It’s not every day that you get to wear multiple hats (or suits) in a whirlwind event like Tata Steel Trailblazers 3.0, but this conclave was my personal boot camp of chaos and comedy. Between being the frantic backend hero calling athletes to the banquet, the live production saviour keeping every stream afloat, and the daring moderator for three panels, I was running on pure adrenaline and coffee. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the madness:
Manu Bhaker’s Session: The Glitch Olympics
The day kicked off with Manu Bhaker lighting up the stage. We went live, and within 26 seconds—BAM—the stream vanished into thin air! Thinking we’d caught a lucky break, we tried again; only to have the link break 30 seconds later. With platforms acting like moody teenagers (RevSportz Hindi throwing errors left and right), I made the executive decision to settle on RevSportz English. Finally, the stream was stable—until a new twist: the audio on our YouTube live went mute.
In a flash, I huddled with Subhayan and hatched the “mobile live” plan. With my mobile on a tripod and me running around handing out the backup link like a fire marshal in a stampede, we managed to restore sound. Meanwhile, my stellar live production team (Papai da, Sukhen, and Tony da) unravelled a mysterious YouTube setting issue, and just like that, our live show was back in business—this time with sound.
The Vishy Sir Zoom Saga
Day 1 wasn’t done testing our nerves yet. For the hybrid session with Viswanathan Anand, we had meticulously checked all audio and video feeds—even did a pre-session run-through with Vishy Sir, half an hour before showtime. But, as if on cue, five minutes before the session, Zoom decided to kick us all out. Total panic mode ensued.
Boria da announced the session, and every second felt like an eternity. In the nick of time, I whipped up a fresh Zoom link, apologised profusely to Vishy Sir, and sent it over. Two nerve-wracking minutes later, the session kicked off as if nothing had happened. Crisis averted, and the tension? Well, that’s now a part of the lore!
Panel Pandemonium & The Clean Suit Confession
Day 2 brought us to the first panel, which I co-moderated with Agnijit Sen. In the rush of rounding up panelists (yes, I was literally sprinting to the ITC Sonar breakfast area), a guest unexpectedly declared, “Trisha, we now know you are wearing a clean suit!” At first, I was puzzled—until I noticed the laundry label boldly peeking out of my jacket. With a quick dash for a pair of scissors from the ITC Sonar team, I removed the evidence and saved face (and fabric) for the day.
D Gukesh and the Picture-Perfect Dilemma
The fourth session on Day 2 featured none other than world champion D Gukesh. His star power turned the session into a paparazzi frenzy. After the talk, while making my way to lunch, a group of excited guests came running up with their “precious” selfies. They triumphantly showed off their snaps with Gukesh—and then, in a moment of pure irony, asked, “So, who is he and what sport does he play?” It took me a moment to realise that they had joined the trend of chasing after a celebrity without even knowing him. Trendy or tragic? You decide.
Day 3: The Speaker Mix-Up & Ajwain Escapade
Morning of Day 3 started with Avinaba sprinting to me, exclaiming, “Didi, Boria da is saying you can switch on all the speakers now.” For a split second, I wondered if we had morphed into a rock concert. It turned out that “speakers” was a code for our panelists—the athletes—rather than audio equipment. Note to self: clarify instructions next time.
Post-lunch, while Sharmistha di and Rohan were busy hosting a session, I made a quick exit to grab a bite. As Swapnil and I settled down, he was interrupted by a call from Rohan: “Ektu jowan dao na” (basically, “hand over some ajwain please”). In a flash, Swapnil dashed off to my mom, the unofficial ajwain courier, who saved the day by delivering the spice from the wings. Yes, ajwain became the unsung hero of the conclave.
The Grand Finale: The “Event” Thief
Just when we thought we’d seen it all, the conclave ended on a caper note. Rohan’s laptop went missing, and soon after, it turned out that a “thief” had also nabbed several gifts. The chase was on, and in a bizarre twist, we recovered the laptop—but not before we realised the thief had been boldly swiping goodies right under our noses.
Later, recounting the tale at home, my mom couldn’t help but remark, “How did the thief steal any gifts? I saw that man in the black suit and orange shirt sitting in the gift room like he was on duty.” It turned out my mom had mistaken our crafty culprit for a security guard. Even as every muscle in my body screamed in exhaustion, I couldn’t stop laughing at the absurdity of it all.
Every twist, glitch, and hilarious miscommunication made the conclave a story worth telling. Despite the chaos—and yes, even the clean suit confession—I cherish every wild, wonderful memory. In the end, it’s these moments that make all the madness completely worthwhile.
Also Read: My Experience at the Trailblazers 3.0 Conclave — Media Accreditations to Hosting Panels
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