Tag: Sabbas Joseph

  • ALL ABOUT MUSIC 2023 all set to commence at Grand Hyatt Mumbai!

    ALL ABOUT MUSIC 2023 all set to commence at Grand Hyatt Mumbai!

    Mumbai: All About Music, India’s biggest music conference, is back again taking place from the 7th till the 9th of September at Grand Hyatt Santacruz Mumbai. All About Music, launched in 2017, is a global gateway into the Indian music market. India’s biggest B2B conference dedicated to music has completed six sold out editions by bringing together industry experts and stakeholders from every vertical of the music business and engaging the attendees through discussions around innovations and advances in the business of music.

    This year’s theme is “Transitions”, which focuses on exploring uncharted territories in our industry. With the emergence of new technologies like artificial intelligence and evolving market trends in the post-pandemic era, we find ourselves at a crossroads. How can we navigate this constantly changing landscape? Who can guide us through this transition? And most importantly, which path should we choose? The theme “Transitions” encompasses both the personal and universal aspects of this critical moment, encouraging people to forge meaningful connections during the conference and reimagine the future of the Indian music industry.

    This year’s event provides a three-day immersive experience with hand-picked keynote speakers, engaging panels, interactive workshops, captivating artist showcases, engaging masterclasses, and inspiring conversations. Attendees can connect with industry leaders at Connect Corner, network, and pitch their music to filmmakers and record labels. The event will cover a variety of topics, including consumption patterns, navigating the success of an artist, music publishing, understanding your rights, modern-day A&R, effective monetization strategies, and music distribution methods.

    Some promising personalities to look forward to in this edition are Shreya Ghoshal, Ricky Kej, Joshua Burke, Alfonso Perez-Soto, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwar, Bismil, Daler Mehndi, Anil Sharma, Jay Mehta, Krsna, MC Stan, Nucleya, Nirmika Singh, Mayur Jumani, Baba Sehgal, Raja Kumari, Satvinder Singh Koli, Srushti Tawade and many more.

    Did you know that All About Music has a platform called Pitch Your Music? This is a great opportunity for up-and-coming artists to showcase their talent! There are three categories available: ‘Pitch to Filmmakers’, ‘Pitch to Record Labels’, and ‘Pitch to Showcase’. You can pitch your music to a jury of filmmakers like Ashwiny Iyer, Mohit Suri, Anil Sharma & Vivek Agnihotri & Sabbas Joseph. You can also pitch to Record Labels like Saregama India, Warner Music India, Universal Music Group, T-series & Tips Music this will allow for prompt feedback and reviews from them. Additionally, the Pitch to Showcase category provides artists with a chance to perform on the main stage after the conference. The aim of the conference is to empower artists and give them the chance to showcase their work directly to filmmakers, showrunners, and record labels.

    “At All About Music this year, we attempt to navigate the transitions that are shaping the industry’s future. With ‘Transitions’ as our theme, we embrace the enigmatic forces molding music – from the uncertainty around AI to changing consumption patterns and models within the music industry. Our stage unites local and international voices, bridging genres and cultures,”  said Create and Collab business head Ashish Jose. 

    Gain insights about India’s music world industry by securing your spot in the making of music history by
    registering before 30 August!

  • Sabbas Joseph, co-founder and director of Wizcraft International joins the global advisory board of the prestigious IMWF – international mice & wedding forum

    Sabbas Joseph, co-founder and director of Wizcraft International joins the global advisory board of the prestigious IMWF – international mice & wedding forum

    MUMBAI: IMWF, the International MICE and Wedding Forum, is all set for a big bang 4th edition in 2019 following the roaring success of the last edition in 2018, IMWF is all set for a big bang this 2019.  IMWF, an annual platform powered by Inventum Global, will be held from 12th to 16th May  2019 in Antalya at the Rixos Premium Belek- which is one of the most sought after properties in Antalya for MICE & Weddings.

