Events are a common occurrence in society ranging from socio-religious events like births, marriages and deaths to cultural events like music festivals, dances and food festivals. Events also commonly occur in educational institutions from kindergarten to universities and include things like annual sports meets. Many Indian festivals and fairs are also considered major events, ranging from religious festivals in temples, mosques and gurudwaras to large cultural festivals like Kumbh Mela, Pushkar Fair, Elephant Festival and Deccan Festival. These events are an integral part of India's socio-cultural fabric and involve most of the population either as participants or observers.

1. Event Management

2. Event Management Events are a commonplace, everyday occurrence It’s so common that we fail to recognize it Births, baptisms, Annaprasan/Upanayan, engagements, marriages and deaths are socio-religious events, across all socio-economic and socio-cultural groups (ranging from the Aborigines/Tribal groups to the Fifth Avenue urbanities in New York) Songs, dances, food festivals and carnivals are different expressions of Events. The next page shows a Gypsy dance of Europe.

4. Event Management Events in Educational Institutions: From kindergarten schools to colleges and universities, including professional colleges, there are several Events. Here we see a school band during annual sports meet, in an American school.

5. Event Management Contribution of Rabindranath Tagore: Eminent educationist Prof RH Dave said Tagore introduced the concept of aesthetics in education. No educational thinker before (or after) him could perceive its palpable impact. He wove songs, dances, musicals along with Hymns and Bhajans in the education curriculum at Vishva Bharati. The world followed his example.

6. Event Management Let us take a look into some of the festivals and fairs, ranging from the religious to social, including a few promoted by state governments and/or tourism departments.

7. Event Management Festivals & Fairs are Events: We have Synagogues, Cathedrals, Temples, Mosques and Gurudwaras for holding religious festivals, all over the world Amongst Bengalis Barwari Durga Puja came in vogue in the late-18 th Century. It’s a 5-day long Event, which is planned and executed, with near precision.

8. Event Management Ganesh Utsav: Similarly, in Maharashtra, the 10-day long Ganesh Utsav, is celebrated like the Barwari puja, by the public. It was started by Lok Manya Tilak for furthering the Freedom movement. The patriotic zeal has been replaced by socio-religious function, complete with cultural extravaganza

9. Event Management Kumbha Mela: The Kumbha Mela in Allahabad is a 40-day mega event. With over 10 crore people visiting the fair, once in 12 years, a temporary city of tins, tents and bamboos spring up on the banks of Triveni Sangam, at Prayagraj. It is believed that gods walk with pilgrims, during the main bathing days. Half the period is Ardha Kumbha (ongoing fair, now). Every year, Magh mela is held, on a smaller scale.

10. A panoramic view of the temporary city, at Kumbha Nagar, on the banks of Triveni Sangam, Allahabad. Next page: A night view of the Kumbha Nagar, which has its own DM, SP, etc.

12. An Akhara procession is a common sight at Kumbha Mela. Sadhus take out processions, at the time of arrival at Kmbha Nagar and also during the ‘Shahi Snan’ on Makar Sankranti, Mauni Amavasya and Basant Panchami, the three main bathing days.

13. Event Management Pushkar Mela: The Pushkar Mela, Ajmer district, in Rajasthan, popularly known as the camel fair, is a socio-economic and socio-religious Event. Other than its rituals of bathing in the Pushkar lake, it’s a place to buy and sell cattle and camel.

14. Sample some scenes from Pushkar, Ajmer district, Rajasthan. In recent times, foreign tourists are crowding the mela site. The colours, songs and dances, offer a slice of Rajasthani folk life. It’s a treat for the senses.

15. Event Management Elephant Festival: The Elephant festival of Jaipur is the second most important animal festival of Rajasthan. These pachyderms cats walk like fashion models. The elephants move with poise, play polo and finally participate in the Spring festival, a day before Holi.

16. Some scenes from the famous Elephant festival of Jaipur, held a day before Holi, every Spring

17. Event Management Paush Mela, Shantineketan: When, in 1888, the Santiniketan Trust Deed was drawn, provision was made for a Mela. This Mela, even today, attracts crowds of visitors from the neighbouring countryside and from Calcutta. It had the blessings of Tagore. The Bauls (wandering minstrels) of Bengal visit the Paush Mela in large numbers. It is held in the last week of December, every year. Next page: A poster for the promotion of Paush Mela. Bauls are used as mascot.

