Music makes the people come together - HP Connected Music Indiblogger Event

They say, 'First impression is the last impression'. There are many who believe in this theory. Going by the above mentioned statement, the HP connected music event has definitely left a long lasting impression on my mind, with some beautiful moments worth cherishing. This was my first Indiblogger event (I usually end up missing most of the events, thanks to lectures and other priorities). Thankfully, I made it to the venue, although I was late by 10 minutes and the event had started already. Well, better late than never. The venue of the evening was Otto Infinito, a Mediterranean all-day eatery located in Bandra Kurla Complex (Mumbai).The best part was that the tag 'Connected Music' had started trending on Twitter, before the event had actually begun. It went on to top the India trends list. Awesome, right? After reaching the venue, I registered myself outside, and thus started my four hour 'musical' journey with fellow bloggers, Team Indiblogger and HP.

Photographs in this post are captured by: Team Indiblogger and Priya Adivarekar

As this was my first Indiblogger event, I wasn't too familiar with the 'Introduction' activity. We were asked to go around and interact with all the bloggers, and take their 'autograph' on a big white sheet. This was a great ice-breaker, as I got an opportunity to meet several bloggers. Usually, blogger meets give me a chance only to interact with fashion and beauty bloggers. But here, I met bloggers of different genres like Tech, Food, Music among others. A lot to learn, and a lot more information to share and discuss. Good fun, no?

Show of Hands

Listening attentively

All Smiles

Next up, we got down to some serious business. Not so serious, really. In the next session, we were introduced to the HP connected music initiative. Hewlett-Packard (HP) has tied up with Universal music and Hungama.com for a one-of-it's kind service for HP notebook users. Ranjivjit Singh, marketing head of HP India, began the session by talking about the features. Connected Music has a catalogue of over 1 million songs, in almost every genre and language. Whether you love doing the moonwalk on 'Beat It' or you like swaying to the beats of 'Sama hai suhana suhana', Connected Music has it all. What's more, songs can be downloaded free of cost, at a faster speed and without the guilt of stealing (privacy, remember?) Further, we were also told that users will have access to exclusive contests. Neeraj Roy, MD & CEO of Hungama Digital Entertainment  informed that both Universal and Hungama will together take care of the content (Universal will handle the International artists while Hungama will work with the Indian artists). After answering a few questions from the audience, Rajivjit Singh announced that this feature will only be available on select HP notebooks (that come with Pre-installed Windows 8). 

Introduction to Connected Music by Ranjivjit Singh, Marketing head, HP India

Ranjivjit Singh, Marketing head, HP India

Bloggers were invited to try and test the 'Connected Music' feature on the HP laptops. By personal experience, I can say that it is a boon for all the music lovers. What's not to love here, eh?

Towards the end of this session, we had another activity, which was then followed by some 'Food'. Throughout all the sessions, we were treated with some scrumptious snacks and drinks. Be it the thin crust pizza or the mini paneer shashlik, the food at Otto Infinito is just what you need to pamper your taste buds.The manager of this eatery also gave us some insight about the kind of food that Otto infinito serves and how they like experimenting with the Mediterranean food, to give it an Indian touch. The thin crust pizza was hot and freshly served. The Paneer shashlik was prepared outside the venue, giving it the whole 'barbecue' party feel. We were also served a signature dish, specially chosen by the chief chef of Otto Infinito. Unfortunately, I cannot recall the name of the dish, but it was yummylicious!

Chief Chef of Otto Infinito

Mini Paneer Shashlik

The plates are set

Post snacks and drinks, we were back in our seats. The Indiblogger team then announced the results of a couple of contests that were held during the session. Unfortunately, I couldn't participate (Restaurant WiFi, Y U no work when I need you the most). But two lucky winners walked away with a brand new, sleek HP laptop. But there was something in store for us too. Not that big a contest, but it was a fabulous way to bond with the fellow bloggers. We were divided into teams, according to our liking for a music genre. Being the 'Movie Buff' that I am, I immediately joined the Bollywood team called '13 Tera' (Inspired by Himesh). Well the rest they say, is history (well, almost). We sang some popular item numbers and walked away with the best group award. Our prize? A pair of HP headphones, along with some loud cheers and applause. I enjoyed singing with the huge gang of Bollywood buffs. You can clearly see the enthusiasm on my face.

13 Tera Tera Group

After the joy of winning, we collected our Goodies and posed for the Indiblogger photography team. Around 4-5 shots later, we finally managed to get a clear photograph, with everyone around. Most of us ended up exchanging email and twitter id's, as we might bump into each other at future events anytime soon (Twitter conversations are bound to happen, no?). And thus, as the sun began to set, all the bloggers started to head back home, with some wonderful memories that will stay with them for long.

A big thank you to HP, Universal Music, Hungama.com, Otto Infinito and lastly, the amazing Indiblogger team for this organizing this wonderful event.

Indibloggers pose after the event

What I wore at the Event

- Green Knit Jacket - Zara

- White Pleated Top - Gifted

- Chinos - Zara

- Tan Oxfords - Zara

- Accessories - Forever New

- Watch - Swatch