Towards the end of January, a few of my friends and I came up with an idea of organizing a flea exhibition where small businesses in Surat could put up their stalls and sell their products. Due to the pandemic, many small businesses have had to suffer a big loss and it has been difficult to get customers, so we wanted to do something that helps them gain customers and popularity in the market. Also, all the profits were donated to the Disabled Welfare Trust of India founded by Kanubhai Tailor, which is a cause that works towards the welfare of children with special needs.
Learning Outcomes:
LO1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth.
A major part of this event involved us to bring out our creative side and artistic abilities to make ornate decorations such as photo booths to put up. I have always been someone who has a great appreciation for art, so coming up with colourful, attractive ideas really showcased my creativity.
LO2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.
Planning a large event for over 300 people is not an easy task. We sometimes struggled with managing all the different aspects such as budgeting and marketing, but at the end we learned from them all.
LO3: Demonstrate how to initiate and plan.
The event took place on 7th and 8th March 2021, but we had begun planning from the end of January. It required almost a month and half of planning. A large event such as Vistosa requires a long time to plan, prepare and manage, and we organized such a big event from scratch step by step.
LO4: Show commitment to and perseverance.
Like mentioned above, it took a long time, and a great deal of effort to plan such a large event. All of us stayed committed to our tasks, be it marketing through social media, decorating or making decisions, throughout that one and half month of planning.
LO5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.
This event could not be made possible without working together collaboratively. A person alone could not handle all the aspects such as planning, creative decorations, advertising and financing. But since there was a group of students together with different interests and abilities, we could bring multiple perspectives and opinions to the table while planning the event. Moreover, working with professional event managers gave us the opportunity to understand on a more professional level what goes into making such an event successful.
LO6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance.
All the profits earned have been donated to the disable welfare trust of India, which is a cause that works towards the welfare of children with special needs. The issue of disabled children being deprived of their basic rights- such as education and food is something that is prevalent all over the world, so we decided to give our contributions to make a difference.
LO7: Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions.
Due to this pandemic, many small businesses have had to suffer great financial losses and have been forced to shut down. Many big companies and brands often copy off designs and ideas originally made by small businesses and ventures, without giving them any sort of credit. We wanted to do something for small businesses in Surat to have a platform to showcase their original products, market themselves to the public and gain more customers because as consumers, it is our responsibility to consume products that are ethical.
Evidence:
