The Kolosseum Core Team reveals its plans for 2015

Kolosseum, the annual fest organized by KSOM, is one of the marquee events in the calendar year for students from all over the country. It draws thousands of students who come here to have a good time and, of course, win bragging rights for their institutes. Right from cultural events, competitions to business events, there are several popular activities that have become the hallmark of the festival. The Star Night takes the extravaganza to its pinnacle every year.

Understanding that the success of any event largely rides on the able and often overworked shoulders of its organizers, The Media Relations Club at KIIT School of Management spoke to the core student organization team to find out its plans for the annual fest and came away impressed with the extent of planning, a result no doubt of the organizing team’s dedication. Giving a brief overview, a team member said, “The events have been divided into two parts: ‘Formals’ and ‘Informals’. The formal events include a B-Quiz and other business related events where we are introducing different types of workshops and games. The idea is to use HR, Marketing and Finance for simulation games and give the participants a lot to think about. Besides the formals events, there will be the traditionally popular competition AdMad, which tests competitors’ advertising skills. Apart from that, we have Nukkad Nataks, fashion shows, battle of bands where we have 7-8 bands competing, and, of course, the Star Night, which is a huge attraction. The event has gotten bigger year after year and this year we want to take things to another level.”

According to the team, the planning and hard work to put the event together begins three months earlier, which is the time when they have to start looking for sponsors. “Funding is the responsibility of the team that has to look for sponsors. We also have teams for college participation, and rules, regulations and promotions. In the last month prior to the event though, the lines blur and we are all focusing on the sponsors to close out the deals. And, one week before the event is when things go crazy and we have meetings every day; but, it’s exciting to be a part of it all,” they add.

The team reminds us that their work isn’t done for almost a month after the event because they have to settle the bills, return items to the sponsors, as well as take care of all the supplies and logistics material. But, it’s all worth it to keep up the image of Kolosseum, one of the biggest events in Eastern India. “That really is one of the main attractions for students from all over the country who come here. We try to make sure everyone has a great time and enjoys every moment of the event. The beautiful campus adds to the ambience of the event, as well,” says an organizer.

The end of the event is marked with celebrations for the team and there is a party to look forward to. But the organizers also understand that being a part of an event of this magnitude helps their personal growth as well. “Organizing the event is like going for B2B sales, talking to a lot of people and knowing what the market is all about. It is the biggest platform we get to develop ourselves and it is part of the grooming process at the institute. From time management to people management, we are learning a lot here,” a view shared by every core team member.

Of course, things often go wrong at the last minute, but the team believes it’s a part of the learning process as it teaches them crisis management. The actual days of the event are like putting fuel and fire together where things can get out of hand. But they manage to keep things under control and ensure that everyone has a good time. “This is what memories are made of. All our effort is worth it when we are told that it was a memorable event. This year, too, we will put on a great show and have a lot in store for participants from all over the country,” they conclude.