MxMIndia

Category: GOAFEST 2014

  • Prasoon Joshi, Agnello Dias, Alok Nanda, Sonal Dabral and Ashish Chakravarty to head juries for Creative Abby

    Jury chairs for Creative Abby announced, more than 3000 entries received overall

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Awards Governing Council (AGC) of the Abbys at Goafest 2014 has announced the names of jury chairpersons for the Creative Abbys. The jury chairpersons for various categories are as follows:

     

    o Integrated Advertising: Prasoon Joshi, President, South Asia, McCann World Group

    o Films: Agnello Dias Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Taproot

    o Design: Alok Nanda- Director Alok Nanda Communications

    o Outdoor Advertising & Ambient: Sonal Dabral, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group, India

    o Radio Advertising:  Ashish Chakravarty, National Creative Director, Contract Advertising

     

    Pratap Bose

    Commenting on the jury, Pratap Bose, Chairman of the Awards Governing Council and President of the Advertising Club, said “We are delighted to have such a remarkable line-up of jury chairpersons this year. All of them are creative stalwarts and I am pleased that they will be judging the Creative Abbys this year.  The judging process will be transparent and fair. KPMG will be monitoring the judging procedure.”

     

    Shortlists for Goafest 2014 are being displayed at www.abbyshortlist.com. Issues related shortlisted entries should be brought to the attention of jury chairperson in writing. The matter with proof submitted will be tabled in the second round for the jury to make a final call on. The metals awarded by the Jury after the second round of judging will be final.

     

    Meanwhile, according to a communiqué, over 3,000 entries have been received overall by the Awards Governing Council.

     

  • While the number for the creative and digital awards is 988 at Kyoorius, the flagship design awards will see around 700 entries, if last year's tally is an indicator

    Kyoorius boasts of 988 entries, Goafest curiously still mum on numbers

    By A Correspondent

     

    The D&AD-backed Kyoorius Advertising and Digital Awards have received 988 entries across 14 categories from a variety of agencies, studios and clients. At the time of writing, the Goafest committee and the Advertising Club in particular have not revealed the number of entries received or announced the names of the jury heads. Despite various attempts by MxMIndia over the last week, the apex adfest has curiously not revealed the number of entries officially. The aggregate number of entries given to MxMIndia by Goafest committee members was 2700.

     

    According to a report in Business Standard today, the “approximate” number of entries received by the Advertising Club for Creative and Digital are 2000 and an additional 619 are for the Media Abby. The total number of entries received is “estimated to be about 2700”.  On the other hand, while the number for creative and digital is 988 at Kyoorius, the flagship design awards will see around 700 entries, if last year’s tally is an indicator. The last date for receiving entries for design is June 5.

     

    Meanwhile at Kyoorius, Ogilvy (O&M), OgilvyOne, Grey Worldwide, Creativeland Asia, Alok Nanda & Company, Bates, BBDO, BBH, Contract Advertising, DDB Mudra, GroupM, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, DigitasLBi, DraftFCB Ulka, Happy Creative Services, Hungama Digital Services, Indigo Consulting, Isobar, Linen Lintas, Publicis, RK Swamy BBDO, SapientNitro, Scarecrow, TBWA and Webchutney are amongst nearly 200 entrants nationwide. According to information received although JWT may not have officially participated, over a dozen entries listing JWT as the client have been entered in the Awards by production houses.

     

    Several clients such as Zee, HBO, Hindustan Times, ixigo.com, Merck Serono India, HP, Mynta.com, Piramal, Times Television Network, Times City and Viacom18 have also sent in entries directly. Participation has come from over 20 location in India including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Baroda, Bhopal, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi & NCR, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune, according to a communiqué.

     

    It may be noted that last week, MxMIndia reported that Leo Burnett India has also entered the Awards. While the information was true at the time of writing, our sources say that the agency withdrew the entries after our report appeared. Leo Burnett also issued a formal statement asserting that it is not entering any awards show this year.

     

    “Our entire process is entirely transparent,” said Rajesh Kejriwal, Founder and CEO, Kyoorius.

    “This holds good for the number of entries received as well as the way each entry was validated. All jury members gather on ground in Mumbai to review, discuss and elect the best of the best over an intensive three-day session. The entire process over the first two days is open to the public, the fraternity and the media.” The third day of judging where the final winners will be discussed will however not be open, Mr Kejriwal informed.

