Anniversaries And Birthdays

Anniversaries and birthdays are now big occasions, calling for at-scale celebrations. Their importance needs to be recognised through an appropriate abbreviation: like PMJAY, GST, DBT, or the more mouth-filling MGNREGA. Or, the room-filling MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, for the uninitiated) and the stomach-filling F&B, from the world of hospitality. 

AB, as an abbreviation, is short and slick, but best avoided since it may be a reminder of our colonial past, being the first alphabets of the colonial language. Also, it may be widely mistaken as a reference to the ever-green and ageless superstar. A&B, on the other hand, is not yet as widely used - if at all it is - and this tag comes with no baggage. In addition, it is akin to F&B, and could be as lucrative for businesses. Yet, the hospitality industry has been slow on capitalising on this wedding-like opportunity.

Presently, marriage receptions are money-spinners. Gone are the days when ample food and drink would suffice. Now, exotic dishes, "live" counters, and multiple (preferably, global) cuisines are the norm; also, a variety of drinks. Hosts - often as part of the "commercial" understanding between the two sets of parents - are required to splurge; in addition, competitive one-upmanship demands spending more than others. A large and prestigious venue is not sufficient. It must be done up with special floral arrangements, preferably with exotic flowers that are specially flown in, and a stage (for newly-weds) that must rival the most ostentatious set in a high-budget movie. Live music and a celebrity (paid to attend) are further additions. 

These, too, are now common and, therefore, passe. A grand wedding reception is now only one element, to be supplemented by a multi-party, many-days celebration, with guests hosted over the duration.  Locations for such "destination weddings" include foreign ones, though Goa and Rajasthan remain popular. The costs may be unbounded, but the Prime Minister has urged keeping the celebrations - and the expenditure - within the borders. 

Marriages in India are, by and large - happily for the couple and unfortunately for the hotels - limited to one in a lifetime, constraining hotel revenues. Also, for religious and other reasons, they are seasonal, often clashing with peak tourist influx, resulting in revenues of one cannibalising those from the other. A&B provides both, a solution and a potential new source of large, year-round revenues. 

Hotels could promote big b-day celebrations, with truly grand ones on milestones like those on year 1, 13, 18, 21, 25, etc. Similarly, on milestone anniversaries. As a further expansion, taking a leaf from Lewis Carrol, "unbirthday" parties could be promoted. But to truly rake in the profits, A&B celebrations need to be multi-day, destination affairs, like weddings. There could be pre and post parties, book-ending the special day. In addition, a retro party, harking back to a past A or B, with music, dance, and dress of that time. Apart from being one more party, this has the advantage of making everyone feel younger or nostalgic: both of which will contribute to greater inflow of liquor and outflow of money. Other such ideas will make for a fun-filled time for guests and a profit-filled time for the hotel. All that is required to promote the concept is to have it featured in a blockbuster Bollywood movie.

Incidentally, this is a milestone-anniversary KKK column: the fiftieth. If this column does have an impact, await many invites to destination A&B celebrations!