Steeling minds

RETAIL: Tata Steel pitches Steeljunction as an outlet for steel... and creative minds.

One wouldn't expect anything in common between a retail store, especially one selling steel hardware, and the creative world of artists, painters and writers, but Tata's Steeljunction "" Tata Steel's pilot venture in organised retail "" is different.

The knowledge centre at the Steeljunction has emerged as a favoured venue for play or poetry readings, theatre workshops, art exhibitions and the like.

In the middle of February, Dolly Basu staged Dui Taranga, a one-act play, at the venue. Last month, the store hosted a unique art exhibition by four artists "" a sculptor, a photographer, a painter and a writer "" who incorporated steel in their works to show that the alloy was not just utilitarian but had aesthetic possibilities too.

Sumit Ray, chief (retail initiatives), Tata Steel, says that starting next month, he is planning many more events to make the knowledge centre an entertainment destination of the intellectual kind.

What is in it for Ray? Such events make good sense since they ensure footfalls, so important in retailing, and especially so in a concept as novel as Steeljunction.

Also, since Steeljunction is not located inside a mall or a shopping district, the store needed to generate excitement at regular intervals so people would keep coming in.

Beside, the 500 square feet space "" offering air-conditioned seating for around 100 people, microphones, laptop and LCD projector, in-house cafeteria and car-park "" has immense potential as a premium small auditorium for various kinds of events like club gatherings, corporate meetings and customer connect programmes.

The knowledge centre has already played host to a number of interesting events, attracting the cerebral variety of people. Presidents and secretaries elect of the local chapter of the Rotaract Club held their training session there earlier this month.

O&M has used it for its internal meetings and the venue is a regular for everything to do with the housing sector "" interior design, furniture, feng shui and even vaastu shastra.

For event managers too, the knowledge centre makes sense as a venue. With the swank surroundings of an upmarket retail store, the rates "" Rs 3,000 for half a day and Rs 5,000 for the entire day "" are definitely a steal.

The venue can only be used for events that are of intimate nature and educative purpose, says Aditi Mukherjee of Sand Dunes, the event managers for the Dolly Basu show. For Basu herself, it didn't make a difference since she'd staged her play in venues as diverse as a drawing room, a pandal, a corner of a terrace and even the Howrah Station.

"Every space is a fresh challenge," she says. As Ray tries his best to make steeljunction a success, he'll be hoping there are many more as open as Basu.