Adland Celebrates Innovation & Resilience At Goafest 2024

Goafest 2024 took a major shift this year, moving from its traditional beachside venue in Goa to the city of Mumbai. While the change of location was necessitated by circumstances, the industry seems to have wholeheartedly embraced the theme of 'The Age of Adaptability', supporting Goafest this year.

Chandan Mukherjee, Director & Executive Vice President at Nestle India, reflected on the spirit of Goafest's transcending location. "The most important thing is to have Goafest. It's a great meeting point for people in advertising, media, marketing and so on. The venue is not Goa this time, but Mumbai, yet it's equally effective."

The sentiment was echoed by Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer at Publicis Groupe South Asia and Chairman of Leo Burnett South Asia. "It's the age of adaptability. Because of the election and everything, Goafest had to move. The beautiful thing is they didn't cancel it, because if they had, no one would believe in Goafest anymore," he told BW Marketing World.

Das praised the organisers for ensuring the show went on despite challenges. "If they don't do it year after year, people will lose faith. The show must go on."

The theme, 'The Age of Adaptability,' has resonated deeply with the industry, which is witnessing seismic shifts in media, technology and consumer behaviour.  

Mukherjee acknowledged, "Media is an ever-evolving field and with a fast-changing world there will be different players, technologies, mediums and ways of connecting. I look forward to more synergies, better effectiveness and efficiency and the joining of forces to delight our consumers and create brands."

Harsha Razdan, CEO of dentsu South Asia, expressed his approval of the theme's relevance. "The age of adaptability – very, very apt right now. Very true for the agency world, creative world and media world. Couldn't have been a better theme to choose."

Despite the change of venue from the coastal state to the bustling metropolis, the industry has rallied around Goafest 2024, embracing the need for adaptability in the face of constant evolution. As Das emphasised, “We love the industry, we love the work we see, we love to judge the work. If you don't give us that, we'll stop believing in what the organisation is giving us.”

Reema Bhaduri

BW Reporters The author is the Editorial Lead at BW Businessworld. Majorly writes on marketing, advertising, experiential marketing and retail. She closely looks upon the vertical of BW Marketing World and BW Retail World.