As far as the most popular categories are concerned, singers topped the list with 30% of queries on the marketplace. DJs and Photographers emerged as the next most sought-after categories at 15% each, followed by Comic Artists at 10% and Anchors/Emcees at 9%.       

After Arijit Singh, Singer Benny Dayal of the ‘Beysharmi ki Height’ fame received maximum queries on Gigstart.com. Kailash Kher was the next most in-demand singer by party planners who wished to jazz up their events with this melodious minstrel. KK and Meet Bros Anjjan wound up on spot three and four respectively of the top singers’ list.

An observation of the queries and their trends on the platform revealed that there is also a palpable demand for alternative entertainment options in India such as Magicians and Comic Artists. Karan Singh and Shankar Bakshi were amongst the most popular Illusion Artists. Similarly, instrumentalists were understood to be quite favoured in the Indian events and party circuit. 3% of the queries on Gigstart were for artists such as Darpan Dua, Hiten Panwar and Jonqui. Kanan Gill and Abijit Ganguly have clearly become the country’s favourite Comic Artists with the maximum number of queries for this category coming for them. 

Emotive Lens was the top photographer as per search rankings on Gigstart followed by Gurgaon-based photographer Ambuja Sabharwal. The versatile DJ from Goa, Deejay Donna was no.1 amongst the preferred DJs to get parties pumping in 2014. Popular MTV presenter, VJ and RJ Nikhil Chinapa was the second most in-demand DJ at Indian dos. Amongst Anchors or Emcees to host parties and mega events, TV actor and compere Manish Paul was the favorite, followed by Delhi-based professional anchor Ushma Tyagi.   

Several party hosts checked out bands such as Thaikkudam Bridge, TRP Delhi, Bollyjazz, Rajasthan Roots and Prem Joshua to infuse that wonderful vibrancy into their events that only live music can bring. Banjara School of Dance and Jagnoor Aneja were the most searched dancer and choreographer respectively. As far as Make-up Artists go, they too found a lot of mileage and landed several opportunities via the marketplace. Sapna, Avantika Kapur and Rekha Pillai Rawat ranked as the top Make-up Artists on Gigstart.  

It was a fruitful and exciting year for all performers and artists listed on the platform. Interestingly, there was a fine balance in the demand for both popular and emerging entertainers, clearly demonstrating that the trends in parties and events are evolving and organisers are becoming more experimental by the day. The queries also show the immense opportunity offered to bourgeoning artists as they share the same space and often similar clientele as established and renowned performers.

Gigstart is a marketplace that facilitates quick and transparent connections between entertainers and party planners. Incepted in December 2013 in New Delhi, the company leads artists, performers and other organisers to their potential clients. It also aims to serve the customer-side by enabling them to make informed choices through verified listings, meaningful reviews and ratings. The main objective of Gigstart is to wipe out numerous interceding channels involved in a conventional event booking process.

On the platform one can find anchors, stand-up comics, singers, dancers, make-up artists and photographers amongst others. Gigstart is a one-stop destination for planning a party or a mega event of any sort. Starting from providing various options, guiding party planners to the best-suited artists and connecting them, to concluding with payment services and contract formalities, it’s a unified platform that offers comprehensive solutions for all entertainment needs.