GoaFest 2025 introduces ‘Ad Plays’ and ‘Goa Fresh’ to refresh experience

With a sharper focus on immersion and engagement, GoaFest 2025 is set to debut two new intellectual properties, Ad Plays and Goa Fresh, as it returns this year under the theme 'Return on Experience'. The upcoming edition aims to go beyond conventional conference formats to offer a more interactive and inclusive festival environment.

Ad Plays, a newly launched IP, will introduce sports and wellness activities into the festival agenda. From pickleball and beach yoga to walk-a-thons, the initiative reflects the organisers’ intent to elevate on-ground engagement. “It’s all about experience this year. The return on experience is what we're focusing on,” said Jaideep Gandhi, Chairman of the Goafest 2025 Organising Committee and Founder of Another Idea.

Adding to this is Goa Fresh, an initiative aimed at students from leading communication institutes such as MICA, Symbiosis, and Loyola College Chennai. “They will be given access to GoaFest and exclusive mentoring sessions, giving them a glimpse into the scale at which our industry operates,” said Mohit Joshi, Co-chair of the Goafest 2025 Organising Committee and CEO of Havas Media Network India.

Now in its 18th year, the festival is also moving to a new venue—Taj Cidade De Goa—which will host parallel sessions, entertainment zones, and multi-format experiences across its Heritage and Horizon spaces. “We have both the Heritage and Horizon spaces to ourselves. The objective was to make a GoaFest village,” Joshi explained.

Across two and a half days, GoaFest 2025 will feature over 35 sessions, more than 60 speakers, and 20+ masterclasses, marking a significant expansion. Among the key names are Rishad Tobaccowala, CGO of Publicis, Youri Guerassimov, CEO of Marcel Worldwide, and senior leaders from Spotify, Tata Motors, and HUL. Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor, cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir, and AI film director Vivek Anchalia are also slated to take the stage.

Complementing the new IPs is the return of Ad Rocks, the festival’s established music property, now in its third year. Masterclasses by D&AD, WARC, and MRSI, along with continued partnerships with ISA, IAA, ASCI, IOAA, and TAC, will enrich the knowledge agenda.

Behind the scenes, the effort is immense. “We work at least six months on GoaFest. Half the year goes into its planning,” said Gandhi. “We’ve done this for 18 years now, and this year is the most complex yet, with two venues and multiple tracks running across them.”

What sets GoaFest apart, the organisers emphasise, is its collaborative spirit. “There’s no you and me, rather clients, sponsors, media, and the organising teams, we all collaborate. Even attendees like editors pitch in ideas,” said Joshi.

The sponsorship portfolio is also expanding. “We have new categories entering the sponsorship arena this year,” said Gandhi, adding that a full list will be revealed soon.

The festival’s reach is growing geographically too, with increasing interest from tier-II and tier-III cities. “It’s not just metros anymore. GoaFest has become the Mecca of the advertising festival scene in India,” Gandhi noted.

Both Gandhi and Joshi agree that the value proposition of GoaFest 2025 lies in more than just content. “The experience that you'll get this year will be very different from what you've seen in the past,” said Joshi. “The return on engagement, the return on experience, it’s going to be very high.”