The 120 Media Collective, a digitally-inclined company that creates and distributes content and campaigns for audiences and brands across multiple platforms, announced today the appointment of Sandeep Naug as the Vice President, Business Development. He will be responsible for driving revenue and integrated new business including branded content and other properties, for the company and its verticals – Jack in the Box Worldwide, Sniperand Sooperfly. Naug will report to Roopak Saluja – Founder & CEO, The 120 Media Collective, and will be based out of both Mumbai and Delhi. A seasoned media professional with over eight years of experience in content solutions, Sandeep’s specialization lies in branded content and sales, strategy, planning and implementing paid, earned and owned media. Armed with an ISB&M post graduate degree, he has previously worked with CNBC TV18, Bloomberg UTV and Disney, and most recently with Culture Machine as Lead- Revenue for North and APAC through digital video content and channel management. Sandeep’s holistic exposure across sectors, namely, BFSI, Mobile, Automobile, FMCG, Information Technology/Information Technology Enabled Services (IT/ITes), Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), enables a more in-depth understanding of the dynamics of content and its implicationsfor brands. Speaking about the development, Roopak Saluja, Founder & CEO, The 120 Media Collective, said, “Entering our ninth year of existence, we’re not just creating content and communications but are now engaging with specific audiences in a strategic manner. Bringing our diverse offerings together to create integrated solutions for brands is therefore paramount. Sandeep’s broad and deep experience in Branded Content across traditional and digital media, his solutions-oriented approach towards brands and advertisers and his profound understanding of where the industry is headed, make him the perfect fit for this role, which will be pivotal in taking The 120 Media Collective to the next level as an integrated next generation media company.”
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Just a few years ago, drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), were introduced into the world of events and they immediately became one of the most engaging elements for the attendees of the event. Mostly used to take an aerial view or perform flower shower at events, drones are present everywhere today and are widely used today in all formats to events, be it weddings, trade exhibitions or even product launches. However, with drones being widely used everywhere today, an element of monotony towards their use can easily be felt developing around the buzzing technological advancement. To solve the purpose, we at EE are listing down 5 innovative ways drones can be used at events. 1-Deliver Invitations So far, one of the drawbacks of drones being used is the fact that they are never really engaging directly with the audiences or attendees in any manner at the events. They do fly and perform an array of functions and the audience is hooked on to the event just by seeing them. However they can also be used to create a more customized experiences for the guests by sending the invitations of the event through drones. This goes without saying that the act will require human supervision but the experience of it is bound to be memorable. 2-3-D Mapping This idea makes technology meeting another technology to create a unique wow element at your event. Small, lightweight drones may look like simple model airplanes, but they can survey landscapes with thousands of digital images that can be stitched together into 3-D maps at events. These 3-D maps then can be used during performances at events, interaction sessions, lighting purposes and so much more. 3-Photography Drones have often been used for capturing and live streaming videos but not many people use them to capture still photographs. You can do that at your next event and create a live montage of photographs of the audience. The same can then be given as a return gift to them as a token to say thanks for attending the event. You can never go wrong, by gifting an experience to your guests. 4-Providing internet access Free Wi-Fi anyone? Yes, everyone wants free Wi-Fi at events as they want to share about their experiences in real time on various social media platforms. But often a problem with Wi-Fi and internet is that due to a large number of users using the network at the same time, while sometime the connectivity wears off or it is the network that gets jammed. But, drones can be a great help in such situations as they can be used to host Wi-Fi servers on them and then the same can be used not only as an engaging element at events but also for making available free services to the attendees. 5-Flying drone challenges With multiple drones present at your event you can also use them to create an interesting challenging game for the attendees. All you need to do is create an obstacle course and then a few participants to play the game. The audiences love drones and through this method they get to experience it too in a fun and interesting way, now that is an experience I would love to have.
