Udaan 2018: an employee talent show and awards day for 250 Gilbarco Veeder Root staff

Udaan ran as a single continuous programme, balancing formality with entertainment and structured time with open networking.

Planning began three months before the event. ICE India scouted performers through Gilbarco Veeder Root's internal communications and used a nomination form to collect each act's participants, departments, category (dance, singing, skit, instrumental or other), duration, theme and technical requirements: lighting effects, smoke, video display, props and microphones.

That data went into a master run-of-show. Acts were sequenced to avoid similar ones running together, to group acts with similar set-ups and keep changeovers short, and to put crowd favourites at points where attention might dip. The programme opened with a high-energy group dance and ended the afternoon with a Marathi Lavani. Rehearsals were limited so employees were not asked for much time, and costume and prop logistics were settled in advance.

The acts ran from a three-person LED dance and a duet on acoustic guitar to a ten-person mime on social awareness, a Rajasthani folk trio, a 12-person fusion dance from the Coimbatore development centre, a flute solo, a retro Bollywood couple dance, comedy and ad-mad skits from the SmartCRIND and hydraulics teams, Kathak, and a 13-person musical skit from the PMO team on the life of a project manager. Managers also staged a secret performance in the form of a video. A crew ran 30+ lighting cues and played music tracks for more than 20 songs.

The Innovathon awards in the late morning recognised engineering innovation: nominees presented their work and winners received awards from senior leadership.

The R&R ceremony was woven through the afternoon performances so recognition stayed visible without a block of speeches. The eight categories were Fresh Talent, Extraordinary Engineer, Extraordinary FBS Team, Extraordinary Team, Extraordinary Coach, Extraordinary Leader, Extraordinary Supporting Role and Employee of the Year. Each was slotted into the running order after a numbered act, giving the audience a natural break from performances and the performances a lift between awards.

Participation cut across departments, roles and regions. The Coimbatore development centre brought Tamil performances, the Payments team a social-awareness mime, the hydraulics and mechanical teams ad-mad comedy skits, SmartCRIND a comedy dance skit and the PMO a musical skit. Individual employees performed solos, including singing, flute and classical dance. Because performers were colleagues rather than professionals, the production's job was to make people feel supported, not exposed.

One of the late acts was a video in which managers revealed a performance they had kept secret, which humanised leadership. The afternoon closed with Marathi Lavani, a traditional folk dance, as the cultural finale before the evening break.

Gaps between acts are where talent shows lose energy. A technical crew stayed backstage to change equipment during host introductions, direct performers through separate entrances and exits, ready props and costumes for the next act, and fix last-minute problems such as a costume issue, a music-track fault or flat microphone batteries without the performers noticing. Eleven hosts held the audience through the changes with scripted banter, audience interaction and context for each act.

Two red carpet moments gave arrivals a sense of occasion. A morning carpet welcomed employees to the formal event, and an evening carpet at 7.30 pm opened the party. Professional photography captured both.

Five senior leaders jointly lit the ceremonial lamp to open the day, followed straight away by an LED group dance. The cultural line-up reflected the company's regions: Rajasthani folk, Kathak, a Tamil, Hindi and English fusion dance, and Marathi Lavani.

The venue's ballroom was turned from a ceremony space into a party with lighting changes. A professional DJ played for dancing and networking over dinner.

The venue partnership with Westin Garden City provided a ballroom with a professional stage and lighting rig, integrated AV, backstage preparation areas and catering for breakfast, lunch and dinner. ICE India managed bus departures from the offices, staggered arrivals, bag storage and evening departures, plus nominee data across departments, confidential winner selection, physical awards and certificates, and managers' participation in the recognition moments.

The AV crew handled clear sound across the ballroom, projection of backdrops and lyrics, stage lighting from disco effects to plain light and blackout, confidence monitors for hosts, backup equipment and recording of the highlights for internal communications. ICE India's team stayed on the floor for the full 14 hours, covering bus arrivals, the red carpets, the lamp lighting, the awards, technical troubleshooting, meal changeovers and departures. Vegetarian, vegan and religious dietary needs were catered for.

The trophies guide covers how to choose trophies, and the award ceremony management page explains how ICE India plans the ceremony.