An interview with Mr. T. Venkat Vardhan, Managing Director, DNA Networks Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore.

What motivated you to set up an exclusive event management outfit?

The motivation to set up an event management company seventeen years ago was mainly to provide solutions and a platform to successfully conduct an event. Events at that time were small in size such as fashion shows, a few sports events, which largely catered to city-based audiences. I wanted to provide an opportunity to develop and promote events on a larger scale that was being done in the overseas markets.

Can you briefly touch upon how the market was when you started out and its position now?

When we started off, the market was very limited. The limitation was due to few sponsors wanting to test this new medium of advertising. The event related sponsorships are specific to that particular event, concentrated but short span of captivity for the consumer. So it was only when we were providing a larger dimension in event management of international artists and fairly large domestic artists that the sponsors started using this avenue as a regular extension of advertising and promoting activity. Today, most product launches as well as advertising campaigns have events as an integral plan for on-ground promotion that is normally executed by event management companies. It is now a significant business opportunity.

What are the mechanics of event management?

Mechanics of event management is an efficient way of co- ordinating and implementing logistics in a timely and organised fashion. The stage arrangements, lights and sound or the actual event is all but a mere extension of the pre-planning and setting up that needs to be done in event management. Some of the salient features would be, understanding and implementing the sponsor's needs, sourcing an appropriate venue keeping the consumer audiences' profile in mind, accessibility, working with statutory and local authorities for proper licenses and permissions to stage such an event and finally to implement the production of the event in an organised manner.

What are the career opportunities available in this field?

Career opportunities in event management are manifold in nature. In the present market scenario with the advent of new technologies that can be continuously adapted into events, the scope for an individual to pursue a career in specific fields within the event management is now a reality. Some of the important portfolios would be artist management, production management, creative and graphics designer for events, logistics supervisor, travel and hotel coordinator, television production and direction, financial controller for setting up revenue models on ticketed events and sponsorship sales.

What kind of people would ideally suit this industry and what do you look for in candidates you recruit for DNA?

The people who are ideally suited for this industry are ones who have an entrepreneurial approach to this industry. The candidate should first of all be committed, as event management is a very demanding job. Coordinating logistics and implementing them have to be done with proper planning and precision, hence a candidate needs to be an organised person to begin with. Another important factor is careful pre-planning, as the success of an event will always depend on the plan and advance set up for that particular event. What I would look for in a candidate personally would not be so much as age and experience, but more importantly commitment and enthusiasm.

What about the monetary benefits?

In today's market place, monetary benefits are in line with the regular advertising industry and perhaps even more lucrative and attractive to production managers, marketing managers and promotion managers in the event management field.

Event management has become a hobby for many individuals. So what is the level of professionalism that exists in this field?

Your assessment of many individuals taking up event management as a hobby or a pastime is quite accurate. This is the problem that is plaguing the industry-individuals who have no knowledge or expertise of managing events have jumped into the fray. Since individuals may not have the infrastructure, they have to depend upon multiple vendors and service providers. As I pointed out earlier, since this business is about implementing logistical operations, when so many people are involved, there are bound to be limitations in delivery in a timely manner. It would be better off for a person who is interested in working with a small or medium event management company to begin with or freelance for such companies and use their infrastructure rather than claim to be an event manager in an individual capacity. There is professionalism in many event management companies that are doing business across the country, however individuals who try to put one up events together without adequate knowledge and infrastructure will have to face set backs.

How is this field poised as a career option in the future?

The market today is wide open with viable career options. More and more companies are looking for avenues to drive their product sales or promotions through innovative ideas and events on-ground that have not only a concentrated reach but more importantly allow the consumer to sample the product that is being promoted. This could be either in terms of an image that one is trying to build up or alternatively a sheer marketing exercise to drive product sales.

MALINI SURYANARAYANAN

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