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Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA), the apex body of the Indian event industry has announced the EEMAX Global Awards to identify, celebrate and honour the best events and experiential marketing projects from India and around the world. Entries for the EEMAX Global Awards are expected from agencies in India, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and USA. The three level selection process, involves taking the award entries through a screening jury, a global jury and a peer voting by members of EEMA to choose the winners in 25 categories that span entertainment events, social events, sporting events, weddings, exhibitions, digital events, government events etc. Mr Sabbas Joseph, President- EEMA, shared, “The EEMAX GLOBAL Awards are a clear sign of India¹s event industry going global. Indian event companies are being retained by international clients and brands for development of activation programs as well as corporate events, mega public events and also sporting galas. EEMAX GLOBAL will signify a welcome to global agencies to showcase their work in India which is the fast-developing turf for global event programs.” The event industry in India has grown exponentially over the last two decades with several 1000 entities operating in this space, in various segments and levels across 100+ cities in India. EEMA is the first and only body of its kind, which seeks to bring together the country’ leading event management companies, entertainment professionals, artist management companies and international counterparts on the same platform. For the first time in its history, EEMA hosted a national fund-raiser in October 2014 called HUM HAIN … Ummeed-e –Kashmir across 4 major cities i.e. Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai; that brought the collective efforts of its members, along with the Film and Television Producers Guild, Zee Network, United Way of India and several celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Imtiaz Ali etc.for the re-development of Kashmir and Assam post the flood. The focus at EEMA has been to build engagement across the regions to ensure maximum participation and regional development and to continue its purpose it will host training workshops and webinars by various industry stalwarts for EEMA member-agencies on How To Submit Award Winning Entries. Apart from honoring the best within the event fraternity, EEMAX Global will also include presentations of a few award winning global case studies and entertainment from some of India’s finest music and acting talents. The presentation ceremony will be held in Mumbai, India in September 2015. The micro site for uploading award entries is now officially open. More information about the award categories and how to apply can be viewed at http://www.eemaxglobal.com/ AWARD CATEGORIES EVENTS Best Signature Event Best Public Event (Ticketed + Non-Ticketed) Best Televised Event Best Product or Service Launch Event Best MICE Event Best International Event Best Internal Event or Activation Best Event for the Govt Best CSR Event or Activation Initiative ACTIVATION Best Roadshow Activation Best Mall or Instore Activation Best Consumer Activation (Overall) Best School or Youth Activation Best Product Launch Activation Best Dealer Activation SOCIAL Best Wedding Best Social Event other than Weddings Best Destination Wedding Best Décor Design for a Wedding or Social Event SPORTS Best Ceremony for Sports Best Sports Team Activation Best Execution of a Sports Event IP Best New IP – Event or Activation Best IP – Event or Activation Best Integrated Communication Program for an IP DIGITAL & TECHNOLOGY Best use of Digital Marketing for an Event or Activation Best use of Technology for an Event or Activation Best Social Media Amplification or Mobile Application for an Event or Activation EDUCATION Best Event Management & Experiential Marketing Education Program
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Designing sets for weddings are not an easy task. A designer not only has to take care of the intricate elements like properties, colors, theme, décor, appeal and balance but they also have to make sure that the end result is a never seen before piece of art, which is a common brief by the client. Omung Kumar, the noted film and art designer delivered an interesting session at the ICWF 15’, where the maestro of set design in films, television shows and weddings shared his experiences of set designing. Omung began his session by showcasing how he designed the sets for films like Black, Sawariya, Mary Kom and exotic entertainment properties like Kingdom of Dreams. Though the session was largely visual but in case you missed it, we at EE have your back as we list down 5 takeaways from Omung Kumar on set designing. “Everything in and around you is design and in architectural form, you just need to have a creative vision to see and realize it.” Now this is a very important tip for all the set designers who are often seeking inspiration for their sets. All you need to do now is keep an eye on anything and everything around you and you never know what can inspire your next design. “I take the client brief and chuck it out. The real idea of design begins and is conceptualized from a fresh blank white paper.” It is indeed very important for a designer to start a fresh for every design. It not necessarily means scrapping the clients brief but creating your own fresh ideas and integrating the clients demand into it. “Everyone and everything around us have design in them but the sense of what to pick and what to include in your designs make you a real designer.” Yes, a necessary quality in a designer is to know where to put different elements in a design to create a beautiful ensemble. “When you are designing a set you have to make sure that everything has to be balanced and in the perfect angle but what elements you use to strike that balance depends on the designer. “ All designs should be balanced and should appeal to the viewer’s eyes. Without balance a design can often come across as cluttered. “As a designer I design two sets everyday which are my best works. But I wake up the next day and I challenge myself to outdo what I did as I promised my clients that I will give them my best design. As a designer it is very important to challenge yourself and never get bored with your designs as when you get bored others will too. I don’t design for the clients, I don’t design for the industry, I design for myself. “ A designer should always try to outdo themselves with every design and as long as they try to do that their designs will always reflect the most perfect and their best works.
