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Sunburn festival was a cracker!

With top DJs, lots of jamming and an estimated 15-20,000 screaming EDM fans, the first NCR edition of the Sunburn festival was a cracker. After seven years of the capital's EDM fans making their annual Christmas-time pilgrimage to Goa, Sunburn finally came to them!
The first local edition of Asia's largest electronic music festival was held in Noida on Sunday, with approximately 15-20,000 screaming fans dancing in front of two brilliantly lit up stages. Starting at 2pm, fans began to trickle in, as Nishant Technoboy started the day. As the evening wore on, the crowd kept swelling, in anticipation of Sunburn Noida's headliner, Dutch DJ Afrojack, DJ Mag's no 7 on its list of top 100 DJs last year.

Merchandise sold like hot cakes as coloured light sticks, neon afros and Afrojack T-shirts were donned. Many people closed their eyes and moved to the music, oblivious to the crowd around them. Cameras, from fancy DSLRs to phone cameras, remained raised through the evening. Festival organizer Shailendra Singh's son, 17-year-old DJ Shaan, played just before Bobby Brown, and together, they builtup the tempo so when Afrojack finally came on stage, the screaming just got louder. Having been part of that pulsing, screaming experience, all that the capital's EDM fans could ask for was at least one more day, if not two, and a beach!

How Swede, the sound

For those who live by the rule, “Dance like there’s no tomorrow,” global dance music superstars Swedish House Mafia’s concert this year promises to be one helluva party. This is SHM’s last tour before disbanding, as they collaborate with Sunburn and Submerge to perform to over 20,000 EDM lovers in Delhi and Mumbai.SHM’s One Last Tour is touted to be their most extravagant show till date, as the band also releases their second compilation album titled Until Now. The tracks feature a unique collection of their originals, remixes and club favourites like Don’t You Worry Child, Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, Calling, In My Mind, Lights, Euphoria, Save The World, Greyhound, One and Miami To Ibiza that have gained top positions on international charts and continue to be top favourites at many clubs. Formed in 2008, the trio comprises three house disc jockeys and producers, Axwell, Steve Angello, and Sebastian Ingrosso. Steve Angello from the Grammy nominated Swedish House Mafia shares, “India was a strong contender on our final tour touring calendar. Axwell was keen on an India visit for its vibrancy when it comes to dance and music for a long time.”The release of the November tour dates have also caused fans on social networking sites to share their excitement about looking forward to a spectacular finish. One of them posted, “It’s for those who Came, Raved and Loved!” Many Bengaluru fans are also looking forward to stashing their dates to head to the concert. “I am cancelling my tickets booked for London to catch the Swedes live, since this is their last tour and I just love their music,” says Rohini Sharma, a homemaker. Another avid fan, a 16-year-old student, Diksha Kapoor says, “My parents are not so keen on me travelling to Mumbai, but come what may, I am going to be attending the show. I am saving up all my pocket money. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I don’t want to miss.”

A 28-year-old banker, Darshan Kapadia who is all excited and has applied for leave to watch the Swedes in action, says, “From the time I have heard about their announcement, Swedish House Mafia is on my mind. I am custom making my wardrobe and I am on a hunt for SHM tees.”Åke Peterson, Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of Sweden says, ‘’Ingrosso, Angello and Axwell have been producing some excellent music and winning fans across the world. No matter what the genre, Swedish artists find themselves in the international limelight, like in the current generation, it is Swedish House Mafia.” Adds Nikhil Chinapa, director, Submerge and festival director, Sunburn, “When the Swedes announced they were disbanding they broke a billion hearts. This will be our last chance to hear the Swedes together.”

Percept Live organises Playing God tour as prelude to Superstar Live

Percept Live recently launched Superstar Live, which is an intellectual property that aims to showcase and promote talent in the electronic dance music domain across India. There will be tours lined up for the next few months where DJs and clubs will be ranked and rankings will be announced during the main Superstar Live festival. These tours are like a preview to the main festival which will take place in the first week of December. Launched under Superstar Live, the Playing God music tour aims to bring together great house DJs and producers. UK duo Prok+Fitch performed the first gig of the property on Oct. 4 at Royalty, Mumbai, and on Oct. 5 at Miami, Pune. Moguai also made audiences groove at Eclipse in Bangalore on Oct. 5 and Kismet in Hyderabad on Oct. 6. Prok+Fitch are a global talent in the electronic dance music arena and have been signed on by some of the leading labels in the global music arena including Toolroom Records, CR2 and Stealth. Superstar Live's objective is to reach out to as many DJs across India while showcasing their talent to the entire world, and the Playing God tour platform is one of the many activities that will offer both international and Indian DJs an opportunity to bond, network, share tips of the trade and offer a platform for them to reach out to diverse audiences and fans pan India and around the globe.

