House of Expert Ep3: Vibha Kagzi in Conversation with Karan Singh
House of Experts is a show that ReachIvy.com kick-started with a view to help those who are confused about their career choices. We hope that through these sessions with some very successful people who pursued their dreams and made a name for themselves in the industry, we can shed light on a new career path every week. House of Experts plans to make a cumulative collection of interactive sessions with experts from various domains.
Vibha Kagzi, the host, is the Founder and CEO of ReachIvy.com, a premium study abroad and career consultancy. Vibha, a Harvard alumna, is a successful entrepreneur herself and believes in helping others chalk out their future careers. In episode 3 of House of Experts, we were fortunate to host Karan Singh, CEO Sunburn and COO Percept Live. One of the largest EDM festivals Sunburn, spearheaded by him, has been a stellar example of event management.
Excerpts from the Live Interaction between Vibha Kagzi and Karan Singh:
1) What was your childhood like, and what made you who you are today?
I grew up in a joint family in Mumbai. My father started Percept in 1984, so I grew up in the environment of the family business with the event, celebrity, talent management aspects. One of the first events that I attended was the New Year’s concert in Mumbai with Nelly Furtado, AR Rahman and all the big stars. That was a big part of my childhood, and I knew that somewhere down the line I would love to be a part of it.
2. You had the family business to back you up. So, why did you go through rigorous education?
The option to join the family business was always there. I would have learned a lot on the job in the industry, but I felt that there was merit in understanding different perspectives and getting exposure in a different climate. It was a balance between learning on the job from people who have over 20 years of experience, and you have the best practices that they have to offer and bringing in new ideas from the exposure as well. That was also why I got professional experience for three years at Ambit. The MBA transformed me because of the things you learn there, the relationships you build – it all stays with you.
3. How do the expenses and revenue pan out for such events?
Artist management and production are the main areas of expenditure. We try to bring in some of the top talents. Similarly, for production, the cost is in terms of stage, lights and other logistical requirements. Apart from that, marketing demands a sizeable budget to reach out to the audience. On the revenue side, in India, sponsorship plays an important role. Compared to other countries, India has a 50-50 split between ticketing and sponsorship, whereas other countries earn mostly from ticketing.
4. Given the global situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, what are the impacts on Sunburn and live concerts this year?
JThe entire country is on hold. For those who are interested, we have daily streams on Sunburn platforms with a lot of good artists around the world, streaming from their homes. We have tons of people tuning in every day. We are planning for the Sunburn festival to take place in Goa, in December. We’re all hoping that the situation will settle down by then. We’ve been in touch with the artists and other people involved; they’re all very supportive.
5. What is the right way for an outsider to get into the event management industry?
There are a lot of event management training institutes, and we have youngsters joining from there or from different backgrounds like business or communication. It is still a small industry, but if you’re passionate about it, there is no set education or experience that you need. I studied management, and it did prime me for this business. Event management, as the name goes, is about making sure that different pieces of an event go together. Studying management is a good option. At Percept, we focus on music so, if we have someone passionate about the kind of music and events we put out, there is no substitute for that. It is ideal before starting your venture.
It was an informative session. Go out and pursue your ambition in event management. No matter what hurdles stand in your way, if you have the will and courage to keep going, your goals will be within your reach.
Our next episode on House of Experts will host the well-known film critic and author, Anupama Chopra. Stay tuned and await the next blog!
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