Events are among the biggest crowd pullers in every edition of Kurushetra. We meet the guys who have been juggling over 30 events including online events which attract international participation. Here is what Gopi, Sundar, Anish and Gokul have to say about their work as Events K!ores.
How are events picked and finalized? Tell us about the entire process.
Our very first job after becoming K!ores was to refactor events. We went about it by doing an analysis of the previous year's events. We weighed the pros and cons of every event based on quality and quantity. Following that, we added few new events and removed a few. Our aim is to improve in quality and quantity every year. At the start of this academic year, we prepared a list of events and held the open call for organizers. New events are added depending on sponsors' request too. If organizers have good suggestions, we take them into consideration too.
What is the hierarchy like in the events team? How are juniors chosen?
We have about 450 people working in the events team. Third years are organizers, second years are coordinators, freshers are volunteers. We interviewed those who attended the open call. We gave them a set of tasks to complete and guided them in organizing the events.
How many events in K! this year?
This year there are 33 events in seven categories. Of which 5 are coding events, 4 are robotics events, 8 are engineering events, 4 are quizzes, 3 are management events and 6 online events that have already completed.
How was the response and reach for the online events?
All six events saw participants from across various countries. This year participation doubled in almost all online events. This was possible because we worked on identifying our target audience for every event and made sure we were able to reach them. This not only improved the numbers, but also the overall quality of the events.
How was work split between the 4 of you?
We took 2 domains each actually. But still we work together and help out each other when it has to be done. Domain segregation is just for communication sake.
From six K!ores last year it has become four now. How was it handling the same work with lesser people?
It has been a challenge. It demanded more effort as each of us had a lot to take care of. But we were able to manage it with realistic planning.
What about online events? How is work split between your team and the Web team?
Online events are 50% events and 50% web. They're completely different for other events. We give a layout design of the website required for each event initially. Then, event organizers will prepare the questions/content for the event. Finally, we sit with the web team and upload the content and perform extensive testing before the event. We get participants from abroad because of online events.
Out of the four of you who was in charge of what domain?
I'm (Anish) in charge of Management and Quizzes. Gopi takes care of coding nd online events. Robotics, Engineering and General are shared between Gokul and sundar.
What's the best and worst part of the job?
We will be the face of K! Events. It can be the best part if its good and the worst if something goes wrong. Ultimately we are responsible for the quality of the event
What are your responsibilities after Kurukshetra?
It's always a very hectic and chaotic post K!. We need to ensure that all our juniors get their certificates and ODs. That itself is a huge task keeping in mind the numbers. Sometimes participants leave without collecting their prizes, we have to ensure that it reaches them correctly. That is something we take up seriously. We get acknowledgement from the winners that they have received the prize money and it is forwarded to the finance team. And finally the K!ore selection process for the coming year is among our final responsibilities as Students Directors of CTF.
