With the recent rise of ex Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi’s to become the Prime Minister of India has put Gujarat on the spotlight globally. Regionally, the state still remains a dry state and the Gujarati people are used to plan events in neighbouring regions like Goa, Udaipur, Rajasthan etc. However, this is changing as Gujarat’s events industry is tapping the development the region is witnessing on a large scale. In a recent maiden event by EMF called ACE 2014, a session was held to debate the current situation in Gujarat with respect to the events industry including challenges and future scope. The panel of the session included Suresh Patel – Managing Director, Surya Group, Rakesh Nair, General Manager – Corporate Affairs, K and D and Talha Sareshwala, CEO – Parsoli Motors Pvt. Ltd. The session was moderated by Anurag Batra, Chairman – exchange4media.com. Suresh Patel initiated the session with a general talk on event management. He believes that the event fraternity does well when people overall do well, the industry in that region does well, which also leads to people buying more cars including luxury ones – everything is interconnected. He said, “The role of an event manager is to turn any situation into an opportunity. As for real estate, it has been closely working with entertainment industry for around 5 years now.” Gujarat boasts a coastline that stretches up to 1,600 kms, which offers immense potential for event managers and tourism. As tourism is developing in Gujarat, the events industry is connected with it. In the proposed corridor project by Government of India, which will cover a total of 1483 kms, 38% of it will run through Gujarat, which will fuel industrial development along the corridor. It is another opportunity to be tapped by the events industry. Today, the state is a hub for gems, jewelry, textile, marine, chemical, pharmaceutical etc. The population in Gujarat is expected to grow around 8 crore, out of which 4 crore are expected to reside in cities. Even if we expect each one of them to have at least 1 or 2 events in a year, it is an opportunity for events industry. One of the signs of a population that is growing in terms of prosperity is the number of luxury cars being sold in that region. Talha Sareshwala of Parsoli Motors believes that being a dry state does not become a roadblock for development. Earlier, Surat was the main focus of development but now Ahmedabad is booming. Just six years ago, there were hardly any luxury brand in Gujarat but now, top luxury players sell about 150 cars / month in the state. The state is also witnessing an increased number of vehicle manufacturers like Honda, Tata, and Maruti who have either set up a plant already or planning to in the near future. The state has also witnessed rising of major cities like Rajkot, Baroda, Surat, Ahmedabad with standards at par with other major cities in the country. As more and more people come to these cities for work and business, they require events. What may be lacking in Gujarat as of now is infrastructure. Good spread of luxury hotels, mega convention centers like Pragati Maidan in Delhi and other venues to hold events. But, these are being addressed as the state sees rapid growth. As people get more conscious about their status and they make more money, they would definitely want event planners to make their events more special and bigger. Gujarat maybe known for their tight approach towards spending but when it comes to events like wedding, they are more lavish than any other culture in India.
Read More
With summers at their peak, the need to refresh and chill is on the rise. As a step in the same direction, Celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna recently unveiled his latest book – Shaken & Stirred offering a large variety of simple and easy recipes of non-alcoholic beverages to help readers beat the heat this season at a glittering ceremony in Delhi recently. We MediaWorks who were assigned the task of organizing the launch also inculcated an array of engaging activities that allowed the attendees of the event to directly communicate with Michelin Star Chef. These activities ranged from Blind Tasting Games, Unique photo opportunities and Book signing games. Commenting on the launch – VinayKumar , Director We MediaWorks said “We have had a long relation with Chef Khanna and have worked closely on past launches and activities as well. This time was no different and was equally exciting to deliver quality and excellence at the launch.” The highlight of the launch was the refreshing setup and out of the box branding solutions like customized table pennants and bar displays. The launch was attended by members of the media and a large number of parents who came with their kids to learn more about how to beat the heat this summer for the Chef directly.
Read More
Percept ICE, a company of Percept Limited, managed the on ground activation & provided innovative branding solutions to Zee at the MELT Exhibition 2015, a festival of creativity for the advertising, media, digital and marketing industries. ZEE partnered with Kyoorius to launch ZEE MELT 2015. This festival took place on the 21st & 22nd May, 2015 at Worli, Mumbai. Percept ICE executed the entire on-ground Activation and provided Innovative New Age-Technology driven Branding Solutions to ZEE at the exhibition. The 2 days were filled with seminars, exhibitions and workshops, culminating with the Kyoorius Advertising and Digital Awards Night on 22nd May at NSCI Stadium. The iconic Nehru Centre and NSCI at Worli were transformed into a zone of buzzing activity, a hub that attracted over 5,000 people over two days, who connected over the topics of creativity with marketing. ZEE MELT 2015 included content divided across 4 key pillars viz. Learning, Networking, Showcase and Celebration. Events under these headers were driven and curated by content partners and participating brands at ZEE MELT 2015. Each of these events gave delegates the opportunity to gain real insight into the creative communications industry from industry specialists.
