By Sanjeev Kotnala
The annual Indian advertising and marketing Festival Goafest starts today, Wednesday, May, 24, 2023. And here I was with Vermajee, my mentor and friend, sipping cold beer and trying to answer a question he had raised last week. Why have I attended Goafest all these years, and why am I not there this year?
GoaFest is one of the leading events in the Indian advertising industry and it’s known that I favour Adfest Pattaya too. However, individual and organisational circumstances, professional goals, and personal preferences play a role in determining their attendance at such events. I have many times shared my thoughts on how to make it better and happy to see that my suggestions through the years a few have been adopted.
To answer, I asked a few of my friends and acquaintances who have been at Goafest, are there or have finally dropped out of the Goafest circuit. I did not attend the last edition, and with fond memories of Goafest through the years, I needed their inputs.
Maybe some of these could be your answer to the question.
And if you are there, you could say what works for you, some, most or none.
For the next three days, I will be absently present at Goafest. Remembering the sessions, crowds at the gates for celebrity sessions, exhibit area, the refrigerators with beer and soft drinks, the smoking zone and the after-parties. The corridors where you met people and the rushed lunch breaks.
Networking among Networked.
Goafest provides a platform for advertising and marketing professionals to interact, exchange ideas, and collaborate on future projects. Unfortunately, the client quotient has always been an issue, and the festival remains primarily networking among networked groups. You do meet an odd friend of friends who you may encounter in future.
Learning and Inspiration
There is enough for everyone. Learning sessions, workshops, and panel discussions by industry experts and thought leaders. The amount of learning and inspiration you take out depends on your interest and investment of time and effort. Though I have my own doubts on the subject and speakers at time, including when I raised the issue.
Awards and Recognition.
Abby Awards recognise and celebrate excellence in advertising and marketing communication in India and is still a reputation-builder. Winning awards may seem a small part of the process, but with the number of awards online- it seems everyone is a winner.
Business Opportunities.
Goafest offers a conducive environment to make commitments for future interaction. I have seen deep business discussions happening, which resulted in real business.
Celebrating Creativity.
A part of the following statement is true, and a part is false. Goafest brings together like-minded individuals and provides a space to appreciate and celebrate outstanding creativity. Attendance and visit to the campaign exhibit area remain low despite various promotions and interest. The parties and beer and lovely food served always helped celebration.
3-2-1
Earlier, it was a full three-day impact performance, and now, people have opted to take a one-two- or three-day trip to Goafest. However, with the hybrid and work-from-anywhere mode in operation, I hope more and more people attend it for the three days of festivity, celebration, and learning.
Net-Net
Participants claim they attend Goafest to network, learn, gain recognition, explore business opportunities, and celebrate creativity in the Indian advertising industry. The cost of attending the festival is increasing. For many, the benefits of attending do not outweigh the total costs.
There is an industry focus, and it’s good for the festival. However, it needs to get more inclusive with technology (a large part of business now) and encourage client teams to attend.
But one thing is straightforward and honest, it is festival mode full-time. So, the most honest answer to the question I received was ‘I attend Goafest because it is there’. Yes, I am a biased GoaFest loyalist after all.