    On 13th Feb 2019, IMWF announced renowned industry visionary, Wiz Sabbas Joseph, Co-founder and Director of Wizcraft International as the only India member of the Global Advisory Board of IMWF, which comprises visionaries and leaders from across key global geographies.

    IMWF is a prestigious platform where leaders meet, a forum wherein aficionados of the MICE and the Wedding industry come together bringing in their expert knowledge. With the IMWF Global Advisory Board bringing together key industry leaders, IMWF is only set to be bigger and better.

  • Sabbas Joseph to address BeaWorld – international festival of events in Portugal

    Sabbas Joseph to address BeaWorld – international festival of events in Portugal

    Sabbas Joseph, Co- Founder & Director, Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd, will be addressing the BeaWorld Festival of Events and Creativity in Coimbra, Portugal later this week, becoming the first Indian entrepreneur to take stage at this premium global event industry convention and awards.

    Sabbas is recognized as a thought leader in the field of unconventional media and events. He is listed as the first Indian Speaker at BeaWorld, The International Festival of events and live communication to be held in Coimbra, Portugal from November 21st to 24th. Other international dignitaries include, Salvatore Sagone, Patrick Roubroeks, Jeannine Koch, Claudia van't Hullenaar, Maayke Konemann and Charles Bahr who will be sharing their valuable insights.

    BeaWorld is a highly coveted networking platform for the international event community to share knowledge and opinions by the leaders and pioneers in the space. The occasion will be attended by the heads of leading event agencies, corporate directors, senior representatives of event associations and trade media from over 29 countries to exchange ideas on various subjects. 

    At the international conference, Sabbas will share his thoughts on Globalization- a Blessing or Curse on November 23rd from 11:55 am – 12:25 pm. He has always endeavoured to look beyond and enlighten forums with his experience and expertise. He has shared ideas on strategic inputs stemming from his years of being in the media before co- founding Wizcraft International. Today he has also spearheaded and managed several mega events for the company, as well as lending his strategic foresight for some of the country’s biggest brand launches and corporate events. 

    Sabbas Joseph, Co- Founder & Director, Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd shares, “It is an honour to accept this opportunity to be the first Indian speaker at the international networking event, BeaWorld. It is a great platform for everyone to share their thoughts on globally relevant topics and it is a matter of pride for me to be representing our country at a mega event of this stature. I look forward to sharing my views on the subject and exchanging ideas with my fellow counterparts”.

    Wizcraft International is considered one of the biggest event agencies in the country having handled some of the biggest events in the country, Michael Jackson Live in concert, IIFA, Commonwealth Games to name a few. 

  • MTV, Wizcraft announce Arijit Singh India tour

    MTV, Wizcraft announce Arijit Singh India tour

    MUMBAI: MTV and Wizcraft International have come together to present the first-ever Royal Stag Mega Music Arijit Singh live in concert – The MTV India tour.

    The concert series, an initiative of GiMA Concerts, is slated to begin at Arijit’s home-turf, Kolkata, on 24 December and will be held across major cities right until March 2018.

    Viacom18 COO Raj Nayak said, ” This is the one brand that not only understands music but is also the ultimate word on the youth and is always in tune with what they like. What you see is just the beginning of perhaps a new phenomenon where artist tours are concerned.”

    Viacom18 Youth Music and English entertainment head Ferzad Palia said, “What makes MTV stand out even further is that it’s the universe of the young and so we make sure we reach out to our audience through all the key touch points – be it on air, online, through our merchandise, our cafes or through online events.”

    Wizcraft International director and co-founder Sabbas Joseph said, “These concerts are scheduled in the ten cities across the nation with an aim to bring the superstar closer to his mammoth fan base.”

    Arijit Singh said that the concert would be his first exclusive India tour. “I am grateful to have this opportunity to perform live for my audiences across different cities. This journey along with GiMA and MTV will definitely be an incredible experience for me,” he added.

