The showcase event was the ‘Idea Summit’ wherein renowned speakers from different walks of life distilled and shared their experiences, insights and thoughts with a diverse audience. The summit revolved around the vital discussion on inclusiveness in India’s growth story. The competitions were a treat not just for the participants but also for the audience who got the opportunity to listen to extremely innovative ideas put forward by the participants.
Ensemble also consisted of several competitions to test the various managerial concepts that students pick up during their education in a Bschool. The central competition – ‘Discessio Imperators’ – sought to find managers who can lend structure to ambiguity and create order out of chaos but testing their ability to adapt to a constantly changing business environment. The other contests covered areas such as marketing, finance, consulting, entrepreneurship etc. There were also informal events held throughout the two days including informal quizzes, crosswords and Dumb Charades to keep the competitive spirit alive in between the main competitions
Ensemble enjoyed attracted participation from the premier business and technical schools across the country who vied for top honours in the 2 day fest. Students came in from top B schools across the country such as IIMA, IIMB, IIMC, FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, IIFT Delhi as well as IIMK, IIML and XIM Bhubaneshwar. Total prize money including informal events was around 8 – 8.5 lakhs, which was distributed amongst students from these B schools. They were also awarded goody bags and mementos of the event.
The event drew a slew of support from the corporate circle and included the who’s who of corporate India including the Aditya Birla Group, who was the prime partner for the fest. The individual events also included corporates such as ITC, Tata Steel, Accenture, HSBC, GSK, BIG FM, Tata Teleservices and kitnebaje.com. Other partners included NDTV, Human Capital, Zuari Cement, Swastik, Myntra, the Pioneer, Brand Reporter and the National Innovation Foundation. The interest shown from the corporate world was heartening for both organizers and participants as it can only bode well for increased interaction between the industry and the institute, and will further the strong relationship between XLRI and the corporate world.
The event finally culminated in a fantastic, rip roaring rock show by Span and Parikrama, one of India’s finest rock bands. It was the perfect finale after two grueling days for both participants and organizers, who finally let themselves go to a great performance by both bands. Parikrama played some of their original hits, along with some classic rock songs. They were then followed on by Span, who also entertained the crowd with a heady mix of popular rock numbers and original compositions. Ensemble 2008 was a grand success for the students of XLRI, and has paved the way for further organization of such events of an even grander scale.