By A Correspondent
IMWF, the International MICE and Wedding Forum, has announced the appointment of Wizcraft cofounder and direct Sabbas Joseph as the only India member of the Global Advisory Board of IMWF
The next edition of the IMWF will be held from May 12 to 16 2019 in Antalya in Turkey.
By A Correspondent
Event industry captains have pledged support to an initiative towards gender equality. At the recently concluded EEMAX annual convention of the Event And Entertainment Management Association, the association launched the ‘We Care’ initiative that would work towards gender equality at the workplace.
The initiative, notes a communiqué, is being driven primarily with the objective to work towards changing the industry’s workplace culture, to make it more conducive for the women who comprise more than 40 per cent of the workforce.
Said Sabbas Joseph, President-EEMA: “The event industry is evolving. It is now a serious career option for new recruits. We need to encourage girls and women to join this industry by giving them a great workplace culture to thrive and grow without worries of their safety. And we need to sensitise agency owners and co employees to take care of them like their own. With women today becoming an integral pat of the work force andholding key leadership positions across the industry, it becomes imperative that we ensure a safe environment for them to work in. However, in a predominantly male environment, the female employee is often overshadowed by the industry’s alpha characteristicsâ€.
Under the ‘We Care’ drive, three key issues would be addressed and tackled. These issues include SAFE or Security Arrangements for the Female Employees; SHH or Sexual Harassment Helpline and MOM or Mandatory Off For Moms.
By A Correspondent
The Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) will host the eighth edition of the EEMAX Global Conclave and Awards on October 17-19, at in Mumbai. The endeavour will be to identify, celebrate and honour the best events and experiential marketing initiatives from around the world, while the EEMAX Conclave promises to be a thought leadership summit and a networking opportunity for the industry.
Said Sabbas Joseph, President of EEMA: “The award ceremony this year has 88 awards across 30 categories including, brand activation, intellectual property, social, CSR, corporate education etc. We have planned for a stringent international jury that will evaluate global agencies on their work in the past financial year. We are an industry whose time has come and we would like to share our growth with the world.â€
Added Mandeep Singh, General Secretary, EEMA: “We can proudly say that the organised event industry in India has grown exponentially over the last two decades to more than $800,00,00 with several 1000 entities operating in this space in various segments and levels across 100+ cities. We collectively employ 150,00,00 people, provide income to more than 50 Lakh households, make a meaningful impact on prestigious private and government led projects, manage the visits of various global dignitaries and provide experiential marketing solutions to the world’s leading brands eg Coke, Samsung, Apple, Nike, Nestle, Harley Davidson, Toyota, Standard Chartered Bank etc.â€
By A Correspondent
It’s going to be a lot more just than a Cold Play concert. And, no, tickets aren’t priced at Rs 25,000. November 19 will see a mega-concert starring Coldplay of course and Jay Z, Aamir Khan, Ranveer Singh, Katrina Kaif, AR Rahman, Farhan Akhtar, Shraddha Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Arijit Singh, Dia Mirza, Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Monali Thakur. Several major artists and international guests will be announced at different stages of the campaign.
The inaugural Global Citizen Festival India is presented by Colors Viacom18. The festival is being produced by Wizcraft International and enjoys a strategic partnership with the Viacom18 Group and the Times of India Group. So will the event air live on one of the Viacom18 or Times channels? Time, will tell.
Meanwhile, Global Citizen, a social action platform, and The Global Education and Leadership Foundation (tGELF), launched the Global Citizen India platform on Monday, September 12. The platform will comprise a distinctive mix of events, grassroots activism, media campaigning and online activation, to catalyse India’s journey towards achieving theGlobal Goals for Sustainable Development, and to bring about the end of extreme poverty. The inaugural Global Citizen Festival India, to be held in Mumbai, will be Global Citizen India’s first initiative.
Free tickets to the festival can be earned through the new online platform, www.globalcitizen.in, by signing up to become a Global Citizen and completing the festival’s Action Journey. Shiv Khemka, Chairman, The Global Education and Leadership Foundation (tGELF) believes that India and its 800 million young people must play a vital role in the mission to achieve the global goals. “Young people are starting to engage with the challenges facing our country and the planet, and are becoming increasingly committed to taking action for social change. tGELF’s mission is to nurture and support ethical, altruistic and decisive leadership amongst young people at schools and colleges. Each one of us is responsible for our actions and the power of each action taken collectively can help achieve the global goals.â€
Global Citizen, which has mobilised millions since its inception in New York City in 2012, has a capacity to amplify the voices of Global Citizens through social media. In the past four years of this movement, actions taken by Global Citizens has led to commitments from governments, corporates and partners are set to affect the lives of 656 million people.
