Goafest 2015: Top ad agencies still unsure about participation

Organisers trying to persuade; some likely to stay away, citing issues from earlier events

The organising committee of Goafest, the advertising sector’s annual and prestigious event, might have a VIP attendance issue.

The organisers are talking to Ogilvy & Mather and McCann Worldgroup to convince them to participate in the festival, specifically at the Creative Abbies, the sought-for awards.

The fest is an initiative of the Advertising Agencies Association of India and The Advertising Club. This year’s dates are April 9-11, at Bambolim in Goa.

Last year, both O&M and McCann, with a bunch of other big names such as Creativeland Asia, Leo Burnett, BBDO and Grey, had opted to give the Creative Abbies a miss, following a spate of controversies the previous year. Of the lot that boycotted the awards last year, Creativeland Asia will not be participating, too, confirmed founder & creative chairman Sajan Raj Kurup. Malvika Mehra, national creative director and executive vice-president, Grey Group India, said her agency was decide. Leo Burnett & BBDO could not be reached for comment.At a creative directors' meeting last month, organised to seek perspectives from creative heads on the festival and the awards in particular, McCann Worldgroup was not present.

The meeting included representatives from small and independent creative shops, as well as names such as Taproot and Scarecrow among the bigger ones. Even representatives from O&M were said to have made it to the meeting, intended to help the organisers understand if there were gaps and for the creative community to make suggestions. Prasoon Joshi, chairman, McCann World Group, Asia-Pacific and chief executive officer of McCann World Group India, said he was not against talking to the organisers of the Goafest.

“I am a part of the industry and I am not against the festival (Goafest). There are well-meaning people there. And, I am always open to speaking to them. But the point is how much of the intent they have is translated into reality. Once the conversations are through, we would take a call appropriately,” he said.

Piyush Pandey, executive chairman and creative director, Ogilvy & Mather, South Asia, in a recent conversation with Business Standard, had said,

“We never boycotted Goafest. We simply said there were certain issues with the awards and if these were resolved, we would be happy to be part of the show. The point is that our issues have to be resolved. If they (organisers) wish to have a meeting with me and discuss, I am open to it.”

Pratap Bose, president of the Advertising Club Bombay and chairman of the Awards Governing Council, Goafest, says “It is still too early to say who will participate and who will not. All efforts are on to get agencies to be a part of the festival, as well as the awards. We have certain new initiatives planned, which we will announce in the next 20 days. Overhauling the judging process and making sure that dodgy entries were eliminated was something we implemented last year. So, that system is in place. I think once all of this is communicated, it will encourage a lot of people to enter work at the awards and be a part of the festival.”

Some of the likely initiatives at Goafest, having its 10th anniversary this year, will include continuing with the three-day festival format, as opposed to a two-day event. The three-day format was introduced last year. There will also be no addition in terms of award categories.

Last year, Goafest had introduced Abbies for promo activation and public relations, and added the broadcast and publishing segments in the branded content category. This, alongwith the Media Abbies and the Creative Abbies, will mean an awards night over the course of the three-day festival.