Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Monday, Nov 30, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version | Audio | Blogs
Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Monday, Nov 30, 2009 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version | Audio | Blogs |
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eWorld
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Events Twist to the show L.N. Revathy
It was fun to watch the gamblers count the dollars earned. The party commenced at half-past six. The guests, dressed in formal suit and black-tie, were guided to their seats and the setting — lights, red carpet, photograph gallery and video clips — was just right to capture the winners of the Hitachi Data Systems Asia Pacific IT Inspiration Awards 2009 (This was the second edition of the Awards, held this year at Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia). As one watched the finale, the winners in the five categories — CIO of the Year, Best Green Strategy for a Data Centre, Most Innovative Use of Technology, Best Return-on-Assets Strategy and Best Virtualisation Strategy — walked on stage to receive the coveted Gold, Platinum or Diamond award from Kevin Eggleston, Senior Vice-President and General Manager, Asia Pacific, Hitachi Data Systems, amidst thunderous applause. The compere kept the audience hooked to their seats, hinting about something special coming up next. And special it definitely was. After playing a two-minute video clip of the Gamblers Paradise, Las Vegas, the compere asked how many would like to visit Las Vegas and the casinos to try their luck at gambling? Obviously, very few turned down the offer. Even as he kept them engaged about the great shows and entertaining attractions, the lights went dim and the curtains went up, unveiling a virtual casino. The invitees gathered to witness the CIO Awards Finale literally jumped from their seats to try their luck. The organisers (Hitachi) facilitated the invitees to gamble by giving each 40 Hitachi Dollars. (Each Hitachi $ equals $100, they said and wooed the gathering to the gambling ring). The next sixty minutes was fun. Some waited impatiently to try their pot of luck in gambling, some watched others play and win dollars, some decided to get their neck and back massaged, others watched performers dance to music, some sipped away at drinks, but no one wanted to slip from the Ball Room. They needed no bidding After an hour, the curtains were drawn and the audience had to return to their seats. It was fun to watch the gamblers count the dollars earned and compare with those who shared the same table. Even as one wondered what he or she should do with the dollars earned, the organisers presented Hitachi products such as LCD TV, Refrigerator and home theatre (toy model), among others, and invited the audience to bid for these items with the dollars earned from the virtual casino. The air started to heat up with the bids rising to unimaginably high levels, and the interested ones began begging and borrowing dollars from friends and associates to take home a Hitachi product. There were moments of tension and anxiety, (and fun too), when bids failed to materialise for want of Hitachi dollars. The organisers, however, did manage to find a buyer for each of these products by helping bidders literally scramble and pool dollars. And mind you, the take-away was no toy! More Stories on : Events | Awards & Honours | Consumer Electronics
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