• by Kelly Samardak , July 22, 2010

Belgian Independence Day With Netmining, Amity Hall, New York
July 21, 2010

Yesterday... all my French fries seemed so far away.   Now it seems as if they're here to stay.  Oh, I believe in French-fry day.  Truly though, yesterday I got a little too geeked up about the Netmining Belgian Independence Day party, partly because the invitation did include larger-than-life French fries (Belgian fries?) on it. Not one fry made it into my mouth.  But really, isn't a party about the people, not the potato?

I'm over this heat+humidity.  I don't know who is on Mother Nature's advisory board, but chick needs to clean house, this is NOT what the people want.  Luckily, Amity Hall, which isn't even a Belgian Beer Hall (but it is a billions-of-beers hall!) had icy cool air conditioning that tickled the wisps of sweaty hair around my brow. 

The room occupied by Netmining was decorated in audience-targeting blue, with long wooden tables -- made for drunken fist-pounding -- spotted with bottle openers, balloons and T-shirts.  The beer menu was off the hook!  With so many to choose from, I had to go with the most zoo-like: Middle Ages Ape Hanger.  And in case you're wondering what Netmining has to do with Belgian Independence Day, you'll be happy to know that Netmining got their start in Brussels.  What, no Brussels sprouts?!

I met Netmining's Director of East Coast Sales, Mike Hegarty, who was keeping a bar table warm with Michael Chien from Optimedia and Joe Tam from Optimedia.  From the corner of my eye I saw a tray of cocktail wieners float by and across the room I saw my entourage stuffing chicken fingers in their faces.  I had to excuse myself.

Within minutes after I arrived, food started pouring out of the kitchen. Mini burgers, veggie burgers (really!), chicken fingers, crab blops, and cocktail wieners circled the group like Area 51.  I heard one of the hosts say, "Ask the chef where the fries are.  We said there would be fries," so I wasn't the only one with laser-like focus on fried potato consumption.

Also celebrating Belgian Independence Day were Carolyn Mietzner of Draftfcb and Allison Dyer of Macy's.  Over at a tall table closer to the bar I found Netmining's John O'Neill; Netmining intern Peter Hall, who is attending Bates College in Maine; and Will (not Pete) Doherty, Biz Dev dude for Netmining. 

Whenever I meet someone who says they're "biz dev" I like to drill them a little bit.  What does it mean.  I asked who their ideal client would be. *crickets*  I rephrased, asked who the strawman, unnamed ideal client would be.  That got less crickets, but a guarded answer still.   Oh, you biz devvers!

Later on I ran into John O'Neill again, but this time he was with Jerry Wallace, Sales Director at Netmining.  We shared stories of dirty hangman and the dangers of leaving one's notebooks at parties.  Notebooks that may or may not include dirty hangman.

Not playing dirty hangman were Matt Levine, Jackie Ferrer, and Courtney Blount of Merkley and Partners.  The leader of that pack was the vivacious Margarita Sarmiento of Optimedia.  I also met Sienna Farris of StrawberryFrog, who used to work for Netmining. 

I ran into Chris Clarke of PhD AGAIN (last time was at the 212 Summer Boozefest) who said he caught a little hell for being included in one of my write ups as "fun drunk people ". I had to recheck that, and Chris, you can tell your boss that Fun/Drunk means Fun and/or Drunk. You're welcome.

My favorite conversation came in the form of a question from Kat Fernandez of Netmining and Katie Perry of Innovation Interactive, who asked "So what is the worst thing you've seen at a party you've covered?"  Now, to me the worst thing would have to be when I see people make fools of themselves among their peers.  "It was at your party at B.B. King's, where I saw two guests making out HARDCORE in plain view!"  Of course I got a sneaky shot of the situation.

Last night there were no "10 Minutes In Heaven" games, but there are photos - and you can find them on Flickr!

Send your summer party invitations to kelly@mediapost.com!