MAM
Goafest 2015: Arnab Goswami, Prasoon Joshi, JWT steal the show
GOA: It was raining beers, the sun scorched the land and the beach was calm. The scene was from one big ‘creative’ gathering in Goa. This creative lot has the power of changing the fate of a brand with a 30 second ad or one well crafted hoarding. Yes, we’re talking about the mighty Indian advertising frat, which had assembled for Goafest 2015 this past weekend.
The fest started on 9 April, 2015 and before lighting of the lamp, beer bottles were opened! Regardless of the high spirits, all keynotes saw huge attendance as more than 70 per cent of the ballroom was always occupied over the weekend, which is immense success for the organizers.
The seminars were followed by rain dances and a sailing competition in the afternoon, whereas the evening had everyone on tenterhooks as the Abby Awards were distributed. One after another, a creative piece found recognition as metals were distributed. The award ceremony was followed by an after-hours party.
Highlights of the event:
· Eminent speakers came and shared their thoughts and vision on the platform about various issues.
· Arnab Goswami’s session, on the second day, saw a packed auditorium for the first time, while his speech on stage was as always flamboyant; the counter reaction from a less known individual was a surprise. Whenever Goswami ended a sentence with a question mark, the man unceremoniously shouted from the audience. The banter went to that extent that organizers stopped the session and asked the man to leave the room. However, as soon as the issue was resolved, Goswami continued with his keynote.
· There were more number of females receiving awards as compared to the males. The women representation in Goafest indicated that Indian women were empowered with every skill, no matter the field.
· Prasoon Joshi was felicitated by the organizing committee and that was one of the greatest moments of the entire festival. He shared bits and bytes of his advertising journey and concluded by singing the song he wrote on Nirbhaya.
· The youngest CEO Suhash Gopinath shared his story how he became a CEO at such an early age and ignited the entrepreneurship fever in every youth present in the hall.
· Rejuvenating live performances from Indiva, Rodney and others got everyone dancing, while East India Comedy forced everyone to laugh.
· JWT with 35 metals lead the metals tally where as Linen Lintas won the solo Grand Prix.
Low notes of the event:
· While there were speakers of huge stature, the moderating quality was average as the moderator failed to get much out of the speakers.
· The gold and silver winners were invited on stage to receive metals but the ad or the creative piece they were credited for was abruptly displayed. On a gathering where the entire advertising fraternity was cherishing each other’s work, the entire creative piece should have been displayed uninterruptedly.
· The hosting was sub-standard. There were too many oops moments, where a lady was introduced as Mister and vice versa. During the award ceremony too, flaws were very much visible. For a fest of this magnitude, the standard cannot be compromised with.
MAM
Ad:tech honours 2026: Full list of winners announced
Expanded awards spotlight winners across 22 categories as industry doubles down on intelligent automation
NEW DELHI: Marketing’s tech elite took the spotlight as the ad:tech honours 2026 returned with a sharper focus on AI, data and immersive media, signalling how deeply technology now underpins brand strategy. Held at Yashobhoomi on March 17, the second edition drew industry leaders to celebrate innovation that is reshaping engagement and performance.
Presented with the International Advertising Association India chapter and new partner Huella, the awards expanded from 8 to 22 categories, tracking the rapid convergence of creativity, automation and analytics.
The winners’ list reads like a snapshot of marketing’s future. In affiliate and partner marketing, Lyxel & Flamingo – Boat and Paytm Ads – Giva took silver. Mobavenue Media Private Limited struck gold in AI-driven dynamic creative optimisation, alongside a silver for Laqshya Media Limited.
Creative AI collaboration saw Rediffusion Brand Solutions Private Limited win gold, with Saltinc Consulting Private Limited securing silver. Laqshya Media Limited continued its strong run, taking gold in AI conversation agents and adding multiple wins across categories, including silver in GenAI-led creative and both gold and silver in interactive DOOH campaigns for Tanishq and Tata Coffee.
Predictive AI honours went to Strong Metrics and Tyroo, both silver, while Orient Bell Limited picked up silver in immersive retail tech. In GenAI-led creative, Laqshya Media Limited, Salt – Kotak and Sumimoto each secured silver, reflecting the crowded race in generative creativity.
Publicis bagged silver in influencer management and gold in performance marketing, where it shared the stage with Arm Worldwide and The Trade Desk, both silver. Glad U Came Private Limited stood out with gold in influencer measurement and analytics.
Marketing automation saw CereOne Media Pvt. Ltd. and Globale Media win silver, while ADMOTT Private Limited claimed silver in OTT innovation.
Programmatic media categories highlighted the shift to advanced targeting and connected screens. Mobavenue Media Private Limited clinched gold in connected TV advertising, with Animmoov Digital Media Pvt Ltd – Asus and Lyxel and Flamingo taking silver. Cheggout Services Private Limited won silver in retail media advertising, while Paytm Ads – Versuni secured gold.
On social platforms, Vayner Media India took gold in community and UGC engagement, with Under 25 – Oppo winning silver. Segumento rounded off the list with silver in the innovation category.
Jaswant Singh, country managing director at ad:tech India, underscored the momentum, saying generative AI and data-driven decision-making are now central to marketing impact. Neena Dasgupta, IAA mancom member and chief executive and founder at The Salt Inc Consulting, added that the awards celebrate not just technology, but “the people, the creativity, and the relentless effort behind it.”
Backed by Comexposium Group, ad:tech New Delhi has long tracked digital disruption. Now, with the honours, it is rewarding those who are not just adapting to change but engineering it.
In an industry racing towards automation, the message from 2026 is unmistakable. The future of marketing will be written not just in ideas, but in algorithms.
