With event organisers leaving no stone unturned to introduce a ‘Wow!’ factor and get their programmes into the ‘most happening’ list, the craze for something new and different is throwing up some bizarre ideas, sans safety mechanisms
One person was killed and 17 others were injured after a stage for seating devotees at Delhi’s Kalkaji temple collapsed on January 28. The event was attended by 1600 people. Popular Punjabi musician B Praak was singing bhajans at the venue. (Image by Arrangement)
Keeping it simple appears to be ‘stupid’ — at least to most organisers of private events, which are unabashedly getting extravagant, unique and dramatic with each passing day. As a result, they are getting proportionately dangerous too.
Even as the tragic death of Vistex CEO Sanjay Shah at his company’s event in Ramoji Film City is still fresh in public mind, a stage collapse at a religious event in Kalkaji, New Delhi, which left one dead and many injured, once again raises serious questions about the lapses on the part of event managers. In fact, there have been quite a few mishaps at private events all over the world.
In Sanjay Shah’s case, he could have chosen to simply walk onto the stage instead of arriving in an iron cage, a decision which proved fatal.
Will event organisers learn from such tragedies?
Parthip Thyagarajan Co-founder and CEO, Wedding Sutra says he was shocked by Shah’s unorthodox way of going onstage. “The Vistex in-house team along with an external consultant should have done the necessary checks to ensure all safety norms and regulations were adhered to,” he says.
Under Pressure
When it comes to events like weddings, choreographers and planners are always under pressure to deliver kuch naya. “Egged on by videos / reels on social media, many brides and grooms yearn for dreamy or dramatic entries, with snazzy tech effects,” according to Parthip. Added to that is the pressure on venues and planners during peak wedding season. “There are back-to-back bookings because of limited auspicious dates, and the venues are typically available for less than 24 hours because of the multiple weddings scheduled. This means an outsourced team has to come and do the setting up and there is limited time for rehearsals or checks,” he says, adding that it results in the bridal couple taking a big risk if they opt for a dramatic Bollywood-style entry.
Families also to blame
Parthip feels families too take a casual attitude to safety, and event managers and choreographers alone cannot be blamed. “Parents of the bride and groom, believe that ‘good energy in the room’ and ‘divine blessings’ will look after the couple, and nothing untoward will happen,” but that can’t be relied on, he feels. While people spend outlandish sums on clothes, jewellery and food, they often insist on some short-cuts in other areas to cut down expenditure, he notes.
How will this pan out in the future?
“For one, more choreographers and planners are insisting that the families hire certified companies to take care of safety measures, do technical runs and check all protocols for super grand set-ups with unique entries,” says Vithika Agarwal, Managing Partner at Divya Vithika Wedding Planners.
Will event organisers learn from such tragedies?
Parthip Thyagarajan Co-founder and CEO, Wedding Sutra says he was shocked by Shah’s unorthodox way of going onstage. “The Vistex in-house team along with an external consultant should have done the necessary checks to ensure all safety norms and regulations were adhered to,” he says.
Under Pressure
When it comes to events like weddings, choreographers and planners are always under pressure to deliver kuch naya. “Egged on by videos / reels on social media, many brides and grooms yearn for dreamy or dramatic entries, with snazzy tech effects,” according to Parthip. Added to that is the pressure on venues and planners during peak wedding season. “There are back-to-back bookings because of limited auspicious dates, and the venues are typically available for less than 24 hours because of the multiple weddings scheduled. This means an outsourced team has to come and do the setting up and there is limited time for rehearsals or checks,” he says, adding that it results in the bridal couple taking a big risk if they opt for a dramatic Bollywood-style entry.
Families also to blame
Parthip feels families too take a casual attitude to safety, and event managers and choreographers alone cannot be blamed. “Parents of the bride and groom, believe that ‘good energy in the room’ and ‘divine blessings’ will look after the couple, and nothing untoward will happen,” but that can’t be relied on, he feels. While people spend outlandish sums on clothes, jewellery and food, they often insist on some short-cuts in other areas to cut down expenditure, he notes.
How will this pan out in the future?
“For one, more choreographers and planners are insisting that the families hire certified companies to take care of safety measures, do technical runs and check all protocols for super grand set-ups with unique entries,” says Vithika Agarwal, Managing Partner at Divya Vithika Wedding Planners.
She says as safety certifications are still not big in India, and, unlike in other countries, there is no governing body to monitor all of this, “some planners are simply saying ‘No’ to executing such entries because they don’t want to take that 1% risk and consequent trauma for themselves, the couple or the guests on the big day.”
Thanks to social media, brides and grooms are coming across new ideas, but this also means that event planners are working with ideas and suppliers for the first time, adds Vithika. “This spells more risk,” she points out.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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