“The years I spent living and working in India as a teenager was a key catalyst of my passion for challenging the status quo of poverty alleviation. So bringing the Global Citizen movement to India is a moment many years in the making,” said Hugh Evans, CEO, Global Citizen
The Government of Maharashtra is the host partner for the inaugural Global Citizen Festival India, and the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has extended his complete support to the initiative.
Commenting on Viacom18’s strategic partnership with tGELF, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18, said, “India is at a powerful confluence in its history. We are one of the oldest civilizations with one of the youngest populations in the world. Our support to tGELF is a natural extension of our work and purpose and I hope to amplify the messages around the causes of quality education, gender equality and clean water and sanitation with this initiative.â€
Viacom18 will be leveraging its brands across all platforms to promote the inaugural festival. While the network will use its popular channels and digital platform to promote the festival, Colors, MTV, Vh1, Colors Infinity and Voot will be airing the festival on their respective platforms. The Times of India Group and the Times TV Network will be leveraging the group’s print, internet and television platforms to highlight and showcase the Global Citizen India initiatives. Google is partnering the Global Citizen India initiative to address the issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
UPL’s partnership is focused on showcasing its vision to be a catalyst for a more equitable and inclusive society by supporting long-term sustainable transformation and social integration.
Speaking about the association, Sabbas Joseph, Founder-Director Wizcraft which is partnering the event and will help stage it, said: “Global Citizen India movement is the first such platform wherein popular culture meets public policy. We are especially pleased to showcase the coming together of India’s most powerful entertainers with the world’s most influential policy makers.â€
Limited Tickets would be available at BookMyShow from 12noon on September 15.
By A Correspondent
Leading media and entertainment company Wizcraft has welcomed a new phase in its illustrious journey by embracing the color blue. It symbolises wisdom and positivity, in its brand identity. Launching the new logo, which has the colour blue all over, Wizcraft hopes to leap into the promising future.
Speaking on this new change, the Founder Directors of Wizcraft – Andre Timmins, Sabbas Joseph and Viraf Sarkari commented, “We are at the threshold of the future and the time has come to take the first step towards embracing the limitless possibilities that lie before us. We are very happy to announce the launch of the new logo that proves that ‘Blue Is The New Red’. Blue is known as the most universal color denoting natural elements of earth, from the lightness of the skies to the deep blue sea, and inspires wisdom to add strength and bring unity.â€
The Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) in collaboration with the Govt. of Delhi recently made significant efforts towards creating a conducive process for license acquisition for events in the nation’s capital.
Besides appointing a nodal officer for creation of the single-window licensing process, with an eye on ease-of-doing-business an agreement and process has been put into place whereby EEMA member companies can do ticketed events in the national capital without paying entertainment tax before the event.
The decision was preceded by a series of meetings between the National Executive Committee of EEMA and the Delhi government led by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, the Hon’ble Dy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia and the Hon’ble Tourism Minister of Delhi, Kapil Mishra. Following a detailed EEMA representation, the Chief Minister appointed a nodal officer to engage with EEMA and find solutions in the shortest possible time.
True to the CM’s word, the Delhi government has moved at a rapid pace. EEMA’s persistent efforts towards streamlining the licensing process in Delhi have yielded some promising results for all EEMA Members.
Commenting on the achievement, Sabbas Joseph, President, EEMA said “Through the proactive approach of the Delhi government and EEMA, positive results with regards to licensing have started to show yielding a win – win situation for the entire events and experiential marketing industry. This is a big step towards making Delhi an event-friendly cityâ€
Speaking on the development, Rajeev Jain, Treasurer, EEMA stated, “This is indeed a big bold step by the Delhi Govt. & Dept. of Entertainment Tax. Change in the Entertainment Tax depositing framework for EEMA members is certainly a big gift to the industry and number of ticketed & corporate events in the city will see an increase. This directive is a first step to make Delhi an event-friendly city and reinforces the role of the Event Industry as a major stakeholder in the city’s growth.â€
Through regular interactions with the Delhi Govt. & Commissioner – Excise, Entertainment & Luxury Tax to ease the licensing laws in Delhi, the following directives have been issued:
Ticketed Events in Delhi
> EEMA members will now be able to organize their ticketed events in Delhi without submitting any entertainment tax before the event.
> Tax as per the ticket sale can be deposited after the completion of the event. Earlier this was to be done prior to ticket selling permissions being given.
> To facilitate this arrangement, EEMA shall enter into an MOU with the Department of Entertainment Tax.
> EEMA similarly would formulate guidelines for its members availing of this facility.
> EEMA will also be submitting a Bank Guarantee of a stipulated amount as a surety on behalf of its members.
Licensed Auditoriums under single window clearance
> 23 auditoriums in the city have been issued a permanent license for holding an event.
> In another major development to achieve ease of doing business, more such venues are under consideration.
Single Window Clearance: Reducing Licensing Hurdles
> The government is in the process of bringing Entertainment Tax, Fire, MCD & Electricity under the purview of a single-window clearance.
