MxMIndia

Tag: Goafest

  • It was earlier scheduled for Apriil 7-9

    Goafest now on May 5-7

    By Our Staff

     

    The Goafest Organising Committee has announced a change in dates for Goafest 2022, postponing it from the April 7- 9 to May 5-7, 2022. This change will also facilitate extra time for ‘One Show’ which has collaborated with the Abby awards.

     

    On the rescheduling of dates, Goafest Chairman Jaideep Gandhi said: “Ad Club joining hands with ‘One Show’ will truly take the Abbys – India’s premier and longstanding tradition of creative excellence, to the world. However, keeping in mind the ongoing pandemic situation, we believe the celebration of this unique, game-changing partnership would be better experienced with the 15th edition of Goafest scheduled in May, 2022. After all, a celebration of creativity and innovation gets even better when the world around us is safer.”

     

    Speaking on the tie-up, Anupriya Acharya, President, Advertising Agencies Association of India added: “I would like to congratulate Ad Club for the tie-up with ‘One Show’. The One Show is one of the most reputed advertising shows globally and further adds to the significance and the excitement around the festival that is returning after two long, eventful years. And similarly, the 2022 edition of Goafest provides a perfect platform for the redefined Abbys. There is much for everyone to come together and share at the festival.”

     

  • Rohit Ohri, Chairman and CEO, FCB Group India in a video interview with Pradyuman Maheshwari

    The Road to Being Killer-Diller

     

    By Our Staff

     

    Some five-and-a-half years back, when he had just taken charge as CEO of the FCB Group in India, our editor-in-chief Pradyuman Maheshwari  had asked Rohit Ohri about a general perception of FCB Ulka/India being an efficient, successful but a fuddy-duddy agency. We followed it with a similar question to Global CEO Carter Murray a few months later on the sidelines of Goafest.

     

    As he tells us in this interview, Messrs Murray and Ohri took this comment rather seriously and were determined to purge this perception. Fast and furiously. Which they did. From being considered a servicing- and planning-centric network, creative has gotten centerstage, which is what creative agencies are meant to be.

     

    After having asked this horribly rude question in 2016, Pradyuman Maheshwari interviews Rohit Ohri, Chairman and CEO, FCB Group India, on the road from to being a, as Ohri calls it, a killer-diller agency. It’s a looooong, 54-minuter, so bring along that cup of chai. Or coffee, if you are a trueblue adperson.

     

    Watch. Enjoy. Like.

     

  • Brands and agencies innovated to to create relevant, original & impactful work. Should these industry warriors go unrecognised, asks Sanjeev Kotnala

    Goafest: No News is Not Good News

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

    Sanjeev KotnalaIt is that time of the year. Goafest time. For the last 15 years, until 2020, Goa was my annual advertising, marketing, networking pilgrimage. I have attended every edition of Goafest.

    I have associated with Goafest in multiple capacities. I have been a delegate, a sponsor, an awardwinner and a jury member. Oh, I have rebelled by attempting to hijacking one evening with a successful standalone show. Few unfinished stories started at the Goafest and never reached a conclusion. I led cross-functional teams to publish the daily newsletter, including the first 3D issue at Goafest. Once, I objected to some Swami’s presence as a speaker. Pushed for more respect and participation to Publishers’ Abby.

    I have been an observer who regularly provided unsolicited inputs and suggestions. Some of them found the right ears and minds to impress and were implemented with no credit. But that’s par for the industry, or I think some else too had similar brilliant thoughts at the same time.

    So, it is natural that towards the end of March and the first/second weekend of April, I am full of nostalgia. My mind longs to be at Goa and enjoy the festival of advertising excellence. Thankfully, there are no withdrawal symptoms.

     

    GOAFEST 2020

    Goafest 2020 was rightfully postponed as the entire country was reeling under the spectre of the Covid-19. Later, Abbys were also deferred. The Red-Abby, which was to have its maiden appearance, remained silent. Later the whole show was cancelled.

     

    GOAFEST 2021

    One expected 2021 to be better. But, the Covid pandemic is back with a vengeance. The organising bodies AAAI and Advertising Club are silent. There is no announcement I know of.

    Don’t think there is any time left. In all probability, Goafest 2021 is dead.

    The question that stares you on the face is not so simple. Will Goafest ever be revived? There is no reason to believe it is dead! But most people do not see many reasons for it to be restored.

     

    FESTIVALS ADAPTING TO CHANGE

    I do not understand. When most of the awards have adapted to the new realities and have gone online or found other ways to celebrate, what stops from Goafest from doing the same?