Commenting on the property, Manuj Agarwal, CEO, Percept Live, said: "It's a property to celebrate Indian talent and raise the bar in India and abroad. We have so many talented Indian DJs that perform gigs but they are usually over-shadowed by international talent. These tours will be great for them in terms of marketing, promoting and rankings. We have so much fresh home grown talent so we need to make sure that they are noticed and we feel this will be a great platform for them to showcase their talent, while setting the benchmark. We plan to reach out to cities where not too many gigs take place like Chandigarh. "Adding further, Agarwal said: "India's nightlife and DJ scene has grown exponentially over the past decade and Percept has recognized and capitalized on the potential of this burgeoning music and lifestyle space in India. We created Sunburn five years ago and the growing popularity of Sunburn pan India and across the globe led to the next big leap as we initiated Superstar India with an aim to put the spotlight on the best DJ-ing talent in this country."James Fitch of Prok+Fitch said: "It's great to have an initiative like Superstar. There is a lot of interest in India and abroad. It's time that Indian DJs get a chance to play on the world stage, and that will happen only if they are exposed to promoters in different countries. Superstar can become that platform."

‘Rush’ Hour: Unusual Press-Con to Showcase Film on Crime Reporter

Emraan Hashmi plays a crime reporter in the film “Rush” produced by Percept Picture Company. Inordinately delayed among other things because of the death of its writer-director Shamim Desai, the Neha Dhupia-Sagarika Ghatge-Aditya Pancholi movie has music by Pritam. The film was completed by Shamim’s wife Priyanka, who also rewrote the 2010 film and was present at the event Oct.8 at the J.W.Marriott and was cheered by the audience. Showman International are the co-producers. The lead artistes and Shailendra Singh of Percept Pictures were all present at the press-con where more queries (of the sensible kind) were asked by Emraan Hashmi of the real crime reporters who had been called on the panel on the dais. The actor asked probing questions about their lives and the risks attached to them along with the scary experiences. Emraan Hashmi told the audience after interacting with the real crime scribes that he was glad he had not taken up the profession, given the dangers they faced. While the reporters also praised the cops for protecting them, Hashmi, when asked whether he had hobnobbed with them to learn how to play the role, quipped that he was in constant touch with scribes (the film variety) and did not really need to do that! “Besides the journalist I play also kisses!” he remarked with a smile.

Refuting a scribe’s query about why he loved to play negative characters, he stated that he preferred to call his screen essays as “normal human beings” who, “like everyone of us” went wrong, but “somewhere there was redemption.” He did not believe in the classic paragon who got everything right, he said. In “Rush,” he portrays a young and honest crime reporter who, tempted by Mammon, ends up as a criminal, thanks to the machinations of two tycoons (Neha Dhupia and Aditya Pancholi).The funniest-cum-weirdest remark of the evening came from Aditya, now 26 years into films, who stated that he was never as involved in any film as this. Why? Does it mean he sleepwalked through all his solo/multi-hero leads and gray roles? We will never know. After this, the film’s music was launched by the team. Pritam’s soundtrack was released on the same day as “Jab Tak Hai Jaan” and is said to have been far better received.