     

    According to the communiqué issued, Sajan Raj Kurup, Founder and Creative Chairman, CreativeLand Asia will also join the Kyoorius creative jury. Mr Raj Kurup joins jury foreman Neil Dawson of Dawson Pickering alongside Sonal Dabral of DDB Mudra, Abhijit Avasthi of O&M, Carlos Anuncibay of Saatchi & Saatchi, Graham Kelly of Isobar, Senthil Kumar of JWT and Woon Siew Hoh of Hakuhodo.

     

  • Even the winners won't feel the joy of winning as half of the industry is not going to be there, says Piyush Pandey

    Top agencies like O&M, Lowe, McCann, Creativeland to skip Creative Abbys

    By Pritha Mitra Dasgupta

     

    The seventh edition of India’s advertising festival, Goafest, will be happening minus some big names. Seven of the country’s top advertising agencies – Lowe Lintas, Ogilvy & Mather, Creativeland Asia, McCann Worldgroup, BBDO, Grey and Leo Burnett will not be participating in 2014.

     

    Entries to the festival this year are down 50 percent – last year Goafest had received 4,800 entries across creative and media, but this year it has received around 2,500 so far. That’s despite the introduction of two new categories Promo-Activation and PR, and opening up the awards to entries from broadcasters and publishers.

     

    Srinivasan Swamy

    “I expected the numbers to be down this year,” says Srinivasan Swamy, chairman, Goafest 2014 and chairman & MD of RK Swamy BBDO. “But I believe 2,500 is also a good number to have. I agree that agencies like O&M and Leo Burnett send large number of entries and their absence would bring the numbers down. But we are not badly off,” he adds.

     

    While some of the non-participating agencies have decided to send delegates to the festival, a senior Goafest committee member confirms that this year the number of delegates will be also down by at least 50per cent. While Swamy maintains, “Let’s celebrate people who are participating,” Piyush Pandey, executive chairman, Ogilvy & Mather says, “Even the winners won’t feel the joy of winning as half of the industry is not going to be there.”

     

    Piyush Pandey

    One factor that has played a role in the low participation rate is the timing of the festival. Says a source on the Goafest committee, “Agencies usually got at least two months between Goafest and Cannes Lions to work on their budgets, to decide which entries to send and to decide the team that would represent the agency. But this year since the festival is happening in the last week of May there is hardly any time for agencies to plan.”

     

    All this has only resulted in more flak for the Abbys, the country’s oldest advertising awards which was integrated into Goafest a few years ago. “I think the Abbys was running beautifully till they combined it with Goafest,”says MrPandey. He says that the principle on which the award show was merged with festival was that Ad Club would run the awards and AAAI (Advertising Agencies Association of India) would organise the festival. “But it got muddled somewhere down the line,”he says.

     

    K V Sridhar

    KV Sridhar, the outgoing chief creative officer India subcontinent at Leo Burnett, agrees, saying, “While the festival may have become bigger, there is no doubt that Abbys has lost its credibility.” Mr Pandey in turn believes that Goafest should have taken a break for a year, restructured and reorganised itself and then returned with a bang in 2015. The deadline for entries has been extended to April 28 from April 25, so there doesn’t seem to be much chance that participation will ramp up. But Swamy says that the Goafest committee will be meeting with heads of the non-participating agencies immediately after the festival, to discuss and address their concerns and clear the way for next year’s event.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • The deadline for receiving entries for both awards have been extended

    Final entry deadlines extended: Goafest Abbys to April 23, Kyoorius to April 28

    By A Correspondent

     

    The final deadlines for the Goafest Abbys 2014 and the D&AD-backed Kyoorius Awards have been extended.

     

    The Awards Governing Council of Goafest 2014 has extended the last date for submitting entries in the Creative, Media, Digital, Direct, Design, Promo & Activations, PR, Publishers & Broadcasters Abby categories to Wednesday, April 23, before 5 pm.

     

    The entry forms can be downloaded from www.theadvertisingclub.net. Goafest 2014 will be held from May 29 to 31 at The Grand Hyatt, Bambolim, North Goa.

     

    Meanwhile, the Kyoorius Awards which are bringing in the well-known D&AD Awards to the country, have also extended their final deadlines to April 28. The details for the awards are at http://awards.kyoorius.com. The Kyoorius Advertising Awards will be presented on Thursday, June 12 in Mumbai.