    Is Goa the problem? Goa and virtual fun – does not sound right. What about the drinks? The tamasha? The knowledge sessions? The manpower poaching and interviews? Maybe, this is the right moment to get Goa out of Goafest. Maybe, it is time to get back to celebrating the excellence in Advertising and Marketing and be location-agnostic.

     

    ABBY COULD HAVE CONTINUED

    The Advertising Club says on its site: ‘ Recognition of efforts is what motivates an individual. And for an industry that thrives on motivation, the Ad Club has initiated various awards to ensure that Indian ad professionals receive the recognition they deserve. The ABBY AWARD are the Oscars of Indian ad awards to honour creative excellence in advertising.”

    So, when  Cannes changed its format and dates, it allowed a rich interaction with archives and sessions.  Adfest Pattaya went online and announced the winners of the last two years. Near home, award functions continued. Virtual webinars and exhibitions thrived. Knowledge seminars buzzed with suitable content and names… so what about Goafest? Kyoorius Award have started the entry process and were successfully conducted last year – what stops Goafest? Meanwhile, I read about the Filmfare Awards 2021, when the industry was almost shut for the last year. As I write this, I wait to watch the Mirchi Music Awards.

     

    EXPECTATION AND EXPERIENCE

    Goafest has evolved with time. Setting up new expectations and creating experiences to bridge the gap. So, what stops it from taking that leap of faith and get to a 2021 Goafest version going.

    Don’t the organisers have the responsibility and direct accountability to the community of agencies, clients, researchers, PR and marketers. Should the elected body at Ad Club and AAAI not go the extra mile to see it happens.

    2020 is understandable. But what about 2021.

    Why is no one asking and raising the voice?

    Or maybe Goafest does not call for such concern!

    Maybe, it is just me who is paranoid about the changes and what it could spell for Goa in Goafest.

    The industry has worked within imposing constraints. Brands and agencies innovated to find new ways to create fabulous relevant-original and impactful work.

    Should these industry warriors go unrecognised?

    Or do we plan to have a three-year award show in 2022 – subject to fair weather conditions.

     

     

    THE INDUSTRY NEEDS POSITIVITY  

    The economy, business and the advertising-marketing fraternity can definitely do with some positivity and celebration. Offline or online. WFH or lazing around in Goa. Remember, consistency is always a winner. Voids and absence give rise to many uncomfortable thoughts. Frankly, I can’t think how we will bridge the gap if Goafest is not held this year.

    Sanjeev Kotnala is a senior marketing and business strategist and educator. He writes on MxMIndia every Wednesday. His views here are personal

     

     

  • On the jury from India is Ajay Chandwani, Director – Percept Ltd

    Entries for Montreux Switzerland Festival close on April 10

    By A Correspondent

     

    So while Cannes Lions 2020 has been put off as has our own Abby and Goafest, the 31st edition of the Montreux Advertising Festival is scheduled this year at Montreux on April 16, 2020. Now Montreux Festival has been a precursor to Cannes for 30 years and one of Europe’s leading Advertising and Media festivals. Judging this year will be entirely done using online voting. And the event will also happen virtually.

     

    Veteran adperson and Director-Percept Ltd Ajay Chandwani is on the jury this year as well, and other than him are the following global stars:  Jonathan Fussel, Energy BBDO Chicago; Diana Casadiego, Havas Spain; Gary Du Toit, BBDO NY; Davide Boscacci, Publicis Italy; Izabella Cabral, TBWA/Worldwide; Eduardo Basque, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Luis Silva Dias, FCB International; Olivier Teepe, Cloudfactory, The Netherlands; Marcelo Lourenço, Coming Soon Creativity, Portugal; Istvan Bracsok, White Rabbit, Hungary; Andreia Ribeiro, BBDO Portugal; Sergio Spaccavento, Conversion, Italy; Daniel de Hora, Creative Boutique, Brazil: Fred Aramis, TBWA\Worldwide, New York.

     

     

  • The Abby awards will be held soon, the details of which will be announced soon

    Coronavirus Effect: Goafest 2020 postponed

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Advertising Club and the Advertising Agencies Association of India, joint organisers of Goafest, have announced the postponement of the 2020 edition of the festival until further notice. According to a statement, the Abby Awards – for which entries have already been received – will still be conducted jointly by them. Details with regard to the awards are currently being finalised and will be announced shortly.

     

    Notes a communique issued jointly by AAAI and Ad Club: “The move has been taken considering the heightened global concerns on the spread of the Coronavirus posing a threat to well-being and safety of festival goers.  The festival also receives many speakers from across the world and travel advisories issued across countries and organisations against being a part of large gatherings has also contributed to the decision.  In such challenging times it is critical that everybody acts responsibly and does their best to prevent any escalation of the already fairly alarming scenario. Nothing precedes the health and wellbeing of the patrons of the festival and the postponing of the festival is a result of the organisers intent to safeguard the wellbeing of Goafest patrons.”

