Presidents may come and presidents may go, but The Advertising Club secretariat goes on.
The backbone of all the events hosted by The Ad Club, the small team with a big heart has – since 1998 when a new executive secretary was appointed to run it – organised 23 editions of the Effies, 20 editions of Emvies, 10 editions of standalone Abbys before 14 editions of Abbys at Goafest. Three more major events and the number will reach 100.
If one counts other relevant events like Ad Review, Media Review and D-Code, it adds up to another 252.
Add 500 judging sessions to that and one gets a sense of what The Advertising Club under Bipin Pandit has accomplished in the last 25 years.
It comes as no surprise then that there is effusive praise for the endless bundle of energy that is Bipin Pandit. A cross section of industry leaders have shared their wishes and gratitude for the COO and showman. A man who can slip behind the scenes to run the well oiled-machinery that is The Ad Club as effortlessly as he can step onto the stage and charm you with his wit and passion for music..
‘…with gusto and tremendous energy’
I can safely say that Bipin Pandit is an institution. He is the backbone of The Ad Club. He does what he does with gusto and tremendous energy and he has taken The Ad Club from where we were 25 years ago to where we are. It’s a phenomenal journey. Thank you Bipin for all that you have done for the industry and the Ad Club. I wish you all the best.
– Shashi Sinha, CEO IPG Mediabrands India
‘You have held this industry together’
Congratulations Mr. Pandit! For 25 years you have held this industry together, you have held The Ad Club together.It is no mean feat. Presidents and Managing Committees kept coming and going. But Mr. Pandit has held fort. You are actually the backbone of this industry. You are celebrated as an integral part of this industry. You are not seen as the Chief Operating Officer of The Ad Club. Everyone, including the new generation, know you and respect you. Everyone feels safe when you are there; The Ad Club feels safe in your hands.
– Ajay Kakar, Ex-CMO, Aditya Birla Capital
‘Steely resolve to get things done’
I’ve known Bipin for a very long time and I’ve known him just as an affable young man. But when I joined The Ad Club committee, I saw another side to him. Behind this exterior, there was this steely resolve to get things done. Not only did he get things done, he did it better every time. And all this without anyone pushing or prodding him – he was so self-motivated. He was so confident – he could approach any top executive from the marketing or advertising world to get his sponsorships. He is one of the best networkers I have seen. Congratulations Bipin. The ad fraternity is so lucky to have someone like you.
– Kalpana Rao, Independent HR and Career Coach
‘The Shah Rukh Khan of the ad industry’
Congratulations Bipin Pandit. You are an institution in your own way. You are a legend. While various Presidents have come and gone and carried forward their vision, you have been the pillar who has ensured that everything moves smoothly and functions beautifully. Implementing the vision of various Presidents is not an easy job. Your biggest quality Bipin is that you know how to adapt to different styles of functioning. And you do it brilliantly – with a lot of passion, commitment and pride. If I have to call someone the Shah Rukh Khan of the advertising industry, that is you Bipin.
– Raj Nayak, Founder & MD, House of Cheer
‘My gift to The Advertising Club’
I am teleported to around 25 years ago, when The Advertising Club used to hire retired personnel to help them in their activities. We thought that we have to think a little bigger, and a little better maybe. So we decided to hire a full-time Executive Secretary. People wondered why an IT expert with no advertising experience had been selected by me for the job. I am glad that 25 years after that incident, people are actually thanking me. For 25 years now, Bipin Pandit has grown synonymous with The Advertising Club. He is larger than life, at times over the top, friendly, amiable, helpful and efficient. He has all the attributes that a large association like The Advertising Club would need. If anybody asks me what I have done for The Advertising Club, I can only say my gift to The Advertising Club at that point in time, was Bipin Pandit.
– Ramesh Narayan, Founder, Canco Advertising
‘Mr.Dependable’
Bipin Pandit is so dependable that if any responsibility is given to him, you can forget about it (and it will be done). Many times it is not even a responsibility that is given to him, he knows his responsibility and creates his own responsibility. After that the magic happens – you would have completely forgotten about something. And one day what you had envisaged, dreamt of, suddenly gets executed. And then when you look at Bipin, he’s all smiles. This is an amazing quality that I hope he can carry on forever. This makes him uniquely Bipin.
– Partha Sinha, President, The Ad Club and President, The Times of India Group
‘Glue that has kept the industry together’
I cannot believe that one individual has completed so many years at The Ad Club because I don’t think any agency lasts that long. For one individual to have played such a role both in the foreground and the background, in keeping this industry together, is a huge achievement. Your role in Indian advertising is like the tip of an iceberg. Only a little is seen, but like a large part of the iceberg is under the water, your role is behind the scenes. Over many years I have seen you grow from a functionary of The Ad Club to the glue that has kept the industry together in the toughest of times.
– Agnello Dias, Co-founder and former CCO, Taproot Dentsu
‘…with a firm hand and a twinkle in your eye’
Sometimes it is very difficult to know where Ad Club ends and where Bipin Pandit begins. It happens to people who have built institutions and Bipin has built one. He has spent his lifetime building an asset which is of great importance to the industry – where we meet, get to know what is happening, define what is best, make new friends and keep meeting old friends. Thank you, Bipin. Thank you very much. The way you handle The Ad Club – with a firm hand and a twinkle in your eye – makes the Club what it is.
– Sameer Satpathy, Chief Executive – Personal Care, ITC
‘No less than an institution’
To talk about an institution… The Advertising Club of course is an institution. But I don’t think I would be remiss if I said Bipin Pandit is no less than an institution in himself. He has literally carried The Ad Club on his shoulders for the last 25 years. The amount of fun that we have had and the amount of institution-building that we have been able to do, has been quite incredible. Bipin you’ve had a wonderful ride and I can’t thank you enough. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with you.
– Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO, Madison Media & OOH
‘A man with a song in his heart’
I applaud each year that you have spent with The Ad Club. I always look at you as a global connector of people and a bridge-builder. I remember meeting you for the first time in 2003 when I attended AdAsia in Jaipur. You helped me with so many things. I remain grateful. As a bridge-builder, I must acknowledge the bridge you have been building between India and Pakistan. While the political bridge is getting wider and wider, the people bridge is getting closer, because of people like you. Thank you for everything you have done for the industry, Bipin. I will always trust a man with a song in his heart. May you always live with a song in your heart.
– Bharat Avalani, Founder and CEO, Connecting the Dots Consultancy
