MISPLACED EXPECTATIONS

On Thursday morning in my timelines I found a re-tweet ‘Ad Club’s night of shame: ‘Condemnation by Mumbai Press club, Shiv Sena MLC’. It was a detailed version of the unwarranted incident post EMVIES and it raised a few questions. In an impulsive reaction, I re-tweeted it tagging IAA, AAAI, ADCLUB and ISA.

A senior fraternity member’s revert raised more questions. He said such incidents happen even after best efforts. And then he asked: ‘What was I expecting them to do?’ The offender was behind the bars. But, more important. he agreed that the lack of concern and empathy was non-negotiable.  Many times that is the only thing people are searching for.

For the unaware, a lady journalist was returning from Hotel St Regis (Palladium), Lower Parel, after covering ADCLUB EMVIE’s award night . She was accosted and brutally attacked by a ‘guest’ at around 11.30 pm on Friday night. She raised an alarm. Phoenix Mall security staff managed to detain the offender who was drunk. It is reported that organizers and senior advertising fraternity did not react. They did not call police. Instead, fellow journalists called police.

Shibani Gharat (CNBC Awaaz) was the victim; Pritha Mitra Dasgupta (Economic Times) and Prasad Sangameshwaran (Hindu Businessline) were with her. As per the Facebook page of Pritha, she called a well-known and respected Adclub person that night and all she got was an insensitive ‘I have already left the venue’ reply.

The incident raises a few questions. Why did Advertising Club, and the event coordinator (Fountainhead) did not intervene? How come there was no assistance from them even after the offender was arrested? Shibani was in police station till 3.30 AM. How come a peon in a saree shop was invited on complimentary pass by Fountainhead? What business does he (the offeder) have attending an ad industry event when he has no links with advertising?

Social media had its own share of comments condeming the incident. Few even offerred help. But that was to be expected. Pritha in her facebook post suggested few possible courses of action and Shashi Sinha reacted positively to them. Her suggestions seemed to be presented in the heat of the moment. I have changed the order of her suggestions for reference. And I am sharing my take on them.

1. No office-bearer or people managing the event should be allowed to drink during the event.  Hosting the event without any glitch is their responsibility. 

My Take: I agree it is their responsibility. Normally in all marketing event there are people who do not drink or they celebrate post event. But making everyone party to this no-drinking clause is madness. I would rephrase this-  there must be at least two designated persons of authority not drinking at the event. And their name and contact number must be made public.

2. Every pass at the event should have a barcode like the passes at Goafest do. 

My Take: It is not possible to have technology based systems in all events.  What we need is easy linking of invitee and the organisation that ordered it. This can be done in many ways. Maybe a photo ID process of entering the venue could help.

3. For every award ceremony, please put an embargo on the results and give it to media in advance. My Take: We must adapt this international practice. But this has nothing to do with the safety angle. Even if that was the only reason Pritha went to the event.

4. Do not serve alcohol till after the end of the ceremony/event. 
My Take: Now this is where sometime we start designing and defining what and how the event should be rolled out. It is wrong to link a rogue invitee and drinking.  It may decrease the chances but is no sureity. Even a process of first drink free and rest on payment may drop individual consumption but that is no solution.

5. Wind Up The Cocktail/Dinner Party By 11pm. 
My Take: Unrelated. If you put pressure of early winding up, we know more tamasha can happen. If you believe alcohol  is the culprit, than a quick end time would encourage some to have their shots faster and that may lead to drunken behaviour faster. Anyway, everyone is free to leave at the hour of their choice.

6. Please shift all late evening events to the late afternoon. 
My Take: Again we are wrongly linking the two issues. In advertising and marketing industry it is almost impossible to get the right crowd in before 7 PM. I will say it is impractical but not impossible.

7. If at all you are forced to organize an event late evening, then provide a drop to every single person present at the venue.

My Take: Hyper reaction. In todays world one can book (women drivers) to pick them right from the event lobby.  Come to think of it, tomoorow we will start asking IPL and theators to do the same. It is not that the same set of invitees do not attend functions, matches, events and social nights that go much beyond the time referred in her suggestion. The invitees need to work things out.

I will add few more thoughts to it.

The statement ‘how could the peon of a saree shop be at the event?’ implies linking  person status / work and expectation of particular kind of behaviour. This is stereotyping and incorrect. Almost socially racist.  There is no guarantee that can be given for anyone.

Till the invitees allow non-members to pay and walk in, you will find non-industry people in such events.. Yes, it is possible to have a member only event- if organisations in marketing advertising and communication have a mandatory memebership of adclub. And as I write- I know it is a fantasy. In such a huge industry, ad-club paid  members’ list is small. We all would want the best of function, process and security, but will not sign in on a simple Rs 500 annual fee.  But then again, members only set-up is no guarrantee of security.

Linking invites to organisations is a good suggestion. Even if the invitees  are bought in advance, the final list of people attending it  can  be sent to organisers at least 3 hour in advance. Today technology allows for timely updates. Also, photo-ID system can be used.

It  may penalise few interested people not directly part of the industry. And that will be bad. So while the idea is good one, we need to relook and re-evalaute.

If you have some solutions and suggestions please write to me and I promise to ensure they reach the right hands.

For more you can read Pritha Mitra Dasgupta’s report in ETBrandEquity.com  activity on her Facebook page