  • ‘The Red Abby’ awards have been instituted to acknowledge the best creative works that address the issue of violence against women in society

    Goafest announces jury for Red Abby

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Advertising Club and the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) announced the names of the jury for ‘The Red Abby’ award which will be presented as a part of Goafest 2020.  ‘The Red Abby’ awards have been instituted to acknowledge the best creative works that address the issue of violence against women in society.

     

    The jury for the Red Abby Awards include some of the foremost leaders from across the FMCG, advertising, media, creative and entertainment industry.

     

    The jury list for ‘The Red Abby’ 2020 (in alphabetical order)

    1. Anupriya Acharya- CEO, Publicis Groupe, South Asia

    2. Babita Baruah, Managing Partner, GTB India

    3. Deepika Warrier, CEO, Nourishco Beverages (a joint venture between Pepsico and Tata Global Beverages)

    4. Lara Balsara Wajifdar, Executive Director at Madison World

    5. Megha Tata, MD- South Asia, Discovery Communications India

    6. Mini Mathur, Acclaimed Actor and Television Host

    7. Raj Nayak, Founder, House of Cheer

    8. Tarun Katial, CEO, Zee5, India

     

    The jury meet is scheduled for March 17 in Mumbai where the jurors will test creativity and impact of the communication campaigns.

     

    Speaking about the judging process, Partho Dasgupta, President- The Advertising Club President said: “Women’s safety is a cause that needs a loud and clear voice. The esteemed jury of ‘The Red Abby’ comes from a diverse background with rich experience in their respective industries. Their collective experience will make the evaluation process robust and fair, while adjudging the works’ impact.”

     

    Speaking about the jury, Sonia Huria, Managing Committee Member of The Advertising Club and Evangelist – ‘The Red Abby’ added: “At the heart of a successful campaign is the impact it made. In case of ‘The Red Abby’ the impact will be basis the effectiveness of the behaviour change messaging of the campaign. With such an esteemed jury for its maiden edition, we are sure that the best-in-class works will find their right place in the Abby Awards Hall of Fame.”

    To nominate communications campaigns focused towards stopping violence against women click here.

     

     

  • Well, that’s what Navin Shenoy, Marketing Head of Youth, Music & English Entertainment at Viacom18 seems to say after bagging the Creative Company of the Year at Goafest

    Big creative agencies, beware. MTV can do your job, cheaper

     

    At the Creative Abby awards at Goafest 2019, Viacom18 bagged the coveted Creative Company of the Year pipping legacy agency brands in the rankings roster. MxMIndia caught up with Navin Shenoy, Head Marketing of Youth, Music and English Entertainment at Viacom18 to get his views on the win….

     

    MxMIndia: You should be celebrating, instead you are looking very serious?

     

    Navin Shenoy: Me? I am always a serious kind of a guy.

     

    Congratulations on being the Creative Company of the Year at the Abby at Goafest.

    Thank you so much. We are very thrilled at this. We got a fantastic team back at MTV and I think we have been in a period of transition for a while now. And finally, all of this is coming together. It’s working out for us. So, we are really thrilled. The whole team is over the moon.

     

    We have always known MTV to be a frontrunner in terms of creative output. You do think out of the box etc. But to be the creative company of the year at the Abby is dramatic. You have many creative biggies participating – okay, not all of them, and there are digital agencies. As a marketer, can you assess this and put in reference to the rest of the industry?

    Well, I think all the old structures are changing massively in terms of how a marketer should look at the options in terms of partners. I think for us everybody is competition. Advertising agencies are competition, media agencies are competition. We are currently in a place where we are able to provide a full 360-degree solution. We are able to provide creative, we are able to provide inventory and media, we are able to provide customised solutions, we have an insights studio which gives great insights into youth. So, I think there is a lot of hard work that has gone behind pulling this together and I think it’s come at a great time for us. It gives us more impetus to take this forward.

     

    ¥ou have worked across the spectrum in terms of organisations, FMCGs, telcos etc. Since you have got an award like this do you see other organisations also doing the same… get into creative mode?

