Time is not the only indicator of the amount of knowledge gained, friends made and events conquered. In my short five years as Founder & CEO of The Think Tank Entertainment, I’ve had an amazing journey from a tiny event management setup to one of the top agencies in Asia.
I don’t want to be preachy but when you have the experience, why not share it? I don’t know you but I hope this helps.
- What’s your company name and logo going to be? In a city like Mumbai (or any metropolis in India) where every business district has 5 event management firms at the least, how do you stand out in the clutter? You will make a mark with your work eventually, but how will you get work without people knowing about you? Find a name that defies convention, and you have something to start with.
- Know exactly what you are doing and why. Just because you are a new company doesn’t mean you have to accept any deal. You must have a clear idea about the kind of work you want to take up.
- Maybe it’s too soon to talk about money, but who are we kidding? Either you make money, you break even or you spend more than you can afford to.
- Watch the calendar. Set a benchmark for the short-term. The sooner you set a deadline to achieve a certain task for yourself, the higher your chances of achieving it.
- Make the client believe what you are giving is what he wants. This is a MUST. You must have your own ideas but the sooner you know how to adapt that to what your client wants, the sooner things will start looking up for you.
- Another must; hire the best creative designer. You might not realise it but hiring the best people, especially a designer whose aesthetics match your client sensibilities and who is able to translate them into brilliant creatives, gives you an edge over other agencies from the same category.
- I bet my life on a contingency plan. It shows a lot about your thoughtfulness and determination. I’m not asking you to not trust people, I’m asking you to never be blinded by emotions and interpersonal relations.
- Always know what’s to be done and get it done. By hook or crook. Someone wants a “wow” element for their race-horsing gala? Create the world’s largest horseshoe (I did!). An automobile company is launching its latest luxury models? Get one of India’s finest artists to make a special installation.
- It seems like vague advice to prioritise, but when you dive into this space, you’ll discover the random demands on time and effort expected out of you. An event is not one job; it involves a gamut of activities. You need to know what is more important in order of priorities.
- Never miss an e-mail. I’m not kidding about this one. I can’t stress enough the importance of a follow-up and the effect of your sincere interest through calls and e-mails. For this reason, you need to ensure queries don’t go unnoticed.
People change; teams change but work only gets better. There are many other essentials for making it in the live event space – from the ability to work insane hours without sleep and dinner to being resourceful enough to chalk out a Plan C if A and B fall through.
Make the right moves and you will surprise yourself with all you can achieve.
The author of this article is Abhishek Mazumder – CEO, The Think Tank Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., an award-winning events and advertising agency
