Awards
Goafest 2025 levels up with ‘Advertising Plays’ to spark camaraderie through sport and wellness
MUMBAI: Goafest 2025 is serving up more than awards and panels. The festival’s latest initiative, ‘Advertising Plays’, will bring delegates out of boardrooms and onto courts, beaches and walking trails for inter-agency competitions and wellness experiences designed to build industry bonds through play.
Conceptualised as a people-first property and curated by Havas Play, ‘Advertising Plays’ will debut this year as part of the revamped Goafest Village format. The programme features gender-neutral games including Chess, Carrom, Darts, Arm Wrestling and Net Cricket, alongside high-energy matchups in Pickleball and Table Tennis. Wellness activities like Yoga by the Bay and the Beach Walkathon will help delegates start their day with clarity and calm.
“The connections that move our industry forward aren’t always made in boardrooms or at award ceremonies. Advertising Plays offers a space for professionals to engage beyond the usual format. It’s a people first initiative which will enable our industry to build more connections and collaborate in the longer run”, said Goafest 2025 Organising Committee co-chair and Havas Media Network India CEO Mohit Joshi.
Havas Play India COO R. Venkatasubramanian added, “Goafest has long been a premier
platform that unites the brightest minds in the world of advertising. In 2025, it takes a bold new leap by introducing Advertising Plays—a dynamic initiative designed to elevate the spirit of friendly competition among industry professionals”.
Inter-agency contests will run throughout the festival, culminating in awards for performance and team spirit. Winners will take home trophies and year-long bragging rights. The initiative aims to encourage participation across all fitness levels, offering spontaneous play zones and community-led wellness formats.
The 18 edition of Goafest will take place from 21-23 May 2025 at the Taj Cidade de Goa Heritage and Horizon. The festival is co-hosted by The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club (TAC).
Awards
Ajay Kakar to chair jury for ad:tech Honours Awards 2026
Industry leaders join jury as nominations surge for marketing tech awards
NEW DELHI: The ad:tech Honours Awards 2026 are gearing up for a bigger second edition, with Ajay Kakar, head of corporate branding at Adani Group, set to chair the jury for India’s technology-focused marketing awards.
Organised in partnership with the International Advertising Association India Chapter, the awards celebrate the growing influence of technology in shaping modern advertising and marketing outcomes. This year’s edition has drawn a strong response from across the industry, signalling rising momentum around innovation in marketing technology.
The organisers say the nominations reflect a wide range of ideas and approaches, highlighting how brands and agencies are increasingly leaning on platforms, tools and data to sharpen their campaigns and connect with audiences more effectively.
Leading the evaluation process, Kakar will head a jury made up of senior leaders from across brands, agencies and technology platforms.
The jury panel includes Amaresh Godbole, CEO, digital technology business at Publicis Groupe; Bishwajeet S, head of marketing and PR at Volkswagen India; Carol Goyal, executive director at Rediffusion and CEO of Aesthetic Intelligence Lab; Kushal Sanghvi, director at Komerz; Lara Balsara, executive director at Madison World; Rana Barua, group CEO India, sea and North Asia; Deepak Oram, senior vice president growth marketing and martech; and Priyanka Khaneja Gandhi, head of marketing and creative solutions at Amazon Ads India.
The ad:tech Honours Awards aim to recognise not just creative campaigns but the smart use of technology that delivers measurable impact and business results. Categories this year reflect the rapidly evolving digital landscape, covering areas such as artificial intelligence, data-driven marketing, content ecosystems, automation, martech and adtech integration, and commerce-led marketing.
The winners will be announced on 17 March 2026 at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi during ad:tech New Delhi 2026. The event is expected to bring together leaders from brands, agencies, platforms, creators and technology partners for an evening celebrating the ideas and innovations shaping the future of marketing.iconductor industries.
