Goafest 2024, the annual industry festival organised by The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club (TAC), kicked off with a performance by Bollywood playback singer Sukhwinder Singh. This was followed with members of the organising committee lighting the ceremonial lamp. Prasanth Kumar, President of AAAI and CEO of South Asia at GroupM, then addressed the attendees, marking the festival’s 17th edition. This year’s event also celebrated the third year of collaboration between The Abby Awards and One Show. Under the theme ‘The Age of Adaptability,’ delegates were welcomed to Goafest 2024 with a champagne launch, setting a celebratory and spirited tone for the proceedings. This is Goafest, and even if it’s being held in Mumbai, tea, coffee, soft drinks and beer were available through the day. No questions and monies asked.
In the first session titled Adapt To Thrive Not Just Survive, Harit Nagpal, Managing Director and CEO of Tata Play, stressed on the criticality of adaptability as a means to thrive. Delivering the keynote, Nagpal underlined the inevitability of disruption in our lives and the importance of resilience in the face of it. “Disruption can be caused by anything or anyone, but it becomes our responsibility to survive and thrive,” he said. After Nagpal, a keynote titled, Navigating The Age Of Adaptability: Leading with Vision, Flexibility, and Purpose, was delivered by Sanjiv Mehta, former CEO of Hindustan Unilever and Executive Chairman of L Catterton India. “Learning happens when you have the humility to say, ‘I don’t know?’” – by admitting so, organisations and corporations open themselves to new knowledge and understanding, fostering a growth mindset that enables them to learn and develop from others’ expertise and experiences, not just myopically thinking of profit generation ,” he said.
Later there was a session titled From Setbacks to Comebacks: The Power of Persistence presented by acclaimed writer and film director, Tahira Kashyap captivated the audience with her inspiring journey, moderated by Atika Farooqui, Celebrity Host & Actor. Kashyap shared personal anecdotes and professional experiences, illustrating how resilience and determination have been instrumental in her success. “Women go through multiple hardware upgrades; every day is so different for women, every hour is so different than the previous one,” she mentions, also candidly referring to the books she has written on womanhood and motherhood.”
And then there was a session titled Lessons of Adaptability: Embracing Failure to Touch Success, featuring Indian actress Medha Shankr and actor Vikrant Massey, moderated by the multifaceted Actor, Producer & Entrepreneur, Neha Dhupia. Medha and Vikrant, the cast of the acclaimed film 12th Fail, illuminated the audience with their insights on embracing failure as a stepping stone towards triumph.
Here’s what the Goafest 2024 leadership team said in a statement:
Prasanth Kumar, President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and CEO of GroupM, South Asia: “The composition of the clients has been very interesting this year with a notable presence of tech specialists. It’s encouraging to see such diversity. It’s truly heartening to witness the growing number of partners, which not only strengthens and welcomes many newcomers into the Goafest fold. While we anticipated challenges, the dedication and support of all involved have exceeded our expectations, and for that, we’re immensely grateful. We’re excited to welcome many new faces and investors to Goafest 2024; we’re also looking forward to numerous tech sessions and integrations that will enrich the experience. Our goal is to institutionalise Goafest, constantly striving to improve. By completing 60% of the work early and refining timing, we’re making practical strides toward our vision for the next year.”
Rana Barua, President of The Advertising Club and Group CEO of Havas India, South East and North Asia: “Through countless journeys together, we’ve always been driven by passion, not profit. This year, our commitment to not miss out has been unanimous. The whole team rallied together, united by our love for this industry, to make Goafest 2024 happen within our tight timeframe.”
Jaideep Gandhi, Chairperson of the Goafest Organising Committee: “We aim to keep this festival relevant, as we’ve successfully done in the past two years, especially in the post-pandemic era. Each year, we strive to introduce new elements, constantly raising the bar.”
Dheeraj Sinha, Group CEO – India and South Asia, FCB and Co-chair Awards Governing Council, Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show: “We’re thrilled to see a fantastic response from returning agencies, with VML, and McCann Worldgroup India, amongst others, making a comeback, along with many others. It’s a near-complete reunion, with only a handful of agencies not joining us this year!”
Day One ended with Publisher and Media Abby being presented.