19. Event Management Goa Carnival: The Portuguese, during their 450 year rule over Goa, introduced the potato, tomato, cashew, tobacco, papaya, guava, pineapple, cathedrals Catholicism... and the Carnival. Christianity had come to India before the Portuguese landed on Indian shores. The Roman Catholicism of the Portuguese drew much of its mores from the old civilisation of the Roman Empire, even to using Latin in many of its religious ceremonies. Carnival is a festival of joy.

20. A view of the Carnival, at Goa. It’s a Spring festival and is an unique example of an existing Hindu festival being amalgamated with the Portugese Christian traditions. The Carnival is a crucible of cross-cultural confluence.

21. Event Management Puri’s chariot festival: The Rath Yatra, or the famous chariot festival, at Puri, is a major draw for the Hindus, particularly for the Vaishnava sect. The ruling deity, Jaggannath, goes out of the temple, once a year, on his annual journey. The Orissa government has organised Puri’s Beach festival around this time, to showcase the state’s rich culture.

22. Right to left: Lord Jaggannath, with his siblings, Subhadra and Balaram, in complete Shringar

23. A huge chariot (Rath) of Lord Jaggannath is drawn by hundreds of devotees, who follow a band of Kirtan singing minstrels.

24. Event Management Float Festival: Madurai, in Tamilnadu, hosts one of the most picturesque Float Festival or 'Teppothsavam'. The idols of Goddess Meenakshi and her consort Lord Sundareshwarar are taken in grand procession to the big lake called Teppakolam, and drawn around a shrine built in the middle of the small island in the centre of the lake, seated on a decorated float called 'Teppa'. At dawn, deities are carried in golden palanquins escorted by elephants, horses, musicians and thousands of devotees.

25. Glimpses of the Float Festival, Meenakshi temple, Mudarai

26. Event Management Kite Festival: It is always held at Ahmedabad on January 14, to coincide with the festival of Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti. The people of Gujarat celebrate Uttarayan with a lot of enthusiasm and all business comes to a grinding halt for a couple of days. It is also a celebration to mark the end of winter. A three-day festival, It began in 1989, on a big scale, with the state government’s initiative.

27. Though International Kite festival is celebrated at Ahmedabad, Jaipur too is known for its Kite festival on Uttarayan. Kites are flown throughout the country, on this day. We see some strange kites, at Ahmedabad.

28. Event Management Deccan Festival: Hyderabad comes alive during the Deccan Festival with ghazal nights, qawalis and mushairas, typical of the city. A pearl and bangle fair displays creations in lustrous pearls and multi-hued bangles that are local specialities. A food fest serves the best of Hyderabad's famed cuisine to visitors. Organised by the Department of Tourism, Andhra Pradesh, the Deccan Festival is celebrated in February/March every year.

29. During Deccan festival, many cultural programmes are organised. Renowned singers and dancers are invited for performances, making the Deccan festival a must-see for every visitor . It also includes Pearls and Bangles fair, displaying creations in lustrous pearls and multi-hued bangles that are local specialties.

30. Event Management Surujkund Craft Mela: India's spectacular handloom and handicrafts fair is organised in a rural setting at Surajkund in the vicinity of New Delhi. At this annual week-long mela craftsmen from all over the country meet and bring alive the age-old living crafts tradition. Visitors see them at work. Skilled artisans display their wares in the typical setting of a rural Indian marketplace. Cultural programmes and rural cuisine are also a part of this fair.

31. The Surajkund Crafts Mela is a big draw with all art-lovers, from this country and abroad. It’s the best way to experience the rural cultural life of India.

32. Event Management Khajuraho Festival: Khajuraho Dance Festival is held every spring to celebrate the glory of the temples. It is believed that classical dance basically comes from the Hindu temples. This festival is a celebration of the Indian arts: the legacy of dance and music. It showcases the best classical dancers and dances in the country. It is held during the month of March, from 6th to 12th.

33. A glimpse of the Khujaraho Dance Festival. Danseuses seem to bring alive the erotic temple frescos. The divine and the mortal seem to blend beautifully. Large number of foreign and inland tourists visit this festival.

34. Event Management Socio-cultural Matrix Our Founding fathers had realised that Faith and Religion are Oxygen of India’s spiritual life. Festivals are an integral part of the socio-cultural matrix of Indian life. Since rituals are predominantly small town-rural phenomena, with over 80 per cent of our population participating in these festivals, it is, in fact the real India.

