India Inc to rub shoulders on Kerala backwaters

Come September 1, CEOs, HR heads, vice presidents, marketing heads and other top managers of the largest corporate houses and MNCs will rub shoulders on the backwaters of Kochi.

Teams from HP, Microsoft, Satyam, ICICI Bank, UB Group and ABB will be among the 50-odd teams to participate in the second edition of Microsoft Corporate Challenge this year.

And not to mention the whopping Rs 5 lakh each corporate will spend as participation fee where a series of mental and physical challenges in the form of a 'non-linear' race format will be held.

"It's not just a competition, where one can prove his physical and mental strength, but it also provides a suitable platform for companies from different realms to interact with each other and establish networking," said T Venkata Vardhan, managing director, DNA Networks, the co-organiser.

He said the first edition held in Goa was a huge success and 'this is evident from the fact that while 20 teams from participated in the Goa Challenge, this year 50 teams have registered'. Of these, 18 teams are from the companies that participated in the Goa Challenge, he added.

Corporates spending on brand building through entertainment, sports and road shows, is not a new thing, say market analysts. But the last few years have seen corporate events in India evolve a lot and companies are looking at outdoor platforms where they get ample scope in meeting the business goals and building teams.

According to an industry insider, the companies in India are spending about 20-25 per cent of their annual promotion budget on events. "Corporate events are means to reach the consumer directly. We are now witnessing more such events. Instead of being confined to conference rooms, companies prefer events in a surreal outdoor environment," said Vardhan.

Said, Prem Bhatia, managing director, Sports Media Limited, who are part of the event, "We got a cue about corporate challenge from Challenger World, a UK-based company which has been organising corporate challenges, for the last 10 years. We have customised everything for India."

The two-day and two-night Microsoft Corporate Challenge will see teams of seven including two female participants as against six last year.

"To provide a thrill of the family and near and dear ones watching them live, we have partnered NDTV Profit to telecast it live," said Bhatia.

Looking at the response, the organisers now plan to shift the venue overseas. "It's getting difficult to arrange so many rooms for participants in five-star hotels. We are thinking of shifting the venue abroad to avoid such problems," said Bhatia.

The Microsoft Corporate Challenge 2005 held in Goa, had participants undergoing diverse activities like running, rowing, cycling, trekking and a treasure hunt.

Players had to walk, cycle to a helipad where they switched places with their team members for ski-walking on wooden planks strapped in velcro, jungle walking, some more cycling and running.