AOL Silver Jubilee - Bengaluru loses branding opportunity

• The 3 day celebrations of the international organisation Art of Living Foundation in Bangalore was an amazing branding event.
  
  It was Brand Art of Living shining bright and carrying along with it Brand Hinduism, Brand Carnatic music and er…Brand Bangalore.
  
  While the first two were well projected, Bangalore could not achieve what it should have achieved. Before I am misunderstood, let me put it on record that Bangalore and the government did an amazing job in accommodating lakhs of visitors, arranging for their long commute of Jakkur-, yeah overall hospitality was good.
  But was it good enough. Unfortunately No !! Bengaluru- the city of the future- lost several opportunities that it are unlikely to knock in a hurry. Two events ,which brought centrestage to Bangalore were happening – The AOL Fete and the Shravanabelagola Jain Mahamastabhisheka.
  
  The ideal scenario would have been if …
• the Bangalore International Airport had been ready
• The Road Infrastrucure in place
• A functional metro/monorail
• The Tourism Office going the Full Hog
  
  Now, my idea will make sense if I tell you that most of the 10 lakh + visitors to Bangalore were first-time visitors with enough disposable income to make the trip and more importantly, Senior Government officials of various nations (including Heads of States) who too, in all probability, visiting for the first time.
  
  Airport Bangalore could have attracted direct international traffic. Infrastructure, when flaunted, would attract investment from the high-profile leaders of global industry and government. ( How ? The same logic that says that having better pubs and nightlife attract expatriates and hence FDI. Pious expatriates might want to build businesses in the City of “Guruji”)
  
  
  Conceded that AerodROMEs are not built in a day but the city could have atleast
• Repaired its roads . (Remember the Oct 2005 rains wreaking Havoc)
• Cleaned up the garbage on roads that the visitors were likely to pass through
• and simply put on its best clothes.
  
  Karnataka could have generated enormous publicity/ awareness about Belur, Halebid and its sites of amazing tourist potential. (Thankfully, Brand Hampi got some prominence but that was thanks to HHSSRS)
  
  The AOL and Gomateshwara shows were ready made opportunities to showcase Bangalore to the world.
  Bangalore managed a Just Pass but it failed to reach where it could have.
  One cannot really blame Bengaluru for the short-sightedness of its politicians. Does the youngest Chief Minister of Karnataka signal hope or is he too on the wrong side of Chalees.