May 6, 2026; Mumbai, India: Jointly organised by The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club (TAC), Goafest returns with the second edition of ‘Advertising Plays’. A dedicated sports and wellness IP, Advertising Plays will bring together professionals from advertising, media, and marketing in a fun, informal, and engaging environment.
This year’s line-up is designed to be high-energy, inclusive, and accessible, encouraging participation across skill levels and interests. The programme features structured inter-agency competitions such as Table Tennis and Pickleball, fostering teamwork and friendly rivalry among participants and Goafest is pleased to welcome Mediakart as the ‘Powered By’ sponsor for Advertising Plays, in association with Republic TV.
Energising morning sessions, including Yoga and Zumba will promote well-being, balance, and mindful networking for all delegates. Complementing these are a range of indoor and immersive experiences such as Foosball, Air Hockey, VR Cricket, and Panja (arm wrestling), all designed to drive engagement and participation. Together, these activities will blend physical sport, recreation, and interactive experiences, ensuring there is something for everyone.
The initiative also brings in a strong competitive spirit, with tournament winners receiving awards and on-ground recognition for their achievements. A live leaderboard integrated within the Goafest app will track points across all activities in real time, adding to the excitement and engagement. At the culmination of the festival, the agency with the highest cumulative score will be awarded the coveted ‘Sportiest Agency’ title, celebrating both performance and team participation.
“Advertising Plays is a reminder that while we compete fiercely in boardrooms and pitches, we are also part of one vibrant, closely-knit industry. Bringing it back for its second season, we wanted to create a space where that spirit of camaraderie can truly come alive, on the field, in moments of celebration, and through shared experiences that go beyond work. It’s not just about sport; it’s about agencies coming together, letting guards down, and rediscovering the joy of collaboration through healthy competition”, added Mohit Joshi, Co-Chair of the Goafest 2026 Organising Committee and Chief Executive Officer of Havas Media Network India.
On bringing Advertising Plays back for its second season, Jaideep Gandhi, Vice President, Advertising Agencies Association of India and Chairman of the Goafest 2026 Organising Committee, said, “Advertising Plays reflects what Goafest truly stands for- a balance of work and play. The response to its debut showed us how much the industry values coming together beyond business, to connect, celebrate and recharge. As we bring it back this year, we look forward to seeing the community come together once again to inspire, celebrate and play, and we’re delighted to have Mediakart on board as the ‘Powered By’ sponsor for Advertising Plays, in association with Republic TV.”
Open to all registered Goafest delegates, Advertising Plays has been designed with inclusivity at its core. The platform promotes gender-neutral participation and aims at creating opportunities for informal networking in relaxed settings, encouraging cross-agency interactions, and enabling stronger industry relationships through shared experiences.
Set to take place on May 20, 21 and 22, 2026, at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon, the second edition of Advertising Plays will further strengthen Goafest’s commitment to delivering a more holistic and engaging festival experience.
For more details on Goafest 2026, visit www.goafest.com
About The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI):
The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) is a not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed trade association of advertising agencies, formed in 1945, to promote their industry interests so that they continue to make an essential and ever-increasing contribution to the nation. The AAAI today is truly representative, with a very large number of small, medium and large-sized agencies as its members. More details can be found in https://aaaindia.org/
About The Advertising Club
The Advertising Club, incorporated in the year 1954, is arguably the biggest Advertising Club of its kind in the world. And according to many also the busiest. It has over 1700 members drawn from media organizations, marketing companies, advertising agencies and allied professional bodies. The Advertising Club’s charter is to help raise the professional standards of the Indian Advertising Industry. The Club attempts to do this through awards, seminars, training workshops and meetings. Some of the major awards of Advertising Club include: Creative & Media Abby at Goafest, EMVIEs, EFFIEs, MARQUEES and Young Achievers’ Awards besides having other popular programmes such as D:CODE – Digital Review, Ad Review, Media Review, M.Ad Quiz, Vice & Versa on its annual roller coaster. It publishes a Club magazine SOLUS and hosts a comprehensive website, www.theadvertisingclub.net.