By A Correspondent
Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA), announced the EEMAX Global Awards to identify, celebrate and honour the best events and experiential marketing projects from India and around the world.
Entries for the EEMAX Global Awards are expected from agencies in India, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and USA. The three level selection process, involves taking the award entries through a screening jury, a global jury and peer voting by members of EEMA to choose the winners in 29 categories that span entertainment events, social events, sporting events, weddings, exhibitions, digital events, government events, education programs and CSR.
Sabbas Joseph, President- EEMA, shared, “The EEMAX GLOBAL Awards are a clear sign of India¹s event industry going global. Indian event companies are being retained by international clients and brands for development of activation programs as well as corporate events, mega public events and also sporting galas. EEMAX Global will signify a welcome to global agencies to showcase their work in India which is the fast-developing turf for global event programs.â€
The presentation ceremony will be held in Mumbai, India in September 2015.
The event industry in India has grown exponentially over the last two decades with several 1000 entities operating in this space, in various segments and levels across 100+ cities in India. EEMA is the first and only body of its kind, which seeks to bring together the country’ leading event management companies, entertainment professionals, artist management companies and international counterparts on the same platform.
The premier convention of the live events and experiential marketing industry, EEMAGINE SUMMIT 2015, brought together global professionals like David Zolkwer, Matteo Carvino and Sarah Gardiner; Indian leaders and achievers like Poonam Mahajan, Venky Mysore, Dr. A Didar Singh, Vikas Agnihotri, Rishi Jaitly, Yannick Colaco, Ravi Krishnan and Nitin Kukreja and several other imagineers from the events, entertainment, sports, cinema, advertising and marketing industry under one roof to discuss trends and map the future of the industry in a path-breaking convention.
By A Correspondent
Hindi general entertainment channel Colors has announced a partnership with Wizcraft International Entertainment acquiring complete broadcast rights to the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards 2015, to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in June this year. Â The rights were held by Star Plus for a decade with the edition of the 2014 edition being done by Star Plus for the 10th year running.
The channel will collaborate with IIFA to combine programming and marketing efforts to mount this year’s IIFA on a wider canvas reaching out to more viewers around 135 countries across all screens – TV, Mobile and PC.
Commenting on the acquisition, Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors said: “With the inclusion of IIFA Awards to our bouquet of offerings, Colors will now curate exceptional entertainment offerings capturing best of Indian film industry. IIFA Weekend will be beamed not only on Colors India but also on our international feeds including Rishtey bringing quality entertainment to our viewers’ fingertips.â€
Elaborating on this year’s IIFA Awards, Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft International Entertainment said, “Our association with Colors for the IIFA Weekend and Awards furthers our promise of providing the best entertainment avenues to viewers across the globe.â€
The Event & Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) recently held a three-day conference – EEMAGINE 2014, in Cochin. The conference highlighted EEMAs Vision 20:20 to drive the next phase of growth for the event management and experiential marketing industry. Also announced was news of Sabbas Joseph taking charge as EEMA President with Vision 20:20.
On the occasion, Sabbas Joseph, as President of EEMA outlined a peep into the future with Vision 20:20 to drive the industry forward. He described the state of the industry as akin to the hanging of a computer or mobile phone and called for a “reboot†of the events and experiential marketing business and called on industry colleagues in EEMA to lead the future path. On behalf of EEMA, the new president of the premier organization said that the focus will be on improving the industry’s engagement with government, policy makers, clients, artistes, supply chain and also the relationship between member-agencies.
Joseph is one of the founders of India’s first event management and experiential marketing company – Wizcraft International. While setting the agenda for the EEMA’s growth, he set out an aggressive plan that has 20 task forces working simultaneously guided by mentors including industry stalwarts – Michael Menezes, Brian Tellis, Roshan Abbas and Sameer Tobaccowala.
Â
The task forces will work simultaneously in a cohesive approach along with knowledge companies and domain experts. The task forces are largely geared to the re-engineering and redefinition of the entire Indian experiential marketing and event management industry at one end and globalization at the other end. EEMA standards would be established and the gradation and certification of agencies would be undertaken. Industry standards would be set along global benchmarks. The task forces include owners of EEMA member agencies from across the country experienced in verticals such as corporate event management, experiential marketing, digital experience creation, social events, weddings, public events, sports, international projects and mega spectaculars.
In a related development, the President appointed a 20-member National Working Committee comprising the Chairpersons of the task forces. While terming the entire effort as Mission Critical, EEMA is focused on the future with mantras that can be best described as:Â Growth, inclusivity, globalization, respect, nation-building with major focus on accountability, integrity, providing value to customers and respecting values.
