With Oasis inching closer, the Oasis English Press sat down with Dhruv Maniar, the Coordinator of the Department of Sponsorship and Marketing, to learn more about their work for the fest.
Dhruv explained that their work revolved around securing sponsorships in both monetary form and in-kind. They also ensured that visibility is taken care of during the fest via various avenues, including events, physical branding, digital branding, and more. He added that they were directly responsible for handling the logistics of the food stalls for the fest.
Discussing the ongoing preparations for the fest, Dhruv stated that the department had begun outreach in June through platforms such as LinkedIn and Instagram. They looked for companies that were willing to engage in some form of marketing and reached out to them with tailored proposals. All the second-yearites involved in the department were assigned the role of point-of-contact (PoC) to different companies to ensure smooth coordination. The first-yearites involved were given the responsibility of handling the logistics and documentation part of the process. Dhruv mentioned that they have brought on board various major brands as sponsors, including Snapchat, NetApp, and Suno. He noted that these brands are using Oasis as a platform to widen their reach in India. In the days leading up to the fest, they ensured that the stalls were set up and deliverables such as flexis, banner designs, and poster designs were printed.
When asked about the setbacks faced this year, Dhruv revealed that they received less alumni support, but added that they covered for it by improving their outreach.
Speaking about the events that they would be organising in collaboration with the sponsors, Dhruv stated that they would be organising a hackathon with NetApp, and the winner would be rewarded with a pre-placement interview. He further added that they will also be organising an AI music generation competition and an Oasis anthem competition in collaboration with Suno.
Speaking about his experience as the Coordinator thus far, Dhruv acknowledged that it had been a great learning experience. He mentioned that although it had been hectic at times, the experience taught him how to manage his time well, which he believed would be of great help to him in the future.