Hotel The Grand in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. Organized by the Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) the event is a melting pot of talent and creativity, pulling in industry stakeholders from the length and breadth of the country for an audience, and experts from multiple domains as speakers. This year the three-day event boasts of close to 30 impressive speakers, including the likes of Amitabh Kant, Sanjay Dutt, Mukesh Bhatt, Valsa Nair Singh and several achievers from the brand and agency side. Themed ‘India Unimagined’, Delhi’s young tourism minister Mr Kapil Mishra christened EEMAGINE 2016 with a keynote address. Having worked closely with the association over the past year over matters of event licensing and pre-approved venues Mr Kapil Mishra has been a loud voice for the event industry and a strong support towards its swift recent growth. He assured continued support from the Delhi government and encouraged the full house of event planners to create more events in the capital city. Voicing his concern regarding corruption in the country he said, “My endeavor as a government representative is to eliminate the rampant corruption in the city. We are trying to ensure a seamless process so that official state formalities do not become a deterrent in your efforts. We’ve already taken some steps in the right direction. For instance Vijay Nair of OML admitted to not having to pay a single rupee as bribe for the first time in his career when he recently organized A R Rahman’s concert. We are also trying to promote street performers so that their talent is recognized and they are given respect in the society. Cultivating talent from the ground up is extremely important for longevity of the industry”. A special address was delivered by Mr Anurag Batra, Chairman and Managing Director, Businessworld Group, on the relevance of ‘Media, Entertainment and Sports’ in the country. He expounded that albeit digital media has picked up wind in the last few years, India still consumes maximum content through television. He said print media is on the decline and smart technology will continue to become more relevant for the millennial. He added that India is the second largest Internet consumer in the world and that is changing the face of media communication rapidly. On the subject of sports he said there’s been a fall of 11% in cricket sponsorships indicating that new opportunities are now opening up in the form of various sporting leagues, implying more possibilities for the events sector too. A panel discussion followed on ‘The business of sports’, with Harish Krishnamachar, Sports Guru and Founder, Sportsoid; Dhiraj Malhotra, Tournament Director - ICC World Cup, Mentor to HIL, ISL, Pro-kabaddi League and IPTL; Gautam Bhimani, Sports Anchor and Saba Karim, Former Cricketer and Indian Selector, as panelists. The discussion was moderated by Syed Sultan Ahmed, Managing Director, Edumedia. A staggering revelation by Harish Krishnamachar indicated that the total TV viewership of sports across categories currently stands at 2.6% in India as opposed to 30% of Hindi GECs. But that said he also added that sports continues to interest a large population of people who are increasingly taking up careers in the field. “Although several sports are attracting attention at the moment they cannot be compared to the popularity of cricket” said Dhiraj Malhotra. “Like Rome, cricket was not built in a day, so it’s unfair to have cricket like expectations from other sports”, he added. The panelists agreed that we’re in the middle of the best time for professional leagues in India. With governance and professionalism tightened, things will surely look up.Gautam Bhimani in a rather bold comparison said that ‘sport’ is similar to sex. Cricket has taken the lead because it has been sexed up right from the beginning, and this strategy is being adopted by other sports too today. Giving pointers to enhance the acceptance of sports in India Saba Karim said three things are imperative- ‘Patience’ because creating mindspace with the consumer takes time, ‘Faith’ in the substance of the sport and, making it “Spicy” because people demand entertainment and excitement. The day ended with a performance by Mame Khan and other entertainment. EEMAGINE 2016 is being held between 1 May and 3 May at hotel The Grand, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. Gitikka Ganju Dhar is the emcee at the event.
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Mondelez India Foods Private Limited announced the launch of its new biscuit brand, Cadbury Bournvita Biscuits in India. Bournvita Biscuits is the company’s second brand in the biscuits category after Oreo, which was launched in 2011. With this Mondelez India expands its category footprint from creams to cookies. Bournvita Biscuits with its ProHEALTH Vitamins™ and signature chocolatey taste will offer a perfect balance for the morning snacking occasion. Candid Marketing, a Strategic Brand Activation Agency organized the Cadbury Bournvita Biscuits launch for the leading media and blogger community at Shangri-La's - Eros Hotel, New Delhi on Tuesday, 19th April 2016. The thematic launch was planned with the idea ‘Fresh Out the Oven’. The entry to the ballroom resembled a bakery and the registration desk as bakery display unit. Press, upon entering the ballroom experienced the aroma of freshly baked biscuits, which was formed using aroma diffusers. Bakers hat were distributed with the communication, ‘We are about to bake the new product- Fresh Out The Oven’ to create excitement & generate curiosity amongst the attendees. Mr. Chandramouli Venkatesan, MD, Mondelez India, addressed the Media post ‘Bournvita Biscuits’ was unveiled to the audience through a large oven. The media & bloggers appreciated the exclusive launch event. Amrita Kumar, Managing Partner, Candid Marketing, says, “ We as an agency always enjoy going beyond clichéd ideas & doing things differently. The thematic press launch has been well appreciated by the press and the client.”