  • Voot will exclusively stream IIFA 2016

    Voot will exclusively stream IIFA 2016

    MUMBAI: Riding on the back of an immensely successful launch and a high decibel marketing campaign, VOOT by Viacom18, today announced its partnership with India’s most awaited and celebrated film celebration – IIFA 2016. This strategic alliance with the International Indian Film Academy is in line with Voot’s promise of bringing differentiated and engaging content to its digital audience.

    With IIFA 2016 ready to take off later this month in Madrid, VOOT is gearing up to converge the younger generation who are getting their TV entertainment from Internet-connected devices with the razzmatazz of this Bollywood extravaganza.

    Speaking about the association, Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gaurav Gandhi said, “We are delighted to partner with IIFA to bring the biggest Bollywood Awards extravaganza to the digital audiences In India. Within a very short period, Voot has already emerged as a go-to online destination for the biggest TV shows, Kids content and Digital Originals (Voot Originals). With this association with IIFA, which already enjoys a massive fan following in India, we are further strengthening our Bollywood proposition as well. Viewers in India will now be able to stream all IIFA 2016 Awards, IIFA Rocks and related content on their mobile and computer screens on-demand and this will be available exclusively on Voot”

    Wizcraft International director Sabbas Joseph said, “IIFA is all about celebrating Indian Cinema and bringing a grand cinematic experience to fans in India and across the world. Within a short span of time Voot has forged its prominence in the digital entertainment world and we are delighted to be partnering with them for IIFA 2016. The partnership will not only magnify the IIFA experience for its Indian fans – with the content now being available on-demand across screens, but it will also increase IIFA’s overall reach to a newer audience base that prefers to consume content primarily on their digital devices.”

    IIFA 2016 hosts the most spectacular celebrity weekend where the stars and their fans converge together in Madrid, Spain. The highlights of the celebrations are the Videocon d2h IIFA Weekend and the Nexa IIFA Awards powered by LeEco. The entire event is organized and produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment.

    Hosted by Shahid Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar, the star-studded event will showcase scintillating performances by the country’s foremost heartthrobs Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Sonakshi Sinha, Tiger Shroff and many more. VOOT will help all Bollywood aficionados to watch them up close and personal on their preferred screens.

    Amongst all Indian OTT players, Voot, in a very short span, already has the most amount of original content.

    Voot is available for free on iOS, Android and web and delivered over mobile and WiFi networks. With a stellar line-up of content available across genres and languages, Voot assures to keep you definitely wanting for more!

  • Voot will exclusively stream IIFA 2016

    Voot will exclusively stream IIFA 2016

    MUMBAI: Riding on the back of an immensely successful launch and a high decibel marketing campaign, VOOT by Viacom18, today announced its partnership with India’s most awaited and celebrated film celebration – IIFA 2016. This strategic alliance with the International Indian Film Academy is in line with Voot’s promise of bringing differentiated and engaging content to its digital audience.

    With IIFA 2016 ready to take off later this month in Madrid, VOOT is gearing up to converge the younger generation who are getting their TV entertainment from Internet-connected devices with the razzmatazz of this Bollywood extravaganza.

    Speaking about the association, Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gaurav Gandhi said, “We are delighted to partner with IIFA to bring the biggest Bollywood Awards extravaganza to the digital audiences In India. Within a very short period, Voot has already emerged as a go-to online destination for the biggest TV shows, Kids content and Digital Originals (Voot Originals). With this association with IIFA, which already enjoys a massive fan following in India, we are further strengthening our Bollywood proposition as well. Viewers in India will now be able to stream all IIFA 2016 Awards, IIFA Rocks and related content on their mobile and computer screens on-demand and this will be available exclusively on Voot”

    Wizcraft International director Sabbas Joseph said, “IIFA is all about celebrating Indian Cinema and bringing a grand cinematic experience to fans in India and across the world. Within a short span of time Voot has forged its prominence in the digital entertainment world and we are delighted to be partnering with them for IIFA 2016. The partnership will not only magnify the IIFA experience for its Indian fans – with the content now being available on-demand across screens, but it will also increase IIFA’s overall reach to a newer audience base that prefers to consume content primarily on their digital devices.”

