Posts Tagged ‘events’

Creative Week ’11

// May 31st, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Events, News, Social Media

Stan Bashmashnikov - SMB.com

BY STAN BASHMASHNIKOV – SMB.COM

Vitality still exists in the creative industry. Yes, and more so than ever before – as proven last week. New York City hosted Creative Week from May 9th – 15th to celebrate the most ingenuous, innovative, and introspective minds in advertising, design, and digital media.  The One Club, a non-profit organization that aims to propel the recognition and promotion of excellence in advertising served as chief host for what was a week filled with tremendous highlights.

Before acknowledging the present, humility still lies in appreciating the past. The awards have truly evolved throughout the years. In 1961, the Advertising Writers of New York first awarded “Gold Keys” to honor great copywriting. 15 years later, the Gold Key was aptly replaced by the Gold Pencil. Evidently, the times have changed. The keys on a typewriter and lead pencils are rarely used in modern day ad agencies. But the memory remains. The next generation of creative minds has never looked so promising.

The Gold Club organization was generous enough to provide me with a Creative Week Press Pass that granted coverage of the week-long events from an angle exclusive for most. I am both grateful and humbled by this. There was so much content to absorb. But one theme was clear: brands were extending beyond TV and branching out into the real world. What I mean is, brands such as Old Spice, Gatorade, and Nike – for example, had integrated the user-experience into their campaigns (which we will get into later). The games had definitely changed – and in my opinion, for the better.

New York City hosted Creative Week from May 9th – 15th to celebrate the most ingenuous, innovative, and introspective minds in advertising, design, and digital media. Photo credit: The One Club.

The icing on the ad-cake was the The One Show – a who’s who awards gala comprised of modern day Mad Wo/Men from the advertising industry. The scene was elegant and classy. Top-shelf mixers were shaken, not stirred. Alice Tully Hall in the Lincoln Center was flowing with cocktails, hors d’ourves, and the muffled sounds of creative conversations that one could only hope to catch a dose of. Of course, this is to be expected. I could tell after conversing with a few award recipients and their colleagues in attendance – I was in for an eye peeler. It didn’t end there. A celebrity showing had also made their mark. Isaiah Mustafa, better know as “The Old Spice Guy,” was the show host. Not to be outdone – house DJ ?uestlove of Grammy award-winning Philadelphia hip-hop band The Roots  provided a great mix of musical ambiance in the theater. The power players were all in attendance: Oglivy, DDB, BBDO, Leo Burnett, Weiden+Kennedy, TBWA – among others. Curtains up.

It was extraordinary to finally be able to associate not only names, but faces, with creative campaigns. Ads from tv, print, and digital immediately became even more familiar. My eyes were telling my mind: “Are you seeing this?” More notably, Ogilvy’s Topsy (VIDEO) campaign resonated ever-so deeply with the audience. The project followed a woman living with AIDS for 90 days. The goal was to document her medical treatment that she previously didn’t have access to. The commercial, ingeniously, is played backwards from Day 90. You are introduced to a timid woman. By Day 1, you feel the hairs stand on the back of your neck.  The words “miracle” and “hope” come to mind.

One Show host Isaiah Mustafa ("The Old Spice Guy") and ?uestlove (The Roots) rehearsing before the show begins.

Best in Show – it seemed – was a lock for Old Spice. After all, their bread and butter was hosting the show. Not so fast, extremely eloquent and funny, Old Spice Guy. Nike’s Write The Future (VIDEO) took the grand prize. Such a commercial, done to this caliber, is fantastic in all sense of the word. If you are unfamiliar with it – Nike launched the campaign in June of 2010 to coincide with the World Cup. The effort was aimed to make up for the fact that they were not official sponsors. It did the trick. The 3-minute storybook sequence showcases superstar, I mean superheroes – in their respective countries – all on one field, and the “journey” they must take to win the cup. Coupled with a few cameos, the player’s personalities really get to shine. The message: you control your own destiny, or more aptly put: “Write The Future.”

