The buzz around the 17th edition of Goafest, which kicks off on May 29, is finally picking up. The three-day event will showcase knowledge discussions helmed by stakeholders from the advertising, marketing, and media industry.
For the first time in 18 years, the Goafest, co-hosted by The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club, has shifted base to Mumbai due to the ongoing Lok Sabha general elections. To be held at Westin, Powai between May 29 and May 31, it will host over 50 speakers and entertainers across 20 sessions in addition to organising more than 15 masterclasses.
The various sessions at Goafest 2024 will see experts share their opinions and insights around the festival's theme ‘The Age of Adaptability’. The keynote sessions by speakers, including Tata Play’s managing director and CEO, Harit Nagpal and L Catterton India’s executive chairman Sanjiv Mehta, attempt to deliver practical and relevant learnings that pivot around this topic.
Some of the speakers at the panel discussion include:
- Tarun Puri, senior operating partner of Lighthouse Funds
- Asha Kharga, chief customer and brand officer of Mahindra Group
- Sunil Kataria, CEO of Raymond Lifestyle
- Shashank Srivastava, executive director of Maruti Suzuki
- Chandan Mukherji, global head of consumer and marketplace insights at Nestle
- Shubhranshu Singh, chief marketing officer of commercial vehicles at Tata Motors
- Sukhleen Aneja, CEO of The Good Glamm Group
- Zairus Master, chief business officer of Honasa Consumer
- Darshana Shah, head of marketing and customer experience at Aditya Birla Capital
- Dr Marcus Ranney, founder, CEO and chief medical director of Human Edge
- Actor Manoj Bajpayee
- Actor Zeenat Aman
- Actor Vikrant Massey
- Actor Neha Dhupia
- Actor Medha Shankar
- Cricketer Sourav Ganguly
- Film director, writer, and producer Tahira Kashyap
- Author and lyricist Neelesh Misra
Talking about the line-up of speakers and sessions, Rohit Ohri, FCB global partner and chairman of Goafest 2024’s content committee said, “The event is set to ignite minds, spark creativity, and explore new frontiers in the ever-evolving landscape of advertising and marketing. We are excited to offer a diverse array of speakers and sessions that celebrate creative excellence and emphasise the crucial role of adaptability in thriving within our industry.”
In addition to the knowledge sessions, Goafest 2024 will host the second edition of its ‘Advertising Rocks’ talent showcase. Each day will culminate with an after-hours party with performances by singers Sukhwinder Singh and Harshdeep Kaur.
Anupriya Acharya, CEO-South Asia of Publicis Groupe, and immediate past president of AAAI stated, “This year at Goafest we are embarking on a transformative journey with the ‘The Age of Adaptability’ theme. Our carefully curated speaker line-up reflects this ethos, showcasing how our industry must pivot and innovate in response to shifting landscapes.”