A question too far!

Indore 2009 is not Arnhem 1944. But for a short while on April 22 it did look as if the close battle between Allied airborne troops and German panzers was being re-created. Three teams - Bhilai Steel Plant, Tata Motors and Actualizers not only made it into the last round but fought it out till the very last question. Actualizers were leading the field at 57 points, the Steelmen were at 54 and Tata Motors were trailing a bit at 44. This being the buzzer round, the last question saw Actualisers pressing the buzzer. Tense moments followed - a period in which all but the six individuals on the stage - held their sides as quizmaster Derek O'Brien was at his humourous best.
If Actualisers were wrong, they would slide to 47 points and would lose the quiz, coming second with Tata Motors as third. If they were right, they would win with Bhilai Steel Plant as third. What do you think happened?...
No...unlike Derek, we will not make you wait for the verdict. Local favourites Actualizers had got it wrong and it was Bhilai Steel Plant that won the day...their third BEQ title in three years. As Ramani of the winning team said - "We cut it a bit close." They certainly did!

Delhi rocks to Accenture's beat!

The Brand Equity Quiz has seen many a close battle. This year has witnessed a few contests going down to the wire with the last question deciding the winner. But Delhi on Monday had a completely different atmosphere with one team taking an early lead and not letting go of it through the evening. Accenture - represented by Rohan Khanna and Sandeepan Chaudhuri - were on top form and made an early high start by reaching 60 points within a couple of rounds. After that, they moved with the confidence of pre-ordained winners towards the finishing line and won with a degree of ease that should rattle winners of other cities who will face Accenture in the finale. Can anyone match these gladiators?

Breaking News: Hyderabad Winner

Just a quick word today: JWT-Mindset have won the Hyderabad regional round. The Taj Banjara lawns saw nearly a thousand people take advantage of the event being on a Sunday and turn up to enjoy the BEQ.

BEQ buzz in the backwaters

The Brand Equity Quiz at Kochi was at the Le Meridien. The setting was tranquil, as the hotel is located in close proximity to one of the thousands of rivulets that make up the backwaters that have made this part of the country a tourist destination. For a very short while on the evening of April 17, the setting changed. There was a buzz in the air and numerous excited participants checked out the Mahindra Scorpio. The evening proved to be an absorbing one and in the end it was the duo of Paul Rasan Eralil and Shamnath Rao of Aufait Technologies who won the day.

B'lore winner speaks!

In the words of Sumantra Mukherjee, member of the BEQ Bangalore regional round winning team:
Winning the Brand Equity is a big thing indeed...The prestige that one associates with BEQ is phenomenal and to be able to win it from one of the toughest centres in the very first attempt is special. I still remember the times when as a young college quizzer I would land up at the venue in Calcutta to watch the teams battle it out to nailbiting finishes...The memorable battles of Eveready in 2006 and Standard Chartered in 2007 still appear fresh in my memory.Which is why a BEQ win is so special. Derek this time was at his humorous best and managed to hold the crowd's attention throughout. I feel he created the difference between a normal quiz and an event that people enjoy. Office has been very different since the reports came out today. Suddenly an undeserved celebrity status has been conferred...am tired replying to congratulatory mails from people from every level of the organization. Looking forward to the finals now with a lot of enthusiasm.Will try our best to win the grand prize.

IBM logs on in Bangalore!

The Bangalore leg of BEQ was expected to be a big hit and the event lived up to the expectations every bit of the way. Guests and participants began trickling in at around 5:30 pm and within twenty minutes there was a rush forcing the quiz to begin a few minutes earlier than planned. As many as 37 teams signed on: among them was a team that comprised the COO of Titan whose partner was a Management Trainee (no less!). Another team had in it an SBU head of Infosys. Clearly, Quizzing is not the realm of youngsters alone but draws people from varied levels. After an engrossing evening in which scores of as many as four teams were very close, it was the IBM team that carried the day against rivals such as CISCO, Yahoo, Kotak and Nokia. The team, comprising Lahar Appaiah (Counsel – Legal, IBM India Pvt. Ltd) and Sumantra Mukherjee (System Engineer - IBM India Pvt. Ltd), now go onto the finale in Mumbai. Will they take Bangalore to the pinnacle there as well? Watch this space to get the answer to that.

BEQ B'lore about to begin!

With exactly three hours to go for the Brand Equity Quiz to begin in Bangalore, there is a buzz of activity at the venue. Workmen at the place are giving the once-over to everything, with lights and sound systems being checked. Derek O'Brien came in a few minutes ago, took a quick look around taking in the ambience and left for lunch. The prizes are stacked neatly in a corner, almost appearing to await the teams as eagerly as the teams await them. Who will win them today?