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‘Papa CJ: Naked’ has been invited to represent India at the Shared History Festival in South Africa in September 2015. Shared History, which has become a regular feature on the South African cultural scene, is an annual festival that showcases the best of contemporary arts and culture from the Indian subcontinent in South Africa. The festival aims to explore the shared artistic bond and cultural history of the two countries and their recent pasts. Begun in 2007, the festival is brought to the country in collaboration with the High Commission of India in South Africa. Earlier this year ‘Naked’ received the rare honour of becoming the first ever solo show from India that was invited to showcase at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Amongst the 550 plus shows at Australia’s largest cultural event, it was the only solo English show that was invited from all of Asia. Such international recognition is unprecedented for Indian stand-up comedy. In November 2014 Papa CJ was also invited to Malaysia to receive the award for Asia’s Best Stand-up Comedian. His show ‘Naked’ is also the only solo comedy show from India that will be showcasing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2015. The Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival with over 3000 shows across various genres. Papa CJ’s past international performances include over 2000 shows in more than 18 countries. He has taped a Showtime USA Stand-up Comedy Special with Russell Peters in Amsterdam and in the American TV show Last Comic Standing, he was placed in the top ten from over 3000 contestants across the world. His work has been broadcast on NBC, BBC, Comedy Central, Showtime, MTV, Paramount, The Comedy Channel, ITV and a host of other international networks. Papa CJ was also the first ever comedian from India to be invited to perform at the Just for Laughs Festival in Canada in 2009. Little wonder that Forbes Magazine has called Papa CJ ‘the global face of Indian stand-up’ and Toastmaster International called him one of the most influential comedians around the world.
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Gone are the days when clients were easily satisfied with simple and comfortable arrangements at their weddings. Today the clients heavily emphasize on elevating the level of their weddings to make everything appear larger than life, so that the attendees of the event take with them an experience to be treasured for a lifetime. But how can a wedding planner design the perfect experience quotient for a private social event was the subject of an interesting panel discussion at the International Convention of the Wedding Fraternity (ICWF) ’15. The session was chaired by Vandana Mohan, Founder, The Wedding Design Company,MitjaPrelovsek from Invisible.si, Arpit Vyas of Dishman Pharmaceutical and Culinary Designer MarutSikka. The discussion was moderated by Roshan Abbas, Managing Director at Encompass. At the beginning of the session MitjaPrelovsek delivered a special presentation where technology was used by him to elevate the experience quotient at public places. Mitja explained that his inspiration to create such experiences is driven by the memories and responses of humans. Roshan Abbas introduced the theme of the panel discussions by stating that all event planners are similar to dream catchers who make an intangible dream in a client’s head tangible by bringing it to reality. He asked the panelists, “However, to make a dream come true you need a team to help you. So how do you find a team to help you in creating such experiences?” To this Vanda Mohan responded by saying, “The industry today is very ‘me-centric’ and no one wants to share their work with others. But my way of working is always to collaborate with the best and the deliver the same to my client. I may have a certain sense of style and positioning of things but I would never hesitate to call someone like a SumantJayakrishnan to help me add value to my work. I strongly feel that the way forward in the industry is to collaborate and put aside this feeling of competitiveness and help each other to deliver that ultimate experience to our clients.” When asked upon what is a great experience for the panelists at weddings, MautSikka responded by saying, “Experience is all about using your senses, so be it the décor of the place that you are visiting or what you see or even the way food is laid out and served is part of an experience. It is also important to take care of the smallest element and details at weddings because the smallest of things gone wrong can end up giving bad experiences to your attendees.” Speaking on how to create digital experiences in a touch and feel economy like India, MitjaPrelovsek said, “Contrary to the popular belief, digital is not always using smartphones and iPad. What I do is to integrate digital technology with tangible properties so the idea is to make people forget the fact that there is a technology at play here. All I want is for them to just enjoy the moment.” When asked if technology is the sixth sense to create experience today? Mitja responded by explaining that experience should be designed in order to involve all the 5 senses, the more senses a technology brings alive the better experience will be created. There are times in a multi-agency pitch when the clients hears your ideas and thoughts but never responds back. When asked by Roshan Abbas on how to make the client respond to the agency in such situations, Arpit Vyas responded by saying, “You have to inspire the clients in your first brief itself. If you fail to do that you can never get him to respond and also as an agency one has to be able to bring and strike a relationship with the client from the get go. If an agency is able to achieve that then they will always get responses from clients.” Expanding further Vandana Mohan added, “Building the trust and the uniqueness of the concept are two things that are guaranteed to get you the job. If an agency pitches to a client a cut and paste concept that will be shown to them by 6 other agencies they can never get the job.”
