In an exclusive interaction with MediaBrief, Kunal Laungani, Chief Consultant and Founder of Chapter 2 Events, speaks about how the pandemic impacted the wedding and events industry and how business has been shaping up for C2E post-covid. He also speaks about the emerging wedding destinations and preferences of Indians and outlines how 2022 will look like for the wedding & events space.
Give us an overview of Chapter 2 Events and its journey so far?
As luxury wedding & event planners, Chapter 2 Events (C2E) transcends borders and brings forth unique virgin destinations by curating niche and immersive celebrations.
Since its inception in 2013, we have been curating world-class bespoke experiences and milestone events across the globe.
C2E began its journey with the foresight to make celebrations more experiential and personalized. We aim at creating a getaway of extraordinary experiences for our clients by turning their bucket list destinations into bucket list experiences.
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What are the services Chapter 2 Events offers, and how are they different from its competitors?
We strive towards flawless execution with a high degree of transparency, which is an integral part of our ethos. Right from conceptualizing your big and small events, guest management, vendor coordination, logistics to final execution, our proficient #Wednerds make sure your celebrations are hassle-free every step of the way by deftly unveiling the new Chapter of your life.
Whilst constantly striving for perfection, we are also working closely with tourism boards of emerging wedding destinations such as Visit Portugal, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, Visit Malta, Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions Authority, MySwitzerland, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Azerbaijan Tourism Board, Oman Tourism, Turespana, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai (DCTM) etc to find the destination of your dreams for your celebrations
Give us an overview of the clients you have handled? Where do you see yourself in the pecking order today?
We have had the privilege of working with clients from across the globe. We have worked with business families as well as professional couples who either prioritize value for money, or value for services.
Working with such diverse clients has given us the bandwidth to understand what would work the best for them. We value our clients and make sure to deliver beyond their expectations.
How has the pandemic impacted the wedding and events industry? Give us an overview of the last two years of C2E?
The pandemic has impacted the entire world, and no doubt the events industry took a huge hit. We used this opportunity to re-strategize and expand our geographical reach to increase our offerings and move closer to our vision of discovering unexplored destinations for our clientele.
The idea to set up a base in Europe was germinated on these travels owing to the demands for authentic and uncliched experiences from our clients. After all, out of adversity comes opportunity!
Post-covid, how has business been shaping up for C2E?
The market is slowly but surely firing up. There has been a significant backlog resulting in spillover demand due to the lockdowns and restrictions in recent times.
In fact, at this point, we have reached a stage where the demand is more than the supply if we look at India specifically.
As a result, costs too have shot up exponentially, forcing clients to start looking for other economical and value-for-money destinations.
The most critical change is that people are looking at compact and intimate celebrations in lieu of the circumstances.
Not surprisingly, the entire wedding market, right down the chain, has evolved to cater to this great shift. We are in for a very busy season with back-to-back projects in the coming months.
Tell us about the emerging wedding destinations trends, preferences of Indians?
Some of the emerging wedding destinations that are rolling out the red carpet for Indian clientele include Spain, France, Turkey, Bahrain & Dubai.
A few other preferred destinations nearby, like Sri Lanka and Thailand, are also gradually opening up. But it must be accepted that people are still sceptical and circumspect. You never know how any sudden change in regulations will affect all the planning.
What are your plans, strategies for C2E’s brand building and growth? Top priorities for 2022?
Our plan is to position Chapter 2 Events as a leading global wedding planning firm focusing on new destinations. The aim is not just to organise weddings for Indian families but also focusing on Multicultural weddings.
We intend to make Chapter 2 Events a global footprint and a reputed authentic brand amongst the wedding ecosystem.
What does 2022 look like for the wedding and event industry? What are some trends that will shape the industry?
We are hoping that 2022 is full of opportunities and a lot of surge in terms of wedding planning, queries and new projects.
There was a lot of backlog from the past couple of years, following which there is anticipation that the pent up demand has to explode at some point. The show must go on.