By A Correspondent
Leading film icons Amitabh Bachchan, Lata Mangeshkar, Ajay Devgn, Kajol, Anil Kapoor, AR Rahman, and a cross-section of television stars have pledged their support for what promises to be one of the biggest fund-raising events ever held in the country.
Organised by media conglomerate Star India, the seven-hour event called ‘Saath Hain Hum Uttarakhand’ will be held in Mumbai at the NSCI and the event will be aired live Star Plus, Star Utsav, Life OK, Channel V and Star Pravah.
The end-use of funds will separately be overseen by a body of independent auditors, Star has informed even as it announced partnering not-for-profit organizations — Himmotthan Society and People’s Science Institute — to channel the funds raised to help with the rehabilitation work in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand. Donations will be open from August 15 to September 7.
“The task of rebuilding is difficult. But it isn’t impossible if we can join forces,” Uday Shankar, CEO Star India, said. “We are glad to partner groups that are not only focused on providing immediate relief but are building sustainable solutions to equip people prepare for the future.”
The Film Producers Guild, Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), TV Artists Forum, Corporate Charity Trusts and several independent industrialists and donors will partner the fund-raiser.
“The event is evidence that there is a strong desire in the community to help,” Mr Shankar added. “The unflinching support of the stars is humbling and in turn will help us extend a helping hand to those in need. The film world’s support also reinforces our belief in the power and reach of television, and its ability to be a force for good.”
Said Sabbas Joseph, director and co-founder of Wizcraft which is organising the event: “Saath Hain Hum Uttarakhand is one of the biggest fund-raisers to muster support for any natural calamity. We sincerely hope that this initiative will go a long-way in helping the victims of this unprecedented tragedy. We are delighted to express our support and join hands with Star India and the film industry to celebrate the Independence Day, dedicated to the people of Uttarakhand.”
The Himmotthan Society and People’s Science Institute have been actively involved in rehabilitation works in Uttarakhand after the floods. While Himmotthan is focusing on speedy reconstruction of livelihoods through innovative, novel techniques in agriculture, water and sanitation, livestock management and afforestation, People’s Science Institute is engaged in devising sustainable solutions and building robust infrastructure that’s better equipped to handle natural calamities.
By A Correspondent
Widely renowned for their brand activation and events, Wizcraft International Entertainment Ltd has opened their international base in Singapore. The Singapore office will service the Asia-Pacific region and offer clientele a complete spectrum of brand activation and event management services covering ground, digital, display and brand property creation.
Wizcraft has been in the forefront of some of the largest events and entertainment spectaculars, including the ICC World Cup’s Opening ceremony in Dhaka, Bangladesh, cricket-activation in Sri Lanka and the closing of the ICC World Cup in India; the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, 50 Years of Indian Independence, the 30 Years of Mauritian Independence, the 10 years of the South African Freedom Struggle, the National Games Opening and Closing ceremonies, the Oman Tattoo showcase of the armed services of the Sultanate of Oman, the Handover ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and The Unforgettable Tour (Indian Cinema’s biggest concert that travelled across Toronto, Trinidad, LA, San Francisco, Houston, Atlantic City, Chicago, New York and London bringing together the greatest icons of the Indian Film Industry). Over two decades, Wizcraft has etched its mark in history.
Wizcraft has focused its brand management skills, creativity and marketing acumen to create market leader event brands such as the International Indian Film Academy Awards and Weekend (IIFA), the Global Indian Music Academy Awards (GiMA), the Green Globe Awards and the Kingdom of Dreams, a destination that offers a unique experience of theatre, cuisine, arts, crafts and folk performers.
Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft International Entertainment Ltd. said: “Wizcraft has always serviced global brands across the region. We are certain that our team being closer to the centre of decision-making for the APAC region will ensure that we can influence the market trends positively and create partnerships that will deliver brand messaging across the region.”
Andre Timmins, Director, Wizcraft International Entertainment Ltd. said: “Wizcraft has taken significant leaps in terms of growth in the last decade and this reflects in the scale and magnitude of the events that we have done. Asia represents significant growth opportunities for Wizcraft and a globally connected city like Singapore is the best step to further expand the Wizcraft empire. This establishment will be an important growth market for our unique offerings over the years.â€
Ajay Rao, Vice President, South East Asia & Pacific Region, Wizcraft International Entertainment Ltd. said: “We look forward to leveraging our worldwide experience to deliver integrated services of International quality and range to consumers in Singapore. Being a cosmopolitan city-state Singapore has highly skilled resources and offers a conducive environment to creative and knowledge-driven industries. We look forward to our associations here and also plan to add to our service offerings as demand growsâ€
Established in 1988, Wizcraft International Entertainment Ltd is now India’s leading Communication and Entertainment Company, integrating strategy, creativity and technology to provide Interactive Entertainment & Event Solutions to a global audience. The pioneer of many extravagant and mesmerizing events, Wizcraft has been instrumental in shaping the event management industry in India.