Read More
BMW Group India recently launched the new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé at the curtain-raiser of the BMW India Bridal Fashion Week 2015 – India’s most-awaited ‘Bridal Couture’ showcase. The new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé arrived in style at an exclusive fashion show, where the country’s notable fashion designers presented the ‘Preview’ of their couture collection and upcoming trends for BMW India Bridal Fashion Week 2015. BMW takes India Bridal Fashion Week national for the first time, showcasing breathtaking bridal couture across seven cities. The new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé is now available at all BMW dealerships across India as a CBU (Completely Built-Up) unit from today onwards. Mr. Philipp von Sahr, President, BMW Group India said, “At the heart of BMW is not only brilliant automotive engineering but also the desire to evoke emotions and spread JOY. Our automobiles are not just the end of a creative process but a beginning. Likewise, an Indian wedding is a celebration of emotions, aesthetics, craftsmanship and opulence. BMW also celebrates these values that are cherished by our esteemed clientele. BMW India Bridal Fashion Week has established itself as a unique avenue where the best of Indian fashion designers open doors to the latest trends in ‘Bridal Couture’. It is the perfect platform for the launch of the new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé which combines absolute luxury and immaculate design with adrenalin rushing performance.” The all India ex-showroom prices of the new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé are as follows – BMW 640d Eminence : INR 1,14,90,000 BMW 640d Design Pure Experience : INR 1,21,90,000 Price prevailing at the time of delivery will be applicable. Delivery will be made ‘ex-showroom’. Ex-showroom price excludes Road tax, RTO statutory taxes / fees, insurance and Octroi (if applicable). Prices / options are subject to change without prior notice. The new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé is available in Alpine White as non-metallic paintwork and in the following nine metallic paintworks: Black Sapphire, Cashmere Silver, Glacier Silver, Space Grey, Jatoba, Melbourne Red, Mediterranean Blue and Mineral White. The standard Dakota and exclusive Nappa leather upholstery is available in Black and Ivory White colour combinations. Interior trims offered are Fineline Brown and Fine-wood trim Poplar Grain Grey. BMW Design Pure Experience package comes with extended bicolourNappa leather upholstery in Cognac/Black which underlines the sportiness of the new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé. Other features in the interior include ambient lighting and a sports leather steering wheel. Exclusive 19-inch light alloy wheels, LED fog lights, Shadow Line and dark chrome exhaust pipes round off the exterior appearance. The radiator grille slats, air inlet surrounds and decorative trim on the rear apron are also in dark chrome. BMW has enjoyed a long-standing history of collaborations with artists and designers the world over. BMW is the official partner of India Bridal Fashion Weekfor the second consecutive year. For 2015, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, AshimaLeena, Falguni Shane Peacock, GauriNainika, JJ Valaya, Jyotsna Tiwari, Shantanu Nikhil, SuneetVarma and TarunTahiliani will showcase their most opulent and premier collections in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh. “Driving a BMW is, in itself, a mark of character. And, BMW Individual is the most exclusive way to drive a BMW. The collection presented by renowned designers at the BMW India Bridal Fashion Week 2015 matches the philosophy of BMW Individual – a perfect blend of inspiration and creative freedom to design an expression of your individual character. The BMW Individual Collection offers a wide range of high-quality options for discerning customers. The finest leathers, exceptionally sophisticated interior trims and brilliant paint finishes can be chosen to further personalise your BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé,” said Mr. Philipp von Sahr, President, BMW Group India. The BMW India Bridal Fashion Week is instrumental in connecting India’s leading fashion designers with brands for unique opportunities such as creative collaborations, endorsements, appearances and consumer connects. It also promotes trade and connects designers with fashion consumers and buyers through Bridal Luxury Couture Exposition – a trade exposition to discover and shop from established and emerging designer labels and lifestyle brands featuring women’s wear, men’s wear, jewellery and accessories.
