Goafest, happy to be back

In the past, the Goafest spirit has been kind of visible from the Delhi airport itself when you start seeing advertising types in clothes that scream beach and pina coladas.

Which is why it was reassuring to see a few at the boarding gate along with some honeymooners.

Honestly, one hadn’t expected it to be a buzzy festival as the industry is still reeling from the pandemic’s impact. But that feeling started evaporating as one realised that hotel rooms at the venue and nearby hotels had been booked already.

With most of the big guns staying away, the average age was rather young, which is not entirely a bad state of affairs. Especially on the dance floor. Rana Barua, who led the proceedings, was very happy with the turnout and spoke optimistically about next year’s fest, where several of the bigger agencies have promised participation. I’m already looking forward to it.

The tie-up with One Show will further strengthen Goafest’s appeal.

Ultimately, a good advertising fest is about the work and of which there was quite a bit. Leo Burnett, Famous, FCB, Enormous must have paid zillions in extra baggage on the return trip with all the metal they picked up.

It was fantastic meeting old friends face to face and making some new ones.

My only gripe was with the buffet, where they had mutton curry labelled as Kosha Mangsho. That, I think, was unpardonable.

Having said that, it compelled me to cook Kosha Mangsho upon returning. So, all in all, all’s well that ends well!