The following night, the One Show Interactive awards were held at Terminal 5 - showcasing the best of the best in digital and online advertising. Essentially, this was the virally-inspired, new wave of advertising tactics that the industry has seen as of late.  Kevin Swanepoel, President, puts it all into perspective: “Ten years ago, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube didn’t exist. Google had eight employees and was little more than a promising search engine. Facebook now has over 500 million users who spend 700 billion minutes per month on their site. Twitter users are sending out 55 million tweets a day. YouTube users are watching 2 million videos a day.” Retrospectively, these are powerful benchmarks to consider. And so, while some individuals grew weary and cautious of the times – the brave few marched on. He adds “This simple insight led our winners to use social networking in blog and innovative ways – to create wonderfully entertaining branded entertainment. Their adaptation and adjustment of their craft to the consumer marketplace are the reason they are being recognized.” Clearly, the rules are being re-written. We live in a society that is ever changing. Those part of the new media are the ones doing the writing.

The One Show Interactive awards were held at Terminal 5 - showcasing the best of the best in digital and online advertising.

Droga5′s Puma (VIDEO) Hardchorus campaign was a definite crowd-pleaser. Who doesn’t like English football? Who doesn’t like singing? Mix them together. A group of twenty plus English football fans, or “hooligans,” gather around a camera to sing Savage Garden’s “Truly,Madly, Deeply.” That sentence alone should be enough reason to see it. The comedic undertones and halfway-decent harmony is even more reason to enjoy this delightful ad. I love 90s music, and hate to admit that I knew the words to that song. But, evidently I’m not the only one. Nicely done, Droga5.

TBWA’s Gatorade Replay (VIDEO) campaign won multiple Gold, Silver, and Bronze pencils at both shows. The Replay campaign principle tugged at every athlete’s nostalgic recollection: the chance to replay a memorable game from their past. Limits had to be made. Gatorade selected various games – primarily along the criteria that the game ended in controversial or abrupt fashion. In one specific instance, two rival high-schools in Detroit took the ice eleven years after a 1999 hockey game almost cost a player his life. One can only imagine the overwhelming closure completing such a game can produce.

Backstage following the One Show Interactive awards, Isaiah Mustafa was a charismatic host with outstanding material (and a little help from his writers).

Creative Week reminded all that unwavering creative thought and a well-crafted idea can go a long, long way. Even to an award show. Even to have the idea be the host. It is remarkable – and again, a true testament to the minds behind the wheel. The medium for which the message is conveyed is limitless – more so than ever before. Television and print campaigns, once the pioneers of the industry, are now being complimented with a strong social media and digital marketing presence. Well rounded approaches lead to significant results. Having all of these tools in an organization’s arsenal is well – deadly.

 

–

Stan Bashmashnikov (@stanmichaelbash) runs stanmichaelbash.com, focusing on topics including online marketing, social media, and innovation. Please visit the Contact Me link at the bottom of the page for more info.

The One Club is the world's foremost non-profit organization for the recognition and promotion of excellence in advertising.The One Club produces three annual awards competitions: The One Show, O

Social Media Week ’11

// March 11th, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Events, News, Social Media

Stan Bashmashnikov - SMB.com

BY STAN BASHMASHNIKOV – SMB.COM

From February 7th – 11th, Social Media Week simultaneously descended upon media-savvy cornucopias such as New York City, San Francisco, Toronto, London, Paris, Istanbul, São Paolo, Rome and Hong Kong. These week-long series of biannual conferences aim to bring thousands of people together every year through both shared and collaborative learning experiences. Essentially, the underlying goal is to try and advance our understanding of social media’s role in modern society.

Crowdcentric, owner and operator of Social Media Week, graciously asked me to help alongside fellow social outreach consultants at primary hub locations including Google HQ, Paley Center for Media, Red Bull Space, JWT, and Hearst. Within these social media hubs, multiple daily events were organized bringing together nearly 5,000 professionals from over 40 different industries. Obviously – social media has cross pollinated across the majority of today’s professions. It goes without saying that the week-long festivities can be defined best using buzz words: unique, inspiring, engaging, definitive, and memorable – all rolled into one.

Social Media Week 2011 ran from February 7th - 11th. There were over 5,000 attendees in NYC alone from nearly 40 industries.

