After finishing the coffee, he told me to have my notebook and scribble down the points whatever was coming to his mind and I knew it would be revised several times before giving the final shape.
Organising a musical show on such a large scale, was a difficult job and considering the timeline it needs meticulous planning going out of the standard practices, decisions should be quick and easy to implement but there should be some X factor which makes it different from the normal shows. A musical concert involves capturing the grandeur, excitement, and anticipation of the event and something more, the X factor, so that the audience keeps in their memory that something extra that was offered in this show.
Visiting the Venue, is a priority, the spectacular setting for an unforgettable musical extravaganza! Nestled in the heart of the state, this state-of-the-art facility has to be carefully designed to provide an unparalleled experience for both performers and audiences alike. With world-class acoustics, a seating capacity of around ten thousand spectators, additional arrangements for patrons, sponsors and VVIPs, and cutting-edge lighting and sound systems, should be perfect and a perfect canvas for the grandest of musical productions.
Behind the scenes, the success of a large musical show relies heavily on effective leadership. The team, comprising producers, directors, and various production staff, plays pivotal roles in ensuring every aspect of the show, runs seamlessly. As a leader, Bikash has to arrange, coordinate and give a final result to the audience where all in the team combined have given their best and extraordinary satisfaction can be given to the spectator and all the team members should feel happy with his role.
Bikash told me to call an urgent meeting of all the team members from the different departments the next day morning to have first-hand information about the diverse personalities and skills of the team and how the main character of the team dynamics and navigate with them to build their trust before selecting the team members to be approved by his management. Thereafter to finalise the way forward, discuss and involve each one of them where they best fit. A detailed brainstorming where everybody’s ideas will be heard before making a final road map. As I know, the working of Bikash, always hears everybody before a decision but when a decision is taken there will be no compromises, all have to follow. He always prefers a slim team as any extra will make the going difficult. Bikash took out his phone and talked to his CEO about certain things like the probable budget and who the artiste be coming as the main guest performers. The total duration of the programme, security responsibilities etc. to have a rough idea, of how he should move. Our team was very happy when they heard Bikash would act as their team leader for this major event, who always helps them to grow and always takes the blame on his head when something goes wrong. So people working under a very supportive leader like Bikash make them feel secure and always ready to give their best.
The next day after breakfast, we all met in the conference room and Bikash as usual in a relaxing mood, talked to the team about the event. He talked in such a way that if it is not a big thing, we can easily do it. But I know by heart he must be having something in his mind which will come out in the latter part of the meeting. The Venue was already finalised and the necessary permission was already taken, security is not our responsibility, the same will be taken care of the government security and personal security of the artists. But we have to liaise with both to avoid any last-minute disruptions. I was surprised when Bikash told, our team that the performers were already world-known figures, our own artists and we must also take advantage of this show and arrange something from our company’s artists to perform something good to show our talents without any negative effect on the show. our team was delighted, even a 2-3-minute slot for them in between would be exceptional. I know, Bikash was telling this to make the team more active. Participating and happy.
The meeting was going on regarding planning, co-ordinations with various agencies involved and our internal team members, fast decision-making arrangements considering available time, selecting our best talents and motivating them to deliver their best performances in different areas of the total show and also perform in the show if get a chance. They also provide guidance and feedback to help performers reach their potential.
Another major hurdle was to make the budget and Resource Management. Allocating not only the budget but also the best possible human resources to handle the responsibilities given to them, Managing budgets, allocating resources, and making strategic investments at the right time to maximize the show’s impact without overspending.
Bikash also talked about the marketing strategy to ensure the show reaches its target audience effectively, driving ticket sales and creating buzz.
We should also assess potential risks and develop contingency plans to address emergencies, ensuring the show can go on even in challenging situations, Bikash explained.
Engagement of the Audience should be focussed on creating an emotional connection with the show, enhancing their experience and leaving a lasting impression. The public relation team need to be active immediately with their plan on this.
He encouraged everyone in our team to speak about the event-specific points with their prior experiences and imagination to identify the risk areas and our strengths leaving the weak points for later discussion so that enthusiasm of the team in the first meeting remains high and they came out with something beautiful and new.
It was an enthralling discussion and all participated with their captivating ideas as advised by my boss Bikash, I noted down the headlines to work further, A team of four persons were made as a core group to decide instantly anything that needed a decision and reporting to Bikash. Bikash takes responsibility for connecting the team with externals like the management, artists, security agencies etc including the risk analysis, so that the team can concentrate on actual work and not be deflected to day-to-day issues. The meeting ended with the resolve that as a team we should show to all, that we are the best and that we can take the challenge of organising events of this scale where national and international audiences will be attending in addition to artists of great fame. The Japanese idea of “kaizen” will be adopted to make ourselves aware and better every day by meeting for 10 minutes each morning. Everybody will know during these 10 minutes the critical areas, and where we stand every day and resources can be allocated reshuffled or added in the critical areas.