    Yeah. Sure. I think innovation is now a given. Earlier, it used to be 20% of what possibly organisations used to do. I think unless you’re innovative and creative an organisation is more likely to be built to crash. The earlier paradigms that were built to last are far gone. Most organisation are built to crash if they are not built for innovation or creativity. And I think this is an important lesson for everybody saying that you need to keep re-inventing yourself. It’s unlikely that the same framework will be used for evaluation. What’s going to happen is that media, digital, creative, marketing, all of those technology, all of those are likely to collapse into a single sort of structure. And whichever organisations are best placed to take advantage of that are the ones who are likely to win, and we are hoping to be one of those. Hopefully this award sets us on the path forward.

     

    You have also worked with agencies in the past. Do you think that there is a message here for the traditional agencies? Today, you have won the Creative Abby. Tomorrow, you could be winning the Effies?

    Right. Definitely there is a message for everyone, including us. You would have heard of Accenture buying Droga5. Now, Drog5 is a creative hotshop and Accenture is known for its consulting jobs. Now what’s happening is an Accenture is actually looking at the other end of the spectrum and they have acquired a Droga5 to try and play the whole spectrum. Similarly, we seem to be in a great position now, to be able to play the whole creative to media spectrum. So, the message – rather a lesson – for every other company is that if you end up being unidimensional, you are not innovating, you are not able to provide across the spectrum, it’s likely to be a sign that you are going to struggle in the times to come.

     

    But does this also put pressure on you? Because till now, you were concerned about television and other platforms. Does this now put a new kind of pressure on you – of achieving the impossible on the creative front

    Yeah. It does, but we love this pressure. We think we are doing some great work and hopefully there will be other people who will believe so as well. And we love this pressure and we are going to take this to a whole new level. And I believe in the next 12-24 months MTV is poised to take this up quite a few notches.

     

    Winners at Goafest Abby also go on to enter other awards. Are you looking at trying elsewhere too?

    Of course, we are. Our ambitions are sky high. Recognition is a byproduct. We intend to do world class work that cuts it across the board on all platforms and Cannes would be an important platform. So, like I said in the next 12-24 months we are expecting to do work that is global, that is hitting global standards, that is setting the standards for other brands and in that sense hopefully Cannes will be one of the byproducts.

     

    For the benefit of people who are not aware of things, how large is your creative team?

    Well, we have got an interesting bunch of people there. I think the diversity and the width is what makes us unique. We have got a set of people who are craft-driven, people who are production- and creative- and video- driven. So, that’s one unique perspective that we bring to the table. We have got a set of people who are brand solutions-driven… who are creative but can think, like say, what a classical traditional agency might think? We have got a set of marketers who think for the business and finally, we have got a set of research people who are part-anthropologists, part-media experts, part-youth experts and these are people who bring pure life insights to the table. I think the potent mix is when we bring all four of these together and we put a solution on the table, or we put any output on the table. Whether it’s for brand MTV or whether it’s for a brand who has come to us for a customised solution. I think that is really the X factor that is giving us the edge.

     

    So how large is your team?

    This is a totally a team of around 30 people. We prefer to keep it lean. We are very picky about the people we chose to be in this crack team. But yeah, it’s working for us well. As the business expands, hopefully, we will add more people to the team.

     

    Lean? Thirty people makes to be the size of a smallish agency. Are you open to doing to work for others as well?

    Of course, we are. You know, as I met other people at the Goafest this time, I have been telling them that as I have been hearing them go to production houses with ideas where they have struggled to manage costs. I think one of the things, that is happening is on an average a marketer is getting an ad film for, let’s say, Rs 50-70 lakhs in the ballpark. And I think we can do a very good job of this because we are in an ecosystem. We do it for our own brand and for other brand as brand solutions. So, I have been telling a lot of my friends in creative agencies, all my friends in marketing organisations that they should look at us as an option.

     

    So could well be providing some competition to the existing biggies?

    Absolutely. Why not?

     

     

  • Goafest veteran Sanjeev Kotnala offers tips to the AAAI & Ad Club thinktank

    Unsolicited advice to help make Goafest2020 better

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    In the article yesterday, I discussed ‘what you missed, and they messed?’ with reference to advertising industry’s biggest festival of creativity and ideas. Goafest2019 finished on April 13, 2019. Like always, it had its own moments of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.  There has been tremendous change as the festival keep evolving.

    Here I am sharing few inputs, that may help the Goafest Managing Committee see things differently:

    1. REALIGN. Do meet the absentee agencies now. Show them the new picture and help to get them positively polarised towards the fest.

    2. Launch a Goafest2019 survey among delegates. Provide a platform for free, honest expression and suggestions. Run it with all delegates and all sponsor and organisations on the corporate level.

    3. ENHANCED TRANSPARENCY. STOP SCAMS. Share all entries in their totality at the time of Shortlist. Give it enough time for people to check and raise an objection. Make the association protocol, SOP for objection resolution public.