    IIFA 2016 hosts the most spectacular celebrity weekend where the stars and their fans converge together in Madrid, Spain. The highlights of the celebrations are the Videocon d2h IIFA Weekend and the Nexa IIFA Awards powered by LeEco. The entire event is organized and produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment.

    Hosted by Shahid Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar, the star-studded event will showcase scintillating performances by the country’s foremost heartthrobs Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Sonakshi Sinha, Tiger Shroff and many more. VOOT will help all Bollywood aficionados to watch them up close and personal on their preferred screens.

    Amongst all Indian OTT players, Voot, in a very short span, already has the most amount of original content.

    Voot is available for free on iOS, Android and web and delivered over mobile and WiFi networks. With a stellar line-up of content available across genres and languages, Voot assures to keep you definitely wanting for more!

  • The Film and Television Producers Guild of India to host Guild TV Awards

    The Film and Television Producers Guild of India to host Guild TV Awards

    MUMBAI: The Film and Television Producers Guild of India has announced the first edition of the Guild Television Awards to honor the best in the entertainment industry. The ceremony will be conducted on 16 December 2015 and will be aired on Sony Entertainment Television. The award ceremony will recognize extraordinary brilliance and the legacy of television in our country. The event will also commemorate extraordinary achievements in Indian cinema and television fraternity and will honor the best contributions and accomplishments in the industry.

     

    Speaking on the announcement, the President of the Film and Television Producers Guild of India Mukesh Bhatt asserted, “The Television Industry has been growing at an exciting pace. With multiple TV channels and genres developing across the spectrum, it is time to celebrate the success. Over the years, we have honored deserving talent from both film and television industries and this time we have taken a step ahead to specially create a dedicated platform and event to celebrate the success of the television industry. Our TV landscape is rich and boasts of path-breaking series and production of global standards. We are very excited and look forward to the ceremony that will celebrate the best performances in the past year.”

     

    The joint event between The Guild and event management agency, Wizcraft will be seen working with the leading broadcast networks and the leading producers to celebrate producers, channels, actors, directors and writers on one star-studded stage.

     

     “India is home to an illustrious and prolific television industry which presents a plethora of fresh concepts and larger-than-life productions year on year spanning mythology, historical, family dramas, thrillers, comedy, reality and much more. It gives us immense pleasure to host an exclusive ceremony for the members of the Indian television fraternity and look forward to creating the biggest night Indian television is yet to witness”, adds Wizcraft International Entertainment director Sabbas Joseph.

    The winners of the Awards will be chosen by the Guild’s panel of 160 members which constitutes some of the most powerful and influential luminaries in the film and television sector.

  • Delhi govt approves online entertainment tax application for ticketed events

    Delhi govt approves online entertainment tax application for ticketed events

    MUMBAI: The Delhi Govt approved the first online application for Entertainment Tax on 23 September, 2015 based on a post-event settlement, which is a major breakthrough for the events and entertainment industry.

     

    The approval was done online in a record time of two hours, where previously the same could take several months.

     

    In August this year, The Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) in collaboration with the Govt. of Delhi and the Police department of Delhi took several steps to simplify licensing for events and eliminate red tape and touts. A process was put into place whereby EEMA member companies can do ticketed events in the national capital without paying entertainment tax before the event. The first achievement in this direction is the online approval for the soon-to-be-held Zubin Mehta concert in Delhi.

     

    The development entails a single-window approval system, which is online for all non-ticketed events. Large ticketed events are likely to make their way back to the capital as the partnership between EEMA and the Delhi government has led to an online approval system for ticketed events too with elimination of pre-payment of tax, pre-event stamping of tickets and blockage of funds for tax payments.

     

    EEMA president and Wizcraft International founder director Sabbas Joseph said, “We are delighted to see our enduring efforts come to life and turn into reality. This is just one door open and still a major step ahead. Alongside the path breaking steps by the Delhi government, the Maharashtra Chief Minister Mr Devendra Fadnavis too has announced that venues would have pre-approved licenses and a single–window clearance system would be implemented shortly. We hope that the efforts of the CMs  from Delhi and Maharashtra pave the way for similar moves across the country.”

