Every client I work for should be on this stage: Navin Khemka on Abby Awards sweep

At Goafest 2026, WPP Media’s Navin Khemka reflects on an Abby Awards sweep across clients and offices, saying every client he works with should be on stage

by e4m Staff
Published: May 21, 2026 1:41 PM | 3 min read

Navin Khemka, President (South Asia) of WPP Media, celebrated the agency's recognition as Agency of the Year and Client of the Year at the Abby Awards during Goafest 2026, highlighting the agency's broad success across multiple clients and offices.
Khemka emphasized the importance of teamwork and innovation in producing cutting-edge campaigns, expressing pride in his team's efforts amidst the rapidly changing media landscape.
He refrained from singling out any specific campaign as a standout, noting that all campaigns, including those that were shortlisted but did not win, are valuable and contribute to the agency's aspirations for future improvements.
Khemka described the Goafest experience as "phenomenal," appreciating the networking opportunities and the venue, while expressing a vision for all clients to achieve recognition at future awards.

Navin Khemka, President (South Asia), WPP Media, was in a celebratory mood at Goafest 2026 after the agency walked away with the Agency of the Year honour at the Abby Awards: a win that came alongside the Client of the Year title and a spread of metals across multiple clients and offices.

"Extremely elated," Khemka said, reflecting on the recognition. "Agency of the Year, Client of the Year, some amazing work, work spread across multiple clients, across offices — what else can I ask for? It just shows the breadth of good work that is happening in the agency, across teams."

For Khemka, the wins were as much a testament to the people behind the work as they were to the campaigns themselves. "I'm so happy for my teams that they continue to push the effort, and especially today, when the media is changing so fast, we are able to put cutting-edge work in front of our clients," he said.

Asked to single out a standout campaign from the year, Khemka was measured and deliberate in his response. "I would not want to single out any campaign. Every campaign is special. Even the clients who are shortlisted and who did not win today, those pieces of work are also very, very good." He added that those near-misses only sharpen the agency's ambitions heading into the next cycle. "We will obviously want to improve on that and come back, refresh the next year with a better approach on some clients who are shortlisted and have not won."

That sentiment speaks to a broader vision Khemka has been building towards. "My vision is that every client I work for should be on this stage," he said plainly. "We are, I think, consistently moving towards that vision. Year after year, we are adding many more new clients into the award category — and that is important for them."

On the experience of Goafest itself, Khemka was unreserved. "Phenomenal is the word," he said. "The experience, the crowd, the networking that we are able to do with all our friends and the media partners — so many clients have started coming in." The venue drew particular praise. "It's such a lovely venue. Last year also, and this year again, I'm hoping that the entire community will make it a huge success once again."

With Agency of the Year in the bag and a growing roster of clients making their mark on the Abby Awards stage, WPP Media's South Asia chapter appears to be moving with both momentum and purpose, and Khemka, for one, seems intent on making sure that trajectory holds.