    4. ENHANCE EFFICIENCY AND FESTIVAL CONSTRUCT. Capture data to make more sense of priorities and preferences. Track people movement. Record entry and exit details from different zones.

    5. TRANSPARENCY. Include a session where jury members express and share what they were looking at, what kind of discussion happened, and what favoured the significant winners.

    6. SESSIONS OF IMMEDIATE RELEVANCE. The festival needs more sessions like the one by Ambarish Mitra, CEO & Founder, Blippar who spoke about augmented reality, virtual reality and its rapid evolution in the marketing and advertising realm.

    7. SCHEDULE SHARING. Speaker schedules should be shared much in advance along with the title and synopsis for every speaker activity. Stop hiding timeline inefficiencies by creating a block of activities. Restrict evening dinner timing. Force discipline and movement to the after-party.

    8. HELPING GETTING SPONSOR THE DUE. (A) Once after-party starts, stop all ports serving drinks. Helps maximise sponsor return from parties. (B) Rightsize and re-position the sponsor logo on stage panels to ensure they are part of the picture frame.

    9. DELEGATE COMFORT.(A) Introduce premium seats that one can pre-book by session or by day. (B) Include a section in the app where the participants can see the complete list of questions asked to a speaker. (C) Let the speakers choose the question, or the moderator choose the question. Or a third panel to select the question to be raised.

    10. GOA QUOTIENT. Think about somehow increasing the missing Goa quotient, else we may as well call it the ‘Hyatt Advertising Fest’. Even if that means adding a feni stall. Floral-print-T-shirts, food items. May be offer some discounts.

     

    Like every piece of unsolicited advice, I hold no liability if it does not give the desired results. So act on your own risk.

     

    Sanjeev Kotnala is a senior marketing and strategy consultant. His columns appear on MxMIndia every Wednesday and on special occasions. The views here are personal

     

  • The number of metals awarded this year in the media awards leapfrogged to 62 from the 38 last year

    Mindshare maxes Media Abby on Day 1 of Goafest

    Viacom18 Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats with the victorious Mindshare team

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    GroupM agency Mindshare bagged the Media Agency of the Year title on Day 1 of Goafest 2019. Mindshare bagged four golds of the 19 golds presented. There were a total of 62 metals awarded this year as against 38 presented last year.

     

    Madison Media was ranked second followed by IPG Mediabrand agencies Initiative Media and Lodestar UM at No 3 and No 4 respectively. Carat, a division of Dentsu Agency Network, was placed fifth. Also presented on the first day of the three-day annual celebration of advertising and media was the Publisher Abby.

    Nakul Chopra, Vikram Tanna, Vikram Sakhuja, Sudhanshu Vats, Ashish Bhasin, Jaideep Gandhi and Shashi Sinha at the inauguration ceremony of Goafest2019 | Dainik Jagran wins Best marketing of a printed newspaper edition in Publisher Abby awards at Goafest2019

     

     

    The first half of the day began with singer Shaan performing live and reminiscing some of his advertising jingle days. This was followed by the Industry Conclave and later the Abby awards presentation.

     

    Speaking about Goafest 2019, Ashish Bhasin, President of Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) said: “Over the last few years, we have seen the growth in participation with lines blurring between the media and creative disciplines. At Goafest 2019, on the back of an exclusive list of speakers and artists, we have seen a sustained registration of about 2000 delegates, while Abby Awards have seen 2700 entries this year.”

     

    Said Shashi Sinha, Chair of the Awards Governing Council, on participation in this year’s Abby awards: “Abby Awards continues to be the gold standard in creative and media awards. In today’s scenario, creativity is no longer limited to creative agencies only. We are also increasingly seeing it coming from other industries such as digital, PR, analytics, etc. This trend is evident in the diversity of participants and winners witnessed in the Abby Awards.”

     

    Said Nakul Chopra, Chairman – Goafest 2019: “Democratisation is a trend sweeping through the industry and we are proud of Goafest 2019 being an integral part of this change. It has been our endeavour to drive inclusivity irrespective of size and without the limitation of cost and opportunity.”

     

    According to Vikram Sakhuja, President, The Advertising Club, there has been an attempt to rationalise categories and getting an eminent jury. “This has led to a higher participation with around 15% more agencies entering their work this year,” he said.

     

    Goafest 2019 has Viacom18 as Presenting Sponsor and is powered by MX Player. The Industry Conclave was sponsored by Discovery Channel.

