Navratri extravaganza in Ahmedabad!

From : The Times of India

Navratri celebrations came packed with a helicopter ride, hot air balloon ride, LED dandiya sticks and fun-filled moments

The 'Fly to Ambaji in a helicopter during Navratri' contest drew unprecedented participation this year. Customers just had to dial *121#, choose their best offer and become eligible for the on-air contest on a popular radio station. All correct answers assured them a helicopter ride to Ambaji for a special darshan.

In addition to the helicopter contest, Vodafone Gujarat also came out with many first-of-its kind innovations this Navratri. Vodafone sponsored hot air balloon ride that took Vodafone customers 80 feet in the air for a joyride. Not only did it give them a panoramic view of the garba celebrations at the picturesque Karnavati Club lawns, but also a fantastic opportunity to capture lifelong memories in their cameras.

Brajesh Bajpai, Business Head, Gujarat, Vodafone India says, "Our helicopter ride to Ambaji during Navratri is an activity that people are well aware of, now. But we wanted to take Navratri activities and the festive spirit to newer heights this year. So we brought the hot air balloon ride for the first time to Ahmedabad, offering a bird's eye view of the city and garba celebrations to our esteemed customers. Offering such once-in-a-lifetime chance is our way of delivering something innovative every year."

Another innovation was the introduction of Vodafone branded LED dandiya sticks for the first time in Ahmedabad. Khelaiyas had a gala time as they matched their steps with the flashing of the LED dandiya sticks.

Besides Ahmedabad, Vodafone also associated with all the prominent garba venues in all major cities of Gujarat and engaged with its customers.

Dhol Baaje

From : The Times of India

Navratri Celebrations with a Hot Air Baloon Ride

From : The Times of India

The Navratri festive spirit was in full swing as dance enthusiasts watched a hot air balloon go up in the sky at the 'Adani Shantigram presents The Times of India Shanku's Dandiya 2012'. Almost 15000 entries were registered at the event, and the organizers were happy that for the first time ever they gave Gujaratis an opportunity to view garba from a gigantic hot air balloon — 80 feet above ground level. Manoj Chaudhary, director, Shanku's Water Park says, "For the first time, this was truly an interesting innovation for the people of Ahmedabad as they sat in the lit hot air balloon."

The idea was sponsored by Vodafone and powered by Shanku's Water Park and XPERTZ events conceptualized this event at the Karnavati club. The TOI Shanku's Dandiya had garba dancers enjoying their garba and from the response, the organizers have promised to wow the audiences again every year like this. Devang Shah, director, XPERTZ, Advertising, Events & Promotions says, "We always believe in getting innovations to our events that brings the best mileage to our sponsors. Shanku's Dandiya has a great recall value and last Sunday, our idea of hot air balloon ride mesmerized the crowds on SG Highway. And Karnavati Club became the ideal platform for this activity."

Navratri Fever Catches On

From : The Times of India

From Boardroom to Garba Classes

From : The Times of India

AHMEDABAD: Corporate house employees are on a festive high. Firms are packing off their staff to garba sessions after work hours to hone their dancing skills before the big day.

While some companies have hired choreographers for teaching basic and advanced steps to their employees, others have ensured that their staff joins classes a fortnight before the revelry begins.

For instance, Vodafone Gujarat has engaged a professional choreographer to train its employees a few steps of garba in a known environment before stepping out. "We organize garba for our customers and employees across all our branch offices in Gujarat. We engage professionals to teach garba to them during work hours," says Brajesh Bajpai, business head-Gujarat, Vodafone India.

Practice sessions and the event that follows creates an all round atmosphere of engagement. "People of Gujarat love this festival. We have many non-Gujaratis as well in our organization," says Bajpai.

Cadila Pharmaceuticals has gone a step ahead by hiring a choreographer from the Gujarati film industry to train its staff in new dance techniques. "A garba and dandiya raas competition is organized at all our branches. Employees, including senior officials, join in the celebration with their family members. Prizes are also awarded to the best dressed and the best dancers," says a company official.

Cadila also organizes a separate garba competition for the kids of its employees at the corporate campus. They are imparted dance training by veterans of previous garba events to prepare them for the contest. Though Airtel may not be sponsoring public events this Navratri, it has grand plans for its employees. Anant Arora, chief executive officer, Bharti Airtel, Gujarat, says, "Navratri is one of the key festivals of Gujarat which is celebrated with a lot of fanfare by Airtel. We have our own in-house talents who choreograph the entire show and also teach employees new garba steps. The festivities including the garba sessions are held after office hours, ensuring participation from the family members of the employee."

Depending on the training sessions, choreographers charge anything between Rs 1,000 and Rs 3,000 per session. Ankit Panchal, who has taught many managers sway to garba tunes, says, "There is a lot of interest among non-Gujaratis to learn advanced garba steps. While earlier, employees used to request for basic steps, now the trend is to learn innovative steps using props like matkas, diyas and chairs."

And the bosses are not complaining while their staff has fun at work. "It's a great concept that helps employees break away from the monotony at work and makes the atmosphere stress free. It also energizes employees and increases engagement and team work," explains Arora.