Thanush Joseph Unveils Seventy EMG's Generation Speed, Discusses IBW 2024 & Brand Collaborations
by Mugdha Gaonkar Entertainment | November 20, 2024 | Interview
Thanush Joseph Seventy EMG India Bike Week Gulf Syntrac Reise
In the ever-evolving landscape of live events, India Bike Week (IBW) stands as a testament to the power of community, adventure, and collaboration. Thanush Joseph, Co-Founder & Director Marketing of Seventy EMG and one of the driving forces behind IBW, is at the helm of shaping some of the most exciting experiences for biking enthusiasts and beyond. As IBW gears up for another thrilling edition in 2024, Thanush opens up about the festival’s role in fostering community spirit, its eco-conscious initiatives, and the impact on Goa’s local economy.
In an exclusive interview with EVENTFAQS Media, we dive into Seventy EMG’s innovative approach to brand collaborations, plans for expanding IBW beyond Goa, and what lies ahead for the company’s event portfolio. Thanush also shares insights into how the organization measures success, builds trust with brands, and envisions a sustainable future for live events.
India Bike Week has always been about more than just the bikes—it’s about the community. What are you doing this year to further foster that sense of community?
India Bike Week is the definitive annual motorcycling gathering for motorcycling enthusiasts from across the country, and beyond. For two days straight, India Bike Week will be Home for India’s biking fraternity. IBW has always been about community, and our theme of Everyone as One is a call out to all bikers to join regardless of the brand of motorcycle they ride.
For the 2 wheeler racing community, this season, as a feature of our “Next Chapter” we are taking racing a notch up to promote grass roots racing with 2 FMSCI affiliated races – IBW Hill Climb presented by Reise Moto, and the Flat Track Race developed jointly with Harley-Davidson. Total prize money up for grabs from all races is Rs 12 lakhs. Additionally, there will be 2 fun racetracks - Gulf Syntrac Tiivra Action Games and IBW Dirt Dash presented by Reise Moto. KYT rider and Ex Moto GP/ Le Mans rider Xavier Simeon will be sharing his racing career highlights and Meet & Greet with fans on both days.
We are celebrating completion of a decade with our partner Jameson – sharing a wealth of stories from stalwarts from the India Bike Week community. The festival is calling on Clubs and Riding groups to come forth and tell their uniquely individual stories at IBW 2024. The most memorable story will get a chance to win a Harley-Davidson Street Bob custom motorcycle created by Bombay Custom Works to honour the occasion.
Are there any exclusive partnerships or collaborations this year with brands or celebrities that attendees should look forward to?
IBW is built on a collaboration model. There are several brands that we work with to enable the community well beyond the festival in Goa. For e.g., in association with Gulf Syntrac and Reise, IBW’s popular Chai & Pakoda rides are already underway, embarking on a nationwide tour of 20 cities this season. Designed to foster camaraderie among any and all motorcyclists, these rides aim to break the ice, facilitate new connections, and create memorable experiences over breakfast, games, a live band and fun biking challenges.
We have just rolled out the first FMSCI Flat Track Race as a One Make series with Harley-Davidson, supported by Gulf Syntrac and Reise. For the first edition, both qualifiers and finals are at the IBW Grounds. However, for future editions, the plan is to expand to 4 regions for the qualifier rounds and finals at IBW.
We have again partnered with Gulf Syntrac and created their Moto Mayhem FMX Show by international FMX athletes Vivian Roger (Swiss) and Thomas Wirnsberger (Austria) for a double jump showcase for the first time here.
Some of the celebrities we know who are attending are: Amit Sadh, he will be addressing the community about his travel escapades, love of motorcycles, and his riding experiences across the country – showcasing support for the two-wheeler community. Motorbike enthusiast and actor, Anil Charanjeett (also known as Anil Mange) along with Anand Kale will also join the IBW tribe and engage with the community at IBW.
Motorcycling events have a unique environmental footprint. What steps has IBW taken to promote eco-friendly practices, and encourage sustainability in biking culture?
