GEMS was formed in 2011 by six BBA students at UPES, Dehradun who wanted to enhance their creative and managerial skills beyond classroom projects. Their first event in 2011 on best projects from the previous semester had low participation. After reflection, their second event in 2012 on green advertising received more interest. GEMS then organized successful subsequent events on recycling products, musical competitions, and more. GEMS gained recognition outside of UPES and involved corporate sponsors. While facing challenges like losing a core member, GEMS continued organizing impactful events and pursuing their goal of providing an outlet for students to showcase talents.

1. A GEM OF A FORUM
It is said that your success is incomplete if you do not have a story to tell people about your
journey. This story starts about four years back in 2011 when six BBA students of CoMES,
UPES, Dehradun thought of doing something other than the usual run-of-the-mill college
assignments and projects. Something that was creative, challenging, and which would enhance
managerial skills of the students. Something that would make a gem of a person!
Brimming with excitement they swarmed around their marketing faculty discussing, crooning
over the table, hustled on the University corridors and finally emerged out with ‘GEMS’-an
events management forum to enhance students’ creative and managerial skills. Cautious and
determined to succeed ‘GEMS’ team thought it better to launch a serious and a more
academically inclined event. “Best project/presentation of Aug-Dec 2010 semester” was the first
GEMS event launched in April 2011.
The committee excitedly chalked out the event proposal, designed the brochure, planned the
guest lists, prizes, mementoes, and got all the necessary approvals from the college management.
With banners and posters in place the team now waited for the student fraternity to jump at this
great opportunity and win a prize for the projects and assignments they had done in the previous
semester. To the dismay of all not many students came to register for the event. The team geared
up its efforts to garner more participation. A help desk was put up near the food court and team
members started visiting classrooms to encourage student participation. Casual enquiries that
appearedto be more patronizing in nature than for serious participation came. Would students not
want to do a great presentation even if they are given cash prizes and certificates? The team
wondered. Summer heat was catching up and a strong hot gush of wind took off one of the nails
that was holding the large ‘GEMS’ banner on the Food court wall. The loose corner of the
banner tirelessly hit itself against the wall making a loud shallow sound.Time was running out
and ‘GEMS’ finally closed the entries with a paltry number of 14 contestants. The event kicked
off with the students and faculty singing the Saraswativandana (an important ritual followed by
UPES fraternity before launching any program or event). Contestants presented their projects.
Audience comprised of a few faculty and some students for whom the presence was made

2. compulsory. The college Dean was gracious enough to judge the presentations and prizes were
given to top three presentations. The entire college management encouraged the efforts of the
new forum.But the team sulked. Being management students they knew within they had failed.
An event is not successful till it sends down ripples of enthusiasm in participantsand makes the
audience go frenzy with jam packed entry. But besides thislingering feeling of defeatin the team
something else was also happening. The failure wasenkindling a fire inside each member.
‘GEMS’ was born!
Stricken with the damp response in its first event the team gathered itself together in the
following semester. Summer break was spent in introspection. Another dampener would sound
the death knell for ‘GEMS’ and the forum would be vaguely remembered as a team of teenagers
dabbling to make a classroom activity into some big time events. Some important lessons were
learnt and the team took itself afresh to the drawing board. The team addressed some of the
important questions: Why were there so few participants? Why people had to be driven into the
auditorium to witness the contest? Was the team organized? Lectures on team management
suddenly became a practical challenge. “You are to be liked before you are to be believed” –
dictum given in a lecture by their advertising professor echoed in the minds of students. Event
must not only be an outlet for skill and talent for participants but it should also have potential to
attract a crowd. It should strike a note with what’s in trend and latest. Add to that a well-
organized team and the event is on. ‘GEMS’ was on its way.
The team launchedits second event-“GEMS Green advertisement contest”. The announcement
was made much ahead of the actual date of the event this time. Keeping in with the trend of
green marketing the participants were required to make a video advertisement on the theme of
energy and fuel conservation.The event expenses were supported by the college student
development fund and thusit had a modest amount of prize money. Making video advertisement
was a complex task and students doubted if the prize money was enough to attract contestants.
However, the team did not solely depend on banners and posters for attracting participation now.
Apart from personal contact, emails and mobile messages, the social media platform was used
extensively to market the event. ‘GEMS’ page was created on Facebook that included all the
information about the event and about the ‘GEMS’ forum.To the delight of all team members the
event received 31 video advertisements. The event theme had struck a positive chord with the

