In continuation of my previous post, I am describing here the events that all added up to the Industrial Expo 2011. It may not make exciting reading, but as an experience, I want it to be documented.
While the government with whom the expo was to be partnered decided to pull out, we were busy weighing our options. In defense of the govt. they could not help but withdraw. The code of conduct was in place and the election commission had not given the go ahead. Nobody expected the expo 2011 to be considered as violating the code of conduct as it was a strictly B2B show of industries, no consumer stuff included. It was only due to a letter by the local administration of Haridwar (to whom we had applied for permission)that we thought of getting endorsement from the election commission.
There were 2 options available to us; one, go on with the expo as planned without the participation of the govt and two, postpone the event to a later date after the elections in Haridwar so that the govt could participate.
We decided to go for the second option. The reasons being numerable, but the primary one being that the govt had been assisting in setting up this expo and would be a great asset.
The result was chaotic. Thousands of invites had to be discarded, letters had to be sent to all those invited and confirmed about the postponement of the show. All the permissions we had obtained had to be renewed. All the participating exhibitors had to be informed. There were scores of complaints and angry and agitated people to calm down, convinced and consoled.
As if this was not enough, one of our principal team members quit as he had secured another job . But he was thoughtful enough to have planned it after the expo, it wasn't his fault that the expo got postponed. This meant that I was now to be part of the core organising team. And that included leading a team of 3 interns and supervising the renewed visitor promotion for the expo. In addition, I was also incharge of getting the website updated and running, and handling communications and correspondence with the VIPs and special guests with respect to their visit to the expo. And yes the most taxing of them all, the exhibitor catalogue.
What started next was a series of late nights, working on holidays, saturdays, sundays, from home. Calling up people, collating and generating databases, sending mailers, faxing letters, requesting RSVPs, hounding the printing and designers, proofing advertisements, catalogue itself (which took 12 straight hours in front of a PC) etc etc. I was really in it deep this time.
Coming up next post... the actual expo itself.
While the government with whom the expo was to be partnered decided to pull out, we were busy weighing our options. In defense of the govt. they could not help but withdraw. The code of conduct was in place and the election commission had not given the go ahead. Nobody expected the expo 2011 to be considered as violating the code of conduct as it was a strictly B2B show of industries, no consumer stuff included. It was only due to a letter by the local administration of Haridwar (to whom we had applied for permission)that we thought of getting endorsement from the election commission.
There were 2 options available to us; one, go on with the expo as planned without the participation of the govt and two, postpone the event to a later date after the elections in Haridwar so that the govt could participate.
We decided to go for the second option. The reasons being numerable, but the primary one being that the govt had been assisting in setting up this expo and would be a great asset.
The result was chaotic. Thousands of invites had to be discarded, letters had to be sent to all those invited and confirmed about the postponement of the show. All the permissions we had obtained had to be renewed. All the participating exhibitors had to be informed. There were scores of complaints and angry and agitated people to calm down, convinced and consoled.
As if this was not enough, one of our principal team members quit as he had secured another job . But he was thoughtful enough to have planned it after the expo, it wasn't his fault that the expo got postponed. This meant that I was now to be part of the core organising team. And that included leading a team of 3 interns and supervising the renewed visitor promotion for the expo. In addition, I was also incharge of getting the website updated and running, and handling communications and correspondence with the VIPs and special guests with respect to their visit to the expo. And yes the most taxing of them all, the exhibitor catalogue.
What started next was a series of late nights, working on holidays, saturdays, sundays, from home. Calling up people, collating and generating databases, sending mailers, faxing letters, requesting RSVPs, hounding the printing and designers, proofing advertisements, catalogue itself (which took 12 straight hours in front of a PC) etc etc. I was really in it deep this time.
Coming up next post... the actual expo itself.
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