MAM
Alila Diwa Goa completes ten years!
MUMBAI: Alila Diwa Goa, the five-star resort from the ‘Boundless Portfolio’ of Hyatt Hotels in South Goa proudly marks the completion of 10 successful years of crafting rare and intimate experiences for guests. The resort is an immersive experience into the best that Goa has to offer from local cuisine to aesthetic architecture and ancient healing arts, while ensconced in luxury. The resort has bagged several awards within the last decade including Luxury Resort of the Year – India 2016, Best Indian Restaurant for Spice Studio, and Best Spa Cuisine among others. The newest feather in its cap is ‘Best Family Hotel’ at the Travel+Leisure India’s Best Editor’s Choice Awards 2019.
The awards are not surprising as Alila Diwa Goa offers a host of unique experiences and services for both business & leisure travelers across age groups. It has one of India’s most beautiful Infinity pools, and has also been at the forefront of pioneering several other offerings for guests which include an all-day breakfast concept at The Diwa Club, which is a resort within the resort; Dine in the Dark; Detox and other residential wellness programs.
As the first in its list of milestones in 2020, the resort embarks on yet another ambitious journey with the launch of its largest pillar-less event space in South Goa, raising the bar in the Wedding and MICE segment. Udeta, meaning ‘rising’ is spread across 18,000 sq.ft area. The venue celebrates Goan sensibilities and is designed to evolve the way meetings, conferences, weddings and social functions happen in Goa. Modern yet functional, Udeta features a 12,000 sq.ft indoor space that includes an 8,350 sq.ft pillar-less hall with a live Theatre Kitchen, Udeta Al-fresco with live bar and grilland the lawns at Udeta which spread across 4,000 sq.ft. With a blend of great hospitality, breathtaking ambience and artisanal gourmet offerings, Udeta is perfectly equipped to be the ideal venue forweddings, MICE events and conferences.
Speaking on the completion of 10 years, Suveer Sodhi, General Manager, Alila Diwa Goa said, “We are excited to celebrate the completion of an excellent decade and gear up for many more special milestones as a part of the Hyatt family. While Alila Diwa Goa will continue to be known for intimate and personalized family holidays, it now shares the international reputation and standards that Hyatt is globally known for. This year, we have an addition to the property with Udeta, our new event space. We hope to keep evolving with our guests in the coming years.”
Staying true to the ‘Alila’ brand philosophy, Alila Diwa Goa has established itself as being an artisanal, authentic and responsible hotel in Goa.While staying at Alila Diwa Goa, guests can indulge in many of the curated local destination experiences that celebrate the uniqueness of the destination. Some of these experiences include a visit to the local fish market, cooking masterclass, learning to bake bread at a local bread man’s houseamong others. The resort has also undertaken several initiatives towards sustainability and reducing carbon footprint by the use of biodegradable material, recycling and upcycling, eliminating use of plastic in the property and minimizing environmental impact by using primarily local materials.
Alila Diwa Goa is a participating hotel in the World of Hyatt loyalty program which allows members to enhance their stay with the ability to earn and redeem points, explore the destination through curated FIND experiences and also enjoy in-hotel benefits.
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