3. contestants. Halfbattle was won! Owing to the blend of advertising and environmental concern
the event invited an eminent panel of judges which included professionals from the field of
advertising agency, environmentalists, and corporate managers.Day of the event arrived and the
stage was set. The team had frantically attended to every minute detail from arranging the pick
and drop for the judges to the light and sound arrangements in the auditorium. An hour was left
for the event to start. Wouldthere be enough audience? The suspense was soon over. People
trickled slowly and steadily and in no time the auditorium was filled to capacity. The team
underwent a fit of joyful hysteria when they saw a queueoutside the auditorium with good
number of standing behind the last row of the auditorium. The entire show witnessed cheering,
clapping and whistling while the compere took the enthralled audience from one video
advertisement to the other. It was a spicy treat for all.
Success tasted sweet. Or more appropriately ‘GEMS’ had tasted blood! Keeping the same theme
of green marketing, ‘GEMS’ soon launched another event- “Dexter r u?”It was all about making
products from waste material and marketing them. ‘GEMS’ was not limited to the university
now and pitched its events to the outside participants as well. Even the team composition was
changing with time. While the pioneer ‘GEMS’ members were in their final year they inducted
new students into the forum and passed on crucial learnings. Events were well marketed and
high profile guests were now being invited as judges or guests of honor. This led the team to get
sponsors for the eventand suitable media coverage. “Dexter r u?”was a success and so was
another event in the following semester titled“MitsubishiAd-o-maniac contest” (Mitsubishi
Company being the principal sponsor of the event). Team was confident now to try out
something different. October is the month of festivities in India and the college cultural fest’ in
the same month provided a perfect setting for a musical competition. And so“GEMS
ResizoneInstrublitz” was launched. With the hustle of college cultural fest- ‘Uurja’- in the milieu
and hectic festivity in the offing people enjoyed relieving their strained nerves listening to the
budding ‘Eric Claptons’ and ‘KennyGs’ playing musical instruments in the University
campus.New students joining each semester into‘GEMS’ gave new ideas and launched business
quizzes, talent hunt events, advertisement contests with unique and creative themes. ‘GEMS’
was flying high!

4. It was time now to broaden the horizon of ‘GEMS’. After all sky is the limit! Corporate social
responsibility so far existed only in lectures of business ethics. Team ‘GEMS’wanted to feel it in
action. To sensitize people and spread awareness about blood donation ‘GEMS’ supported “Run
for Red”event that was organized by India Medical Association (IMA)Blood Bank of the state
government. Participants ran a mini marathon wearing T-shirts provided by IMA Blood Bank to
spread awareness about blood donation. ‘GEMS’ had gained recognition in the Dehradun city
and its events were looked forward to for participation not only from UPES but from other
colleges of Dehradun (Uttarakhand state capital) as well. In November 2014 GEMS team lost
one of its core members, Varun Gupta in an unfortunate incident. The event,“GEMS FIFA
League of champions”that was planned in Urjaa’2014 was in jeopardy but for the team members
who carried on with the event and dedicated it to their friend Varun. However, the team was
back in high spirits in Ignite 2015 and rolled out “GEMS Investor’s dilemma” with the event
winning the award of the best event from CoMES in Ignite 2015.For BBA students of CoMES,
UPES, GEMS is an outlet to showcase their work, talent, and creative skills but for GEMS team
it means a second home- a family which dreams big and works day-night to turn those dreams
into reality. And while this story is written the team is busy on social media platforms and
coordinating on ‘WhatsApp’ to contact sponsors, invite guests, print banners and visiting colleges
of Dehradun for the launch of their next event--relentlessly, joyfully and dedicatedly.
‘GEMS’ is at it!
By: Sunil Barthwal

5. From left: Aditya V Kumar, Sanchit Dhingra, Siddhartha Bansal, Gyanish Roy, SanchitBaijal, Sunil
Barthwal (Faculty, CoMES), Arvind Jain (Faculty, CoMES), Karun, Achin Gupta, Vinayak, ShefaliKatyal,
Virat Kohli.