35. Event Management Socio-cultural Matrix With media turning its spotlights of festivals, the affluent class too is being drawn to various fairs and festivals: Crafts mela, kite and animal festivals. Possibly, because foreigners are attending these. Kumbha mela, Pushkar, Elephant and Deccan festivals, Surajkund Craft mela and Khujaraho Dance festivals are attracting the affluent urban class as well. With government and tourism departments chipping in, festivals have about 95 per cent attendance of our populace, other than international attention (Kumbha & Surajkund Craft melas).

36. Event Management Pre Plan Measures A huge, readymade target audience is waiting to be tapped. Such festivals/carnivals are either non-existent, or are very rare in the West Festivals, fairs and carnivals are the ultimate dream of visionary Marketing and Event managers. Before planning an Event, it is extremely important to realise the demography and social reality of the Target Audience. As part of research, read the local newspaper reports, thoroughly. Meet and talk to the organisers / respectable, senior scribes.

37. Event Management Rosy Bubble vs. Real India Strangely, the powerful media barons are more interested in painting the High-Sensex-Progressive-almost-Superpower-India. The ‘Rosy bubble’ is aimed at attracting advertisers. For example, ‘real India’ might be seen, when 8 crore devotees brave the January chill of Allahabad’s night to bathe in the Confluence of rivers. As a scribe, I have seen a sea of humanity pray and chant mantras, peacefully. These people have no representation in bureaucracy, Planning Commission, or the visible decision makers, in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, or any other metropolis.

38. Event Management Pitching and Target Audience When we are dealing with festivals, which have a predominant rural attendance, we should know how to pitch the event to the Target audience. Experience shows that Folk forms (Nautanki, Tamasha, puppet) and Tribal art forms offer a huge repertoire. The language should be simple and direct, preferably local dialect, to establish immediate contact with the audience. It also helps in establishing the emotional content, thereby improving the psychograph of the event.

39. Event Management Meticulous Planning You must know who to ‘pitch’ your Event for The D-day for festivals and fairs are often an extended time-period: 7-day for Durga puja, 12-day for Ganesh Utsav, 45-day cycle for Kumbha Mela, etc. With these facts in mind, start the meticulous Planning of the Event Planning should include everything from a pin to an elephant, leaving nothing to chance Every tiny detail from your entering the venue to your going out is a result of rigorous planning.

40. Event Management Damage Control Measures Factor-in exigencies in your Planning Keep aside a percentage of funds for last minute Damage Control Measures (DCM) Set aside larger amounts for such time periods Be very quick with your DCM If you are alert, you will be able to anticipate it

41. Event Management Documentation Detailed Documentation is must Take down notes, when talking with your clients Have brainstorming sessions amongst your own team Run through your complete checklist, twice/thrice A market survey is a must, before commencement of the actual work Document the entire progression of Event (its flow chart) as it progresses

42. Event Management Costing and Quality You must have a complete knowledge of the comparative price vis-à-vis the quality of goods and materials that you need Work out the payment (credit period) that you could get Factor in the labour cost and other costs on manpower Include all these in your checklist (with price/quality) Prepare a budget/estimate for your client Factor in your profit margins, when preparing the estimates

43. Event Management Deadline & Safety Cushion Deadline is very important Good Event managers complete their work well before the D-day Run through all your equipments (light/sound, etc) Ensure that your client is fully satisfied If you have safety cushion inbuilt in your deadline, you will be able to make a few last minute amendments/changes Ensure that you have a satisfactory completion certificate, before the commencement of the actual Event This would help you weed out any payment problems, later

44. Event Management Closing the Event A successful closing of Event is very important A satisfied customer acts as your Deputy Sales Manager Walk the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction Patience and perseverance are your Fixed Deposits Small PR tips are a great help Remember to send a small ‘Thank You Gift’: a nice card, flowers, pens/diaries/table calendars, or something imaginative that your client would display, promoting you automatically

45. Event Management Evaluation Be very dispassionate, almost brutal with your self and the team, while evaluating the Event Don’t be ashamed of saying ‘Sorry’, if you feel that you had goofed up or faltered, at any stage Be prepared to own up mistakes, even if your client did not notice You will build a good and permanent relationship with your client Tell yourself/team that evaluation is an important step, in the process of your growth Even if you achieved 10/15 per cent, don’t lose heart. Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small Promise that you will do better next time