An eventful life
At 26, Charu Kataria is a contented woman. After stints in public relations and the electronic media, she moved to a company that manages both events and PR because she thought she “needed to give vent” to her artistic and creative skills.
Event management, a form of marketing and advertising, is a glamorous and thrilling field. It gives you ample opportunities for unleashing your creative potential. Event managers should have a flair for conducting events, a passion for doing it creatively, very good organising skills as well as the willingness and ability to work long hours.
Kataria, vice-president, Genie Events and PR, says, “This work involves visualisation, creativity, meticulous planning and venue management. It is gaining momentum because of the demand for socialising. Now, most events are organised by an event management company, with experts taking care of each little detail — right from the colour scheme at the venue to the food and drinks to the amusements and contests lined up for guests. So what’s left? For people, it’s like making a wish and having it granted by an event manager.”
The work, however, can be tough. Recalling a recent launch event she did for a news channel in Mumbai, Kataria says, “The event was challenging as I had to work in a new place, Mumbai. I had to look for vendors, sound technicians, set designers, florists, etc. Everything is expensive in Mumbai, so I decided to get it transported from our in-house godown in New Delhi. Cost-utilisation is one of the responsibilities of an event manager. Then I had to suggest celebrities and stage performers to the client. Finally, we shortlisted 15 celebrities and a few stage performers, including those from the TV show, India’s Got Talent.”
It’s definitely not easy contacting people, including managers of celebrities, and discussing money matters with them. “All your communication skills are used and at the end of the day, you feel drained, but when you see that the event has been a success, you feel satisfied. However, we hardly get time to celebrate as another event is lined up and we are on our toes again,” she says.
Event managers have to conceptualise an occasion, keeping in mind the objectives of the client, plan the event, co-ordinate with different agencies to organise it, seek permission from government authorities, visualise the stage design and arrange for performers and media promoters for the event, etc.
“You have to learn new things as well, to climb up the ladder. I am learning sketching so that I’m able to make set designs, with special focus on 3-D designing,” adds Kataria.
Today, event management companies have vacancies for various profiles, including marketing, 3-D designing, production, public relations, promotions, brand development, printing, exhibitions, telemarketing, administration, etc.
How does one discover one’s potential as an event manager? Nikhil Mathur, head of events, Zee Network, says, “In schools and colleges, we participate in fests and organise various events. People do not realise that these skills can be worked upon and used later in their careers.”
One has to be adept at handling every kind of show — be it related to sports, entertainment or to the corporate world. Besides, “you have to be good at audience acquisition”, says Mathur.
He suggests that aspiring event managers should do courses like DTP operations with designing, and some course on sound and light. “Moreover, leadership quality is important as you have to command an army of people,” he says.
Author: Syed Amir Ali Hashmi
Date: 9th Dec., 2009
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