How to make Goafest better from industry junket to India’s Cannes

I was at GoaFest last week. My first visit in its 19 editions so far. 

This year our agency Everest was being honoured for being an AAAI member for 50+ years at the AAAI@80 function. Also, the GoaFest organisers were going to pay homage to Diwan Arun Nanda, my boss and mentor, who passed away last year. I felt obligated to be in Goa. 

To be fair, it was a good show. AAAI President Srinivas ‘Sundar’ Swamy, his deputy Jaideep Gandhi and GoaFest major domo Mojo (Mohit Joshi) had put in intense effort. And the results were visible – many sponsors, reasonable participation and good tempo triggered by bhangra rapper Sukhbir. 

But I still felt something was missing. 

GoaFest has the sun, the sand, and the seniority. What it doesn’t seem to have is the FOMO. For a festival that wants to be the pulse of Indian advertising, it still feels like a low-decibel client-agency offsite that accidentally gave out awards. And where the heads of Ogilvy, VML, Dentsu and other large network agencies were conspicuously missing. And where very very few client CEOs took time out to attend.

So here’s my honest take on GoaFest, and some fixing it perhaps requires as it heads into its 20th year. 

1. Kill the Goa Tax, Keep the Goa Vibe

The problem as I see it: GoaFest is expensive, GoaFest is cliquey, and for young creatives it’s 3 days of watching senior CDs and second rung client representatives drink on expense accounts.  

The fix? i) Tiered pricing: Student + Indie agency passes at 80% off. Subsidize with 2 premium sponsor slots. If 25-year-olds can’t afford to come, you lose the future. ii) Don’t move it from Goa: The beach is a feature, not a bug. Cannes isn’t in Paris for a reason. But add “GoaFest Fringe” — free portfolio reviews, open-air screenings, and brand stalls on the beach (if possible, given the torrid heat) for anyone and everyone in Goa, pass or not.

2. Make the Awards Matter Again. As I chatted with a lot of the youngsters, the unequivocal message was: Make the Awards Matter.

The problem as I see it: Abbys have a credibility hangover. Too many metals, too many legacy categories, too much politics. The same winners year after year – those that have perfected the “Goa Code”. 

The fix?: i) Cut categories by 40%. No more “Best Use of WhatsApp in B2B SaaS for Tier-3.” If Cannes has 30 Lions, Abbys don’t need 200. ii)Public judging: Stream the Grand Prix debates. Let people hear why “The Dettol Kebab Handwash” beat “Parle’s Melody endorsed by PM Modi.” Transparency = prestige has to be the mantra. iii)Add a “Real Impact” Abby: Award work that moved business metrics, not just juror hearts (and don’t allow fudging of data). Get CFOs on that jury. Make ROI sexy.

3. Program for Brains, Not Just Beaches. That is the kind of repositioning that is seriously needed

The problem as I see it: Panels invariably are about how 7 CEOs (all of whom know no nothing about the subject) agree with each other on AI for 45 minutes, with some has-been TV presenter as moderator. Gen Z walk out in the first 3 minutes. Borrrring as hell. Many sessions have more participants outside the hall than within it.  

The fix?: i) Less gyaan, more craft: What’s needed are sessions like “How we wrote that line,” “Frame-by-frame: Editing an IPL ad,” “The ₹50 lakh media plan autopsy.” Practitioners teaching practitioners. ii)Ban the moderator who even once says “… your thoughts?”: Bring ruthless interviewers. Put a Prasoon Joshi alone on stage with a 22-year-old TikTok creator and no script. That will be fun. iii) Global+Bharat: What is needed is a 1:1 ratio of international speakers to regional heroes. The guy doing 10M-view reels for a Coimbatore textile shop teaches you more than another Metaverse keynote or a Google guy trying to be Sundar Pichai on stage.

4. Design for the 90% Who Aren’t ECDs

The problem as I see it: The festival is designed for the 200 people who already know each other. And sit constantly in the CEO lounge.  

The fix?: i) Portfolio Pub: 2 hours daily where any creative under 30 can get 5-minute reviews from top CDs. No appointment, just show up. Dubai Lynx does this. It works. ii) Brief Battles: Brands drop a real brief at 10 am. Teams deliver a 3-slide idea by 6 pm. Winner gets ₹1L and the account. Turns GoaFest from passive to participatory. iii) Creator Cabanas: Give YouTubers, meme pages, and D2C founders their own stage. Advertising doesn’t own culture anymore. Invite the people who do. Make them your co-conspirators. 

5. Measure What Matters, Not Just Moët Consumption

The problem as I see it: Success = “vibe” and “headcount.” But no one knows if GoaFest really moved the industry forward on either.  

The fix?: i) Publish a “State of Indian Creativity” report every GoaFest. Based on entries, not opinions. What % was digital-first? Mobile first? Insta first? How many were for Bharat? What mediums are dying? Has CTV overtaken linear?  ii) Track alumni: How many 2024 attendees got promoted, switched to product, started agencies? If GoaFest isn’t a career accelerant, it’s just a party.  

6. Steal from Everyone

The problem as I see it: There is so much more that others are doing. And perhaps doing better. GoaFest should get “inspired” by best-in-class. 

The fix?: From Cannes – Yacht-level networking, but focussed on indie shops, start-ups and founder-led boutiques aspiring for greater horizons. From SXSW – Music + tech + brand collabs. A stage for Indian hip-hop meets AR. From IPL – Hype, fan engagement, real-time content. Daily “Super Over” of ideas.

7. The Big Idea: GoaFest Should Be Where India’s Next Big Campaign Gets Born

Imagine this: Day 1, HUL drops a brief for a new soap for UP/Bihar. Day 3, 10 teams pitch live on stage. The winning idea goes into production next month.  

Suddenly then GoaFest isn’t a retrospective. It’s a live R&D lab. Clients come because work gets done. Creatives come because they might leave with a career-defining win. Press covers it because something actually happened.  

The bottom line: GoaFest needs to choose. Is it a reunion or a revolution?  

If it’s a reunion, keep the awards night and the free booze.  

If it’s a revolution, make it cheaper, younger, sharper, and useful.  

The best festivals don’t celebrate the industry. They push it. 

This piece is not meant to be criticism of anyone or anything. GoaFest is good. But it can be better. Since this is a 3-part series on GoaFest, in the following two pieces I will look at what Cannes can teach GoaFest, and what there is to be imbibed from SXSW. So, more tomorrow. 

Dr. Sandeep Goyal is Chairman of Rediffusion and Everest. He is former India JV Partner and Chairman of Dentsu India & Middle East, and ex-CEO of Zee.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views of exchange4media.com.)