It was 12:30 PM on April 23rd 2025 when our inbox pinged with an RFQ for the launch of a ship; an event that would see the State Minister of Shipping in attendance.
The catch? The event was scheduled for April 28th.
Five days. That’s all we had.
But that wasn’t even the real challenge.
The event was to be held inside the port, on bare open land where the ship would berth. Working at a port is unlike any other event venue… it’s a world governed by CISF security protocols, strict entry procedures, and heavy documentation. Every person, every truck, even every nail entering or leaving the premises must be accounted for.
By the evening of April 24th, after navigating multiple layers of permissions and cost approvals, we finally had the green light. What followed was a five-day sprint that tested every ounce of our experience, resourcefulness, and teamwork.
Step 1: Setting Up the Core Team
The first move was to visit the port and map out the process.
We immediately appointed a dedicated liaison team to coordinate with port authorities and CISF. Each department head- hangar, sound, lighting, technical, and catering- was briefed and assigned responsibility for compiling documentation, collecting government-issued IDs, and manually filling out the forms for entry passes.
Step 2: Making the Most of What We Had
Given the time constraints and logistical challenges, we scrounged for resources within the venue itself. We arranged for labour meals and secured heavy equipment like the Hydra Crane and water tankers needed for ballast since drilling into the dock surface was not permitted.
Step 3: Design and Coordination
While the ground team was busy with logistics, our creative and production teams worked parallelly on design layouts, branding creatives, and the event flow, staying in constant touch with the client for approvals and refinements.
Step 4: Building the Impossible
The biggest physical challenge was erecting the German hangar structure. What normally takes three days just to assemble the frame, we managed to complete in a day and a half including platforming.
Step 5: The Final Push
April 27th was monumental. Our team worked through the night, setting up draping, stage, technical, furniture, and kitchen tents. Despite the heat, dust, and tight security checks, the team’s energy never dipped.
Even last-minute client requests from extra signboards placed a kilometre outside the port’s South Gate to ensure smooth guest navigation were fulfilled without hesitation.
To give you an idea of the space that was assigned for this, check the photo below:
The Big Day
When the event finally came alive on April 28th, it was nothing short of spectacular. Despite initial doubts from multiple client-side stakeholders about whether we could pull it off in time, we did- flawlessly!
The event received overwhelming praise right from the MD to the CEO of the terminal to the retired major in charge of security.
The Aftermath
This project wasn’t just another event. It was a test of grit, agility, and coordination under pressure. Few agencies attempt let alone deliver an event of this scale inside a functioning port.
We did it. And we did it in five days flat.
It was a whirlwind experience exhausting, exhilarating, and deeply satisfying. But more importantly, it helped us build robust systems and confidence to take on many more complex, high-security event environments in the future.
Because at the end of the day when a client throws us a challenge, we deliver.
Check out the short film of the event here: