72 hours at the Capital City

72 hours at the Capital City

Delhi was the next destination in line... It was a B school event and I was beckoned to be there !!!! The journey was the most exciting and at the same time the most thwarting one. The week was filled with a lot of activities..Fresher’s party, Leadership series and the B school event @ Delhi. Was required to miss the first two (felt bad missing the first one), A strategic decision turning out to be a --!$@#-- Off we left for Destination 3..An announcement @ The railway station which had the longest platform in the world – “Train no 2819/ORISSA S KRANTI Platform No 5 mei kadi hein”...The superfast express was supposed to have only 4 stops had an exponential increase in the number of stops as it was in the vicinity of Delhi...Delayed by more than 3 hours!!

But it an exciting journey..We had an Army Jawan ready to return to Siachen after a month’s break, An elderly and very knowledgeable person and then Mr Am Jho ver 2.1(No need of any introduction to this dude) As usual I spent time sleeping as much as possible, Global warming made things easier for me, the temperature was cold and I wasn’t concerned to get out my seat..Mr Am Jho , Mr active got into the act, woke up early kept reading books and started off a great engrossing conversation with the junta...Time passed on..each one narrating their stories...from Siachen to Chennai via Kharagpur.. At last we reached Delhi around 1am..The temperature was around 5 Degrees.. To a guy who stayed in Chennai for 21 years, enjoying temperatures around 35-45 Degress..It was easier said than done..

Delhi greeted us with arms wide open!.. We reached the B school needing much rest..Things started getting from bad to worse – temperature started dipping and We were put up @ at one hell of a place – a common room which had enough openings in the roof to help the cold wave take on us.. We had no other go, had to adjust...8 hrs of sleep and it was time for some action...

It was the flagship event and was always exciting to be a part of it. It had 6 rounds, none on them disclosed before hand to the finalists. Each round was enthralling and exciting. The third round was the most exciting – had to create an Ad for “Zipper Lungi”..It was an amazing experience creating the Logo, Brand Name, Radio Jingle, Video Ad and a Paper Ad.. Our creativity and MBA’s fundas were put to test..after 4 hours..the complete plan was ready..The next rounds made us solve a case study and then an interview round. Made it till the 5^th round...was completely worn out it. The event drew a lot of controversies and soon participants and organizers started fighting it out and to make matters worse there were “other students from the B school try to intimidate us by mocking us ” Matters got worse with some participants walking out..This can’t/shouldn’t happen atleast at a B school event where the future managers are groomed..these guys aren’t able to organize an event!!!! What the !$@( was happening!!!!... Enough is Enough things drew to a close..3 days of amazing experience, new friends...it was time to move on with a Certificate to cherish these memories..

The event gave me a real time experience of What not to do while organizing an event..

Here are some of the learnings...as what is to be done.. which wasn't done..

Plan Plan and Replan were the golden words..Plan for the unexpected..Time management, Get the right sponsors and always work in a team where each one knows the ultimate “Goal” of the work - be organized and be professionals @ work

Full Stop to event management... The stage was set for some fun... a great time @ one of the shopping malls. – Dj nite, Window Shopping, Miss F&L contest, dinner @ McDowell’s.... From Bird watching to some serious stuff it was all possible there....Kharagpur was beckoning us and it was time to bid adieu to Delhi, and the B school event ...The train journey was another exciting one with around 300 Russians travelling..All Shree Ram,Krishna Devotees..Reading Bhagavad Gita and Chanting Slogas..Got to meet people from another corner of the world..Language is no barrier with me speaking English and the other fellow speaking Russian..The experience was amazing..Got to learn Russian (Can’t remember much now – Reason – Read my previous post) I haven’t read the Bhagavad Gita and it was time for me to get one, Russians were reading it. the compartment was flooded with Bhagavad Gita..each one getting a copy for themselves...It sounds weird when we people don’t buy these books at the stalls (its available in any book store) but when we see foreigners selling it..Immediately everyone gets a copy of it..How strange the people are and So am I!!!!...It was time..Back to the longest platform in the world..Back to college life...Kharagpur has commmmmeeeeeeeeeeee.........the journey was over..one of the most exciting ones...in a different flavor...

Want to get back to Delhi but surely not for a B School event...