     

    Day 1 Press Release_2019

  • Sanjeev Kotnala, who has been at every edition of the fest-cum-awards, offers handy tips on navigating Goafest 2019

    Getting the most out of Goafest

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Goafest was fun when it used to be held at the Cavelossim Beach. It was hot and humid. One needed sunglasses, a hat and suntan lotion as standard accessories to navigate through the venue. I have been one of the stupids who questioned the relevance of some of fun activities including raindance, and I regret it.

    Certain limitations, costs, security, liabilities and other management issues moved Goafest to a hotel venue. The air-conditioning is excellent and the sessions are mighty comfortable. There used to be sundowner, after-hours party and enough beer to go around. But, in the process, Goafest missed out on both GOA and the FEST.  The fun element had taken a beating.

    It still holds its charm. It provides ample opportunities for ice-breaking, networking, training, knowledge sharing, deal closure and even informal business commitments. And it keeps evolving with time.

    This year we are moving to Unplugged entertainment of 30 minutes right after lunch. It may be a tough act. However, it achieves few things. It used lunch break as stage set-up time. It wakes up and recharges delegates. It gets them into the hall early and hence help in starting the post-lunch knowledge session on time.  Moreover, it allows the awards to start early without the long entertainment set-up period. And that will help start the after-parties early. My issues with this masterstroke are very few. Why even have these 30 minutes of entertainment. And such entertainment on a full stomach… does it sync? It may not work.  On top of it: just a 30-minute performance? What are we trying to do?

    For all we know, this is a mellowed down version of the real disruptive idea. Have the entertainer or the star performer as first slot of the day to help start conference on time.

     

    Goafest is fun when you are a part of a group.

    It’s pure fun when you are part of a group nominated by your organisation to attend Goafest. However, there is another subset of delegates. Independent individuals. These are start-up guys, entrepreneurs, small agency owners, media representatives and consultants. For them, it is a challenge to be a part of a group for long. And that includes the group from your ex-organisation.

    Whatever may be the subset you belong to, Goafest becomes chaotic by Day 2. It does not matter how big your group is. And by Day 3, people are bored of being with the same colleagues. The conversations dry up.  At this stage, Zombies takes over. You find delegates missing knowledge sessions and relaxing in their rooms. Sometimes it is just late-night partying and stressed out socialising/ networking that is the culprit. Sometimes, it’s the sequencing of the sessions.

     

    So, what can you do at Goafest?

    Get up early.  Take a walk along the beach. Many of you may not be near the beach. It’s okay, catching the early morning soft-flowing Goa breeze is a fabulous experience.

    Spend some time watching the shortlisted entries. Move to the display area early in the morning when the rest of the delegates are still deciding what to do. Now that you are there, don’t just glance over them, invest time. Study and understand them. If you find something that stuns you, compliment that agency or people when you meet.  Sometimes this is the best way to network. Everyone wants more appreciation!

    Pick the 2-5 sessions you definitely want to attend. Pick the first half and close it with the Unplugged session or may be start your day with it.

    Use your fingers and check about the author and the subject. Priming dry land before showers always helps. You will find that your interest in the subject and session gets enhanced. May be you already have the question you want to ask. Draft it and save it in your SMS. And when the time comes, plug that in the Goafest App.

    Avoid the sessions you do not want to attend. Don’t get pulled into them for any reason. The time is better utilised at the display area, networking outside, having drinks or just relaxing. I recommend early morning or the lunch time extending into the Unpugged session for this. There is nothing more tiring than listening with resourcefulness to something you are not interested in.

    Remember, networking and introductions happen in less crowded situations. So, create opportunities by being early at the start of the day, post-lunch session and awards night. A wee bit earlier than the hall doors open up and you may find it rewarding in term of connects you make. Do work like a homing pigeon. Make the networking worth for the other person too. So be ready with your deeply researched true networking opening conversation.

    Find the missing GOA in Goafest. Step out. Go to another beach. Eat at shacks. Have streetfood with friends. Find that lovely seafood joint or just land up at a casino for the adventure. Do something beyond Goafest!

    Most importantly, switch-off your e-mail and social media notifications. Do continue to post from the fest. People must know you are there. And respect the speaker, organisers and delegates by putting your phone on silent when you are attending any session.

    Find out the free Wi-Fi spots and passwords at the hotel. Check the connectivity. And at night update all your apps.

    Place three-alarms on your phone. Slot 15-20 minutes for an unhurried clean-up and replies of your inbox. Maybe at 0830, 1330 and 1830 Hrs.  Practice upward delegation. Check up how you can stop playing e-mail ping-pong and kill it with a phone call.

    Trust me, if there is fire, the right people have your number to reach you. Use your mobile camera to capture the moods, selfies and groupies. Select the picture you want to keep, delete all others and post the images (if you’re going to) then and there. Timing is everything.

