By: Johanna McDowell
NEW YORK CITY: I arrived in New York City yesterday for the 2012 AdForum Worldwide Summit – a 16-hour flight and then a four-hour delay at Kennedy Airport - their officials were on a go-slow – trying to prove a point ahead of the elections. Does that sound familiar?
All of the international consultants are staying at the Dream Hotel Downtown – it is an extraordinary place with portholes everywhere and the circular theme replicated throughout the interior design – some of which is not entirely functional, but hey, it’s all got great style.
Am fully recovered from the flight and by Tuesday I will be in the time zone, so the first couple of nights might be a little tiring but then we get into it. Day one is predictably packed.
Starting at Ogilvy – on 11th Avenue with a view of the Hudson river – we are meeting the worldwide team to update on all things new over breakfast. As we have not seen them for two years, this will be very informative. After that we head off to Publicis on 10th Avenue for their update and lunch, followed by an introduction to Branded Content and Entertainment agency.
We then have three agency showcases – Uncle Lefty, Big Fuel and NSG/SWAT – all of whom sound really interesting and new. There might (or might not) be time for a quick freshen up before dinner with Ogilvy at the very smart Angel Orensanz Foundation, and we might be back in our hotel by 10pm. As always we will be filling in our evaluation forms on the bus after every agency visit.
A full day ahead, but first, meeting this evening with all of the consultants at Zampa Winebar and Kitchen in the Meatpacking District of NYC – let’s hope it’s an early one!
All of the international consultants are staying at the Dream Hotel Downtown – it is an extraordinary place with portholes everywhere and the circular theme replicated throughout the interior design – some of which is not entirely functional, but hey, it’s all got great style.
Am fully recovered from the flight and by Tuesday I will be in the time zone, so the first couple of nights might be a little tiring but then we get into it. Day one is predictably packed.
Starting at Ogilvy – on 11th Avenue with a view of the Hudson river – we are meeting the worldwide team to update on all things new over breakfast. As we have not seen them for two years, this will be very informative. After that we head off to Publicis on 10th Avenue for their update and lunch, followed by an introduction to Branded Content and Entertainment agency.
We then have three agency showcases – Uncle Lefty, Big Fuel and NSG/SWAT – all of whom sound really interesting and new. There might (or might not) be time for a quick freshen up before dinner with Ogilvy at the very smart Angel Orensanz Foundation, and we might be back in our hotel by 10pm. As always we will be filling in our evaluation forms on the bus after every agency visit.
A full day ahead, but first, meeting this evening with all of the consultants at Zampa Winebar and Kitchen in the Meatpacking District of NYC – let’s hope it’s an early one!
