K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research, Vidyanagar, Vidyavihar (E), recently conducted their annual festival Melange on the 17th and 18th of February where they welcomed more than 50 business colleges and 1,200 students. ‘Melange’ which means a mix of culture, aims to create, “A place where ideas convert,” said Shrinidhi Rao from the Press Relation team.
“This year, we worked on two kinds of events,” declared Aman Jain, one of the organisers of the event. “There were management events based on case studies and cultural events that were more informal, like the treasure hunt or the fashion show sponsored by NIFD.” Abhishek Dwivedi, another organiser, added, “The new business ideas are going to transform the world, that is why we were focused on creating a platform to bring to the foreground new ideas by addressing a problem in every event.” For example, the Samridhi Social B plan competition between more than 10 teams was about making a business plan answering the problems of society as well as practicing course skills and developing awareness of social issues.
The event, which is happening for more than 10 years now, was planned for over three months by a team of 30 senior students. “We are trying to become better than the previous organisers, which will make the event bigger every year,” added Aman.
Among the most important workshop, the IMC colloquium was held by Prof. Isaac Jacob. It consisted a round table of 45 minutes and a presentation of an advertisement project of 15 minutes for each of the 10 teams. “This workshop was a part of the curriculum which was integrated into the fest. The top two contestants won Rs,10,000 and Rs.5,000,” revealed Shrinidhi. Other workshops such as MBA Skool and Scorpio King, which was about selling a Scorpio to the audience, were also successful.
Each competition was judged by noted professionals such as the brand manager of Scorpio. A total of Rs.3.85 lakh in cash and 10 lakh in goodies were distributed during the fest. Through the day, students could visit the stalls and have fun with informal events while in the evening they danced to DJ music. The college band Mauj also put in a performance. To conclude, the team said, “This festival was made by the students and for the students to give them a place to showcase their talent and have fun.”