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Press Release: How Cornucopia’s Mini Vohra Re-launched Alicia Keys’ Public Image

Updated: 1 day ago

In just nine weeks, Mini Vohra, Managing Director of Cornucopia Events, accomplished what most agencies would take one to two years to deliver — producing a world-class opening ceremony on the same scale as the London 2012 Olympics.


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All pictures courtesy of Mini Vohra


Let’s backtrack.


Mini Vohra heads Cornucopia Events, a full-service global agency that organizes around 600 events, meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE) annually. Founded in 2002, Cornucopia has produced everything from music festivals like Tomorrowland to landmark global ceremonies, including the opening of the London 2012 Olympics.


In September 2018, Mini was presented with one of the most ambitious requests of his career: to organize the opening ceremony for ICONSIAM, a $1.5 billion USD megamall in Bangkok, Thailand, and one of Asia’s largest shopping destinations. The deadline? 65 days — for an event scheduled on November 9th, 2018.


When the client called, they explained that every other agency had told them Mini was the only person in the world capable of executing an event of such magnitude within such an extreme timeframe.


For comparison, the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, a government-backed project, had a £42 million budget. ICONSIAM’s privately funded event offered 1 billion Thai baht (approximately $30 million USD) — the largest private event budget ever recorded. Of that total, $2.5 million USD (8.3%) was allocated to securing a headline act — a global diva to perform live at the opening.


Mini was handed a short list of potential stars:


  • Beyoncé

  • Lady Gaga

  • Ariana Grande

  • Jennifer Lopez

  • Britney Spears

  • Adele

  • Adele


Beyoncé was available but quoted a $7 million fee, exceeding the allocated budget. Lady Gaga, whom Mini personally knew as Stefani, was performing her residency in Las Vegas. Mini flew to meet her and her manager for dinner in Vegas to explore possibilities.


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Cornucopia needed Lady Gaga for Friday, November 9th, but she was performing in Vegas on Thursday, November 8th, and Saturday, November 10th. A private jet flight from Vegas to Thailand takes 22 hours including refueling, leaving only four hours on the ground for a 48-hour round trip. Since Gaga’s show was owned by Live Nation, Mini had to secure permission from Michael, the company’s head, to excuse her from the Saturday soundcheck.

Permission was granted — but her management hesitated. If anything delayed her return, the press backlash for missing a Saturday Vegas show would be severe. “The headlines would crucify her,” Mini recalls. In the end, all parties agreed to Plan B Lady Gaga while exploring other options.


Jennifer Lopez and Ariana Grande were unavailable due to scheduling conflicts. Britney Spears was considered but deemed not the right fit for the event’s tone.


Next on the list was Adele. Her manager responded to Mini’s proposal with: “There are no live plans currently.” Puzzled, Mini arranged a conversation with the singer herself — and learned that Adele was no longer comfortable performing live due to anxiety about applause.


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Always creative, Mini suggested that since the event didn’t sell tickets but issued invitations, every guest could sign a waiver agreeing not to clap. “We could make it work,” Mini said confidently. But Adele’s manager replied, “All it takes is one person clapping to start it. And if that happens, Adele will have no choice but to sue.”


With just 30 days remaining and few viable artists left, Mini turned to Alicia Keys, whose public image had been quiet for some time due to her focus on marriage and motherhood. Mini, a longtime admirer of her music, felt she could command the audience’s attention and bring heart to the event.


After nine days of exhaustive negotiations, a deal was finalized for $2.1 million USD. On November 9th, 2018, Alicia Keys took the stage before 10,000 VIP guests from around the world at ICONSIAM’s grand opening ceremony in Bangkok.


The performance was an overwhelming success — not only for the event itself but for Alicia Keys’ career. Her stunning appearance reignited global attention, marking her return to prominence and complementing her fifth studio album, “Girl on Fire,” released shortly thereafter.


To say Mini Vohra takes the phrase “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” lightly would be a monumental understatement.


About Cornucopia Events


Cornucopia Events is part of The Cornucopia Group, one of the world’s leading event services companies and the largest global provider of exclusive access to invitation-only events.


The £100 million enterprise operates in over 150 countries, managing elite event services including event management, wedding planning, concierge, lifestyle, luxury leisure, and MICE operations. Its clientele includes billionaires, CEOs, members of royalty, multimillionaires, and A-list celebrities.


After receiving multiple industry awards, Cornucopia Events was shortlisted for the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2018, 2020, and 2021 — the highest business accolade in the United Kingdom.


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