Percept Knorigin & Adify power ad network

Pioneering Creator of Vertical Ad Networks Builds On Global Partnerships With Washington Post, NBC, Comcast & The Guardian.  Adify Corporation, the pioneering global internet innovators in creating vertical ad networks, is today announcing a strategic partnership with Percept Knorigin, the digital media and services business of Percept, to create adChakra the sub-Continent first vertical online advertising network. The network will be composed of publishers that offer high quality content in specific vertical sectors – such as entertainment, travel, finance, technology and social networking - plus regional areas. The network will be used to create scalable and target able advertising and sponsorship opportunities for advertisers. Unlike large ad networks that aggregate and sell remnant publisher inventory, adChakra will focus on packaging high-value brand advertising programs with premium placement on quality niche sites.  AdChakra joins Adify existing global partners, such as Time Warner, The Washington Post Company, Reed Business Information, NBC Universal, Media News Group, RP Online, Comcast Corporation and The Guardian, which already use Adify’s solutions. India is witnessing a growing tend of vertical or special interest content With the average consumer now visiting 77% more sites, with more and more vertical and regional content expected to grow in coming years. More and more people are expected to visit internet to read about special interest content instead of visiting large portals, concepts of blogging and personalisation is fast becoming mainstream. Viraj Malik, CEO and Managing Director Percept Knorigin, said: Internet usage and content in India is slated to grow more than 50% per year and current audiences are becoming more mature and picky on what they do online. We feel there is tremendous opportunity in creating bespoke media solutions for large brand advertisers by aggregating vertical content and applying micro targeting.

 Adify provides us with the tools and infrastructure to build a network out of these sites, provides our publishing partners with advertising revenue and promotional opportunities, whilst delivering our advertisers the chance to target the long tail in key vertical and regional areas. We like the Adify solution as, unlike blind networks, it provides transparency across the advertiser and publisher relationship whilst also leaving the technology worry to Adify so that we can totally focus on creating solutions for advertisers and publishers. Our plan is to work with large advertisers and agencies across India to provide premium advertising solutions based on the strengths of the adChakra /adify partnership. Russ Fradin CEO of Adify Corporation, added: We are excited by opportunities in India and we believe Percept Group commitment to this project will help adChakra to quickly find ground in this market. Adify allows brand marketers to reach large online audiences that are associated with high value, trusted brands while enabling those brands to leverage their editorial expertise and sales resources.  The Percept partnership clearly underlines the value that Adify offers. We have been successful in bringing high quality publishers and advertisers on the network in the US & UK markets and now look to adChakra do the same in India.

Sushil Kumar inks endorsement deal with Percept Talent

Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar signed a high value association with a leading Indian brand today. His associations with blue chip brands have equaled his endorsement kitty to that of the leading sportsmen in India.After making India proud second time around, Sushil Kumar - India’s Olympic Glory has proved himself yet again. Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar signed a high value association with a leading Indian brand today. His associations with blue chip brands have equaled his endorsement kitty to that of the leading sportsmen in India.Sushil Kumar, is the first Indian to win back to back individual medals at the Olympics. Post London 2012 brands are coming forth to pledge their support. These brands are now open to non – cricket sportsmen as endorsers.

Percept Talent - The celebrity management division of Percept Limited inked a high value association with a leading Indian brand today for the wrestler.  Sushil Kumar - a symbol of power, brawn and a pillar of strength is already associated with brands like Eicher Tractors, NECC, Mountain Dew and Himani Fast Relief, now has yet another feather to add to his cap.The company also represents Vijay Kumar (silver medal shooter) , Vijender Singh (boxer) and many more in  the sports space and is looking at strengthening its hold in the sports space.
Percept signs Vijay Kumar

London Olympic Games silver medal winning pistol shooter Vijay Kumar has been signed up by sports marketing firm, ‘Percept’, which would manage the Army marksman’s brand image and endorsements. The media release did not mention the period of the deal or the signing amount.

The 27-year-old Subedar Major, hailing from Harsaur village of Himachal Pradesh and a triple gold medalist in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, bagged the silver medal in the 25m rapid fire pistol event at the London Games. He is currently World No. 2 in this event. Percept also represents London Games silver medal winning wrestler Sushil Kumar, Beijing Games bronze medal winning boxer Vijender Singh and many other sportsmen, the release added.

Percept Activ conceptualizes the launch of Krrish Square

Percept Activ recently conceptualized and executed the launch of Krrish Square, the ultra luxurious real estate property and the first property launch in Sri Lanka of Krrish Group on September 26, 2012 at Hotel Cinnamon Gran, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Krrish Square, a prestigious high-rise project spread over a massive 4.3 acres is a mixed-use complex, brought to Sri Lanka by the Krrish Group. Architecturally and technologically superior, Krrish Square has been envisaged as a vertical city. Made up of four statuesque towers, it will house commercial office spaces, elite residences, high-end retail and super deluxe hotel accommodation. This landmark development will include the refurbished heritage hotel in the existing Transworks Square building. The launch celebrated the architectural brilliance of Krrish Square with its all encompassing grandeur and elegance. Percept Activ designed a customized launch film with a series of 3D mapping animations that revealed the building. The entire venue was draped in golden fabric and golden yellow light washes. The carefully prepared guest list, included business tycoons, media barons, embassy officials, Sri Lankan cricketers, Cabinet Ministers of the Sri Lankan government, Investors, socialites and fashionistas. The launch event was a feast for all present as they got to witness an array of performances. Zenith Dance Group, performed on 3 contemporary numbers throwing up a colourful mélange on the stage. A unique UV light act was staged next. Another wow act was the laser ensemble by the yogis angels.

