Debrief of the Mumbai Annual Alumni Chapter Meet, 2007

The following is the detailed briefing of the Annual Alumni Chapter Meet at Mumbai on May 12, 2007.

 Chapter Head  Mr. Rajiv Gatne, Director (International Business), Johnson & Johnson

 IIFT faculty  Dr. (Mrs.) Vijaya Katti represented IIFT at the event

 Venue  The Vie Lounge, Juhu was the venue for the event. An outdoor deck with a dining hall was provisioned for the evening. There were audiovisual facilities with a dedicated bar and dining area.

 Registration  Close to 50 alumni graced the occasion. A registration fee of Rs. 900 was charged from each alumnus.

 Welcome Note  Though the time on invite mentioned 1930 hrs, because of the metropolitan habits, there was full gathering only by 2100 hrs. Madam Vijaya Katti invited the gathering with a short snapshot of developments and achievements at IIFT. Many of the alumni showed tremendous participatory interest in taking the institute and its brand forward. Mr. Gatne than addressed the alumni and thanked them for their presence. Many of the alumni expressed consent and interest in the new initiative of “Specialty Groups”.

 Special Attractions  As a deviation from past was the informal nature of the venue which was much appreciated and liked by all alumni. The location of the venue was also chosen with care so that none had to travel for long distances. There was a quiz organised for the alumni on the likes of the Brand Equity Quiz and it received tremendous participation and response from each and every alumnus. Many requested it to become a regular annual affair. Special Discount Coupons and prizes were awarded to the winners.

The bar was opened at 2130 hrs with unlimited hard and soft beverages for all present. The dinner had a multi cuisine buffet with unlimited starters and desserts. The palatable food was much appreciated by everyone.

The dinner drinks and conversations ran late in the night and no one present was in a mood to leave. Most of the alumni only started leaving after 0100 hrs. The evening wrapped up at 0200 hrs with every one having one of their most memorable gatherings ever.

Ankur Thadani & Nishant Singh

Student Coordinators, Mumbai Alumni Meet