There’s really no mature way to say this. Tuesday night’s party scene at ad:tech New York ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCKED! OK, now that we’ve got that idiotically juvenile behavior out of the system, let’s move on to what you missed if you weren’t out last night. Three. Count them. Three pulse pounding parties filled with your fellow industry mates. Three. Count them. Three smaller, elegantly reserved early evening cocktail parties during which actual conversation could take place and did. And one. Count them. One one-on-one drink (water, if you must know) with New York’s finest – and very successful- media publisher, Laurel Tobey of mediabistro whose company was just purchased by Alan Meckler’s Jupitermedia.
OK, so that was it. There you go. What was that? You want to know more? OK, our arm is easily twisted so here you go. Ready? OK. WTF? That sounded like a cheerleader. Sorry about that. Apparently we need one to help wake up this morning. Why, why are we telling you this? And who the hell is we? It’s just me, Steve Hall. Royal “we” dispensed with for now. WTF were we talking about? Oh, right, ad:tech parties.
So Laurel and I met in the Hilton Hotel bar to chat about business and what’s going on in the media space, the ins and out of publishing, hosting industry parties, how publishing has dramatically changed over the past few years and how much fun it is to be in the business right now. Countless familiar faces passed by as we sat there including Laredo Group’s Leslie Laredo and eMarketer’s Crystal Gurin.
After Laurel and I finished our waters and conversation, we headed over to the AdBrite party held in the Hilton Hotel’s Estruca restaurant where, amidst free flowing martinis, the dreaded PowerPoint-ish presentation was given to those who, for better or worse, were more concerned with socializing. To say the least, AdBrite’s Dan Madden (I think) had a tough time keeping the audiences attention. I’m not complaining though. It was a great party. If you really want to see a bitch session about industry parties, events, their structure and the behavior of those in attendance, there’s a nice rant about the recent Boston Ad Club’s Hatch Awards here.
After the AdBrite party, Laurel and I split ways. She headed off to some founder’s party because, well, she’s a founder and all and I tried really really hard to find Flute where Adverb Media was hosting a party. Unfortunately, I’m apparently and idiot and couldn’t find the place. So apologies to the fine folks who sent the invite.
So it was back to the hotel to beg Angela (Adrants Co-Editor) to stop working and come out and play. I lost that battle. She’s just so dedicated, she had to finish her work which, by the way is why you get to read really good stuff here on Adrants. Because, God knows, it doesn’t come from me. That is, unless you want salacious drivel.
So after the unsuccessful begging, I grabbed a cab and headed down to Stone Creek where Lindsay Mure was hosting a party for her company, AdFemme. When I walked in, I thought, “Damn, I’ve been here before.” Surely, enough, it was three years ago during another evening of ad:tech-related fun and games when my good friend Tia Fix – whose been to China and back since then – and, apparently (though I don’t remember) Lindsay, herself, where there to end the evening.
The AdFemme party was fun. Clickbooth’s Jen Sanbush and Laura Paff, who I’d met a year before, were there as was Adam Weinstein from mBill. I actually supported the party’s cause, and ordered a pink Cosmopolitan, Yes, a pink cosmo. I drank it proudly knowing my money would go to a cause far better than anything Adrants provides. (I mean, really, who needs drivel like this when you have Advertising Age?) Lindsay was a gracious host. The party was fun. Trying to remember my visit to the place three years earlier made for amusing conversation.
Switching gears from the sanity known as the ad:tech cocktail party to the insanity known as the ad:tech throbfest, it was off to the Arena Nightclub where eyeblaster was hosting its eyeblaster Awards. Formerly known as Show, the Arena Nightclub is a far better venue in its current incarnation than it was when it was Show. Every time I go to this place I have a great time. I’m nor sure what it is but it just is. The last two times I was there, it was for eyeblaster events as well and, like this time, it was just as fun, especially this year, thanks to “Maninator Nannenator,” the name given to former eyeblaster employee’s lovable dancing dude who has a great time despite what some might have to say about his style of dancing.
Hey, it’s a party. Everyone should have fun. And he did. And everyone did. Mostly because, reminiscent of the to previous parties, the place erupted into a dance off with Maninator Nannenator leading the charge. Even eyeblaster’s VP of Sales took his tie off which, we here, is a rare event. Show. Arena. three time’s a charm. Where were you, Alice? Angela? Tia?
Rubicon. Rubicon is a company that promises to change the way publishers use ad networks. How that pans out, time will tell but they did put on a great party at Room Service, a club complete with stocked booths and bathroom attendants. And food. And music. Awesome music. Throbbing music. So much so, people who placed their glasses on top of the many huge floor speakers around the club would lose them as the pulsating speakers would vibrate the glasses to the ground.
And what was with the mop crew? OK, yea, so a nice club wants to keep itself clean for its patrons but having a guy with a mop in the middle of the dance floor kinda crimps the party’s style. I’m not complaining. It was a great party. Fellow ad:tech blogger Robert Gorell and I spoke for a while. Well, as much as one can speak when standing in the midst of 100,000 watts of intestinal-shaking dance mixes. I met and spoke with some really great people at the party. Now if only I could match my collection of business cards to the people I met.
Angela? Angela? Texting Angela? Um, hello??
Anyway, it was midnight and time to meet UnsubCentral’s John Engler who hooked me up with an exclusive (OK, who are we kidding? This is ad:tech. No party is exclusive. Especially if they let me in) Hydra party at Marquis, home of the previous evening’s Datran party.
After some waiting line shenanigans and negotiations John, the very beautiful Michelle Buckley from RealtyTrac and I made our way to the third floor of the club where an endless supply Dom Perignon and Grey Goose flowed freely from large tended buckets of ice on low tables we all huddled around.
So I met some people there. A lot of people, I’m sure they were important people but, like I said before, there’s a sea of business cards next to me at this moment and, unfortunately I have no idea which people they belong to. Maybe we should start printing our faces on our business cards specifically for events like this. Then, the morning after when the fog clears, we can at least remember who the hell we met and thank them for whatever it was they did or will do for us.
Angela? Angela? Paging Angela?
So 2:30 AM rolled around and it was time to go. Engler, ever the stand up sales guy he is, had more work to do so he stayed. Michelle and I walked a few blocks for some air (or, in her case, a cigarette break) and then got a cab to head back to the Hilton. Now, you know what happens when people who have cameras and get into cabs after having a few, right? No, not that, you perverts! Pictures. Stupid cab pictures. That’s what happens. And that’s what did happen. And that’s all that happened! And it was fun.
3AM. Hunger. Gyro. Bed.
The album.
Angela? Angela? Texting Angela?