Read More
DSK Motowheels, one of India’s players in the superbike industry, unveiled the range of its legendary Italian superbike brand ‘Benelli’ for the first time in North India, followed by the announcement of its first DSK Benelli showroom launch in New Delhi. The showroom is situated in one of the most buzzing and central locales of the capital, at Faiz Road, Karol Bagh, near Jhandewalan Metro, showcasing the entire range of DSK Benelli superbikes available in India under the dealership of ‘Torque Bikes’. With a view to strengthen its setup, DSK Benelli also aims at expanding its reach across Northern India, reaching out to a larger audience of superbike enthusiasts in the coming months. The bikes showcased includes the sporty-looking Tornado Naked Tre, or TNT superbikes that encompass the TNT 300 – In-line two cylinder 300cc engine, TNT 600i – In-line four cylinder 600cc engine, TNT 600 GT – In-line four cylinder 600cc engine, TNT 899 – In-line, three cylinder 898cc engine and TNT R – In-line, three cylinder 1131cc engine. Speaking on the launch, Shirish Kulkarni, Chairman, DSK Motowheels said, “Our main focus is to align DSK Benelli’s presence across all strategic locations to generate strong brand eminence. In order to enhance our presence across North India, the country’s capital ‘Delhi’ is an inevitable choice to begin with and is one of our key target markets. Our dealerships will not only act as a platform to sell motorcycles but also as a place for DSK Benelli superbike enthusiasts to interact with other bikers and share their love for the Italian superbiking experience.” Born of rich, pure lineage, DSK Benelli today boasts range of globally-respected superbikes that marry heritage, innovation, styling and technological prowess. Benelli’s distinctly stylish motorcycles are known for their Italian flamboyance and the ability to provide riders from all walks of life a pure, high-performance experience. DSK Motowheels is assembling and selling Benelli bikes across the country and supporting them with a good backup of service and spares. With its mounting sales and service network, the brand offers 24 x 7 on call breakdown service. The entire gamut of DSK Benelli superbikes, are available at the below mentioned price points: (Ex-Showroom, Delhi) TNT 302 – Rs. 2,83,000 TNT 600i – Rs. 5,15,000 TNT 600 GT – Rs. 5,62,000 TNT 899 – Rs. 9,48,000 TNT R (1130) – Rs. 11,81,000
Read More
At the onset of the school re-opening season, Tata Motors recently showcased a complete range of school transport solutions at the St. Joseph’s Indian High School Ground, Bangalore on Saturday, 13th June 2015 from 11 AM to 5 PM. The school bus expo being organized by Tata Motors exhibited the company’s entire range of school buses and vans namely the Iris, Magic, Winger, CityRide EX, Starbus and the Starbus Ultra. Under these brands, a wide array of products ranging from 3 seater – 68 seater school children transport vehicles were also showcased at the venue. All Tata school buses including the Ultra, which is the flagship product are incorporated with class leading safety features and comply with the ‘to be introduced Bus Body Code’ norms. In addition to the range of school buses, Tata Motors also showcased the Tata Skoolman, a telematics based tracking solution, aimed at addressing pressing concerns over student safety during school bus travel. The Tata Skoolman not only enables additional safety for school children, but also enables more convenience for parents and more efficient fleet management for schools and bus operators. Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Mukund Krishnamurthy, Regional Manager (South), Tata Motors Limited, said, “As the largest manufacturer of school transport vehicles in India, Tata Motors has always been at the forefront of encouraging safety during school bus transit. With the schools re opening in Bangalore, we want parents, schools and fleet owners to be able to see the range of safe school transport solutions the company has to offer.” According to Mr. Sandeep Kumar, Business Head (Commercial Vehicles – Passenger), Tata Motors Limited,“At Tata Motors we are focused on introducing products which are comfortable and safe for children, we also understand that safety of school children is largely dependent on the people involved in school bus transit – drivers, school bus staff, parents and most importantly school children themselves. In order to create awareness about all aspects of child safety, Tata Motors has launched several special initiatives such as Hamare Bus Ki BaatHai’ and ‘Dream It to Win It’. These initiatives are meant to familiarize, train and sensitize all stakeholders, in various aspects of child safety during school transit.” Under the Hamare Bus Ki BaatHai school bus safety program, Tata Motors has trained over 15,000 school bus staff across 41 cities, 295 schools, through 302 sessions. Since its inception the program has helped in creating a sense of involvement among participants, increasing awareness about their duties and responsibilities, maintaining personal hygiene, general