     

  • Goafest unveils first list of speakers

    By a correspondent

     

    The Goafest Organizing Committee has released the first list of speakers for Goafest 2014 Knowledge Seminars. Unlike in the previous years where the focus was principally on international speakers, this year the Knowledge Seminars will have a good mix of international speakers, inspirational speakers, spiritual speakers and speakers on innovative aspects.

     

    The outcome is the result of a survey among the last three years’ Goafest delegates. “Based on the findings of this survey, we have put together a very special list of speakers for Goafest delegates to listen to and interact with,” said Arvind Sharma, President of Advertising Agencies Association of India.

     

    For the Knowledge Seminars, the initial set of names include Preethi Mariappan- Executive Creative Director at Razorfish, Germany; Melanie Varley- Chief Strategy Officer, Global at MEC; Norm Johnson- Chief Digital Officer at Mindshare; Alicia Souza- illustration designer/artist/ e-commerce entrepreneur; Shravan Kumaran and Sanjay Kumaran, the youngest app developers in India and a group known as AIB(All India Bakchod), Devdutt Pattanaik, Mythologist, Author, Leadership, DK Hema & Hema Hari, Founders, BharathGyan.

     

    Srinivasan Swamy

    “We are delighted that we have been able to get some very inspiring speakers on a cross section of subjects which delegates are normally not exposed to,” said Goafest Committee Chairman, Srinivasan Swamy.

     

  • The Awards Governing Council of Goafest 2014 has extended the dates for its entries for Goafest Abbys 2014

    Entry dates for Goafest Abbys extended

    By a correspondent

     

    The Awards Governing Council of Goafest 2014 has extended the dates for its entries for Goafest Abbys 2014. The last date for submission of entries for Media Abbys is 15th April, 2014 before 5pm, and for Creative & Broadcaster & Publisher Abbys the deadline is 17th April, 2014 before 5pm.The entry forms can be downloaded from www.theadvertisingclub.net.

     

    Goafest 2014 will be held from May 29th to 31st at The Grand Hyatt, Bambolim, North Goa.

     

    Regular Award Entry Fee is Rs.6,500/- + 12.36% Service Tax. For Integrated campaigns the entry fee is Rs.9,000/- + ST 12.36%. For entries from other countries in the SAARC region (Single & Integrated) it is USD 20 + ST 12.36% (USD 22.47).

     

  • If there's one person from the AAAI who can organise a worthwhile Goafest, it's Sundar Swamy. The IAA is supremely active thanks to his leadership and I find him exceedingly keen on doing things and he knows the art of getting things done.

    Mediaah!: Why Goafest hasn’t lost the plot and deserves one more chance

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    I write this more in response to Anant Rangaswami’s article on Firstbiz and his Facebook posts. What I like about Anant’s writing is his definite views on issues, many of which I agree with.

     

    But on Goafest, he’s been unduly harsh. His point on Facebook: Goafest has lost the plot. It’s press release offered a programme with just time slots and no mention of speakers and topics.

     

    I received the communique too, and chose to not carry a report on it because it didn’t say anything at all. It was an advance intimation of the programme, but could have been held back for a few days with some names.

     

    I also agree with Anant that Goafest in the summer is a nightmare (my descriptor, not his). Since I sweat a lot, I can say that it’s terrible even in the aircon. So, even though the event is indoors, the walk or buggy ride to your rooms could see you drenched in sweat. Your eyes could be burning all day and even the world’s best coolants wouldn’t work.

     

    Last year’s Goafest could best be described as forgettable. It had loads of negatives. The Creative Abby was a disaster (albeit for a fault that wasn’t of the organising committee). First a controversy about the Ford Figo scam ads saw the exits of some high profile staff at JWT and Ford, then the Tata Chemicals scam ads that were eventually pulled out of the competition and later the controversy around scam ads and plagiarism.

     

    Somewhere along this was the decision by Ogilvy to not participate in the Abby. Ogilvy had huge misgivings about the awards, and Ad Club prez Shashi Sinha tried his damnedest to get them back. But Messrs Piyush Pandey & Co didn’t budge.

