AD Agencies
Goafest 2024 – day 1 sets the stage for adaptation and innovation with speakers
Mumbai: South Asia’s most definitive advertising, media, and marketing festival, Goafest 2024, is all set to bring together stalwarts from across the industry with a focus on adaptation and innovation. Co-hosted by The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club (TAC), Day 1 of the festival will feature key industry experts exploring the diverse aspects of the theme ‘The Age of Adaptability’.
The festival will kick off with keynotes from industry leaders. The opening session titled Adapt To Thrive Not Just Survive, will witness Harit Nagpal, Managing Director & CEO of Tata Play, emphasize on the importance of adaptability as a key to thriving rather than merely surviving. Following this, an insightful session on Navigating The Age Of Adaptability by Sanjiv Mehta, Executive Chairman of L Catterton India will explore the essential components of leading with vision, flexibility, and purpose in today’s rapidly evolving market landscape.
Thereafter, in an impactful session titled From Setbacks to Comebacks: The Power of Persistence, acclaimed Writer and Film Director Tahira Kashyap in conversation with Atika Farooqui, Anchor/ Creative Director, Viacom18 will captivate the audiences with her inspiring journey, underscoring the transformative power of perseverance in turning obstacles into stepping stones.
Concluding Day 1 with what adaptability means in real life, a session titled Embracing Failure to Touch Success, will feature Indian actress Medha Shankr, and actor Vikrant Massey. Moderated by the multifaceted Actor, Producer & Entrepreneur Neha Dhupia, the session will witness Medha and Vikrant, the cast of the acclaimed film 12th Fail, enlighten the audience with their insights on embracing failure as a stepping stone towards triumph.
Scheduled to take place from 29 to 31 May, 2024, at The Westin Mumbai, Powai Lake, the stellar speakers and sessions on Day 1 will serve as a poignant reminder that even in the face of adversity, there is potential for extraordinary growth and achievement.
Stay tuned for Day 2 and Day 3. To know the agenda for Day 2 and Day 3, please log on
AD Agencies
Publicis Brazil’s creative chief Mauro Ramalho lands the jury chair at Abby Awards 2026
Mauro Ramalho brings 25 years of global advertising firepower to the new creative commerce, use of data and B2B category at Goafest
GOA: The Abby Awards 2026, powered by The One Club and The One Show, has appointed Mauro Ramalho, chief creative officer of Publicis Brazil, as jury chair for its newly launched creative commerce, use of data and B2B category. The announcement, made on 18 March, signals the awards’ intent to bring serious international muscle to a category that sits squarely at the intersection of creativity and commercial performance.
Ramalho is not a name that needs much introduction in global advertising circles. Over 25 years spanning three countries, he has worked at some of the industry’s most creatively restless addresses. At AKQA in San Francisco, he worked across McDonald’s, Nike, Fox, Target, Kraft Foods and GAP, and helped lead “The Lost Ring” for McDonald’s, one of the first alternate reality campaigns and among the most awarded projects of its era. He later moved to Organic in Toronto, bridging the Detroit and Toronto offices on Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler, before spending over a decade building CUBOCC into one of Brazil’s most iconic and innovative independent agencies, which subsequently joined the IPG network.
A stint at FCB followed, where Ramalho led integrated work bridging online and offline, before he joined R/GA São Paulo as vice-president and executive creative director, stitching together the São Paulo office with New York, London, Portland and California on global clients including Verizon, Google, Meta, Samsung, American Express and Heineken. He now heads Publicis Brazil as its chief creative officer.
His trophy cabinet includes Clios, Effies, TikTok awards and MMA Smarties, and he has served on juries at the Andys, TikTok and the Lisbon Awards.
The Abby Awards 2026 is scheduled to take place at Goafest 2026 on 20, 21 and 22 May in Goa.
For Indian advertising, landing a jury chair of Ramalho’s calibre for a category built around data-driven creativity and commerce is a statement of ambition. Goafest just raised its own bar.
