Goafest 2011: Once bitten, twice shy; Once low attendance, twice...??

While the rain dance party at the fest remains an all time hit with a jam-packed foot tapping on the floor, the knowledge sessions at the Seminar Hangar witnesses a not-so-full scenario.. What's the solution? What's the end? We dig in further....

Neha S | Goa, Delhi | April 14, 2011

The show is over, the process is validated, the awards are well distributed... Spare us, as there's not even an iota of doubt that this time the sun shone brightest at Goa Fest 2011 with not only agencies participating back with a bang but also a lot more enumerated planning involved at the back stage.

But as the awards were basking in towards a new glory, there were issues to deal with like low client participation, shifting of the venue (from beach to a private property) and low attendance of the creative young breed during the seminars...

Thus how this concerns, (or if not at all!) to the moguls of the creative and media agencies as the new crop is what represents future. Hence BestMediaInfo.com probed this heavy-duty question to these ad-honchos and look what they had to share with us:

Sam Balsara, Chairman and Managing Director, Madison Communications

I think that the solution for it is two pronged. a) The first thing is that we find a solution so that more people come and participate b)  People come to Goa for partying but what makes Goa fest is an ideal combination of fun and learning. I think we have to figure innovative ways to invite young people to come on more interactive basis. But these things don't happen overnight. But we anticipate that in next three-four years we will see thousand times more involvement of people as to what we have now.”

K V Sridhar, National Creative Director, Leo Burnett

There is a lesson to be learnt in one hat that ASCI has done this year. That little installation out there that shows the mind of youth, that effectively demonstrates the power if you involve them. If I go and talk to them about the ethics of advertising then they will yawn and run away but with this initiative they have themselves become the ambassador. Thus, what made that conversion is interesting! Today, 50-60 year old decide how this industry runs. But next year I want all these ambassadors to run this show as currently it's just meant for retired people.

Suresh Shah, VP-Investments, Allied Media

To be very frank, if you are dancing the entire night then it's almost impossible for you to get up and attend the seminar in the morning. But still I am very positive that the younger crowd that forms around 50% of the crowd of Goa fest is still upbeat about the knowledge seminars. And if you call industry veterans to come and share their experiences then it's something which the industry is doing for the younger lot and not for people like me who are on the verge of end of their career. And they should respect this fact.

Prasoon Joshi, Executive Chairman McCann Worldgroup India , Regional Creative Director Asia Pacific McCann Worldgroup

I certainly think that's one of the issues that need to be ironed out. And the knowledge session should be how to have respect in advertising. But it's really unfortunate that young people actually refrain from such things at the fest. And if it's just about partying, then i think we should not come to a holiday destination like Goa.

Neha@BestMediaInfo.com

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