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The 3rd edition of the International Convention of the Wedding Fraternity (ICWF) held at Hyatt Manesar from 31st July-1st August, pulled in an impressive crowd from the country’s weddings and social events segment. The platform brought together wedding planners, flower decorators, venues, caterers and miscellaneous service providers all under one roof. Here is a collection of some interesting moments we snatched from the event. Ankita-Chugh-from-Anikta-Chugh-Weddings-and-Lavish-Chopra Sanju-Simon-and-Himansh-Sharma-from-World-at-Glance Vikrant-Jain-Led-Solutions-and-Kartik-Chaudhary-Beats-Light-and-Sound Thomas-De-Bruyne Team-Turkey Tarsame-Mittal-TM-Talent-Management-and-Deepak-Choudhary-Event-Capital Surabh-Luthra-from-Niti-Luthra-Make-up-and-Ankit-Singhal-Hyatt-Manesar Samit-Garg-E-Factor-Entertainment-and-Manish-Malhotra Roshan-Abbas-Encompass Rochana-Pandya-and-Namit-Taluka-from-Taluka-Decorators Rishabh-Panchhi-from-Panchhi-Events-Tranbir-Sahni-White-Horse-Events-Management-and-Sachin-Talwar-Wow-events mung-Kumar-performing-live-set-design Mitja-Prelovsek-Invisible.si-Charu-Kashyap-E-Factor-and-Ravi-Reddy-Cylybrations-events Manika-Garg-VP-E-Factor-Entertainment-Tejas-Bhayani-Dipti-Shahani-and-Reema-Gupta-Red-Entertainment Hatice-Erksay-Raffles-Istanbul-and-Eda-Basaran-Crystal-Concepts Gitikka-Ganju-Dhar-Emcee Eda-Basaran,-Rajesh-Verma-CRI-Events,-Anurag-Batra,-Chairman-BW-Businessworld-and-Siddhartha
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Besides digging deeper into their pockets, clients today are also digging deeper to achieve customized experiences at their weddings. With such differentiated demands, it often becomes challenging for wedding planners to deliver to an over demanding client while working with the same set of performers and service providers. To address the issue SamitGarg, E-Factor Entertainment and Karan Soorma, Cineyug chaired a panel discussion on the first day of the International Convention of the Wedding Fraternity ‘15. The panel discussion was moderated by Roshan Abbas, Encompass. Roshan Abbas began the session by highlighting how the clients who hire wedding planners today want to feel special and are looking for a level of exclusivity at their weddings and hence the demand for customized entertainment at weddings are increasing steadily. Karan Soormacommented, “It is very important to always keep the performers in the loop and always communicate what is being expected of them. Since we are an entertainment centric company and we keep on doing awards and entertainment based shows it makes it easier for us to convey such demands as the relationship that we have with artists helps us.“ Responding to this SamitGarg added, “For us it is very important to put together a storyboard and once we get the story right which typically stems from the need of the event and the clients it is only then when artists come in the picture.” Sharing his personal opinions Roshan Abbas explained that in some situations it is the clients who have a very unclear idea of what they want. Most of the times all they expect out of their event is to be bigger than before, better than before and louder than before. “There is also- cheaper than before”, commented Karan Soorma. When asked about the most bizarre demand for customized entertainment made to them, Karan Soorma responded by narrating an incident where an entire wedding venue had to be shifted from Goa to Dubai to accommodate the performance of RahatFateh Ali Khan. Another issue faced by the wedding planners today is determining when to agree for providing customized entertainment experience and when to refuse it? As Roshan Abbas asked if there was a ball park figure below which the wedding planners should not undertake the pain of customized entertainment. SamitGarg responded by saying, “If the budget of the wedding is below 50 lakhs customized entertainment efforts are not worth it.” Adding further and responding to the top three requests the panelists usually receive for customization at weddings? SamitGarg replied to the question by saying, “Short and impactful, affordable and never done before.” Speaking on the issue of ascertaining the credibility of a wedding planner who claims to have done customized entertainments? Samit added that due diligence is one practice a client can follow to sift credible wedding planners from non-credible ones. When asked by the audience if hotel venues are at a disadvantage compared to open venues when it comes to providing customized entertainment at weddings. Samit responded by saying that hotel venues were not at a disadvantage because of their venues itself but because of the fact that these venues come with a big list of Not-to-do’s, which is the primary reason why an event planner feels it is better to organize social events outside hotel halls and auditoriums.
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