The APOGEE English Press sat down with Riyanshi Gambhir and Prajyot Singh, the Coordinators of the Department of Live Events (DLE), to gain insight on what they have in store for the upcoming fest.

Riyanshi began with a quick recap of DLE’s work during the fest, which deals with live events of all kinds, including professional shows such as concerts, the inauguration party, and the Rotunda Rave, among others. She highlighted the key difference between this edition of the fest and the previous one, which is the scale of the live events. This APOGEE will feature two professional shows with a lineup comparable to that of Oasis, the main cultural fest of the campus. In contrast, last year’s APOGEE had only one professional show, with a lineup of a lower tier than this year’s offerings, she said. Prajyot added that the department had also been responsible for carrying out events in the Food Fest, a precursor to the main fest held in February. 

The Coordinators mentioned that the department’s work is divided into three verticals: Ticketing, Hospitality, and Production. The first one deals with ticketing for each of the department’s events, while the second one looks into the reception, transportation and accommodation of the artists. Work for both of these verticals start a week before the fest commences. The third vertical, Production, handles the production of various events and behind-the-scenes activities. Riyanshi stated that the professional shows for this year’s fest have the highest production budget, historically speaking.

When asked about the department’s pre-fest work, Prajyot mentioned that they started reaching out to agencies that conduct professional shows as early as December. Discussions with CoStAA, as well as the CRC, regarding various aspects, such as budgeting carried on, followed by the finalisation of the artists and the final pitching, which occurred recently. Prajyot added that DLE had managed to secure sponsorships worth six lakh for this year’s fest, in collaboration with the Department of Sponsorship and Marketing.

Recounting their experience as APOGEE Coordinators, both Riyanshi and Prajyot said that it had been intensive but enjoyable so far, adding that it was less stressful than their seniors had led them to expect. They also thanked the CoStAA for their immense support, saying that they had a highly positive experience working and coordinating with them. They mentioned that there were some setbacks when it came to coordinating with the artists, but they managed to find a solution by fusing Hip Hop Nite and Bollywood Nite together. This Fusion Nite was taking place for the first time.

On a parting note, Riyanshi and Prajyot encouraged their fellow BITSians to enjoy this jam-packed APOGEE to the fullest, asserting that the fest would be full of phenomenal shows, with ‘dancy-Bollywood’ and hip-hop performances on offer.