An imaginative mind remains curiously filled to the brim with a thousand alluring ideas. Only an equally indomitable and resolute willpower can create reality from the most significant ideas. These people with a simmering desire hold the potential to transform dreams into a reality of mesmerizingly vibrant and entertaining events of their lifetime for the lively audience.
Highly entertaining events can engulf everyone who loves entertainment, immersed completely in that enchanting experience of a lifetime. Although, at its core, amusing others is an art of the highest degree, if crafted by those who innately resonate with all the subtle elements of love, passion, compassion, artistry, craftsmanship, and enticing ideas, the events will live in the participants’ hearts forever as memories to be cherished for eternity. Deepak Chaudhary, the Director of Woodcraft Events & Entertainment, always believed in the power of ideas and personal ambitions to turn those ideas into reality.
In an exclusive interview with CIOLOOK INDIA, Deepak spoke about how he and his woodcraft team have entertained audiences for the last eleven years. Highlights of that candid discussion are given herein.
Please tell us about the saga of your leadership from the beginning and how you have made Woodcraft excel in its niche.
I started WoodCraft in 2012 with a few thousand rupees. At 16, I entered this creative industry as I awaited my class 10 results. I first started travelling while wearing the hat of a freelancer in 1999. After falling head over heels for it, I decided to make this industry my career. In the Varanasi suburbs, I ran my first outdoor advertising campaign. I made sure I grasped hold of anything that could help me develop my adaptability toward the strength of my goals.
Woodcraft has developed into more than just an event management firm, with a combined 101 years of experience in the events sector. We design and execute unique concepts with the highest level of perfection. By putting clients and their brand persona at the centre of the planning process, we conceptualize and carry out a variety of staged events and brand launches, corporate conferences and seminars, road shows, brand activation, trade activation, and activation. Serving several small- to medium-sized demand generation companies, such as GIOIA, Petronas, Allana, Lokmat, Velvetcase, Danone, KidZania, INOX, Davidoff, Naturals Salon, Ajmal Perfume, Telus International, Dr Vaidya, President Butler, and many others, has overwhelmed me.
Empowered by the priceless experience and know-how of more than a decade, and different geographies of PAN India, I grew WoodCraft into one of the well-reputed and well-known BTL activation and event management solution providers in the capital city of Bollywood. I just pursued my happiness and eventually realized my dream to have a small, bespoke yet passionate and experienced team with a strong creative twist.
What inspired you to venture into the business area, and what new dreams are you nurturing to keep you motivated?
‘It’s not about IDEAS. It’s about making IDEAS Happen’ The famous quote has made me believe in ‘Making IDEAS Happen and Hunger for Making a Difference in others’ life. I believe that every challenge out there is an Opportunity. When you see things through different lenses, you find opportunities in every life situation. Maybe this is why I never considered any situation challenging; rather, I have focused on finding a solution rather an IDEA which is nothing but a Hidden Opportunity.
During my freelancing time, I was at the Hotel for the ITC’s Capstan Cigarette rural campaign project when the manager gave orders on what needed to be done for the execution, and the manner he had control over the room impressed me. I yearned to have a similar command over the room and direct the people on going about things. And that’s what motivated me to work in this industry.
One thing that keeps me inspired is how rapidly technology is evolving. We used to shoot on Kodak reels in the past, but thanks to technological advancements, we can now use HD/4k cameras. I’m continuously searching for opportunities to produce moments that will shock and amaze our clients because of the environment’s constant change. This field is not monotonous because technology is always updating.
What leadership skills, values, and qualities do you think your clients admire in you and your company the most?
In contrast to working for our clients, my team and I believe our primary objective is meeting their demands. The guiding concept ensures that we take ownership of the project and hold us accountable for our actions. This way of thinking also motivates us to make timely and cost-effective deliveries. The client admires us the most for making things simpler and taking care of their challenges and inconveniences. Passion, Dedication, Professionalism, an Eye for Detail and Thinking Out of the Box; are the few traits I imbibe daily to create meaningful differences in our customer’s life.
Please brief our audience about Woodcraft, its USPs, and how you are currently positioned as one of the best product/service/solution providers.
For our clients, we tell the story of their business, brand or ethos through events. We start by sitting down with them to understand the objective of their event and then help achieve that by providing creative, exciting and ‘spot-on’ solutions. I guess that is one unique aspect of our business which sets us apart from our Competition. Also, good networking within Industry gives the best opportunity to be abreast of trends. Having a talented team like ours onboard makes it easier for the individual to identify hidden opportunities and trends.
