Goafest 2022 has received record registrations, entries and sponsorships, says Anupriya Acharya of AAAI

India’s biggest advertising event, Goafest has witnessed a record level of registration and entries and sponsorships, Anupriya Acharya, President, Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) told BestMediaInfo.com. 

The much-awaited event is finally going to take place, after a gap of two years, from May 5-7 at the Grand Hyatt, Goa. 

BestMediaInfo.com spoke to Acharya and Jaideep Gandhi, Chairman, Goafest 2022 Organising Committee, about what all new is going to be at Goafest this time. 

Jaideep Gandhi

Gandhi told BestMediaInfo.com that the event will have a captivating line-up of speakers, including actor SS Rajamani, who will be in conversation with Anupam Kher, apart from this I&B Minister Anurag Thakur, Smriti Irani, Minister of Women and Child Development, Kiran Bedi, Social Activist and former cop, and sports personalities like PV Sindhu and Mithali Raj will also be part of it. 

“We will also have speakers from the gaming industry, as somebody from X-Box will be joining there. So, it’ll be an interesting line-up,” Gandhi said.  

Goafest has onboarded 18 sponsors for this year. Times Network has come on board as Presenting Sponsor and the event will be Co-Powered by MX Player and Spotify. Hindustan Times is the Digital partner and Meta is the Digital Conclave Sponsor.

Throwing light on the sessions to be held at Goafest, Gandhi said, “We have some sessions on inclusiveness, OTT, Health and Wellness. And of course, we have big names from Bollywood and sports to make it more inclusive in terms of inspiration. We have around 6-7 masterclasses happening from Meta, Snapchat, and MX Player, for different learnings and trends.”

This year, instead of a physical presentation of the winning craft work, Goafest has decided to do a digital presentation of the award-winning craft work.

Anupriya Acharya

Acharya said, “Until now, there used to be a physical copy displayed of all the work across the craft. This time around, we converted all of that to the digital in the spirit of going green. And this is the first time that we’re doing that. We will also be bringing the craft work into the main area where the festival is happening, unlike earlier when there used to be a separate segment where workpieces were showcased physically.”  

The Goafest will also be broadcast on TV, other than the regular print and digital coverage of the event. 

While excitement is taking the front seat, safety too remains an essential part of Goafest 2022. An increase in Covid-19 cases in the past few weeks has raised everyone’s concerns. The organising committee is, therefore, making sure that all the safety protocols are followed.

Speaking about the safety measures, Gandhi said, “We’ll take all safety protocols and measures (related to Covid-19) at the venue. Only those who are double vaccinated would be registered.”

Acharya added, “Currently, we have more than 150 companies registered. People are coming in for registration and we have to also ensure that there are safety protocols. I think our challenge may not be how many people are coming. But the challenge might be how to accommodate those many people.”

Acharya further said that the theme of the event would be celebrating the human spirit, coming out alive and kicking from the last two years, the strength that the industry has displayed in the tough times, and of course, all the work that got created despite all the limitations. 

 

 

 

 

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As for the recently released Goafest launch video, Acharya said that it has already set the tone for the festival. 

Responding to a query on the event’s humble beginnings 15 years ago, Acharya recalled Arvind Sharma and Sundar Swamy who came together as President and Chairman of the Goafest and created the whole property.

She said, “15 years ago, it looked very different and it happened in Cavelossim beach in South Goa. Over the years we’ve seen it becoming grander, more inclusive, and the participation has expanded from big networks to many more organisations. We have way stronger content today as it has evolved over the years. Now we find higher participation of digital agencies, independent agencies, and new-age agencies.”

Info@BestMediaInfo.com