[100 Emerging Women Leaders] Pune entrepreneur sheds light on navigating the male-dominated event business

Pune resident Priyanka Roy Kapur—after over six years in the corporate world—decided to channel her creativity and strategic skills into something of her own. She joined The LiveWire Experience—an event management agency started by her husband Raghav Roy Kapur—where she now serves as co-founder and director.

“My passion for the arts—especially theatre, dance, and visual storytelling—motivated me to join the LiveWire Experience with a vision to elevate corporate events into engaging, immersive experiences beyond the traditional,” she tells HerStory.

Kapur’s desires did not stop there. In 2024, she launched RoyKapur Wedding Co. (RKWC), seeing a growing demand for experiential and luxury weddings. 

“From high-profile weddings to intimate destination celebrations, RKWC aims to craft unforgettable moments. The drive to merge my love for storytelling with high-level event management kept me motivated on this journey,” she adds.

The LiveWire Experience, founded in 2004, specialises in large-scale corporate events, product launches, conferences, and other brand-led engagements. It provides end-to-end services—from designing the concept to its execution for clients—across IT, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals, among other industries.

RoyKapur Wedding Co., on the other hand, specialises in creating wedding experiences. “We handle every element—from destination scouting and vendor management to decor, entertainment, and F&B curation,” Kapur explains.

Kapur—who completed her BCom in banking and finance from Savitribai Phule Pune University and BBA in marketing and HR from Mumbai’s Rai University—started as an HR at Airtel.

“My role in Airtel gave me a good introduction to corporate structures and talent management. These roles helped me develop critical skills in strategic thinking, relationship-building, and client management,” she adds.

Later, she transitioned to roles in sales and marketing, working with brands like Spice Digital, UTV New Media (now owned by The Walt Disney Company), and Persistent Systems.

Kapur feels her corporate experience not only improved her business skills but also helped her understand the high standards required for large projects.

“It’s this blend of creativity and structure that I learned in my corporate job that helped me in moving into event management,” she says.

Kapur plans to expand RKWC into new geographic markets, focusing on Southeast Asia and Europe. With The LiveWire Experience, she aims to delve deeper into experiential marketing for corporate clients, offering events that leverage technology to engage audiences. 

So far, LiveWire Experience has done 5,000 corporate events, while RKWC has organised 10 weddings.

“We’re also looking to enhance the digital aspect of our wedding planning services, integrating virtual and augmented reality elements to offer clients immersive previews of their events,” she adds.

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Challenges

Kapur shares it was difficult for her to gain credibility as a woman entrepreneur, especially in the event management sector, where clients and vendors sometimes held preconceived notions.

“I often found myself needing to prove my capability in ways that my male counterparts did not,” she adds.

She emphasises that as a woman entrepreneur, she had to challenge stereotypes, especially around the notion that women in event management might lack the discipline or resilience for large-scale projects. 

Kapur admits that networking was another challenge in an industry dominated by male leaders and vendors. “I believe in building strong relationships based on trust, transparency, and professionalism, which has helped me carve my space in this field,” she says.

Additionally, balancing a demanding career with family life, especially as a mother, has been an ongoing journey for Kapur. The events industry requires dedication often at the expense of personal time, which she believes adds an extra layer of complexity.

“But these challenges have shaped me and made me stronger. Each obstacle has sharpened my focus, helping me grow as a leader,” she adds.

Kapur believes that throughout this journey, she has always stayed authentic, which she feels has been a key factor in her success so far.

“Being true to myself, my brand and my vision has always served me well. Clients and collaborators value genuine connection, and they trust you more when they sense that you’re committed to delivering something meaningful,” she says.