Red Chariots – Experiential Event Managers in the Happiness Industry

Vinod Gopal, the founder of Red Chariots, spoke candidly with us about his journey, company origins, and his generational love for advertising. He established Red Chariots in 2009 and has taken it upon himself to capitalise on the ‘happiness industry’ as he calls it.

Crafting spectacles

Vinod introduces himself as a ‘second-generation event manager’ and explains how he followed in his father’s footsteps, taking over the company after his passing. “My father retired from the Army in 1982 and started an ad agency called Godavari Ads in Rajahmundry. It initially focused on wall painting and signage. A major client back then was Parle soft drinks with brands like Goldspot, Thums Up and Limca. The agency focused on rural advertising, with road shows and other means of promoting products in smaller areas before the advent of social media. In 1997, we became an event management company by default when Coca-Cola launched in India. They wanted us to make Coke an Indian name, rather than an American name.” They succeeded.

Captain M G Rajan, Vinod Gopal’s father, founder of Godavari Ads

He paints a vivid picture of their campaign—101 bullock carts painted red; people sitting in the carts clad in Coca-Cola t-shirts and dhotis; 40 red cases of the drinks in each cart. This bright red spectacle stretched over three kilometres and took five days to go from Vizianagaram to Vijayawada. This feat was so impressive that the CEO of Coca-Cola came all the way from the US to Rajahmundry to witness it.

Vinod Gopal, Director of Red Chariots

How the wheels turned

Perhaps that event planted the seed in Vinod’s mind to call his new company Red Chariots. He clarifies, however, that the idea behind the name, although subconsciously a nod to his past, sprang out of something different. “We chose the word ‘red’ as it is one of the most auspicious colours in Indian tradition and carries a lot of power. The word ‘chariots’ connected us to our roots in rural marketing. Chariots are among the oldest vehicles, tracing back to Hindu mythology, to The Ramayana or Mahabharata. They continue to hold significance today in celebrations, be it a temple festival or a wedding.” Having worked for over two decades in multiple fields, he reflects on the journey.

Godavari Ads’ iconic Coca-Cola campaign

Part of the happiness industry

Vinod’s experience goes further than event management and advertising; he worked as a producer for Gemini TV, back when he worked as the Managing Director at Sanguine Media. For two years, he was out of the events world and was fully immersed in the world of melodramas and daily soaps. Dissatisfied with the scope of his job, he decided to get back into event management, establishing Red Chariots in 2009 along with his brother Vivek. They have some big clients in their repertoire, like Infosys, L&T, Cognizant, BMW, and Altimetrik, all of whom they’ve been servicing for over a decade.

He talks of finding his way back to event management. “When you go to a doctor or a lawyer, you tell them your problems. You only go to them when you have something negative or concerning to talk about. Interestingly, when you go to an event manager, you go with one purpose: to talk about a celebration. This is why I believe this is the ‘happiness industry’. It truly feels like a place where I belong.”

An event for one of their longstanding clients, Altimetrik

Designing lasting memories

On the topic of the events, Vinod details how they have to flow in a way that keeps the attendees on their toes. They have to ensure no one is bored or scrolling on their phones midway through the event. Every minute counts, he stresses, owing to short attention spans. Breaking the monotony of long days spent at the venue, giving them breaks, involving them in the event innovatively, and creating little pockets of fun, interesting activities are all imperative to taking an event from good to great. The team prioritises creative events that are not run-of-the-mill, whether it is a leadership summit, a product launch, or a family day for employees.

Ad campaign launching the Air Asia line of flights

From streets to celebratory feats

Retaining the passion for ingenuity, much like their road show Coca-Cola campaign, Red Chariots continues to design memorable events. One conference had South Indian snacks on the tables instead of the usual candy, taking people back to their childhood. If a conference spans three days, the venue looks different each day, allowing the attendees to experience a myriad of colours, decor, and storytelling. Vinod points out that, virtually, you only use two senses, but at a live event, they get to attract all five. Using different food, lighting, sounds, and other forms of technology is something that they do to garner the crowd’s attention at each event.

Technology: glam and glitches

Dissecting the strategy behind planning an event, Vinod describes, “People these days love engaging and interacting with people and their surroundings at events. Instead of bringing in celebrities, we shifted our thought process to make the attendees the celebrities. Every employee’s relative feels like the company wouldn’t run without their family member, and they’re absolutely correct: every employee is indispensable. We make sure our clients get to show their appreciation in whatever way they feel is right. For that, we use technology at every step, making the entire event go smoothly,” he smiles proudly.

Using Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Mixed Reality, Red Chariots champions its clients and their events in unforgettable ways. Registration is made easy, no more long waits in queues. If there is a concert as part of an event, the attendees are made to download an app and vote for their favourite song. Whatever gets the most votes makes it to the setlist. This way, they control the entertainment, and they are made to feel like they’re an important part of the event. Red Chariots uses apps to get the attendees involved even before the event begins. Fun questions to keep them engaged, giving the top five answers small gifts. Hosting drawing contests for kids where parents can upload their artwork and have it displayed at the event, and later receive framed art on their respective desks.

The company made use of Mixed Reality in a recent event in a highly imaginative way. There was a chief guest present, but he didn’t actually launch the product; the audience did! The 800 people present in the crowd downloaded an app and lit the candle on their screens, paving the way for the real candle to be lit on stage.

Innovation doesn’t come without its challenges. Signal bandwidth issues, glitches in the internet, and jammed networks are all things they deal with constantly, Vinod admits. He counteracts that by saying these roadblocks challenge him in the most interesting ways, and that none of these are taken negatively.

A yoga festival

Storyboarding for tomorrow

Vinod mentions the challenges and lessons learned along the way. “Every day, we want to do something different. We compete with ourselves, which leads us to set higher standards each time. It’s impossible to fool yourself,” he laughs. “The more you enjoy your work, the better results you get. We want to keep doing this, keep getting better, and generate more smiles per mile. Creativity is what drives me every morning. Doing what you love makes you content.”

Vinod’s closing statements are poignant: “We hope that people get momentary pleasure from our events. Happiness is like a reset button; if people are happy for at least a few minutes, we’re satisfied.”

Red Chariots has recently added two subdivisions to its company: Dream Chariots, a wedding planning service, and Masala Kart, a street food festival organised across India.

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