• by Kelly Samardak , July 28, 2010

Scripps Mini Upfront, Norwood Club, New York
July 28, 2010

When I read "mini upfront" in my invitation to join Scripps at the exclusive Norwood Club from Kelly Roark, VP, Interactive Sales & Development, I immediately thought it would be a more intimate, star-studded affair as opposed to the big honkin' upfront events of earlier this year.  Well... it sure was intimate.

Special "The More You Know..." *shooting star* note: even if you have only two seconds to do so, [insert search engine of your choice] that sh**.  Although, in hindsight, I wouldn't have known what to Google.  I thought "Take A Peek Behind The FrontDoor" was about an exclusive look inside Scripps that was missing a space.  It wasn't. Tiny research would have prevented me from saying dorky things like...

"So, are you expecting any talent to attend?"  I asked Matt Straz of Pictela, a name that made my brain think "Picasa", but in reality is a branded content delivery platform.  Matt looked perplexed.  He and Dawn Hollowell of Scripps, who I first met at the HGTV Wine and Design event at Top of The Rock (still my favorite venue!), laughed to each other and explained that it wasn't that type of event.  I was so confused.  What's not confusing is how awesome it is that Dawn lives across the street from Kiefer Sutherland.  If I were her, I'd memorize all of "Flatliners" and really freak him out.

I left Matt and Dawn to investigate the 3^rd floor of the Norwood Club.  I could only imagine what it was like before the club lived there.  It's a multi-roomed swinger's townhouse for sure.  Our room was red.  Red, with an intimate square bar in the center.  Couches and chairs in the "sun room" area were to the right of the bar.  Flanking the bar were two tall lamps, draped with hair.  Yes, hair.  It was by one of these hair lamps that I found Kristin Ferrara of Scripps talking animatedly with another guest.  

A huge painting of Lindsay Lohan as a vampire greeted guests at the entrance, which of course prompted me and my date (whom I'd enticed to attend with me with promises of Adam Richman, sorry!) Alyssa Galella to discuss how, no matter how in line that poor woman gets herself, her family will do its best to derail her. 

Our scintillating conversation about pop culture was halted by a tray of balls.  Rice cheese balls, to be exact.  They were keeping company with shrimp toasts, awkward spoons of scallops (can we please stop serving things in those? No one can gracefully get their mouths around them), mini burgers, and mini grilled cheeses.  So, see, feel good if you don't "belong" to Norwood Club -- they serve the same food as T.G.IFriday's.

The presentation was held upstairs, smoothed over by trays of champagne delivered by our tattooed server. Kelly Roark launched into her presentation of FrontDoor, which was full of marketing-spun stats like 200% web site visit increase that has blown up to 400%.  That could mean anything, but hey, even if it's 4 people up to 400, that's still something! 

Long story short: FrontDoor is HGTV's real estate site, leveraging all the socializing buzzwords like sharing and engagement and rich experience.  When Kelly presented the FrontDoor Facebook page, I wondered (and still wonder) if buyers and sellers (and renters) should really occupy the same space.  I mean, should tips on "staging" be alongside "how to see through staging to the real product"? Should "How to make water damage look like a Pollock" be above a "Know your holes: How to recognize out of place frames as cover up!"

I zoned out a little, which I blame on the wine and the soothing blue lighting of the viewing room, but I retuned in as the Pictela presentation screen was filled with boobs.  OK, OK, not boobs, but women in bras.  I looked around the room to see if I was the minority -- but nope, the room was filled predominantly with women.  I cringed.  Maybe in a male-heavy audience the example works, but there has got to be a better way to showcase the way media is served through Pictela rather than through a screen full of jugs.

So there you have it: my first foray into Norwood Club, pretty nice joint if not a little too...quiet.  Judging from the multiple disco balls, though, I'll bet you could throw a bumpin' super late-night jamboree.

Oh, and as a little sidenote, I made it all the way from 8^th and 14^th to 14^th and 3^rd in my nonsensible shoes only to face-plant in the middle of the street at 14^th and 3^rd.  Today's Just An Online Minute brought to you by Advil and Band-Aid. 

Look at some pretty pictures.