In order to appreciate SMW’s rapid growth, one must take take a step back and look at it’s young history. The week-long event was first held in February of 2009, solely in New York City. Organizations such as The Nielsen Company, New York Times, and Razorfish, among others, served as initial sponsors. The attendee response was extremely welcoming – and enough reason for SMW to expand to more locations: San Francisco, London, Berlin, São Paulo, and Toronto in February of 2010.

Collective attendance tripled from 2,500 to nearly 8,000 worldwide in only a year of operation with the help of sponsors such as Pepsi, Motorola, and Meebo. The week of events are now bi-annual – typically held in February and September, respectively. Social Media Week 2011 (February) was anticipated to be nothing short of spectacular – and it undoubtedly lived up to all of the hype.

SMW's Opening Party was held at the Celeste Bartos Forum inside the New York Public Library.

Monday had finally come – and the first destination on my itinerary was the Google Hub. Sola Obayan, Google Hub Producer and Principal at BTO Solutions, led a dynamic group of production assistants and social outreach consultants in promoting, organizing, and effectively executing the daily events. A special thanks goes out for her guidance and leadership. While I was only able to lend my services for the first two days, they were equally filled with a plethora of events, volunteers, and curious attendees.

The first day included a discussion led by Sapient Nitro, outlining what our lives would be like if they were a complex social network. The concept was at times amusing, yet downright brilliant. For example, what if we spoke in “tweets” to everyone we interacted with? Or what if we reprinted embarrassing pictures of our co-workers and handed them out? Sounds a bit ridiculous – but actually, many parallels were drawn between real vs. social behaviors. You’d be surprised how small the disparities really are. The context was incredibly insightful and surprising to the majority of the attendees. A feeling of “realization on how social media has re-shaped our lives” was prevalent throughout the room.

The following day, Opera Solutions hosted an open discussion on applying major data analytics to the abundant amount of social media data that is out in cyber space. Taken directly from the pamphlet, this statistic is eye-opening: “Facebook logs 695 status updates per second and Foursquare tallied more than 381 million check-ins in 2010. Over 35 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute and Twitter’s 170 million users send 95 million tweets each day.” While many theories were offered and broken-down, it was evident that a real answer does not exist – Yet.

The Paley Center for Media was one of five Social Media Hubs during SMW 11. Paley showcased the Open UN discussions on Tuesday and Thursday.

The week was moving right along. Between running around New York City, meeting individuals within different facets of the industry, and compulsively tweeting out relevant content – I would say my mind was occupied. Mentally speaking, being short on rest was a trending topic. Next on the list was the Paley Hub, located at the Paley Center for Media. It was coordinated and led by Melissa Hall – the Marketing & Events Director for the Independent Handbag Designer Awards. Again, a special thanks goes out to her and all of the individuals  along the way who are undoubtedly the reason why social media is so engaging.

My time spent at the Paley Hub included involvement in a day-long Open UN session entitled Engagement in the Age of Real-Time. Hosted by the United Nations Global Pulse, Open UN during SMW was geared to serve as a free-flowing conversation about how open, social, real-time technologies are changing the relationship between people and institutions around the world. In fact – if you think about it – open platforms are allowing for unique opportunities of participation in the real world that was once reserved only for experts. Numerous points, and counterpoints were made – all of which are too lengthy to list. The discussion was academic to near perfection. The panel was very engaging – which in turn propelled the audience to interact even more so.

The Red Bull Hub, located in SoHo of NYC, provided a more laid-back, gaming-art inspired theme.

This recap would feel incomplete without mentioning the sheer astonishment, decadence, and magnitude of the JWT, Red Bull, and Hearst Hubs. I was able to help out on a minimal scale at these respective locations – while still allowing myself time to catch the majority of discussions. One of the biggest draws of the week came on Wednesday at JWT, when CEO & Co-Founder of Foursquare, Dennis Crowley, spoke about the future of location-based mobile platforms. “We live in a dynamic time and I’m excited what Foursquare has in store for the 2011 year” he mentioned during an extremely brief chat following his speech. Upon recent launch of the Foursquare 3.o update, it is even more clear what he meant.

