The working towards an event called India Speed Week

Rahul had this conversation with me while I was on my way back from a meeting in
Koramangala, Bangalore, India. Rahul and I go way back to 2008. So, when he spoke, I
generally listened. Settled at the back of my car.
He told me about an event brand that he was embarking on. He was nice enough to let me
in on the whole thing that early in conception. He advertised the mutual trust we had. We
talked about a few things about how the event should shape up to be. Drag Racing. Race
Management. Motor Sports permissions. Auto Exhibition. Fun. Music.
A few days later, he called up to say that he had finalized everything and was ready to move
forward. He needed investors. So, we spoke about certain strategies that we felt could help
get investors on board. This was going to be a big event and needed people with belief,
gumption and good cash with them.
Few months later, he called me up and asked me to fly to Kolkata where he was. He could
use my advise. I could use his gumption. Mutual. Both ways. Permissions weren’t easy to
come by. The aircraft runway we wanted to was hard to come by. Some money was spent
but the right results did not happen. We kept at it.
Today, we have a smooth machine running. The brand is out there. People are being
spoken to. Media, Sponsors and vendors have come aboard. Generally excited. But there
are some Golden Rules that apply to Sports Events in India. I am experiencing them first
hand. Just want to share them with you guys:
Learn the Product like hell. People respect a good and sturdy Sports Model as a Product.
Answer the question, “What is in it for the investor or the Sponsor?” and try to deliver that all
the while.
Deliver the Experience. That is simply what matters. Everything else including celebrities is
good to get but this is paramount.
USP is all fine but calibrate the Sports end till there is a tingling in your own bones. That
happens and then the rest is actually “Blue Ocean”. Basically sharpen the saw on the Sports
Management bit. Engage the best people and ensure they are highly enthused.
Create multiple revenue sources for Income. One or two streams does not help the quest for
revenues. Tickets, Team entries, Sponsors, Exhibition, Merchandise, F&B and Hospitality
should come in seamlessly together. Get the right people to deal with all this from Day 1. Or
you flounder!
Talk the right things all the while. The Right Communications. The True Communications.
Other forms of Marketing Communication may or may not work but this shall surely work.
Plan forward on a daily basis. You will have to shift goal posts, shift strategy, create new
stuff and junk some stuff on the way. Be prepared. Survey, think ahead, plan relentlessly,
look at the Big picture and influence the team.
Change the Game. If anyone else had been doing it, change the game so much that the
others start to bank and believe in what you are doing.
We don’t know if we will succeed in creating a world class brand on ground in the ensuing
years, but in our minds, it is done. It just needs the team to execute ruthlessly.



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