     

    The first ticketed show under this new licensing regime would be a concert by maestro Zubin Mehta performing live in Delhi after 15 years. The approvals were given online in less than two hours on 23 September, 2015.

     

    The show will be produced by Showtime Events. “I could not have imagined this speed of action in my wildest dreams! It seems the Commissioner means business and is determined to change the face of entertainment in Delhi,” said Showtime Events managing director Michael Menezes. 

     

    Due to antiquated tax rules and strangulating licensing norms in Delhi, companies were loathe to hold events and shows in the city and instead preferred Gurgaon or Noida as locations for the event staging.

     

    Earlier this year, The Delhi Government was forthcoming and eager to make Delhi India’s event-friendly capital city. Following a detailed EEMA representation and persistent efforts, the Delhi government moved at a rapid pace in streamlining the licensing process in Delhi and yielding promising results for the event industry. The Delhi Govt. also appointed antiquated tax rules and strangulating licensing norms commissioner Sanjay Kumar as the nodal officer for creation of the single-window licensing process, with an eye on ease-of-doing-business.

     

    What’s more, the complimentary ticket scenario has also got a thumbs down. Leading the way, Kejriwal publicly declared that no minister or MLA of his party will ever ask for free tickets to any event or movie.

  • First global edition of EEMAX Awards ropes in 19 sponsors

    First global edition of EEMAX Awards ropes in 19 sponsors

    MUMBAI: Indian event industry’s apex body – Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA), which will be taking its annual awards global this year, has roped in as many as 19 sponsors. 

     

    Some of the brands that have come on board are Renault (Automobile partner), Colors (Conclave partner), Maharashtra Unlimited (State partner), CNBC TV18 (Official broadcast partner), Videocon (Support partner), Pepsi (Beverage partner) and Bacardi (Beverage partner) amongst others.

     

    The EEMAX Global Awards are scheduled for 20 September, 2015 in Mumbai and will be preceded by the EEMAX Global Conclave on 19 and 20 September. The awards aims to identify, celebrate and honour the best events and experiential marketing projects from India and around the world.

    EEMA received a huge number of entries for the EEMAX Global Awards. Agencies across India, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the US have send in their entries and registered for the event.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com EEMA president Sabbas Joseph said, “The number of entries has been over whelming. It is certainly beyond expectation. We will give away 30 awards and I am looking forward to the awards night.”

     

    The three level selection process, involves taking the award entries through a screening jury, a global jury and peer voting by members of EEMA to choose the winners in 29 categories that span entertainment events, social events, sporting events, weddings, exhibitions, digital events, government events, education programs and CSR.

     

    “Indian event companies, which run operations globally is what triggered us to take the awards global. For the first year, we will be honouring a chosen few international icons,” informed Joseph.

     

     The EEMAX Global Awards are a clear sign of India’s event industry going global. Indian event companies are being retained by international clients and brands for development of activation programs as well as corporate events, mega public events and also sporting galas.

     

    The event industry in India has grown exponentially over the last two decades with multiple entities operating in this space, in various segments and levels across 100+ cities in India. “Not long back companies used to spend only two per cent of their marketing budget in experiential marketing, but now they spend 15 to 20 per cent and that shows the progress of the sector,” added Joseph.

     

    Adding entertainment to the awards night will be performers like All India Backchod (AIB), Shaan, Ustaad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Shillong Choir.

     

    “The positive side of the event sector will be discussed and portrayed throughout the conclave, and taking India international will be the theme this year,” Joseph summed up.

     

    Interestingly, the international jury for EEMAX Awards includes the likes of Parineeti Chopra, Dia Mirza, Vikas Bahl, Vivek Oberoi, Prasoon Joshi, Neha Dhupia and others.

  • Colors to kick off IIFA festivities from 28 June

    Colors to kick off IIFA festivities from 28 June

    MUMBAI: With various elements including music, fashion and films coming together, Colors is set to bring the celebration of excellence in Indian cinema to television screens.

