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ITW Playworx bags the most innovative act of the year at EMMA Spotlight Awards 2018
MUMBAI: ITW Playworx, the Entertainment, Media and Communication arm of ITW Consulting Pvt. Ltd. won the “Most Innovative Act of The Year” award at the 2018 edition of EMMA Spotlight Awards that was held at Jaighar Fort, Jaipur recently. The team was honored with the gold award in the most innovative act of the year for the longest ever Alpona (Rangoli) at the Samaj Sevi Puja Pandal of South Kolkata.
The award was given for executing the longest ever Alpona (Rangoli) at the Lake Road of South Kolkata during Durga Puja 2017. The jaw dropping Alpona, spanning a staggering 1.23 km approximately in length is arguably one of the longest ever street rangoli to have been executed. The events team of ITW Playworx, Kolkata in association with Pantaloons, came up with this idea of celebrations in the most unique manner possible. The mega rangoli saw participation from more than 322 students from Indian Art College and Government Art College of Kolkata, along with a batch of special children who all worked meticulously and tirelessly on this project.
EEMA Spotlight Awards 2018 was given to the top honors in 32 categories. The jury comprises the pioneers from the events and experiential industry. The awards have been designed to applaud and honor all the backstage partners, associates, and personnel who carry out tasks behind the scenes to bring the best out on stage. For 2 years now, the Spotlight Awards by the Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) has become an integral part of the annual EEMAgine Convention.
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Jeff Shell departs as president of Paramount Skydance
Media executive exits amid legal battle with professional gambler.
MUMBAI: Jeff Shell has just had another high-profile exit from a major media company and this time, the drama involves a $150 million lawsuit and allegations of leaked secrets. The former NBCUniversal CEO is stepping down as president of Paramount Skydance to focus on defending himself against a lawsuit filed by professional gambler R.J. Cipriani. Cipriani claims Shell owes him $150 million for crisis communications services and accuses the executive of sharing confidential information about Paramount Skydance, including details of a potential $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition and a $7.7 billion UFC rights deal.
Paramount Skydance confirmed Shell’s departure on Wednesday, stating that he is leaving to prioritise the lawsuit. The company added that an independent investigation found no violation of securities laws by Shell.
In a strongly worded statement, Paramount Skydance described Cipriani’s claims as “frivolous and baseless” and said Shell had promptly notified the company of the accusations. Shell has filed a countercomplaint, accusing Cipriani of extortion and defamation.
This marks Shell’s second major exit in three years. He was ousted from NBCUniversal in April 2023 following an internal investigation into an “inappropriate” relationship with an employee who had filed a complaint of sexual harassment and sex discrimination. He joined Paramount Skydance in July 2024 as David Ellison’s right-hand man.
Shell was tasked with overseeing day-to-day operations during the integration of Skydance Media and Paramount Global. He played a key role in identifying cost savings and job cuts ahead of the potential Warner Bros. Discovery merger.
His sudden departure adds to the turbulence at Paramount Skydance as it navigates a massive merger, expected layoffs, and leadership transitions. David Ellison now faces the challenge of managing the brain drain while closing one of the biggest media deals in recent years.
In the cut-throat world of Hollywood dealmaking, Jeff Shell’s exit shows that even seasoned executives can find themselves caught in a plot twist they didn’t see coming. The credits on this particular chapter are still rolling.