     

    When Pratap Bose took charge as Ad Club president last year, he resolved to ensure a buy-in from all towards the Creative Abby. That doesn’t seem to have happened thus far.

     

    To add to the confusion, the AAAI delayed the Goafest announcement and later found the elections as reason to postpone the dates. Then came the news that Nakul Chopra had opted out of the Goafest chair position.

     

    Finally Srinivasan K Swamy, better known in the frat as Sundar, took charge. I’ve interacted with Sundar a fair deal in the recent past, especially as head of the International Advertising Association India Chapter of which he is the head. I believe if there’s one person from the AAAI who can pull it off, it’s him. The IAA is supremely active thanks to Sundar’s leadership. I find him exceedingly keen on doing things and he knows the art of getting things done.

     

    I am not sure how Goafest 2014 will be. I have heard people say that some regular sponsors have declined to be associated this year. But Sundar is confident of a turnaround and I think he ought to be given a chance.

     

    Yes, I do think Rajesh Kejriwal’s Kyoorius Awards with the coveted D&AD partnership, has stolen the thunder from the Abby, but there’s space for multiple awards. We’ve seen how other disciplines – radio, digital, outdoor and PR, for instance – have multiple awards and they are all doing well. So ditto with creative.

     

    I have heard some angry comments amongst industry elders about Anant’s Firstbiz piece and I was told that some pressure may be exerted on Network18 via the media agencies asking him to refrain from writing nasties against Goafest. I hope that doesn’t happen, that wouldn’t be right.

     

    Sadly, Anant’s views are echoed by many in the industry. Before Sundar’s name was announced, even I wasn’t sure whether there was any point in conducting this year’s edition.

     

    Sundar & Co have an uphill task ahead of them. But I think they need to be given a chance.

     

    The industry deserves a good, celebratory Goafest. The format, the timing and the awards are a problem. Perhaps the organising committee and AAAI need some younger blood taking the lead on Goafest. Perhaps it may be a good idea to get a professional body to conduct the show – Kyoorius, e4m, Campaign/Haymarket… whosoever.

     

    I know what I am going to do: have MxM support Goafest until before the event happens. The coverage of the conference (and the awards and the fun element) will then take over. And on that, we’ll be brutally honest about how it is.

     

  • But if ad agencies were to win the awards as it happens at some events, the purpose of the awards would be defeated and the PR industry would have, in fact, suffered a setback, cautions Jaideep Shergill, CEO, India, MSLGroup

    Jaideep Shergill | A PR award at Goafest: About time!

    Jaideep Shergill

    By Jaideep Shergill

     

    My first reaction on hearing that Goafest has introduced a public relations (PR) Abby was that it was an overdue, but welcome development. PR has never been mentioned in the same breath as advertising despite rising evidence from around the globe that unidirectional communication is in decline. Meaningful engagement on multiple platforms is the way ahead, and it’s the PR industry that has been providing it.

     

    The Abby is a logical step in the evolution of Goafest. The event needs to go from being advertising-dominated to a well-rounded event that represents every discipline of marketing communications. This will raise not just the interest in it but, more importantly, its credibility.

     

    The fact is the Indian PR industry needs such a high-profile platform. While we have regional and global PR awards, we don’t have any comparable ones in India. Goafest is India’s biggest communications event and the PR industry needs to make a mark there.

     

    I have one fear, though. In similar events elsewhere, we have seen ad agencies entering for the PR awards – and winning. Strange as it may sound, it’s rare for a PR award to go to a PR agency!

     

    If that happens at Goafest, too, then the purpose of the awards would be defeated and the PR industry would have, in fact, suffered a setback. Of course, the onus is squarely on PR agencies to make sure this doesn’t happen. We need to deliver strategic value and then aggressively market our successes.

     

    As with every step forward, it’s up to us.

     

    Jaideep Shergill is CEO, India, MSLGroup

     

  • The Awards Governing Council of Goafest 2014 has announced its "call for entries" for Goafest Abbys 2014

    Goafest Abbys opens doors for entries

    By a correspondent

     

    With the dates for the three-day advertising festival being drawn up, the Awards Governing Council of Goafest 2014 has announced its “call for entries” for Goafest Abbys 2014. The entry forms can be downloaded from www.theadvertisingclub.net. The last date for submission of entries is Friday, April 11, 2014.

