Goafest & What Keeps Us Coming Back
· Free Press Journal
Over the weekend, the Indian advertising and media industry made its way to Goafest — a space synonymous with community, connection, information and, most importantly, celebration.
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Held from 20–22 May at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon, Goafest 2026 brought together more than 2,000 delegates through a programme featuring over 60 speakers, approximately 20 knowledge sessions, workshops, masterclasses, entertainment formats and the ABBY Awards.
This year’s theme, Reset for Growth, framed the agenda not around expansion alone, but around reassessing how brands, agencies and creators approach work in an environment increasingly shaped by AI, changing media habits and evolving consumer expectations.
From the opening conversations, one message became clear: growth can no longer come from repeating what worked before. In ‘Resetting Brand India: From Growth Story to Growth Strategy’, speakers including Prasoon Joshi and economist Rajiv Kumar reflected on how India’s cultural momentum must now translate into more deliberate economic choices, and long-term value creation.
Artificial Intelligence remained one of the strongest threads across the festival.
‘AI Washing: The Truth About AI’, challenged the industry’s growing obsession with AI labels. Moderator Shubhranshu Singh perhaps captured the room’s mood best when he remarked that “AI washing is when disruption is the promise and a chatbot is the delivery.”
‘There’s an Agent for That’ explored how intelligent systems are beginning to reshape marketing workflows and decision-making. Discussion kept returning to one question: if technology can increasingly optimise and execute, where does human value remain?
Several speakers challenged the idea that efficiency alone produces meaningful work. One of the more widely discussed remarks came from Eugene Cheong, who argued that the industry risks becoming “an asset delivery business” if it prioritises efficiency over imagination. The broader sentiment across conversations was that in a world where production is becoming faster and cheaper, originality and risk become more valuable.
Questions around attention, emotion and memorability emerged in day two’s panel, ‘All About Ads: The Hook Between Attention, Emotion and Recall’, where speakers discussed how fragmented media habits and shrinking attention spans are forcing marketers to rethink communication. Panelist Sam Balsara emphasised that consistency remains essential despite shorter campaign cycles, while Rahul Kanwal suggested that advertising is moving from campaign-led storytelling to culture-led participation.
The conversation around changing operating models continued into day three through ‘The Client Who Also Became the Agency’, where the panel explored the growing role of in-house capabilities. Gaurav Ramdev argued that brands increasingly require speed and cultural responsiveness. Raj Kamble maintained that agencies remain valuable because they bring external perspective and creative friction, while Chandan Mendiratta described Zepto’s approach as one built around real-time cultural participation.
Other sessions turned attention towards changing media ecosystems. In ‘The War on Data’, speakers examined questions around first-party data, platform dependency and audience ownership. Meanwhile, ‘TV Is Dead. Long Live TV.’ challenged the idea that television is disappearing, arguing instead that viewing behaviour is fragmenting across platforms and formats.
But Goafest has always been more than what happens on stage.
Outside formal sessions, the festival retained the atmosphere that distinguishes it from a standard conference. ‘Advertising Rocks’ returned as one of the event’s most exciting cultural formats, bringing together professionals for live performances and entertainment.
The ‘Walk of Fame’ transformed shortlisted work into an open viewing experience, allowing delegates to move through campaigns and ideas beyond the pressure of judging rooms and award ceremonies.
‘GoaFresh’ brought over 50 students from institutions including MICA, SPJIMR, IIM, Xavier Institute of Communications, and more into the festival, giving them the first-hand opportunity to interact with and observe top industry professionals.
Beyond the ballroom, the hotel’s lobby, restaurants, cafés and rooftops turned into extensions of the programme, where conversations continued well beyond the schedule. New introductions turned into collaborations, and debates carried on long after panels ended.
The ABBY Awards brought the festival to a close, but the larger takeaway remained consistent: AI has already mastered the art of colouring within the lines. Can you bring something more to the table?