One of the many highlights of my week came at SMW’s Opening Party (New York Public Library) and Closing Party (District 36), respectively. Working alongside Marcel Opilka from Nokia, I was tasked as the primary photographer at Nokia’s Photostation via their brand-new N8 devices. Yes – a camera phone operated photo station, but you’d be surprised, this thing was a tiny beast. The 8-megapixel photos were spot on. I have to thank Jazzo Marrero, of Brooklyn Robot, for assisting me in creative pose-ideation and impromptu PR duties. Our participants were also very clever. Comes with the territory, wouldn’t you say? The Macallan scotch surely aided in this process. You can find most of the pictures here and here. Once taken, the photos were instantly uploaded to SMW’s facebook page and copies were digitally printed to give to participants. Hilarity ensued.

Left to Right: Ben Scheim, Maria Laboy Perez, & Stan Bashmashnikov at SMW's Closing Party (District 36). Photo Credit: Gary He & Insider Images.

Overall, the week ended on a high note. Many thanks to the entire Social Media team – led by Toby Daniels, Brian Leddy, Lauren Hurst, Ben Scheim, and Sara Haile-Mariam. All of the volunteers I met along the way – looking forward to reconnecting once again. It was truly a pleasure working with you all. A fantastic job done on such an immerse, wide-spread scale. The power of social media made it feel like all 5,000+ NYC attendees were in one, intimate setting. And that rare ability to bring so many people together is a true testament to the undoubted longevity of this young industry.

 

–

Stan Bashmashnikov (@stanmichaelbash) runs stanmichaelbash.com, focusing on topics including online marketing, social media, and innovation. Please visit the Contact Me link at the bottom of the page for more info.

Gen Art Resurrection Benefit

// January 17th, 2011 // 3 Comments » // Events, Social Media

Stan Bashmashnikov - SMB.com

BY STAN BASHMASHNIKOV – SMB.COM

In early December, I was graciously invited by guestofaguest.com to attend a Gen Art Show at the Hudson Hotel in Midtown, Manhattan.  These lavish, who’s who, high-end events are thrown several times a year by the Gen Art Foundation, a subsidiary of the Gen Art Organization. Essentially, Gen Art is an arts and entertainment organization that showcases emerging fashion designers, filmmakers, musicians and visual artists.

Their productions reach nearly 100 events annually – within populated markets including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Chicago. Gen Art had filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy earlier in May of last year. However, rumors were swirling that they had secured funding from angel investors. I kept asking myself  – would I really be attending their farewell show?

A live fashion show showcasing Jordan Betten's Custom Leather collection served as the centerpiece for the Gen Art Resurrection Benefit.

It was titled the “Resurrection Benefit” – and dubbed “the last Gen Art experience in your lifetime.” The Gen Art Foundation was pulling out all the stops. The genesis of the event was to raise funds to pay back a group of emerging independent filmmakers and fashion designers who suffered economic setbacks when the company was economically-afflicted in early May of 2010. And rightfully so – after 15 years and over 1,000 events – ranging from industries such as fashion, entertainment, music, and media – the company deserved to make a last-stand, if you will, to stay afloat.

The organization has helped introduce names throughout differing industries. Actors Adrian Grenier (Entourage) and Zach Braff (Garden State, Scrubs), and most recently, Rooney Mara (The Social Network) have all been showcased at Gen Art events prior to achieving showbusiness stardom. Brad Anderson (The Wire, Fringe, The Machinist) and Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother, Where Art Thou) were fledgling filmakers trying to make their way to the top when their showcases were previewed at a Gen Art event.

Gen Art showcases photography from up-and-coming professionals such as Miles Ladin (who is not pictured - his photos are the two in the background).

Ultimately – the night proved to be a huge hit amongst the crowd. A red carpet ushered the way for our notable attendees – including Michael K. Williams (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire), Paz De La Huerta (Boardwalk Empire), Norman Reedus (Boondock Saints,  The Walking Dead), in addition to designers Richie Rich and Chrissie Miller of Sophomore. I was lucky enough grab a makeshift-position next to photographers from the New Yorker, Newsweek, and People. Exciting stuff, undoubtedly. While my shots weren’t particularly up to some DSLR standards, a handful were featured on guestofaguest.com. I’ve included the majority of them in the gallery (located at the end of this article).

Another pose with the art - SMB style.

