Geoff Ramsey, Microsoft Illuminate Advertising Week

Yesterday Advertising Week kicked off and as part of the week, the Internet Advertising Bureau held its MIXX Conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Times Square. It was attended by about 1,000 people and the sessions covered the usual stuff. The exhibit hall bustled for a bit but it's a smallish conference compared to some of the others in the industry.

This smallness has its advantages though. You can actually find people you are looking for and can talk to them without being trampled by a herd of show bag-wielding conference Nazis whose sole goal is to make sure they shove their business card into the hands of anyone who will take it.

eMarketer's Geoff Ramsey gave another of his stellar, figure-filled sessions which was well attended and left the other two sessions, for the most part, empty and full of cob webs. Geoff always has the facts and figures. Always fills your head with more information than you can take causing you the rush the stage after the session and beg him to forward you the PowerPoint version of the presentation.

While the sessions and the exhibit hall floor are great places to suck up as much information as you can, the hosting hotel bar is pretty good too. That's where quite a few of us ended up around 3PM Monday afternoon before heading out for the night. Did you know Microsoft is planning on buying Google? OK. Just kidding on that one but once a few drinks are had, it's amazing what people will tell you. But we're not like that. What happens at the bar stays at the bar.

Speaking of Microsoft, two on the parties Monday night were sponsored by the company. The first one was held at old standby Arena, a venue that never goes unused during any New York-based ad conference. It's like they have a special lifetime contract with the industry.

Unlike the eyeblaster parties which are held at Arena and, without fail, feature The Nannenator (a dude who dances just the way he wants to and doesn't care what anyone thinks), the Microsoft party was a bit like, well, Microsoft. Subdued. Business-like. Refined. And, apart from The Brazilian Contingent which took to what space the party planners left for a dance floor to shake their booties, the party was mostly the stand and talk variety.

But the food. The food! Mmm. No complaints there. Especially without having had any dinner plans for the night. There was sushi, sashimi, pasta, roast beef, chicken, salad and all manner of finger good goodness.

So after the first Microsoft party - which did have its moments - we...and The Brazilian Contingent headed over to the next Microsoft party held at The Loft. And if the Arena party was subdued, the Loft party was a snoozer. OK, that's not fair. It was a wonderful party. Lots of talk. Lots of gaming. A nice deck in the back. Food to nibble on. And, of course, free drinks.

We'd like to thank Microsoft's Todd Adest for hooking us up with both parties. Much appreciation my man. Al the pictures from the day and evening are here.