Brands
How COVID-19 will change live events
Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.” This was is the bedrock of every live experience. The ones that we remember most vividly are the ones that made us feel most ‘a-live’. And over the years with the advent of technology, communication, internet, this feeling can be enhanced with these tools.
The pandemic, however, has made a swift incision at the heart of the live event business. If you just look at the figures pouring in from different sources about the estimation of current losses, they are a staggering Rs 3000 crore in just two months in India alone. More than 10 million people employed in the industry have been impacted. It will, if it hasn’t already, force the industry to rethink its strategy entirely. The consumer journey is now different– the touch and feel of in person events is not involved right now. Going virtual, using technology and design thinking, is the need of the hour. We have already seen many platforms including venues like NCPA that have taken the staged experiences and brought them home. Ticket booking platforms like BookMyShow have widened their canvas to include online fitness classes and dance classes. Experiences that you never thought could be enjoyed sitting indoors, like Theatre, have already started adapting to the small screen format of your laptops and mobiles.
Can it be shown as it was on stage? Maybe.
Can it be made better to include the new consumption process? Absolutely.
That’s what will set the best experiences apart. It cannot be just a LIVE on ground experience anymore. It will have to be a Mixed Reality Experience.
Once things come back to normal, yes, events will happen again. In my opinion though, two things will need to be now evaluated:
What kind of experiences are the consumers seeking – those who are attending live and those who are not?
How will the event industry design an experience within this environment? It will have to move ahead from just another ‘Going live on a social media platform’. It will need to be more integrated.
Emotional connect will have to be elicited through consumers’ devices. Not just event managers but even artists will need to rethink their delivery of the experience. In India, thankfully, the event industry has a body like EEMA that enables discussions, debates and innovations and in unprecedented situations like this, the body provides a voice as well as support. This pandemic will hopefully also give rise to a collective body that will be a platform for freelancers, gig workers, artists to enable them to come together and keep innovating and growing.
(The author is TABHRASA founder. The views expressed are her own and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them)
Brands
InfoCepts names Kulwinder Singh as chief marketing officer
Marketing veteran joins to boost global brand and accelerate growth worldwide
PUNE: InfoCepts, a leading data and analytics solutions provider, has appointed Kulwinder Singh as its new chief marketing officer. With over 20 years of global marketing experience across technology and consulting, Singh is set to steer the company’s brand and growth strategy as it enters its next phase.
Singh brings a proven knack for building transformative brands and driving business impact. He joins from SG Analytics, a Straive company, where he refreshed the brand and strengthened key customer partnerships. His career also spans leadership roles at Cadila Pharmaceuticals, Edifecs, and Synechron, with expertise in brand marketing, demand generation, and international market expansion.
InfoCepts has been riding a wave of growth thanks to soaring demand for AI-driven solutions, advanced analytics, data modernisation, and custom data products across sectors such as retail, life sciences, and media and entertainment. Last year, Kumar Amitesh was appointed president following his successful tenure at TCS, signalling a broader strengthening of the leadership team.
InfoCepts founder and CEO Shashank Garg said, “Kulwinder is a strategic leader with a strong track record of building brands that deliver results. His expertise comes at the perfect time as demand for trusted AI and analytics partners surges. He will help amplify our differentiated approach and accelerate growth.”
President Kumar Amitesh added, “The market for AI and analytics partners is expanding fast. Kulwinder’s global experience and deep expertise will help InfoCepts scale its presence and strengthen market authority.”
Singh said, “I’m thrilled to join InfoCepts and work with such a visionary leadership team. Strong branding and clear messaging are crucial for growth. My aim is to elevate InfoCepts’ brand, build lasting partnerships, and deliver measurable results through modern marketing strategies.”
With Singh on board, InfoCepts is well-positioned to drive the next wave of growth in AI and analytics, continuing to deliver solutions that help organisations unlock insights, accelerate outcomes, and stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market.