Organizationally and visually – the event was out of this world. A whirlwind of multi-media content was featured everywhere your gazing eyes had turned. The live fashion show/photo shoot was the centerpiece of the show, as young up and coming models and photographers, respectively, aimed to make heads turn. A job well done on all accounts in this area. The theme couldn’t have been anything other than custom leather, which was hand-made and presented by Jordan Betten of Lost Art (who dresses musicians such as Lenny Kravitz and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler). And let’s not forget about photography. The event featured five emerging photographers – Miles Ladin, Arturo, Sam Bassett, Stephen Meierding, and Michael Wientrob – who all did a remarkable job showcasing their visual talents (Google them).

The talent didn’t end there. I got a chance to speak with Kelly Calabrese, from RealTVFilms (www.realtvfilms.com), who interviewed many of the notable guests in attendance. She mentioned how unique Gen Art truly was – both as an organization and as a benchmark for discovering young, emerging talent spanning numerous industries. While this was considered a goodbye benefit – we both agreed that Gen Art would be back and in full-force in 2011. Only time will tell. Be sure to follow Kelly and RealTVFilms at the aforementioned website as they cover the Sundance Film Festival from Aspen on January 20th – 30th.

Thanks for being great sports, ladies. See what I did there?

Maria Uroos, of DesiROckerz (www.desirockerz.com) is an up-and-coming photographer/graphic designer who offered some great insights as to why photography is her chosen expertise. She noted how much she appreciated the high-level of art being showcased at the event, hoping to one day have her work displayed at a major Gen Art event. I’m real, real optimistic this will one day happen for her. Her style is quite innovative. Be sure to check out her talents on her website, listed above.

My final thought was a composite feeling of respect, awe, and sympathy for the entire Gen Art organization. Because of companies such as themselves – up-and-coming professionals, in whatever industry they made be in, are given the opportunity to showcase their talents to the masses. And all it takes is one person to notice. Our country is built upon this principle to pursue what makes you happy – and it is made better by “talent facilitators” such as Gen Art. I’m optimistic you’ll be hearing their name again in 2011.

–

Stan Bashmashnikov runs stanmichaelbash.com, focusing on industries such as creative marketing, online media, and social networking. Please visit the Contact Me link at the bottom of the page for more info.

BizBash Expo & Awards 2010

// December 6th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Events, Social Media

Stan Bashmashnikov - SMB.com

BY STAN BASHMASHNIKOV — SMB.COM

“The social media bug has, for the most part, infected most dynamically, innovate industries.” Would you say this is a bold statement? Highly unlikely. It’s a true statement. Let’s face it – If you’re like most people, you’ve accepted the unmistakable need and value that companies such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have provided. More so than ever before, citizens, both abroad and at home, are integrating social media into their daily lives.

Companies are no different. An industry will adopt popular trends and practices brought to light by small companies and/or communities in exchange for increased brand building, maximum exposure, and overall growth.  I wanted to spotlight the event industry – and more specifically, a company called BizBash - for whom I had the opportunity to work alongside with ServedFresh Media, covering the BizBash 2010 Expo & Awards show on October 27th at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

BizBash, founded in 2000, is already one of the leading trade media companies servicing the event industry. They are multi-faceted: publishing magazines and e-newsletters, hosting Web sites, and producing trade/award shows for corporate event professionals and marketers, sales, PR, fund-raising, and HR execs. Their website, www.bizbash.com, provides users with access to comprehensive, searchable directories of over 7,000 vendors. The database offers photos and coverage of past events, archived magazine issues, and even a job board dedicated to special events-oriented employment opportunities. They truly have extended their arms in many directions. Be sure to visit the BizBash Masterplanner (a subscription-based calendar of events for the current year).

Now – this was an expo showcasing the best of the best in the event industry. An event for people who throw events. It goes without saying that no expense was spared. My initial reaction, during the press preview on the floor before the opening to the general public – was WOW. Normally, a booth at an expo is fairly basic, and quite frankly – often boring. Oftentimes, the company’s table, laid out under a monochromatic theme, showcases a half-way enthused representative who is handing out plain, white business cards. They approach you, but – you often doubt how much they truly believe in what they are selling. If you’re lucky, you get a free keychain. Or fridge magnet. Luxury stuff right? Now imagine the exact opposite of that. This is what I saw: elaborate booth setups, enormous backdrops, 75″ flat-screens, mini-casinos, wine-tastings, the list goes on. It was truly a spectacle and undeniably, some sort of elaborate amusement park for professionals.