     

    The regular award entry fee is Rs.6,500/- + 12.36% service tax. For Integrated campaigns the entry fee is Rs.9,000/- + ST 12.36%. For entries from other countries in the SAARC region (Single & Integrated) the charge is USD 20 + ST 12.36% (USD 22.47)

     

    The dates for the various award shows are as follows: Publisher and Media Abbys on May 29; Design, Direct, Promo-Activation, PR, Outdoor, Print Craft, Branded Content and Broadcaster Abbys on May 30; and Interactive Digital, Radio, Print, TV, Integrated Abbys on May 31, 2014.

     

    As announced earlier, this year will see some new categories: Promo-Activation, PR, Broadcaster and Publisher Abbys. Also, the Grand Prix can be awarded for Film, Print, Radio, Outdoor, Design, Interactive Digital, Direct, Media and Integrated.

     

  • Promo-Activation, PR, Broadcaster & Publisher Abby introduced at three-day Goafest 2014

    Goafest to be held from May 29-31. Abbys expanded

    By A Correspondent

     

    L to R: Arvind Sharma, Srinivasan Swamy and Pratap Bose

    Okay, so the Goafest 2014 is being held in the same hotel where a certain editor alleged raped a junior colleague in November last year.

     

    We don’t know whether CC TV cameras have been installed in the elevators, but the hotel may well be mulling extra security and ‘watch’ men or women around the expansive land of what’s an excellent property.

     

    Uff, let’s not scare the Hyatt folks. The advertising fraternity comprises sober, decent people. And even if they aren’t all sober after a few drinks, they won’t do what Mr T is supposed to have done.

     

    Jokes apart, Goafest 2014 will be held from May 29 to 31 at the Grand Hyatt hotel at Bambolim in North Goa.

     

    “This year we aim to dial up the excitement by expanding the festival”,said Srinivasan Swamy, Chairman, Goafest 2014. “While strengthening the initiatives undertaken in the previous years, Goafest 2014 will be a three-day event with the Knowledge Seminars being held on all three days. The Advertising Conclave, which was ‘Only By Invitation’ so far and was held on the day before Goafest will now be on Day Two and will be open to all delegates. The Conclave aims to create more engagement between advertisers, agencies and the rest of the media industry. We will continue to have leading advertisers talk on issues that have a strong bearing on the industry. And as for the three days at Goafest, none of the fun elements will be missing for which Goafest is known! It will only get enhanced.”

     

    The rain dance did you mean, Sir?

     

    With the fest now turning into a three-day event, there will be two options of delegate passes. A two-day delegate pass priced at Rs 14,000 will allow the delegates to attend any two consecutive days of their choice. A three-day pass priced at Rs 18,000 will allow delegates to attend the festival for all three days. Under-30 delegates will continue to enjoy a special discount of 50% on these rates.

     

    Pratap Bose, President of The Advertising Club and Chairman of The Awards Governing Council (AGC) said, “The Abbys will be augmented with new categories this year. We will include Promo-Activation and PR. The Branded Content category,which was added last year,will be expanded. And most excitingly, we are adding Broadcaster and Publisher Abbys at Goafest. These will recognize outstanding advertising and communication ideas for promoting broadcast and print properties. Broadcaster and publishers will be entitled to send in entries for these categories.” Mr Bose shed more light on this by stating that, “These changes are being made with the aim of honoring the great work that is being done by all media professionals.”

     

    Continuing with the changes that were inducted in 2012 – there will be a Grand Prix for Film, Print, Radio, Outdoor, Design, Interactive Digital, Direct, Media and Integrated.

     

    Award shows for various verticals will be held on the following evenings:

    May 29: Publisher Abbys. Media Abbys

    May 30: Design Abbys. Direct Abbys. Promo-Activation Abbys. PR Abbys. Outdoor Abbys. Print Craft Abbys. Branded Content Abbys. Broadcaster Abbys.

    May 31: Interactive Digital Abbys. Radio Abbys. Print Abbys. TV Abbys. Integrated Abbys

     

    There will also be significant changes in the judging process. There will be a window of a clear 10 days before the final judging round. During this window, shortlisted entries will be available for the entire industry to review. However, the Abbys once awarded will stay awarded. So no superjury tamasha like last year. Participation in the Abbys will continue to be open to all who want to participate. Membership of the AAAI or The Advertising Club is not required. The award entry fee will be Rs 6500 per entry for general entries and Rs 9500 for integrated entries.

