"I am a people's person & would like EEMA to be like that too" - Rajeev Jain, Rashi Entertainment

by  EVENTFAQS Bureau Industry Watch | June 25, 2020 | Interview

EEMA Election 2020 Rajeev Jain Rashi Entertainment

Also, read in the same series - 

"We are united by our belief in EEMA" - Harjinder Singh, ShowWorks Eventz

"We need to get macro approach to see dream come to light" - Siddhartha Chaturvedi, Event Crafter

"The 'virtual' experiential is presently the way to go" - Sagar Pingali, Owner, Catpro Events

Jain is one of the most dynamic and well-regarded entrepreneurs in the events industry and the backbone of many industry initiatives. An established event management agency, Rashi Entertainment is flourishing under his visionary leadership and has branches across India. Rajeev Jain, Director, Rashi Entertainment has been nominated to contest for the position of NEC President. 

In an exclusive interview with EVENTFAQS Media, Rajeev Jain shares insights on his agenda, changes, and progress needed in EEMA, future plans after COVID, his opinions on EEMA Elections 2020 and more!

How will your proposed agenda/plan for EEMA help the association on real gains/achievements?

A careful reading and viewing of my print and video manifestos and btw both are the same in my case will answer this question. The association is made of people (members) of typically first-generation and small and medium-sized entrepreneurs. Real gain/achievements will only make sense when they, the entrepreneurs and their businesses gain. For this, there are clear focus areas and initiatives that have been detailed. The first thing to do is to change the atmosphere,ventilate it,  clear out accumulated poison of politicking. And then, create collaborations that help us build from each other’s strengths. Gaining the governmental ear for the policy as well as project work is another platform. Inclusiveness, gender balance, and women empowerment is a key focus. What most people don’t seem to realize is the small and medium entrepreneur requires direct and tangible benefits not just hifalutin, 30,000-foot overviews and that’s why I have suggested creating an Opportunity Fund that can help in financial emergencies and also am focusing on special rates with airlines, hotels and other service providers for our members.

EEMA is still looked upon as an elitist association, not truly representing the larger stakeholder networks of the experiential industry, do you think we need to change this (and How)?

It is to shake off the tag of elitism that I have stood up for the Presidents' post. Look at me, where am I elite from? I run a small and medium enterprise, I am exactly one of the majority of EEMA members, in fact, I am one of them. I am no CEO of any big multinational, I am no elite and I am certainly not elitist. I am a people's person and would like EEMA to become like that too. That’s why regional outreach is so important to me. That’s why the focus on the regions and the focus on inclusivity, on gender empowerment and most importantly the focus on the problems of the small and medium enterprises. Even up to seeking governmental representation to address these. Change happens with action not with words when we change our focus to INCLUDE and not exclude, include regions, women, and the small enterprise then we will no longer be elitist. In time, the perception will change too. My job is to carry on with the action. Not to bother so much about the perception.

This next executive committee needs to be driven and dedicated to a post-COVID new normal, what are your efforts going to be to revive and assist the industry in the next 2 years?

The post-COVID new normal will obviously demand ‘change’ and ‘pivot’ from all of us. However, the nature of the human-animal will not change. We are a social being. Our civilization and cultures have been built on the personal touch and feel the experience. This industry will bounce back – albeit with some restrictions, with a lot of safety provisions but it will bounce back. In order to be ready when it bounces back, the industry will require nurturing. It will need the mentoring that I have spoken of institutionalizing from the seniors of the industry. It will require collaboration and the pooling of strengths. It will require the funding, the government lobbying, and the inclusiveness that will allow it to move ahead. These are incontestable truths – whoever and whichever the NEC is, this will have to happen for us to revive and thrive in the next two years.

What in your opinion are the wrongs of EEMA that should and will be corrected in your tenure, should you be elected?

I am one of the founding members of EEMA and have been in Executive Positions for more than a decade. Before the association could move to its own premises, for many years EEMA was housed in my office. Personally, I feel very strongly about what has happened to it. It used to be a place, an association of likeminded members who came together to provide benefit to each other and to contribute to the industry.  Now it has become a place for petty politicking, where one or two members have hijacked the association for their own purposes and who instead of being constructive insist on pulling everything down with baseless allegations, malicious rumor-mongering, and ill-advised commentary and threats. This is what must stop. The house of EEMA requires thorough cleaning and SANITISATION. Honestly, I am the strong man ready and willing to do this. We need to usher in a clean, healthy atmosphere. Need to get the virus of rumor-mongering and threatening out of the house. That is the first step. Everything else will follow.

The politics in EEMA keeps those not deeply invested in committee positions quite aloof. How will you ensure this is overcome and the association truly harnesses the strength of all it members and the industry at large?

I just told you that. Remove the virus of petty politicking and a healthy atmosphere will bloom again. People will come together, ‘Associations’ will happen in an atmosphere that allows re-building to take place. Something that we all need after the effects of this pandemic. As a united, collaborative, inclusive group not as a fragmented, insular, infighting body, we will make our representation to the Government. We will rebuild the power of the association. Naturally those you term as ‘deeply invested’ will then return and add their power to this. It all begins with love that’s why I say ‘Dil Se’!