Today, our guest is an amazing and versatile person with a great sense of humor – Egor Panshin, who can brighten any event with his presence. Many residents of Bishkek already know that if the head of the Creative Development Association "BOOM studio" or his followers appear at the venue, they will surely have something to remember. We asked Egor to share his vision of what a holiday should be like?
- First of all, leisure should be active, and in the last two years, we have been trying to unite everyone who promotes energetic recreation. In fact, there is a lot to do in our city, and there are so many interesting things; the main thing is to find a hobby that you love. Unfortunately, many activities are simply not visible, and city residents do not even know what wonderful events are taking place.
- Besides uniting representatives of active leisure, you also organize interesting games, for example, "Encounter"...
- That's right, last autumn, Daniyar Umurzakov became actively involved in them, and they became incredibly popular among young people. Daniyar took this project under his wing. Young people are attracted to these games because they are, first and foremost, "soft extreme"; all our competitions are safe, yet participants get a dose of adrenaline. Moreover, you find yourself in places and situations where you would never be in ordinary life. For example, you have been driving down the same streets for years and didn’t know that if you turned the corner, you would find an abandoned bomb shelter. You receive so much interesting information, and you usually remember it 100 percent because the race takes place in a compressed time frame, and you literally live through every grain of new knowledge. Additionally, the "Encounter" games develop analytical thinking and are very inspiring. And of course, it is one of the best ways to learn teamwork. These games attract people of all ages, and after finishing, everyone is thrilled.
- You conduct many events completely free for the youth...
- Yes, and one of them is the Martial Arts Festival, where we brought together about a dozen clubs and federations of martial arts. We wanted as many people as possible to become interested in sports. We also close the warm season of cycling, organizing Active Leisure Festivals. We try to introduce creativity, organize contests, flash mobs, and campaigns; in general, we want it to be interesting and unusual. After all, there are dozens of different events happening in the city, but for us, it is important to make each of the events we organize special. Therefore, we strive to come up with new formats.
- Are you as positive in life as you are at work?
- I try to be. I use this principle: if I can’t change something, I don’t get upset about it. That’s why I hardly watch political news unless they are relevant to business. But if I can change something, I go and change it, especially if it concerns active leisure, work, or hobbies.
- You have several professions, but you probably wouldn’t be able to work in a serious field?
- I really enjoy this work, and I can’t imagine sitting in an office from early morning until late evening. For many years, I have been working in a mode close to freelancing, having a fairly flexible schedule. We are not strictly tied to an office, and even though we sometimes don’t sleep at night while preparing a project, it is still much greater freedom of action. My first profession is a family medicine doctor, but I also have a second higher education in mathematics and computer science. As you can see, life has turned out so remarkably that my main activity is now almost unrelated to these fields.
- So, what is your profession now?
- Event organizer. In fact, this concept is very broad; there are now specializations emerging, such as wedding manager or concert activity manager. In general, this profession is now called the trendy term "event planner."
- When did you realize that this is your path?
- It all started with "Encounter." Previously, I worked as a graphic designer and taught computer courses. In 2008, I played "Encounter" for the first time and realized that this was exactly what I wanted to do for my whole life. Moreover, there are types of games that excellently develop project thinking, for example, Photo Extreme and Photo Hunt. You learn to react quickly to changing situations, make the right decisions instantly, establish new connections, find props, and approach problem-solving creatively. That’s how I gradually became an event manager.
- Participants of your events say that you surprise everyone with gifts...
- Recently, we conducted a summary of our activities, and it turned out that two-thirds of our events are for children, followed by social and youth projects. We discovered that children today have significant problems with manual skills. 70 percent of children don’t even know how to fold paper airplanes. The same problem is observed among those who come to work with us: new guys, especially boys, while girls at least engage in crafts, often can’t even bend a wire because there are no various clubs, and labor lessons cannot provide adequate preparation. And we give children the opportunity to create something with their own hands. And you know, a pendant made from a simple bead on a string that the kids made themselves is valued much more than a $100 toy that launches real rockets. That’s the whole secret.
- What, in your opinion, should a real holiday be like?
- Bright. We call it "BOOM-start" and "BOOM-finish": a person needs to be captured immediately and led along, and the finale should be impressive. We often use fire; for example, when people pass lights to each other in a chain or when everyone releases balloons with lights inside into the sky. This is very inspiring, and even 150 people who hardly know each other feel like a united team at that moment. There are now many different event companies emerging in the market, and we have to constantly stay on our toes and maintain our brand.
- What should a person be like who wants to work in your team?
- There are several parameters here. First, they should be decisive; second, they must be able to do something and quickly grasp skills. I always try to come up with something on the fly when problems arise and find a way out. And I teach all the guys to do the same. My daughter has been playing "Encounter" with me since she was three years old; she even comes up with contests herself, along with our employees. When my wife was a budding photographer, she helped, and now we try not to work together because we start pointing out minor rough spots in each other's work that are not noticeable to the inexperienced eye but are glaringly obvious to someone "in the know." We, of course, try to work without mistakes and give the client even a little more than they expected.
Let me share a little secret. At the beginning of December, the team is preparing to launch a project called "The Desire to Live," similar to "The Hunger Games." Participants will be dropped in an unknown location without weapons, possibly even without jackets, and then it will be just like in the movie – everyone will rush to gather supplies. Participants will have about five hours to test their strength. There are still many ideas, so we are looking forward to surprises!
