Ushers then led the 700-odd guests to a curtained area which opened up to yet another surprise – the reveal of the slick Outdoor Lounge. Even as the guests were soaking in the string of surprises, came the masterclass act – the rear façade of the 18-storey Eros Corporate Tower came alive with 3D video mapping projection on a massive area of 137 feet x 59 feet! And, immediately after this, the reveal car drove up to the ramp located at one side of the lounge. The surprise experience continued, with guests, in turns, being escorted to Level Six in Mini cars to witness stunt driving first-hand, even as expert stunt drivers did skids and drifts. RFID cameras installed in these cars provided a live feed of this experience on the LED screen inside the main event area.

1. Showtime Group Creates a Stunning Launch Party for Mini
Countryman
The much-awaited, big ticket launch of the Mini Countryman took place on the evening
of 4th
May 2013. The offbeat venue: the 7th
level of Eros Corporate Tower multi-level car
parking. The entire parking level – all of 34000 square feet – was transformed into a
glitzy nightclub. In fact, the expansive set-up and the array of experiences truly
resonated the adjectives that best describe the Countryman – edgy, funky and trendy.
The “Not Normal” experience began right at Level Zero where Mini brandings welcomed
the guests and, as they drove up or the reserved parking at Level Five; they were
greeted by motivational Mini brandings at each turning on each level. From Level Five,
the guests were escorted to Level Seven through a dedicated elevator, fully enveloped
in Mini brandings. As the guests exited the elevator to enter the registration area, a
huge branding greeted them with the message: Enter at your own risk”. The guests
treated themselves to cocktails and finger food service even as DJ Jayant belted out
popular Progressive track mixes. As the music tempo pumped up, the focus shifted to
the Main Stage LED leading up to the Mini Not Normal video showcase. The next
surprise was the 25 models fashion show featuring national as well as international
celebrities such as Indrani Dasgupta, Sonalika Sahay, Tamara Moss, Alesia Raut and
Vika. In fact, Alisia’s ensemble was specially created to reflect the event theme – Not
Normal – and inspired by the Mini brand. The models then assembled around the
specially created hexagonal tunnel from which emerged a Mini Countryman with
acclaimed fashion designer Manish Arora and BMW India Head Philipp von Sahr
inside, all this amid some pulsating electronic tracks being performed live by the troupe
Jalebee Cartel.
Ushers then led the 700-odd guests to a curtained area which opened up to yet another
surprise – the reveal of the slick Outdoor Lounge. Even as the guests were soaking in
the string of surprises, came the masterclass act – the rear façade of the 18-storey Eros
Corporate Tower came alive with 3D video mapping projection on a massive area of 137
feet x 59 feet! And, immediately after this, the reveal car drove up to the ramp located at
one side of the lounge. The surprise experience continued, with guests, in turns, being
escorted to Level Six in Mini cars to witness stunt driving first-hand, even as expert
stunt drivers did skids and drifts. RFID cameras installed in these cars provided a live
feed of this experience on the LED screen inside the main event area.

2. Celebrities such as Sunil Sethi, Suneet Varma and Nasser Abdullah could be seen near
the media wall
The Mini Not Normal party continued with DJ Jayant recreating his magic for a second
session.
At the end of the show, guest reactions were quite definitive – “Delightful.” “Definitely not
normal!”
Set-up highlights:
• 34000 square feet of multi-level parking area was transformed to create an edgy
set-up which included the Pre-function Zone, the Main Event Area and the
Outdoor Lounge.
• All the walls were painted in black to complement Mini’s house colors.
• The indoor set-up was entirely truss-free.
• Another highlight was the showstopping hexagonal tunnel area which also had a
28 feet by 8 feet LED screen as the backdrop. Nearly 150 light fixtures were
installed in this area which, along with pixel mapping technology, created the
spectacular illumination and projection.
• The 235 feet long and 13 feet wide ramp was given a paved road feel, replete
with dividers and herb lines.
• The set-up employed over 400 special light fixtures. An international light design
specialist was flown in from London to create the spectacular variable light wash
illumination.
• One Hippo Server and a Media Server were employed to create seamless
content projection across all the LED screens in the event area.
• A 20000 lumens Coolux Pro Server and a four-projector set-up on the 8th
parking
level created the magic of 3D video mapping projection.
• Thirty two 7.5 ton ACs, twenty 3 ton ACs and 6 1.5 ton Jet ACs were stepped into
service to keep the servers running and help the guests chill out.
• Branding was everywhere. Right from the parking entry point to Level Eight, the
entire venue was washed in Mini branding.
• The stunt area had a massive 40 metre by 2.5 metre branding.
• Fifteen gensets ranging from 150 kVA to 250 kVA were used to power the entire
show.
Event challenges:
The “Not Normal” venue brought with it “Not Normal” challenges as well!

3. • The entire set-up had to be completed in a compressed timeframe of seven days.
And that also meant recreating a 34000 square feet space with un-levelled
terrain.
• Entry to each level had a clear height of only seven feet; only mini-vans and
tractors had access which resulted in substantially increased number of to-and-
fro trips to Level Seven and Level Eight. Over 150 trips were undertaken to
transport all the material and equipment to the site.
• Given the typical architecture of multi-level car parks, all the curve-stones, bumps
and mounds had to be removed to level the floor for seamless guest movement.
• The gensets could not be taken up to Level Eight because of the low clear
height. So, over 150 feet of cables were hung from Level Eight down to Level
Zero, where the gensets were stationed.
• The main event area had a clear height of only 10.5 feet, making trussing
impossible. The ceiling, therefore, was rigged up with clamps and metal pipes to
install the light fixtures.
• It took some dramatic coordination levels to ensure that all the eight vendor
partners’ teams as well as the performing artistes worked in tandem to produce
this party of the year!