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Regus, the global workplace provider, has announced that they will soon open a new drop-in business centre at the T2 in Mumbai. This will be the first Regus Express centre in India at a place of transit, enabling business travelers to meet, work and refresh themselves. Fully equipped with shower facilities and a café, the new Regus Express centre will allow passengers to freshen up and have their breakfast before heading into a meeting or getting started with their work. The Regus Express hub will be located in the common arrivals hall, making it ideal for arriving business persons to catch up on their work before heading out of the airport. The drop-in business centre will cover 4000 sq. feet and will be able to accommodate as many as 100 passengers at a time. In addition to the shower space and café, the Regus Express hub will also feature a business lounge, co-working spaces, meeting rooms, private workspaces and video conferencing facilities. Speaking about the upcoming Regus Express hub, Harsh Lambah, country manager for Regus in India, said, “At Regus, we understand the requirements and challenges faced by executives and professionals the world over. Over the past year in India, we have worked closely with organisations to provide them with support for various workplace requirements. The launch of Regus Express will now enhance our service offerings further, strengthening the role we play in building productivity and profitability for our customers.” Aside from the Regus Express hub that will soon be launched in Mumbai, Regus also has similar other hubs in the UK at Heathrow, Gatwick and Birmingham airports. Global travellers may also access Regus Express centres in Copenhagen, Denmark and Dallas Lovefield in the US. Aside from these, Regus Express hubs are available at other places of transit such as roadside locations in the UK and railway stations in France, Switzerland, Belgium, the UK and Netherlands. These are enabled in these European countries in association with rail operators like SNCF, SBB, NS and SNCB. With the launch at T2, India will be the 11th country in world with a Regus Express centre. The other countries with a Regus Express presence are the UK, Australia, US, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Switzerland and Singapore.
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Cement manufacturing brand, Ambuja Cement Limited, commenced the celebration of this Holi season by having a ‘waterless holi’. Following their campaign of ‘Jal Hai Toh Kal Hai’, they had a special pledge ceremony for the inauguration where they pledged to champion the cause of water conservation along with their 1500 fellow dealers. The event was hosted in Ahmedabad on March 21st. The entry had a special pledging signage ceremony signed by all invitees. The Rajasthani theme merged well with the elements of the festival. The festival of colors was signified right from the entry gate, beautiful walkway with colorful rangoli, multi color traditional seating, mix of mattresses and cots, props in the ground with a blend of Rajasthani folk songs and the very popular Rajasthani dance. The audience stood stunned when the colors started to pour to set the ambience for the occasion. The herbal colors used throughout the event encouraged more invitees to participate in the celebration. All were mesmerized by the artist selection of the firm who lead the crowd in an uproar in the silence of the surrounding. Mr. Sanjay Gorakhia, Vice President, Ambuja Cement Limited, commented on the occasion saying- “Ambuja Cement is sustainable company and believes in protecting natural resources through its initiatives.” Mr. Nilesh Hindocha, Zonal Head, Ambuja Cement Limited said that “Festival celebrations are always with family and we believe our network is our family that’s why we call it “Ambuja Parivar- Anmol Parivar”. As a special treatment for the special guests and the invited artists, a unique setting was created for them. The setting was away from where the colors flew in the sky. The guests were served special Rajasthani delicacies. In addition to that the air was filled with fine tunes of our famous Indian musical instrument, ek tara, which was operated by a street musical instrument player. The event was managed and executed by U&I Resources Pvt. Ltd. Commenting about the event, Mr. Sandeep Modi, Director, U&I Resources Pvt. Ltd, “It was an immense pleasure to manage the event for Ambuja Cement Limited. We have managed events for the company before too, but associating with a cause while working is what stood as a unique example for us which we would like to carry forward with our organization too. Events are not only about production and technicalities but also about the social network that we build upon for a lifetime.”