    This Goafest, may you get what you deserve from it. May it create an all-new benchmark and reference of what to do in future. And may I meet Miss2016.

     

     

  • Sanjeev Kotnala has attended every edition of Goafest, and is looking forward to yet another edition

    Upclose view of a Loyalist

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    I was recently telling someone that I am one of the few who has attended every season of Goafest since inception.  I was stumped when she asked, what has changed and what should change at Goafest. Moreover, she wanted to know, why should someone attend Goafest? In spite of my being a loyalist, the questions pushed me rethink. It would have been different thing if Miss2016 was to ask me the same questions.

    I have been part of Goafest in all possible avatars. As a delegate, sponsor, sisrupter, award-winner, jury and Ppress. Have witnessed it morph from the Special-Invitees-only-Conclave on Day One to a three-day festival where delegates have the choice of days they want to attend.

    I felt the pain of few classical Goafest properties slowly vanishing from the festival radar. I remember the days when beer was freely available. I also remember the year when delegates were given coupons restricting the number of pints they could get, to now when with sporadic availability of beer.

    There used to be stalls lining your way to the knowledge hangers on the beach. Now we have replaced them with technology activation ports in the corridor and lobby area.

    The open-air after-parties on beach Cavelossim used to end early and continued in hotels, shacks, casinos and restaurants. Now they stretch to early mornings in closed halls.

    I know the delegates enjoyed rain dance. It is no longer a part of the fest.

    The knowledge seminars have moved out of humid hangers to air-conditioned halls. The knowledge seminar mix slowly morphing to spirituality, celebrities and authors, they say, everything swad anusar.

     

    Goafest, Not Everything Has Changed.

    Everything has not changed. Few things have retained their historical perspective.

    The association with Goa and festivity has further strengthened without any efforts.  The ticket counters have the same standardised looks. You still have to come back to collect the conference kit.

    Even with some large agencies deciding against participating in the awards, the enthusiasm and excitement along with the noise levels have not decreased. It’s best to stop asking such questions of award participation and just celeblrate Abby.

    The lucky draws along with other promotions have failed to increase visitors in the display area.

    The core teams organising the event has remained wel-represented by dedicated industry people with very low infusion of fresh blood.

    The delegate mix has moved towards smaller and digital agencies. However, marketers are still trying to find the answer to the big question; why attend Goafest? And while things were finding their coordinates in this flux, the media owners and brands continued to sponsor Goafest.

     

    Changes, I Wish To See At Goafest.

    This will not be the first time I am sharing my wishlist. I have been contributing my suggestions  through my blog and my column. I am thankful that few of them have even implemented.

    I will start with time management. There have been tremendous efforts on this agenda. And the results are apparent. However, we have a long way to go.

    I wish the organisers were stricter with the speaker’s time slot. I wish they were blunt and if necessary rude enough to end the session if it was exceeding time limit. Personally, I will respect them more if they are bold enough to start the morning sessions irrespective of the attendance. Why should the delegates who wake up early so that they are on time for the session be penalised?

    I wish Goafest introduce extra premium chairs and seat reservation for the session(s) or the day. I know many will be more than willing to check them out. May be introduce exclusive seating (with table) for the press to help them file their stories and cover the event better. If you do so, make sure there are enough seats.  More essential, ensure that these are occupied by media people accredited for the event and not people from media.

    I wish that the moderators are better prepared for discussion with the speakers and don’t sleepwalk through the proceeding. Someone trains the panelist on how to face the audience and not show them the shoulder.

    I wish the questions-answer sessions are not cancelled because of the speaker over-running his or her schedule. And, if possible, the panel that selects the questions for the speaker does not know the identity of the persons raising the question. There have been some low-level mummers of selection panel bias.

    If it’s Goafest, add some local flavour in food, welcome kit, side tours, entertainment and games. Goafest hardly has any Goa in it, and everyone has to make his or her own efforts to add Goa to the festivity. So, don’t be surprised that many continue to wear extra wide cane caps and floral shirts to the event.

    It will be great if the speakers do not overtly plug their services. If possibly a team should vet the presentations before the session to see the delegates are getting their dues.

    Hopefully, we will not have any speaker known to question advertising associations ethics and self-regulation. You know how touchy I am on this subject.

     

    Why Attend Goafest?

    Some questions should be left unanswered. Attending Goafest cannot have a logical answer. You like it, you attend Goafest. It’s that simple.  It got nothing to do with Goa, beaches, Feni, parties and festivity. Goafest almost always met expectations and promised to deliver more. It is still evolving!

