Today, IBM was holding an event at a posh hotel in the tech capital, Bangalore, titled The IBM Lotus collaboration solutions event. Incidentally, I was also present there on behalf of the Examiner to cover an event and thought I was there for the IBM event, soon I had to pay for my wrong thought process.

As soon-as I reached the hotel and dashed to the IBM PR desk,  I handed over my business card to the PR. However, when I asked her, has the event already started? She said “it’s on since morning”. But the invite which I had was supposed to begin at 12:00? Thinking the possibility of  some minor mistake I went ahead to see what IBM was up-to, I went inside the hall, soon the guy who was escorting me inside told me that some gentleman was waiting outside to meet me and disrupted my photo session.

That was not all, Manoj Khilnani, IMC manager, IBM, who was holding my biz card, asked me if I had the invite to attend this event, I politely said “I don’t know, as I am still confused thinking is this the event I got the invite for and said that’s what I told even the your PR, who showed me the way to the event hall”.

Nevertheless, he kept staring at my camera, wanting me to delete the pictures that I had taken inside. Like an honest journalist I started deleting the pictures, while he stood beside me, like a shrewd manager making sure I delete them all, later in his sweet poisonous voice he asked me to return the press kit that I carried.

I wouldn’t have left without knowing the reason, and asked him, is this not for media? Khilnani said, no IBM is hosting this event for its customers and the media is not invited.

Well if the media wasn’t invited then why didn’t the PR tell me this after holding my business card, which has PRESS, written in bold on it? Was she blind or a daft, well answer best known to IBM and its henchmen. X