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Candid Marketing executed a conference cum exhibition, Techshare 2016 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi earlier this month. Techshare is a conference cum exhibition organized by Barrierbreak with an aim of showcasing the technology and assistive devices available to make possible, with ease, the everyday activities for the disabled people. Barrierbreak in partnership with NCPEDP & RNIB, UK have brought Techshare India 2016 to discuss accessibility & assistive technology at a national level with strong international participation. Post the success of the 2008, 2010, 2012 & 2014 events, the 5th edition of Techshare India was held last week to focus on enhancing equal access through the theme, ‘Towards Digital Inclusion’. It is a property held every two years. Candid Marketing was assigned the task of conducting the conferences and erecting the disable friendly structures at the Venue. Candid is conducting Techshare India with ease & expertise over the years which not many agencies are able to handle the disable friendly event briefs. In order to achieve the objective, special size/type of ramps were built (for wheelchairs), signages (directions for the visually impaired) were specially created. Braille labels were integrated in lifts for visually impaired, and straws were provided for mobility impaired at food area to provide a seamless experience. A formal training was organized to orient the volunteers on how to interact with the people with disabilities. Also, bringing together the entire ecosystem of Government, NGO’s, Corporate houses & the disable people in an effort towards constructive steps for bringing at par the disabled people with all the ease around them. The conference cum exhibition explored the entire gamut of technology working for the disabled and succeeded in breaking barriers between the government, the corporate, the NGOs on one hand and the disabled sixty million Indians on the other. A total of 1230 delegates attended this conference cum exhibition. Around 2200 visitors from corporates, NGOs and governments’ organization, 70% of the people with disabilities and 75 international participants came to attend the conference. Shilpi Kapoor, CEO, Barrierbreak says, “The Candid team has understood our requirement and have been sensitive to the needs of our delegates especially those with disability. The team has understood our design requirements and has been perfect in their color coding. They have taken all the efforts to ensure that the event place is accessible by providing proper signage’s, knowing where the sign language interpreter has to be on the stage, seating arrangements, entry and exit points etc. The team on the ground has always done a fabulous work delivering an excellent service throughout the event. It has always been absolute delight working with the friendly and helpful Candid Team.” On the successful completion of the conference, Mr. Mihir Shah, Vice President, Candid Marketing says, “Our association with Techshare India goes back to a decade now. To keep up with the theme & objective of the conference & executing an event of this scale has always been challenging in its own way. At Candid, it has been our constant endeavor to ensure that we provide solutions that assist our clients to create optimum impact.”
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The first All Womens’ polo chukker was held last week at Jaipur Polo Grounds in New Delhi. Ms Shivani Wazir Pasrich was the Emcee and presenter of the evening and Mr. Sharad Saxena, the commentator. The women players include Avshreya Rudy, a Mayo-ite with excellent riding skills and the daughter of the Hon’ble Minister for Skill Development Rajiv Pratap Rudy and golfing champion Neelam Rudy. Rina Shah who has a brilliant track record in her polo achievements including winning the MG & G Area Polo Cup in 2013, Umaid Bhavan Cup 2014, Jodhpur Cup 2014, Beginners Cup Jodhpur – 2013 and Hermes Cup Jodhpur 2015, she started playing chukkers in 2012 and participated in her first tournament in 2013. Her current handicap is -2 and she represents the Amateur Riding Club. Other players are Leonie Darsow from Germany, who lives in Hamburg and works at Lufthansa Technik, French player Carine Barbe who lived in India for several years and works with Air France. Manisha Pattu who represented India in tennis at the Olympics and is an accomplished wife of the Commandant of the 61st Cavalry, Monica Saxena, a seasoned player and wife of polo commentator and player Sharad Saxena, Sonia Jabbar from Assam and Maya Chandra. Sonia and Maya not only play polo tournaments, but also keeps fit during the off season by playing cycle polo. The TATA vs I.L.A. Pasrich & Company clash for the TATA Polo Cup was flagged off by the CEO of NITI Aayog, Mr. Amitabh Kant. Players on the I.L.A. Pasrich & Company team included Col. Ravi Rathore, Deepak Udar, Amir Singh Pasrich and Sunjay Kapur and on the TATA team were Cdr. A.P. Singh, Col Sameer Chaudhary, foreign player from USA Mike Dailey and Lt. General A.K. Sahni, PVSM, UYSM, SM, VSM. Lucky draws and a selection of the Best Dressed Person in the audience stands were added attractions planned for the early spring evening, which preceded a grand prize distribution ceremony. Artist Naresh Kapuria presented a work entitled, ‘The Mask’ as the players reflected the coming together of yin and yang, on the playing field. Shivani Wazir Pasrich and the Austrian Ambassador’s wife, Joanna Daniel Wrabetz conceptualised this first all Women's Polo event. The navy band which began playing in the afternoon concluded with a “Sundown Party” with chords from Cuddalore by Sowri Rajan and a jugalbandhi with DJ Chetan. With the TATA Polo Cup, SWP Productions has celebrated and recognised women and their determination and drive to break through glass ceilings in a male dominated bastion by presenting India's First All Women's Polo chukker. SWP Productions provides consultancy services for management of lifestyle events and cause driven projects dealing with issues like women’s empowerment, education and conservation. As a production house, they have managed projects with a message in New York, London, Poland, Mumbai, Kanha, Bangalore, Hyderabad and New Delhi. SWP Productions presents the Bhopal Pataudi polo cup annually and they have pioneered polo cups like the Law and Justice Polo Trophy and The Tata Polo Cup. The event was supported by the Army Polo and Riding Club, Titan Company, Ravish Kapoor, the Taj Mahal Hotel New Delhi, Episode, Lockheed Martin, MaxFort School, L'Opera, TATA Motors, TATA Housing, Delhipedia, L'Elite Delhi Magazine, Hunter Beer and The Study School for their support.
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