    The jam-packed schedule of interesting knowledge sessions, the evening entertainment and the after parties at Grand Hyatt leave not much time for you to explore anything else. In fact, I will not be surprised if you think it was GrandHyattFest and not Goafest.

     

    On the other hand, I can suggest that you attend Goafest for precisely five reasons:

    (1) Knowledge seminars. And if you get just three seminars that work for you, you are done.

    (2) Networking. It all depends upon you, how you work it out

    (3) The After-parties. Best enjoyed with a group of friends and they go late at night

    (4) Work Display. Go through the shortlisted entries. Maybe you will pick some idea subliminally, expand on it, improvise it and morph it into something even better.

    (5) Relax and if you have an unfinished story– just wait for it to find its ending.

     

     

  • … even though many of the Big Boys have stayed away again. With less than a week for Goafest 2019, we speak with Abby Awards Governing Council chief Shashi Sinha

    Some good work, some surprises…

     

    With less than a week to go for the Goafest, the annual convention of the advertising and media industry, all eyes are on the Abby Awards. While some of the big names are missing, the overall numbers are roughly the same with a new set of entrants in the digital, publishing, broadcast and PR domains. MxMIndia spoke with veteran industryperson, CEO of IPG Mediabrands India and Chairman of the Awards Governing Council of the Abby Awards to get a feel of the Abby this year

     

    You’ve headed the Awards Governing Council in the past. And we know it’s perhaps one of the most thankless jobs in the media association ecosystem. So why did you get drawn into it again?

    I am part of this great industry and I’m very fond of Ad Club and the fraternity. I realised there aren’t too many people willing to take on the responsibility and someone with the wherewithal had to take it on. So when the President asked me, I said okay to it.

    Getting to the critical question upfront… participating in the awards is at a new low this year. Other than Lowe and Ogilvy and a few other biggies staying away, even last year’s #1 Social Street isn’t participating this year

    While I will give you the exact numbers in Goa, broadly they are in the same ballpark. Last time, it was 2700 entries, this year it may approximately be 30-40 entries less than that. But there is at least a 15-20% increase in media, and unlike last year, this time we have managed to get all agencies. So media has gone up dramatically this year. Similarly, the other categories that have gone up are Digital and PR. Yes, the drop has been in Creative. And that is primarily because of one agency which has come in which is, like you correctly said, is Social Street. They had some 300 entries last year. But there is a surprise entrant which has come in a nice way, and that’s Dentsu.

    But Taproot isn’t entering…

    Yes, Taproot hasn’t come. But other Dentsu creative agencies have entered

    While you say that other categories have grown, isn’t Goafest and the Abby all about the Creative Abby?

    I did try reaching to almost all agences, and we met the big boys who didn’t participate. And I am unhappy to report it that despite my meeting them 3-4 times, they didn’t come in. But no one is going to fault me for not trying. I went to Lowe, McCann, Publicis, JWT, Taproot… I went everywhere. Without giving names, some said we wish to participate, but we don’t have work this time. Someone said that you came late, you should have come earlier. Someone spoke of scams. So various people have their points of view. I can’t argue with them.

    Is it because of the rankings, since you now have the ‘Agency of the Year’ title?

    Well, even when we did not have the Agency of the Year, people would still put out the ranking.

    It’s possible to bring India and Pakistan on the discussion table, one can get North and South Korea to talk, but it’s not possible to get all the agencies here.

    I can tell you with all honesty, I put my might behind it. As I said, I met most people many times, and they were very receptive. But we have some clients participating directly even though their agencies are staying away.

    Like we saw in the Effies, where Hindustan Unilever participated directly since Lowe was staying away. Moving on, how was the judging with the second year of the Master Jury. How do you find the quality of entries?

    Very good. This year, we had the Master Jury for the Media Abby also. All the agency and network heads. There are basically two points of view: One, like every year, some have said the quality wasn’t as good. But there were others, who said the work was much better than last year. I am also delighted that many production houses and TV channels have entered some amazing work.

    Is it?

    Yes, and I hope they win. It will be a slap to some of the naysayers. Because finally it is all about content. Good content will and should win.

    On the composition of the Master Jury, we didn’t have anyone from Ogilvy yet again?

    I reached out to Sonal Dabral. He did not come back to me. There were a few who had agreed to be there, but couldn’t make it because of some last-minute engagement.

    Any surprises, stand-outs this year?

    Overall you will see good work. I don’t know who the winner is because I have not done the tally… the auditors do it. Guess there may be scams this time too, but I saw a lot of real work. I saw some films which were excellent. While I would like you to be there and see things for yourself, but I was mighty pleased with some of the digital work and the entries of the television channels.

    Any surprises?

    Who knows, you could well see some.