     

    Marketing Wizards, the initiative under which young client delegates can avail of the special under 30 delegate fees as well free accommodation will continue this year.So will the special ‘Rest of South Asia’ awards.

     

    “Goafest is recognized as a platform for celebration of communication excellence and as a platform for exchange of ideas across the advertising, marketing and media fraternity,” said Arvind Sharma, founding Chairman of Goafest and current President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI). He added, “Last year’s Conclave where leading advertisers shared their candid points of view with the industry was seen as a super success. This year’s changes in the festival format – including a client-led Conclave open to all and introduction of Broadcaster and Publisher Abbys – make it a true industry-wide platform.”

     

    We are sure the beer and booze will also be flowing in enough measure.

     

  • Many in the advertising and media business are hopeful that Goafest 2013 will be successful with go-getter Srinivasan ‘Sundar’ Swamy as chairman of the organising committee

    Adland bullish on Goafest 2014 with Sundar Swamy incharge

    By A Correspondent

     

    We all know of the mess that Goafest, the annual adfest of India’s advertising and marketing services industry, has been in. The Advertising Agencies Association of India delayed the announcement of the date for reasons best known to it. And there were reservations from many of the top ad agencies on their participation in the Creative Abby.

     

    Already the reputation of Goafest had taken a beating last year with charges of plagiarism and scam advertising impacting the credibility of what’s decidedly the mainstay of the event: the Creative Abby. “Ogilvy not participating in the Abby is like Brazil pulling out from the World Cup Soccer or China from the Olympics,” said one organiser and ad honcho on anonymity.

     

    The last straw in the mess on Goafest was the stepping aside of Nakul Chopra as chairman of the Goafest Organising Committee earlier this week. The many delays in the dates meant that Mr Chopra would have to stay back from work for too long, and that’s something he could ill-afford.

     

    But the appointment of Srinivasan Swamy, better known in the business as Sundar Swamy, is said to be a masterstroke. Said the organiser-cum-honcho we spoke to earlier: “There are few people in the business who you can never say no to. Sundar is one of them.”

     

    A member of the India chapter of International Association of Advertisers cites Mr Swamy’s can-do attitude and a gentle mix of delegation-and-monitoring as the reason why IAA has superactive in the last two years. “There was no brief for the IAA to do what he has done. But Sundar achieved what Ad Club, AAAI and several other clubs and associations ought to be doing.”

     

    Yet, said the honcho, it’s interesting that Mr Swamy has taken on the responsibility when it’s indeed a tall order given that the odds stacked against it.

     

    Mr Swamy’s statement that the 2014 edition will be bigger and brighter may be looked at by many with a “let’s wait and watch”, but the balls have started rolling. The hotel has been tentatively booked, the dates are nearly sealed, and by shifting the proceedings indoors, there is hope that the heat generated around is more by the proceedings than the weather.

     

  • The three-day annual adfest will be held indoors in Goa in the last week o f May 2014

    Srinivasan Swamy to head “bigger, better” Goafest 2014, to be held indoors in Goa in end-May

    By A Correspondent

     

    There’s reason to cheer for India’s adfrat. Goafest 2014 has not been put off, and the Creative and Media Abby will be held as part of the fest. RK Swamy Hansa group Chairman and Managing Director Srinivasan K Swamy, better known as Sundar Swamy, is the new Chairman of the Organising Committee.

     

    Confirming the news to MxMIndia, Mr Swamy said that the Goafest this year will be bigger and brighter than ever before. We have expanded the awards and will have three evenings of awards. “The entire programme will be indoors so there is no reason to despair about the heat,” he added.

     

    Mr Swamy, who is also President, IAA India Chapter & VP-Development, IAA Asia Pacific. In fact, the IAA has had a hyperactive two years, since Mr Swamy took over.

     

    He has been associated with Goafest for some years as incharge of the industry conclave. According to information we have received, the dates will in all probability be around the last week of May and the event will be held indoors as against the beaches of Goa.

     

    As reported by MxMIndia yesterday (Feb 12),  Nakul Chopra had declined to be Chairman of the Goafest Organising Committee. While some may have felt that it was a setback, according to a senior agency captain, the appointment of Mr Swamy is sure to energise Goafest 2014.