The Hindu Business Line : It pays to pamper

From theme parties to belly dancers, Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan to the Ambanis and Singhanias, swank lakeside houses to plush five star hotels, Mumbai's party scene engulfs all.

Five-star banqueting or intimate candle-light dinners, exotic belly dancers or fire dancers, the mysteries of Arabia or a party in the sky in a private aircraft — corporate India seems to have realised that there is more to life than just business and many ways to have some fun. Liberalisation, exposure to different lifestyles and cultures and the demands of the corporate world have brought about a sea change in the way corporates interact with their clients, business associates and joint-venture partners.

There was a time when Indian corporates were a conservative lot, keeping their nose to the grind, working hard and ensuring that their business associates did the same too. Their vacations with family and the annual meetings with dealers, usually held in five-star hotels, were their only means of relaxation and entertainment. But times have changes and the last few years have brought about a sea change in the way corporates interact and communicate with their clients, business associates and joint-venture partners. Suddenly, everyone is waking up to the fact that it pays to pamper your associates, clients, customers and patrons.

A peek into the party scene

A swank lakeside house, over a thousand of the country's hottest party animals, the best wines and champagne money can buy, food counters splattered with cuisine from across the world, armed private security and closed-circuit televisions screen the guests who've arrived for a night-long celebration that ends with a champagne brunch the next day and Page 3 who's who. Well, all this was not at a typical Bollywood party. The event was Raymond group's Gautam Singhania's annual pre-new year bash at his lakeside Powai bungalow.

The guest-list at Singhania's annual bash is usually a veritable who's who of corporate India, such as Anil and Tina Ambani, the Godrejs, the Birlas, the Hindujas, the Mittals, the cream of the advertising world and the media. Bollywood's screen sensations, like Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Raveena Tandon were there too. "Everybody who is anybody in the top echelons of society is at the party and I know a many number of aspirants to the event, who will do almost anything to get in," says one high-profile Mumbai socialite, who is a regular on the cocktail circuit.

Ditto for Vijay Mallya's swinging parties, where the country's top stars, models and socialites rub shoulders with the denizens of corporate India. And for Parmeshwar Godrej's parties, only the crème de la crème are invited. The lucky ones get to shake hands with Hollywood icons like Richard Gere!

Rabo Bank head Rana Kappor's party recently proved to be a mesmerising event for the guests, when they found that the special invitee for the dinner was Zubin Mehta. HSBC bank recently combined its Annual Silver Salver Trophy brunch with its centenary celebrations in India at the Turf Club, Mumbai, where about 500 of its key associates were treated to a fun-filled day with premium beverages and a multi-cuisine spread at Athena, one of Mumbai's most sought-after party venues.

Theme parties

With Corporate India's entertainment needs now becoming very specific, the action has moved out of five-star hotels into more stylish, niche venues. At Athena, corporates can opt for the Nirvaana Lounge event, which comes complete with sheer curtains and cosy gaddas scattered around the place for guests to relax, as they puff on the hookahs and enjoy a performance by exotic belly dancers. Last year, BBC hosted its stylish `Hollywood Years' theme at the Athena, where vintage Hollywood nostalgia was invoked. Vijay Mallya too hosted his fashion week party here. L'Oreal, Messe Franfurt, Stanchart, World Gold Council, the Times of India, Cartier... the list seems to be endless.

With demand for corporate entertaining burgeoning, the Indage group, which owns Athena and runs a flourishing wine and champagne business, has recently kicked off Zinc Events, that promises to provide customised, complete entertainment events. "Not everyone wants to entertain at Athena and not everyone wants to spend that kind of money either. Corporates have to just give us the theme they want and we promise them the entire experience at the venue of their choice without the hassle of running around for anything," says Vikrant Chougule, its Chief Executive Officer.

Zinc recently organised some events to launch Shaw Wallace's new Vodka brand, for which it brought in Russian pole dancers. Costs for such events could be between Rs 800 and Rs 1,200 per head at venues such as the newly opened Hyatt Regency in Mumbai for just the food with additional charges for liquor and the décor. Hyatt's Resident Manager, Kasim Kapoor says that he hosts a minimum of 90-100 parties for corporates every month, with themes ranging from Mumbai street food for IT companies to Lebanese and Italian for others wanting to treat their associates and clients. "When there is a foreign delegation expected or top world-wide management level people, the demand is either for a top-of-the-line Indian theme or a mix of cuisine with lots of Indian," he says.

In addition to being a venue for such events, hospitality industry majors also entertain their clients as a way of encouraging their business. Some of them partner with business houses too for organising events. For instance, ITC Maratha recently teamed up with Seagrams to hold the first Blender's Pride fashion event.

And when it opened Maroush, the country's first five-star Lebanese restaurant, it hosted an exclusive event hosted by the Lebanese Ambassador for only 50 of corporate India's top people. "The trend is increasingly towards holding smaller events, with premium food, largely western and lots of it imported, including wines and cigars. The focus is on food and oodles of ambience with most people, especially from corporates preferring a casual dress code, since they spend the rest of the week in formals and suits," says gourmet Karen Anand, a seasoned caterer.

While most corporates today opt for happening venues to entertain their guests, there are others, like the Piramals, who prefer to do their entertaining in a more personal way. Says Urvi Piramal, Vice-Chairperson, "We love entertaining in small, intimate gatherings, where individual attention can be given to each guest. We don't like those huge, impersonal bashes where everybody is talking and drinking at the same time and nobody knows what is happening. It is a waste of time and money for a meaningless exercise".

An evening at the Piramals might mean a well-planned Maharashtrian, Gujarati or Italian meal with the entire ambience woven around that theme. And when the guests arrive, the Piramals are there to welcome them for an evening of good music, interaction and delicious food.

Piramal group chief Ajay Piramal and his wife Swati also love taking small groups of friends and their children out to the harbour on Sundays, where they take out their old, restored Dhow to sea and spend a lazy day just sailing out to sea.

Others like Anand Mahindra, a regular party-goer, are equally at ease both at formal corporate events and just a relaxed party hosted by colleagues in the industry. What he likes best, however, seems to be entertaining at the sprawling terrace of his high rising, Mahindra Towers in Mumbai. What better way to mix business and pleasure!

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