Curator (Festival & IPs)

Company Description

Hey there, we're Under25 We're the phygital (physical + digital) playground designed to help the youth earn, learn, and level up for real life. We are India's largest youth media network, built with over 2 million+ young people across 4,000+ campuses. Our community powers 600+ on-ground experiences including 150+ Summits at Campus with 200+ youth-run social media handles. We provide leadership fellowships, paid brand gigs, and a gamified platform called the Under25 App with 600K+ users. Under25 is backed by Collective Artists Network and is a must for Gen Z and the brands wanting to reach them.

Role Description

As the Curator of the Festival, your role is to lock Thought Leaders (TLs), curate the full festival experience, and manage outreach to bring the best talent to the event.
This isn't just about booking famous
people;
it's about building an impactful event that adds real value for students, connects them with industry experts, and helps them grow before entering the job market.

You'll also create engaging segments, develop talking pointers, and shape the entire show flow to keep content fresh and relatable. If you have experience in artist management or talent coordination, this role will challenge you in new ways.
It's about building an IP, sales, networking, and managing 20-40 conversations at once with stakeholders across various levels
— agencies, talent, internal teams, and students on campus.

In addition, you will be curating for
Under25 IPs
. While
Under25 Summit at Campus
is our flagship IP, as part of this role, you will also be contributing to other projects requiring curation across various platforms and initiatives within the brand.

What You'll Actually Do:
Outreach & Talent Locking

• Research & Outreach:
  Identify the
  right Thought Leaders (TLs)
  and talent to bring to the festival. This is about finding the best fit, not just the most famous names.
  Pitch the value of the Under 25 Summit
  as a platform that's about
  empowering students
  , not just showcasing well-known speakers.
• Pitching & Locking TLs:
  You'll be responsible for
  negotiating, securing
  , and
  confirming
  TLs for the festival. This involves managing
  multiple conversations
  , often balancing the expectations of
  agencies
  ,
  managers
  , and
  internal teams
  .
• Building Relationships:
  Establish and nurture
  long-term relationships
  with
  agencies
  ,
  managers
  , and
  student leaders
  . Be the
  go-to person
  when it comes to
  securing participation
  and managing expectations, especially when dealing with last-minute changes or difficult conversations.
• Handling Student Expectations:
  Students will often
  demand famous people
  or specific speakers. You'll need to
  navigate their expectations
  , explaining why some may not be possible while ensuring they still feel valued. You'll need to balance being
  firm yet empathetic
  in these conversations, making sure students understand the festival's
  value proposition
  .

Curation of Festival Content

• Creating the Festival Flow:
  Design the
  full festival flow
  , from segment creation to transitions. You'll curate
  festival segments
  , develop
  talking points
  , and ensure they align with the festival's theme while engaging the audience.
• Collaborating with TLs:
  Once TLs are locked in, you'll help
  curate their segments
  , develop
  talking pointers
  , and ensure their segment is exciting, educational, and resonates with students.
• Segment Creation:
  Work closely with TLs to come up with
  dynamic stage segments
  and
  audience questions
  . This needs to be
  hyper-local
  , so having a good understanding of the college and student culture in each city is key to making the content
  relatable and effective
  .
• Scriptwriting:
  As the curator, you'll also
  write Emcee scripts
  and organize the
  festival schedule
  , ensuring smooth transitions between segments and keeping the audience engaged.

Managing Event Logistics

• Finalizing Student Talent:
  Review
  student submissions
  and finalize performers to ensure a mix of talent that reflects the festival's
  focus on empowerment
  .
• Event Coordination:
  Oversee the
  festival schedule
  , ensuring everything runs on time and within the framework you've set.
  Last-minute changes
  are inevitable, and you'll need to
  adapt quickly
  .

Promotional Support

• Creative Coordination:
  Work with the creative team to ensure
  launch creatives
  (reels, posters, promotional material) are aligned with the festival's message and look.
• Supporting the Launch:
  Ensure
  launch materials
  (reels, posters, promotional content) are ready and
  go live with the marketing campaign
  .

Heads up

1. Be Okay with Chaos:
   Working in a
   fast-paced, ever-changing environment
   is part of this role. There will be times when things get
   chaotic
   , and you'll have to make decisions quickly, adapt, and keep everything on track.
   Chaos
   is a constant, and being comfortable with it is essential for success.
2. Be Comfortable with Change and Movement:
   The landscape of this role is always shifting. You need to be ready to
   adapt
   quickly and
   pivot
   as things evolve. Change is constant, and being able to manage it without missing a step is a key requirement.
3. We Template Things, But Not Fully:
   While we have
   templates
   in place, this role is about creating, experimenting, and evolving. There's plenty of
   room for innovation
   , and we encourage you to bring fresh ideas to the table. Don't just follow the script —
   make it better
   .
4. Fast-Paced Environment: Th
   e work environment is
   rapid
   and
   dynamic
   . You'll be moving quickly and have to keep up with
   quick turnarounds
   and
   shifting priorities
   . If you're someone who thrives on momentum and constant action, this role will be a great fit.
5. Make Anyone Your Best Friend:
   Relationship-building is
   critical
   in this role. Whether it's working with
   students
   ,
   managing TLs
   , or
   collaborating with agencies
   , you'll need to connect with people quickly and manage various relationships with ease. Being able to make
   anyone your best friend
   is a major asset in this role.
6. Travel and Weekends Might Be Occupied:
   While travel and weekend work will
   not be regular
   , you should be
   flexible
   and ready to step in when
   necessary
   . There may be
   occasional travel
   or
   weekend commitments
   based on the needs of the summit.
7. Building SOPs & Training Modules:
   You will be responsible for
   creating and teaching
   Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and
   training modules
   for students and interns. These resources will guide your team and others to
   execute tasks effectively
   and consistently at scale. You'll need to help onboard, mentor, and ensure everyone is on the same page with the
   best practices
   .