The emcees for the event were, Suresh Oberoi and Kamaal Siddhu, who stitched the entire evening into delightfully engaging conversations. However, the most awaited performance of the night was undoubtedly by Nargis Fakri, who left the crowd speechless with her grace, beauty and the hard to miss Bollywood jhatkaas. The evening concluded with a electrifying performance from Niladari Kumar. The maestro who plays the sitar like and electric guitar enthralled the audience with his fusion piece.  Commenting on the successful execution of the event, Sanjay Shukla, Chief Operating Officer, Percept Activ Said. “It is a matter of great pride for us to have gotten the opportunity to execute an event for the Krrish Group. The challenge was to craft a perfect platform for such a high profile event and to implement perfection from the beginning to the end. It’s safe to say that the event was a big success. We skillfully showcased the attributes of the Krrish Square through the event which epitomised luxury with and finesse” he added.     

Percept Live' multi-genre music festival 'GOD'

For the very first time international sensation Beardyman will perform in India. Percept Live, announces the first edition of 'Go On...Discover' (GOD), a unique multi genre music festival on October 27, 2012 at the sprawling landscape arena of Cocopara, Pune. The festival is a great ensemble of LIVE music put together by renowned bands across the globe. For the very first time international sensation Beardyman will perform in India.The festival will have multiple stages that will showcase & play different genres of music brimming with a pax capacity of over 1500 people. This day long festival that will start at 3pm will showcase performances by Indian bands like Junkyard Groove, Whirling Kalapas, Zedde, Madrobe Walfunction, Bandish Projekt, Modern Mafia & Blek sharing stage with Tom Middleton & Beardyman. GOD will provide its patrons not only the best of the music and artists from all over the world but also state of the art technology & effects that will make it a visual delight par excellence.

The festival will have spectacular highlights with illusionists bringing out the flavor of magic, nestled in the forest of the Gods of music at Cocoparra and a special limited edition rock merchandise store along with a flea market."Festivals always have a unique vibe in comparison to tours and one-off gigs. I am honored to be a part of the very first edition of the GOD festival!" - Bandish Projekt. "We've been hearing only good things about Cocoparra. So we can't wait to get consumed by the place and it's magic. We're also stoked to be on the same bill as our heroes Uday Benegal and Mahesh Tinaikar. More at the show." - 2Blue [Lead Singer, Zedde]. Mr. Shailendra Singh, Joint Managing Director of Percept Ltd says, "Percept is eager to continue introducing festivals that affect the cultural dimensions of the country. There is no better feeling than to give our crowds an ultimate music experience; we are excited to take it to the next level. You have nothing but full power entertainment to look forward to at Go On... Discover Music Festival".

Goa Super Sixes launches its fourth edition

Percept Ltd. held the fourth edition of its annual inter corporate cricket tournament called Goa Super Sixes from Oct. 14 to 16 at the Taj Exotica, Goa. The tournament offered a unique, action-packed, fun-filled version of the game of cricket that aims to combine the passion for the sport along with the serene yet festive ambience of Goa. Launched in 2009, Goa Super Sixes is an annual corporate cricket tournament and a property of Percept. Since the past three years, this tournament has grown bigger in stature, popularity and success. Players comprised of business leaders from the corporate world along with renowned personalities from Bollywood and cricket. This season had two renowned international teams which added to the flavour. This year also witnessed a ramp walk for corporates, alongside professional ramp models to determine ‘Mr. Goa Super Sixes 2012.' This was followed by an exhilarating Hawaiian theme party. On the first day, there was a pre-event press conference at Taj Exotica, Goa, to commemorate the fourth season of Goa Super Sixes, which was attended by the media fraternity of Goa. In the evening, there was a fashion show followed by a cocktail dinner. Apart from the tournament, participants also played beach cricket and lawn cricket over the trip. There was also a Hawaiian themed party. On the last day, the participants celebrated the birthday of Shailendra Singh, Joint Managing Director, Percept Ltd.Goa Super Sixes 2012 witnessed a host of celebrities and legends playing alongside leading corporates including Mohinder Amarnath, Dilip Vengsarkar, Jayantilal Kenia, Vijender Singh, Nilesh Kulkarni, Varun Badola, Manav Gohil, Lalchand Rajput and Ayaz Memon. The eight participating teams included New Indians led by Hiren Bhanu of New India Bank, XXX Energisers led by Sachin Joshi of JMJ Group, Sameena Stallions led by Shirish Saraf of Sameena Capital, Provogue Pashas led by Nigam Patel of Provogue, DB Conquerors led by Vinod Goenka of DB Realty, Veling Vikings led by Uday Nayak of Veling Aero, Zee Zorros led by Balaraj Naidu of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. and Bombay Bombers led by Harindra Singh of Percept.