The meeting was over after nearly three long hours, Bikash and I were taking lunch in the office canteen. Bikash seemed to be very happy with the outcome and told me to fix an official meeting with the management in the evening and jot down the major points, if possible to prepare a few slides for the presentation of critical points to them. I know Bikash, he is always reluctant to take responsibility but when decides to take it, he gives his hundred per cent, and more than that he brings out more than a hundred per cent from the team, always patting their back and encouraging everyone that they can do it, It makes a great difference and people willingly volunteered for additional responsibilities. He talks to the top management point blank, about his requirements and where he needs complete independence without any interference. Some like his attitude, some hate it but no one can ignore him as he proved to be the best under such pressing situations and responsibilities always coming his way.
The CEO kept the meeting at 5 pm, all his Directors were present and with a very cordial atmosphere, the CEO started the discussion. He praised Bikash for taking the responsibility and wished that if we could successfully organise the programme, our reputation, as well as market value, would increase manyfold. Bikash then thanked everyone present there and took permission to present the slides that I prepared as per Bikash’s instructions an hour ago.
Organizing a major music show is a thrilling endeavour that blends artistry, logistics, and leadership. Behind the scenes of a spectacular concert or music festival lies a whirlwind of chaos and pressure. This comprehensive exploration delves into the intricacies of managing and leading such an event, differentiating between the roles of a manager and a leader. From the initial planning stages to the electrifying moments on stage, we’ll journey through the challenges, triumphs, and invaluable lessons learned in the world of musical event management. The journey of organizing a major music show of this magnitude begins long before the first note rings out in the venue. It commences with meticulous planning and extensive preparation.
Bikash shouldered the responsibility of the journey of organizing this massive music show, understanding that meticulous planning and preparation were the keys. As the program’s leader, from the beginning, he tried to clarify the vision, motivate the team, and instil purpose. Each manager overseeing different aspects assessed their targets based on the expected audience preferences, stage and seating arrangements, musician details, power supply, and other essentials, to frame a clear publicity slogan and communicate with the public with various available platforms. All these are to be scrutinized and executed within a strict timeline.
In his initial discussion with the management of his company CEO and Directors, Bikash inquired about the budget, profit expectations, and agreements with artists, venue, and logistics. The Finance head confirmed agreements with two big and famous artist groups and the central covered stadium as the proposed venue. But the remaining details of expenses are being worked out. Bikash requested an estimated expenditure to secure sponsors and determine ticket prices, emphasizing the need for some decision-making authority to be delegated to him due to time constraints. He aimed to attract more sponsors to fill the stadium to capacity while the CEO prioritized the program’s success over profit, though profit was still essential. This collaborative discussion granted them full management authority.
Although the event’s duration was approximately three hours, Bikash had decided to extend it to four hours, reserving 45 minutes for local folk music teams between the two artist groups. Within this, they allocated 10 minutes for our own artist’s performance as discussed in the morning. These will create the desired x-factor for the audience coming from outside to have a feel of the local folk music and the inclusion of our artist for 10 minutes makes them fully involved. I simply praised, Bikash for his thinking which was really unique. Working late, we calculated the total event expenses, aiming to recover 85-90% from sponsors and 30% from ticket sales, resulting in a reasonable 15-20% profit.
The following morning, Bikash and his core team visited the venue, finalized the stage and power details, and urged management to conclude pending agreements.
The role of Bikash as the leader of this program is to clarify the vision to the managers working under him, energise the team and instil a sense of purpose. On the basis of this vision, the individual managers heading the different activities will identify their target based on the anticipated audience, research their probable likings or dislikes, the stage arrangement, seating arrangement for audiences and patrons, sponsors and VVIPs, team members of the musicians, their pieces of equipment, power supply and backup and such other details. All has to be scrutinised to the minutest detail and implemented within a set timeline.
Bikash prioritises his marketing team to gather as many sponsors at the earliest so that the fund is not a constraint and one team looks at all the pieces of information required from the visiting artists and their team and their requirements to start with. The arrangement of the stage is decided to be sublet to another professional company who have rich experience in the same as we do not have manpower or expertise. The third group of team members decided on the local folk musical team and accommodations etc for them as they considered the opportunity they got, and did not charge anything except transportation, accommodation and food. This team also preparing a few from our company who will get 10 minutes for their performance. The three teams were working under a manager each and I was assisting Bikash. All the people got suddenly extremely busy. With inspiration from Bikash who had a great memory of calling everyone by name and was always helpful and encouraging. Never showed his temper to anyone though sometimes he was annoyed with some people, but never expressed his anger to them.
Gradually, we started getting sponsors and it seems that maybe the whole expenses may be covered with the sponsored money. So we have the confidence now to spend a bit more to make the function more and more attractive.
Rajat chandra sarmah
mail ID : rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com
musingofrajat.wordpress.com 