The CEO of the company behind the Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA) staged recently in Vancouver claims that half of the event’s $22 million budget was invested in the local economy.
The three-day event included an April 4 concert at the Pacific Coliseum, an April 5 technical awards banquet at the Vancouver Convention Centre and the April 6 awards extravaganza at BC Place Stadium.
Sameer Soni, the Times Group chief operating officer, said 35,000 people attended the April 6 awards ceremony. Some 4,000 tickets were complimentary for sponsors, media partners and approximately 500 people who travelled from India.
The BC Liberal government gave Soni a $9.5 million subsidy to stage the event. Soni said tickets, sponsors and broadcast rights accounted for $7.5 million in revenue, and the Times Group invested $5 million.
“It is not that the government has paid me $9.5 million, and we have taken the taxpayers’ money and we have run away. We actually got the money out of the government and put it back into the circulation of the economy.”
Soni expects the Sony Entertainment Television broadcast of the April 6 BC Place Stadium event on the subcontinent will be delayed to mid- or late May to make way for cricket, India’s other passion.
India Premier League (IPL) cricket matches run daily through May 19 and playoffs end May 26.
The $9.5 million TOIFA contract was given December 12, but Soni said work didn’t begin in earnest until January 5. Soni hired local contractors like Genesis Security and Cantrav Services and called their service “impeccable and absolutely brilliant.”
Genesis vice-president Ashley Meehan had guards at Vancouver International Airport, Canada Place, BC Place Stadium and the Pacific Coliseum. He said crew numbers peaked at 350 on awards day.
Soni said he would have hired more Canadian companies, if not for the short timeline. A half-dozen Mumbai companies were involved in the production: 70 Event Media Group, Cineyug Group of Companies, Genesis Burson-Marsteller, Reliance Digital, St. Angelo’s Professional Education and WorkThatWorks Entertainment Design.
“Many of these companies … work very closely with the celebrities back in India,” Soni said. “We had to bridge India and Canada.”
Soni said telecoms and banks were approached for sponsorship, but the lead time was too short to satisfy their budgeting and activation needs. He downplayed the controversy over title sponsor Lux Cozi’s chairman Ashok Todi, who was accused in the 2007 death of his son-in-law. Todi appeared onstage at BC Place with his daughter Priyanka to present the best film award.
“He was in Canada, so obviously the visas were issued, the passport was allowed,” Soni said. “We are more concerned with the brand, rather than the person behind it.”
The Vancouver-headquartered Canadian Tourism Commission had no official role in the event and International Trade and Asia-Pacific Gateway Minister Ed Fast, an Abbotsford Conservative, did not attend.
The office of Heritage Minister James Moore, B.C.’s senior cabinet minister, said Edmonton MP Tim Uppal attended on behalf of the federal government.
Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson, Richmond mayor Malcolm Brodie and Surrey mayor Dianne Watts were not invited.
Watts and councillors Linda Hepner, Barinder Rasode and Tom Gill attended a business reception hosted by Colliers International, B&B Contracting Group, Aplin & Martin Consultants Ltd., RBC Wealth Management, Blue Pine Enterprises, Platinum Projects, Valley Traffic Systems and Network Bonding and Insurance Services Inc. in the Balcony Suite.
The Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training ministry claimed it was up to TOIFA to extend the invites, but Soni said “that’s not my lookout.”
“TOIFA was a ticket-driven event – if mayors, federal politicians or any other officials wished to attend they could have paid for a ticket,” said the ministry.
Tourism Vancouver hosted 30 members of an Indian media contingent from Press Trust of India, India Abroad News Service, ABP, India TV and CNN/IBN and personnel from various Times of India Group media platforms.