etiquette and behavior, and also taking necessary measures in case of accidents. Furthering this initiative, Tata Motors now aims at sensitizing parents about the ‘Hamare Bus Ki BaatHai’ initiative to better understand safety concerns during school bus travel, in turn prompting parents to impart behavioral training during school bus travel and to take necessary measures in case of accidents, also giving care givers time to react and help keep children safe. Tata Motors understands that parents of children are like any other bus customer. They want to be informed and want the bus provider to be responsive. Recognizing that all these issues are important for parents, Tata Motors has devised ‘the Safest School Bus concept’, with technology as the backbone. The safest school bus concept incorporates some unique safety features in a Tata Motors SKOOL BUS 2 cameras fitted, one on the front windshield & one in saloon area Monitor to capture & display real time images DVR System with built-in GPS sensors Supports up to 64 GB Micro SDHC card for recording Rear view camera with display monitor mounted on the dashboard Roof mounted flashing lamps which will flash as soon as the door is opened Door buzzer & indicator on dash board Electronic front destination board Stop request switch on each seat location Apart from these technology rich features, Tata Motors SKOOL buses are also fitted with comfortable seating, chin guard, stop sign on passenger door, 2-point lap seat belts, one row roof grab rail handles, fire extinguishers, rear high mount stop lamp, rear breakable windshield with hammer.
Read More
Advertising honcho and ex Chief Operating Officer of DDB Mudra, Pratap Bose, Outdoor and Experiential guru Mandeep Malhotra, Arjun Reddy an entrepreneur who owns and runs a diversified portfolio of businesses, and Pradeep Uppalapati, who was a Senior Director and India Lead for Global Corporate Development Team at Accenture, team up to launch India’s maiden advertising conglomerate ‘The Social Street’. Positioned as a digitally driven agency, The Social Street embraces the best in technology processes and systems, across its service offerings which include Branded Content & Entertainment, Shopper Marketing, Media, Out-of-home, Retail, Sport Marketing, Events & Promotions, Rural Marketing, Trade Marketing and Youth Marketing, with operations in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. The conglomerate will add Advertising, Digital and Social to its offerings by the end of the financial year with more offices spread out across the country. The name ‘The Social Street’ springs from the thought that every brand’s story starts on the street. They are inspired by the lives of consumers. They are born on the crossroads, where the lives of consumers meet the purpose of the brand. In today’s world that thrives on co-creation, two of advertising’s most sought after names – Josy Paul, Chairman & CCO, BBDO India and Bobby Pawar, Director & CCO, Publicis South Asia came in to help with the name and the brand identity respectively, of The Social Street. On the launch of The Social Street, Pratap Bose, Managing Director and Chairman said, “Everybody today wants to start something they can call their own. Something they can create from scratch. And thankfully for me, this dream has come true. It’s been a year of hard work and patience, but the fruits of it have started to pay off. This wouldn’t have been possible without Mandeep, Arjun, Pradeep and all the employees who have put their faith and trust in me. I would also like to thank Josy and Bobby especially, for helping out in their own affectionate way. A big thank you to all my friends in the media, advertising and marketing fraternities who have helped and provided me invaluable guidance. Our aim at The Social Street is to find, tell and amplify the stories that are inspired by the lives of consumers and intersect them with brands. We are here to connect the streets that make brands social. And nobody will be able to navigate these streets as well as we can. Here’s to a crazy ride with The Social Street.” Mandeep Malhotra expressed his sentiments by saying, “I am very excited and am looking forward to being a part of this unique agency and hope to build The Social Street into one of the hottest agencies in the years to come ’’ Speaking on the occasion, Pradeep Uppalapati quoted “Social Street is an agency that is capable of addressing the entire suite of client marketing requirements. It is all about latest technologies and processes to offer our clients nothing but the best. Our strong and diverse team is fully geared up with fresh and innovative ideas to serve our clients. I am really looking forward and excited to be working with Pratap and the team. This will be one of the most exciting journeys of my professional career so far” Voicing his excitement about the agency Arjun Reddy said, “ I am personally very excited about this venture and looking forward to the exciting times ahead of all of us. I am very confident that we will be creating immense value to our clients in this space”
Read More