Noise & Traffic
- No revving zones at the festival
- Campaign with media / influencer partners to be mindful of noise, traffic regulations
- Shut at 10 pm sharp
- Working with local authorities to create 1-way entries to reduce traffic load during the festival.
Sustainability
- Sherman Nazareth, wildlife conservationist consulting to ensure no damage to flora and fauna at Vagator Hills
- BYOB for free water to minimize plastic water bottle sale
- No trees are cut or pruned – in fact we need the shade. Only grass is cut, and water rivulets are levelled after monsoon
- Wet & Dry garbage
- Smokeless charcoal for Barbeque
- Minimise flex printing and use more tin sheet and painted signages, metal and LED, wood frames and ply – reuseable materials.
IBW brings riders from all over India to Goa, boosting the local economy. How do you collaborate with local businesses and communities, and what impact does IBW have on Goa’s tourism sector?
We have numerous tie ups with restaurants, chefs, hotels and car and scooter hire as well as Goan tech and venue construction suppliers for the event. Economic benefits accrue this way to restaurants, hotels, taxi, shops, small businesses and scooter hire. There are hundreds of international guests who are actively participating in at the Expo, performing and attending, helping promote tourism into the country and specifically to Goa.
- El Shaddai Orphanage – Ride with media, celebrities and donation
- Ride Outs – rides conducted by local experts, local motorcycling clubs to appreciate the Goan culture and heritage.
- College outreach by our expert trainers to educate and promote skills to ride safely. Overland / global travellers from our Big Trip stage like Elspeth Beard to visit colleges to talk about the benefits of travel as education and promote harmony for humanity.
Are there any plans to expand IBW beyond Goa, perhaps with regional events or mini-editions across India? How do you envision growing IBW’s presence nationally?
Very much so, we would like to surely work on the nation-wide appeal of IBW and support the growing motorcycling culture, unique to each city. In the past, we have been to 8 cities with an IBW on Tour concept, a mini travelling IBW crunched into a 5 hour power packed event. We are considering something similar in 2025. We will also continue with our Chai & Pakoda rides which are already reaching 20 cities annually.
What metrics or indicators do you focus on to measure the success of brand collaborations in live events, like the Hyundai Spotlight series? How do you assess the value that both the brand and artists bring to each other?
ROI for our IPs are a mix, and it depends on the lifecycle point of the brand – OEM brands are using the opportunity to launch products, gauge feedback for future launches at IBW, leveraging the captive attention of the media, creators and community who are attending at IBW. Many brands are creating Dealer Networking and Customer Experience extensions using the IBW platform – KTM Pro XP Rides, Hero X Clan, HOG are examples for this edition. Some other categories such as Oil, Tyre and Alcohol/ Beer brands want to build the association and enable an intensive, immersive, on-point brand experience for this niche audience.
What would you say distinguishes Seventy EMG’s approach to brand collaborations from others in the industry? How do you ensure that brands trust Seventy EMG to deliver unique and effective partnerships?
Set reasonable expectations, under promise, and over deliver! Look at the long term and invest in the brand and relationships. Brand associations require upwards of 3-5 years to establish any real ROIs besides achieving the short term, tactical goals. A majority of our clients in our event business are decades long partnerships. The IP partnerships such as the one with Harley-Davidson and Jameson are 10+ years and others such as Gulf, Reise, Givi, even Expo retailers are structured for the long term.
Finally, what are some of the major events Seventy EMG has planned for the upcoming season? Are there any new events or exciting twists on past events that audiences should look forward to?
Generation Speed! It’s our newest IP, inspired by the Festivals of Speed like Monterey Car Week and Goodwood Festival, where thousands of India’s Motoring community, motorsports fans, racers, bikers, drivers meet to celebrate, experience and race machines from the past, present and future. It will be two days of the greatest weekend of the year for auto enthusiasts.
We will continue to bring consumer and community events such as the Kalaghoda Arts Festival, Hyundai Spotlight concerts which are already underway.
In an exclusive interview with EVENTFAQS Media, Thanush Joseph dives into Seventy EMG’s approach to brand collaborations, plans for expanding IBW beyond Goa, and more.