     

    Celebrating excellence in Indian cinema for the year gone by, Videoncon d2h IIFA is all set to give viewers a visual treat during the week long entertainment bonanza.

     

    Be it IIFA Rocks, IIFA Buzz or the 16th S-Cross IIFA Awards, Colors will present viewers with a unique taste of entertainment which promises to alter the overall television experience.

     

    The frenzy starts on 28 June with IIFA Rocks at 8 pm and continues well into the weekdays with a special segment called IIFA Buzz, at 6 pm from Monday to Saturday, highlighting the experiences of the favourite Bollywood stars while in Kuala Lumpur leading up to the S-Cross IIFA Awards Night on 5 July, 2015.

     

    Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “The IIFA Weekend witnesses the coming together of the entire film industry creating for a visually magnificent moment for our viewers. Through a combination of visually rich moments at IIFA Rocks, IIFA Buzz, IIFA Awards Green Carpet and main event we are looking forward to showcasing the ultimate entertainment content that has never been seen before. Catering to South Asian audiences across 135 countries will enable us to amplify the overall IIFA experience thereby enhancing viewer engagement.”

     

    Wizcraft Entertainment International director Sabbas Joseph added, “This year’s IIFA Weekend saw Indian cinema in all its splendor, with the creme de la creme of the industry attending and some of the most incredible performances, viewers are in for a night of real cinematic magic. Arjun and Ranveer have surpassed all expectation as hosts and the festivities both on and off-stage brought out the true spirit of IIFA which has always been to celebrate the phenomenon that is Bollywood. 2015 has seen yet another successful IIFA and another year of recognizing and applauding very best of Indian cinema.”

     

    The on-air festivities will kick off with a quick recap of IIFA over the years through IIFA Flashback on 28 June at 5 pm reminding viewers about the best moments that have made IIFA the formidable brand that it has become. Following closely, viewers will also get a quick glimpse of what is in store for them at the #IIFA2015Weekend with IIFA Weekend with the Stars on the same day at 7 pm.

     

    The true celebration of the Videocon d2h IIFA Weekend will commence with IIFA Rocks – a celebration of music and technical excellence to be aired at 8 pm. The evening, hosted by Ayushmann Khurana and Parineeti Chopra, witnessed stellar performances by Sonakshi Sinha – who made her live singing debut, Jacqueline Fernandez, Mika Singh, Nooran Sisters, Javed Ali, Aditi Rao Hydari, Lisa Hayden, Ankit Tiwari and Kanika Kapoor among others.

     

    The revelry will continue well into the week as the channel will air a special entertainment series titled IIFA Buzz, Monday to Saturday at 6 pm starting 29 June. IIFA Buzz will witness some of the biggest faces in Bollywood such as Hrithik Roshan, Lisa Hayden, Parineeti Chopra, Ayushmann Khurana, Shraddha Kapoor, and Neha Dhupia among others live the experiences of Malaysia in the company of Sana Khan, Karan Tacker and Pritam Singh.

     

    The key highlight to behold, though, will be the 16th S-Cross IIFA Awards Green Carpet and Main Awards to be aired on 5 July, where the celebrations will hit a crescendo. The Green Carpet will witness some fun and engaging activities soothing the nervous minds as they head for the awards function.

     

    The main event will witness the presence of the entire film industry as they come together to recognise acting and filmmaking prowess. To be hosted by Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, the event will feature performances by Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Parineeti Chopra, Shraddha Kapoor and Anushka Sharma. The IIFA Fashion Extravaganza, set to be aired on 12 July, will celebrate the latest trends and fashion, and will be hosted by Neha Dhupia and Vivek Oberoi. 

     

    For the record, the Videocon d2h IIFA Weekend was held between 5-7 June, 2015 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Technical Awards presented at IIFA Rocks and the Filmmaking Awards given away at the 16th S-Cross IIFA Awards recognized and acknowledged the astute prowess that has put Indian cinema on the global map.