Each game was played between two teams of six players each and each team got to play three matches and earn two points on each win. The matches comprised of five overs per inning to be played with green MRI balls. To give each player an opportunity to bat, the batsman must retire 'not out' on reaching a personal score of 31 runs. Each team comprised two players between the ages of 30-40 years and four players over the age of 40 years.Commenting on the event, Harindra Singh, Vice-Chairman and MD, Percept, said: "Goa Super Sixes is a great corporate getaway that offers a fantastic networking opportunity for business leaders to take some time off to indulge in their favourite sport of cricket and party in one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world. It's become bigger and better, and in its fourth season we have two renowned international teams joining in which adds to the flavour. Though the concept of Super Sixes is quite popular internationally, the uniqueness and novelty of the Goa Super Sixes is that it involves India's biggest corporate honchos coming together on the idyllic beaches of Goa over a period of three days to celebrate the popular sport of cricket and engage in a friendly yet competitive bout of games to vie for the coveted championship title." The Percept Sports team pitched the concept of Goa Super Sixes to corporate houses and accordingly two groups were formed, each comprising of four teams. Each team got an opportunity to have a celebrity from cricket or Bollywood playing on their team. These celebrity cricket aficionados were brought on board by Percept and were chosen as per a lucky draw at a press conference.Commenting on the stay at Taj Exotica, Singh added: "Located on the southwest coast of Goa, overlooking the Arabian Sea, this Mediterranean-style resort has a way of slowing down time to a tranquil tempo. Taj Exotica showcased relaxation with tropical-inspired design for a memorable stay. Now that's luxury at its peak. The serene yet festive ambience of Goa is ideal and goes well with the mood of Goa Super Sixes."

Allied Media bags new business worth Rs. 150 Crores

Over the last two months Allied Media has bagged a sleuth of clients. The new clients include DB Realty, Sahara Q Shop, Baskin-Robbins India, Just Dial, Italy Tourism, and DSK Hyosung. The marketing spends of these brands is a good Rs.150 Crores. Allied Media will offer these clients a 360 degree media service, which would encompass strategic planning, media buying and implementation.With this the capitalized billing of Allied Media has scaled up to Rs. 1,200 Crore. Allied media has set up a new special business cell and a core strategy cell supported by Data Centre. This initiative has resulted in Allied Media bagging these key clients. Geared to meet the emerging market scenario, the strategy cell promises to offer its clients consulting, modeling and easy-to-use customisable software solutions for communication planning, ROI modeling, targeting and segmentation. The newly introduces business cell and strategy cell will give the clients a competitive advantage in the media and communications domain. Some of Allied Media’s esteemed clientele include brands like Future Group, Sahara Group, Panasonic, Canon, and Toyota, to name a few.

Founded in 1984, Percept, an entertainment, media and communications company, today , is at an enviable leadership position with a team of 1200 people and 62 offices across India and Middle East. This publication has been exclusively created for our stakeholders. The contents of this publication has been created with inputs from Percept Companies and Divisions. This document may not be reproduced or circulated without prior consent from the Corporate Communications Department at Percept Limited.

© Corporate Communications, Percept Limited, P-22, Raghuvanshi Estate, 11/12 Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (West), Mumbai - 400013, India. Tel: +91-22-30448400 Fax: +91-22-24911281 Web: www.perceptindia.in Intranet: www.mypercept.in Email: corporatecommunications@perceptindia.in
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