- Karin Wijeratne on Eventistry and using the art of storytelling to shine the spotlight on brands
By Venessa Anthony
Shining the spotlight on brands through the art of storytelling, while engaging their audience through events and experiential marketing is a unique 360 marketing company – Eventistry.
The company, with sports marketing and events being their focus, also leverages their skills in corporate events, conferences, festivals and trade shows. Some key events that they have marketed and managed during their tenure include the West Asia Baseball Cup and Asia Rugby. They have also worked with the global pharmaceutical company Allergan and developed the marketing strategy and execution for the Dambulla Viiking T20 cricket franchise of the Lanka Premier League (LPL).
Eventistry also works hand in hand with its affiliate Eighty Seven, a digital company that is rooted in building digital brand ecosystems.
The Morning Brunch caught up with Karin Wijeratne, who – when she isn’t busy heading the Senior School at the Deanna School of Dancing – pours her blood, sweat, and tears into Eventistry, a venture launched five years ago.
With experience from globally recognised international communication network Saatchi and Saatchi and the firepower of the well-oiled battleship that is Red Bull, where Wijeratne headed communications and brand management for global campaigns and events, she learnt that she had a knack for putting a local face on a global brand. Wijeratne then moved on to nurturing some of the leading food and beverage brands in Sri Lanka with Favourite Group and Park Street Gourmet.
With everything she has going on with her life, it was clear why she said, “That is a very vast topic to embark on but let me put it in a nutshell,” when we asked her to tell us a bit about herself, following with: “I would like to think that my analytical yet practical mindset was founded in my Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Master’s Degree in International Business both from the University of Nottingham.”
Apart from that, Wijeratne lives a very active lifestyle that gives her unparalleled insight into the world of sport and business.
When talking about how she founded the event management company, she informed us that Eventistry was a company she started with her partner, Ifham Ariff.
Even when physical events were pretty much out of the equation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Wijeratne informed us that Eventistry utilised social media channels that have the highest engagement locally; Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, as well as Twitter and a dedicated website to build a captivating narrative for their events.
At Eventistry, Wijeratne aims to create strategic integrated experiences that form a human connection between brands and their target audience. “We’re team players, passionate and talented experts who deliver exceptional results,” she stated, adding that with their short span of five years, they have completed over 50 projects across local and international markets.
Eventistry is no stranger to the world of sport and sports marketing. Their involvement as the sole marketing and activation agency to enable the sold-out Asia Rugby 7s Series in 2019, and the achievement of unprecedented digital marketing success for the Dambulla Vikings team at the inaugural Lanka Premier League in 2020, position Eventistry as the best choice to create much-needed visibility and fan support for the local world of sports.
Wijeratne also revealed that they have some very exciting global events in the pipeline, but they have been pushed back due to the current economic crisis, although they are hoping to carry them out soon.