As I mentioned, we mainly work for corporates and brands, so our target group is Corporate, and our USP is a team of young, creative, enthusiastic, and dynamic professionals with a sparkling stream of ideas having vast experience in the field of Events and Entertainment.
As an experienced leader, share your opinion on how adopting modern technologies like AI and ML impacts your industry and how your firm adapts to the change.
Change is the most constant thing, and even though we may sometimes like it or not, I have seen change as an opportunity to do something different and better; I’m sure that AI will.
With the changes in market dynamics, we have added a complete 360-degree angle to our services, which is comprehensive enough to cater to all our customer’s needs. The genre that we are currently focusing on apart from regular Event management services is primarily the events such as:
- Live video streaming/Webcasting/ (Multi and Cross-Platform Solution)
- Virtual Events/Web Conferencing System
During the wake of the pandemic, Live Streaming/Virtual Presence are playing a major role in every industry to generate more business. It is helping organizations to sustain and upgrade business consistently during these uncertain times.
We started offering different and customized Virtual solutions which can benefit
the organization monetizes their revenue with the latest technology.
Considering the current industry scenario, what challenges do you face, and how do you drive your firm to overcome them?
Being a top event management company, we have special traits, such as faultless preparation, while also considering the likelihood of unforeseen circumstances that might enhance the success of an event from a logistical, operational, and functional perspective.
Along with those, as mentioned earlier, we also create a checklist for every stage and assign entire accountability to every team member for every function. Without a doubt, one needs the highest level of execution clarity.
Additionally, using this method enables Woodcraft to divide difficult projects into smaller modules that, when combined, create a whole substantially greater than the sum of its parts. The best evidence of this is that each project has been carried out efficiently and admirably.
What would be your advice to budding leaders who aspire to excel in their career graph like you?
I advise anyone who wishes to pursue a career in event management: “Follow your Heart and Dreams, and you will end up at the place you are intended for. Never give up, no matter what difficulties or barriers you may encounter. It has worked for me, and it always succeeds for those who follow their paths.
Always be quick to respond and flexible to new ideas. Our line of work demands that you maintain an open mind. Every person you encounter and every chance you are given can inspire you to create something no one could have imagined; for instance, when you visit a piece of architecture, you can draw inspiration from it. Everyone would work with you to obtain your goals in the most creative way possible.
Follow your Heart and Dream, and you will end up being at your destined destination. Never give up, irrespective of any challenges or Obstacles that may come your way. It has worked for me, and this always works for someone who chooses to walk his path.
How do you envision scaling Woodcraft’s operations and offerings in the future?
Speaking of my expectations for the advancement of Woodcraft in the modern era, the best course of action is to develop independent platforms in the form of intellectual property for various target audiences and market segments. Our penetration strategies look perfect as we focus on strengthening the inventory by creating intellectual properties (IP) to enhance success in the void.
With comprehensive plans to take things to the next level, we are approaching our mission in 2024, wherein IT, FMCG, and E-Learning Platforms sectors are the predominant and immediate targets. Our company is all set to embrace and expand the operations to these demanding sectors, as the requests are coming in huge numbers. Our penetration strategies look impeccable, as our focus is on strengthening the inventory by developing Intellectual Properties (IP), which will bolster aces in the hole. Foreseeing the burgeoning requirements in the segments like IT, FMCG, Consumer Durable and other categories, our company will be doing IP events for the brands as well – manifesting a lucid sign of flexibility. Our vision of professionalism in charting the roads of informative and entertaining events, and giving every event a different meaning and identity, will be a boon to the E-Learning Platforms/IT industry – beyond any reasonable doubt. Making a difference by providing cost-effective, creative experiences to businesses
And we know we are making a difference, as reflected in the words of encouragement we receive from our audiences.
Rishi Darda of Lokmat Media Pvt. Ltd, said, “I want to personally Congratulate and thank you for putting up a splendid show last night. Your planning was impeccable. The effort taken by your team was excellent. You Worked out every detail very well, and I was happy to see that the set-up was complete in time. It was a pleasure working with WoodCraft Events.”
Jaydeep Chatterji of Danone said, “It was an absolute pleasure to work with the team at Woodcraft. We were all so impressed with the staging and lighting and the way you turned the show. The feedback has been fantastic.”
