With the preparations for BOSM 2024 in full swing, the BOSM English Press sat down with Kartik Joshi, the CoSSAcn of the Department of Sponsorship and Marketing, BOSM, to discuss their work in the weeks leading up to the fest.
Kartik explained that the department worked on three verticals— sponsorship & marketing, merchandise, and food stalls. The first vertical reached out to companies and negotiated with them for cash and in-kind sponsorships. He noted that this work started right after the mid-semester examinations of the semester before the fest, and continued until the very last days before the fest. The second vertical was responsible for conducting mess signings and publicising the merchandise designed by the Department of Sports Publicity and Design. The third vertical was in charge of managing food stalls to generate revenue. He added that they set up the stalls and negotiate with vendors and brand managers.
Joshi stated that for the past two years, the department has lacked cash sponsorship. He shared that this time, they set a target of Rs 3 lakh, which they had surpassed by generating Rs 4 lakh a week before the fest, and were still in talks with a few companies. When asked about in-kind sponsorships, the CoSSAcn said that these were generally given by companies that produce consumable products, which sent their products for sampling and sales. He revealed that this year, in-kind sponsorships were coming in the form of products from Beardo, cycles from Ninety One, and some protein supplements from Max Protein. He added that Canon was also renting a printer to the Photography Club. He further mentioned that while they are still working on getting associate sponsors for the fest, the title sponsor of BOSM 2024 was the State Bank of India. He highlighted that the department expected a profit of anywhere between Rs 75 thousand to Rs 1 lakh this year owing to the discount on the merchandise provided by the vendor.
Kartik elaborated that following the completion of the pre-fest work, the department members set up standees and banners throughout the campus for advertising the sponsors. He added that during the fest, they delivered in-kind prizes to the clubs who then distribute it as per their liking. In addition, they also managed the stalls set up by sponsors, to keep track of transactions. He stated that like the previous editions of BOSM, food stalls will be set up in the Gym Grounds. However his time, the department would also be setting up stalls of more popular brands like Domino’s and Red Bull at VK Lawns, the latter of which was a new event being conducted by the company.
When speaking of hurdles they faced, he noted the uncertainty of the dates of the convocation of the 2020 batch and the visit of the President to the campus. He explained that due to this, they were unable to set a framework to call artists and give dates to the sponsors they were in negotiations with.
When speaking of the department being on probation, the CoSSacn said that he did not think of it as a negative thing, but rather a mental check; it is ‘something to keep them on watch’. He stated that the department members took the probation positively, with no one being disappointed or nervous.
Speaking of working with the CoSSAc, the SUC and the SFC, Kartik shared that he knew most people involved in these committees from his hostel and wing. Hence, it was easy for him to translate the personal relationship into a professional one. He added that everyone involved in the discussions regarding the fest was very cooperative and understanding.
When asked about his experience as a CoSSAcn, Kartik said that it had been fun, albeit time-consuming. As a message to the BITSians, he suggested looking out for the flying drone during the inauguration and hoped everyone enjoyed the fest before heading into mid-semester examinations.