In Bloom New York was among several exhibitors that I had the opportunity to interview. Based out of the upper west side of Manhattan, they specialize in full service floral event and venue design. If you’ve ever been to Greenhouse, a high-end club/lounge on the lower west side – you would be pleasantly surprised to know that In Bloom NY fully designed the entire venue. The fact that the first floor feels like you are literally in a Forrest while the upstairs feel like a twisted, underwater location out of the James Cameron movie The Abyss solidifies In Bloom’s unique talent and eye for design. The place is truly remarkable and all credit, visually-speaking, is well deserved. Roshy Naini, Creative Director, mentioned that their Facebook page (located here) has served as a great tool in collaborating with both potential and existing clients. Additionally, their Twitter handle (located here) has been instrumental for their wedding planning business, as various wedding planners have contacted them via Twitter for their expertise. She also informed me that In Bloom was doing VH1′s Save The Music at Cipriani Downtown in early November – a show set to feature performances by John Mayer and John Legend, as well as their official after party.

Bottom floor of club/lounge Greenhouse - designed and created by In Bloom New York

A look at the upstairs looks like an alternate, underwater dimension - courtesy of In Bloom New York

Another exciting company, Frames (formerly Leisure Time Bowl), spoke to me about their recent four-year, $15 million renovation. Located centrally inside the Port Authority in Midtown Manhattan, Frames combines a modern bowling venue alongside a chic bistro-style restaurant and separate dance lounge. They feature 28-bowling lanes with a state-of-the-art soundsystem to accommodate all of your musically motivated needs. Don’t think Frames forgot about using social media – they recently reached out to both Time Out NY and The Village Voice in order to advertise their Facebook Fan page (located here) and their Twitter handle (located here). Although the renovation was obviously both lengthy and costly, the company hopes to be profitable within under a year.

Classy, professional, bowling shoes. Frames NYC features 28 bowling lanes and 2 private ones with VIP.

Newly renovated bistro-style restaurant. Situated close to both the dance floor and arcade room.

One of the most innovate and dynamic parts of this expo was BizBash’s “Social Media Lounge.” Headed by Liz King of LizKingEvents and her team of fifteen, it was a generously sized “chill-lounge” situated directly in the center of the Javits Center. The intent here was genius, yet simple. You stop by, sit down, kick back, relax, and engage in social media. Have a twitter account but don’t necessarily know how to use it? They showed you. Want to join other networks besides Facebook? Done and done. It was a full-service, all-inclusive destination for all your social media needs. Whether you were “tweeting” about the event or “liking” the exhibitors,  it became evident to most who came how much the times had changed in a matter of years. During my interview with Liz King, she modestly informed us that BizBash 2010 was the second-most trending topic on Twitter that day. Incredible stuff – especially knowing you had contributed to such a staggering statistic. She re-iterated how much value social media brought to both companies and individuals. I couldn’t agree more.

TwitPic photobooth sans fake mustache. Photo courtesy of Swig Productions.

Following the award ceremony, all in attendance were invited to the afterparty at SIR’s Stage 37 – an event venue from music industry giant SIR Entertainment. I am beating a dead horse at this point, but once again, no expense was spared. A party, thrown following an event, thrown for event throwers. Still following? There were females-on-stilts-dressed-as-mermaids, impersonators, acrobats, jugglers, live bands, and the like. You really got a sense that everyone involved within the industry subscribed to the motto “Work Hard, Play Hard.” Talk about over the top, this took the cake.

Ultimately – BizBash and ServedFresh Media did a fantastic job – from start to finish. The exhibitors were like nothing I had ever seen and the press staff couldn’t be more accommodating. And when it comes to social media, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that, similar to most industries, the events industry is creating viral buzz – moreso than ever before.

–

Stan Bashmashnikov runs stanmichaelbash.com, focusing on industries such as creative marketing, online media, and social networking. Please visit the Contact Me link at the bottom of the page for more info.