Cafe attempts to redefine offline networking

New Delhi: In a bid to bridge the gap between work, play and networking with people off the world wide web, a movement has been started here with local people playing an active role.

"Social is a movement, a community. It is fuelled by the desire to surround ourselves with the best people we can find to create a space for artists, entrepreneurs,and to put creative minds together in one place. We want nothing less than to redefine being social offline again," says Riyaaz Amlani, CEO & MD, Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.

'Social' a cafe recently opened at Hauz Khas Village attempts to provide an escape from the cubicle way of working and aims to inspire people to network, lounge, work and daydream.

"We have always been in the cafe business, with brands like Mocha and Smoke House Deli. We have been observing how

people interact and over the years people have started using cafes as a 'business centre' due to which there was always a kind of awkwardness over whether to use a particular place as a cafe or a business centre," Amlani told PTI.

Since the birth of cafes, people seem to have found it more comfortable to be productive over endless cups of coffee instead of being cramped up behind a Hemingway desk. Infact notable fiction such as the Harry Potter series was in fact created in a coffee shop.

The new cafe here allows a pilot, a consultant and two college students to come together and work on a project together.

"We were trying out the place for our project, and we found each other's experiences and knowledge helpful and decided to collaborate here to work on our project," says a group of professionals and students.

The cafe is divided into two areas - one a regular restaurant area and another for people who want to work, meet clients, make presentations, write books, edit films, create blogs, or work on their upcoming design exhibition.

"Here is exactly what you get-from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm for as long or as short a time as you like, you get your own workspace with high-speed internet. And for just Rs. 5000 per month, you get full credit against food and drinks to fuel your creativity," says Amlani.

Equipped with a conference room on demand completely equipped with presentation facilities, high resolution printers and scanners the cafe also has plug points to charge phones, laptops or any other gadgets. A personal locker to keep important documents and an internal PO Box number that can be used to receive mail through the Hauz Khas Social address are the other provisions.

"It doesn't matter if you are in Bangalore, Mumbai or New Delhi, you can use the work space in all three cities. Everything you think you need to do in an office, it's our goal to make sure it's there for you. This is effectively a workspace totally free of cost," says Amlani.

The group has already launched the concept in Bangalore and is due to launch it in Mumbai.

"We intend to open two places in Mumbai, one at Colaba and one at Todi Mills in Lower Parel. There are so many talented
and creative youngsters who are looking for the environment that we are offering, and Delhi is buzzing with creative freelancers who want to collaborate and co-create," Amlani told PTI.

Access to membership at Social is limited as space is extremely limited. The Culture Management team say they wants to make sure that the people around the place are creative and inspiring, and have a willingness to collaborate with those around them.

"If you are free thinker or a freelancer, if you want to surround yourself with like-minded people in a highly energetic workspace, fill up an application form on www.socialoffline.in/workspace. If this sounds like something you want to be a part of then come forth and tell us about yourself," says Amlani.

The concept has already a few members in Bangalore and applications for Delhi have been pouring in, say the founders.

"We are freelancers and make short films, documentaries and promotional films. We know about Social from our Bangalore
friends and the concept too. Before Social came into the picture here, we used to work out of cafes which never gave us the sense of belonging to a space. This place completely caters to our," says Abhilaash Sahu and Satyarth Shaurya Singh of Lights on Films.

Social is also offering 10 spots to the "immensely gifted" for the first three months.