• by Kelly Samardak , September 9, 2009

If Advertising Week had a smell, what would it be?  If this were the era of "Mad Men," maybe it would smell like gimlets and cigarettes.  During disco days,  it might smell like gold lamé and roller-skate wheels.  In the '80s the olfactory experience would be sprayed with Aquanet and cocaine nosebleeds.  For the life of me I can't recall stand out pop culture vices, maybe crimped hair and double stacked socks? And now, here we are, still wrapped in the '00 slice of 2000 and we may have too many scents to choose from.   Does this year's Advertising Week smell like burgers? Bacon? Money burned in the driveway? Environmentally friendly emissions? Whatever the case, it smells a little like sweat to me as I nailed down my (almost) final schedule for the week. Take a deep breath, pull up your Hammer pants, and read on...

Sunday Sept 20

7:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. My virgin viewing of "Mad Men" will be at the School of Visual Arts Theatre in Chelsea.  Stop it, I'm not the only person who doesn't watch it -- a friend in the industry doesn't watch either because "It's too much like watching work." What better way to break it in than with a mixed bag of advertypes, open bar, and strongly encouraged '60s attire?  The Rubicon Project and Peerset are the  hosts.

Monday Sept. 21 (AKA the day from hell... I mean super awesome funland!)

8 a.m. - 10 a.m. The Women at NBCU Advertising Leadership Breakfast.  Bethenny Frankel of "The Real Housewives of New York City" is hosting, Hoda Kotb will be "appearing," and mysterious "Top Chef" "cheftestants" will also be there!

11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Stars of Madison Avenue Kickoff Luncheon.  This was great last year --  lots of good stuff from UNICEF and a really odd tomato thing on the plate.  The best part was watching people either shyly approach the full 11:30 a.m. open bar or attack it like a wild hog.  Sometimes you have to show it who's boss.

5:30 p.m. OMMA Global Kickoff Cocktail Party!  Whoohoo!  MediaPost's own two-day tossed salad of all things online media, marketing, and advertising.  Last year the cocktail party was held in the Expo Hall, which made wandering through all the booth bunnies very surreal.  And just like last year, they're following the cocktail party with the OMMA Awards.  See if your pass gives you access to all the fun -- and if it doesn't, hello! Upgrade!

7 p.m. Nokia Interactive Advertising and Navteo Media Solutions party.  A pal of mine, Anthony "Monte" Montenegro, recently(ish) moved to Nokia from Virgin Mobile.  I have nothing further to say about that other than I hope he's there.   Also, it's at The Hudson Hotel Private Park & Library Bar which, if Web site pictures are true to life, looks lush and fabu like Shamu.

8 p.m.  Billboard AMP'd Up! Opening Concert: A Benefit for GenerationNext - this year features live performances by the Twitter-friendly Wyclef Jean, Eve (she's still around!), Raphael Saadiq (who I had to Google because apparently now I'm old and I can't recognize artists anymore, and I'm glad I did because he's fantastic!)(Wait a minute, is he the guy from Tony! Toni! Toné!?) and "more" (which could mean some random weirdos hopping on stage and shaking like a salt shaker.

Tuesday Sept. 22

12:45 p.m. MediaPost Online All Stars Luncheon at the Marriott Marquis.  This is also part of OMMA Global (check to see if you have the right pass to enjoy the festivities), but if you just want to hit the luncheon, you can buy a separate ticket as well! Last year's theme was all about  the online superhero and everyone had a blast.

8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. The Social Media Society Launch Party at 675 Bar.  I scoped out the venue myself and can assure you that 675 Bar is a really sweet spot.  I mean, seriously, there is a huge black horse with a lampshade on his head, old-school video games, and chocolate!covered!bacon!  Anyway, if you want to join the Society at its most tender and malleable stage, you can do that today and get access to the party (first 2 bevvies are on the hosts!) or if you just want to lurk, you can buy separate tickets as well.  Either way, I'll see you there!

Wednesday Sept. 23

6 p.m. MEDIA magazine's Creative Media Awards show!  Last year's theme was white and flowy and Great Gatsby-esque.  This year I'm hoping for The Smurfs, but we can't all get what we want.

Thursday Sept. 24

Bing "The Egos" Ping-Pong tournament.  I think.  I have a date but not a time.  Judah Friedlander is hosting and that might be the big draw for me.  That and I LOVE the sound of ping-pong balls hitting the green table thing.

9 p.m.  Facebook's GeneratioNext Wrap Party at Tribeca Cinemas.  Tribeca Cinemas says to me that this year's closing bacchanalia is going to be much smaller than last years.  So now I'm even more curious.  Last year was side-of-ranch-dressing-awesome because AgencySpy's Matt Van Hoven scared some Facebook types in the middle of conversation.  I do applaud the diversion from Nokia Theatre, I remember dreading the approach towards the end of the week.

Friday Sept. 25

8 p.m. - 2 a.m. Night of the Ad Eaters.  I am going to be dead by this time, but I am going to try my best to make it.  I can't find anything that sucks about "an international phenomenon that celebrates the creative process and the impact of advertising on worldwide cultures." Findr Interactive is behind the event. You can find out more here, but be sure to mute your computer because there's default insta-sound.

So that, my friends, is what mid september is looking like.  Tonight, I hit The Boardroom Premiere Party and then on Friday I'll be covering an event at a Long Island Vineyard.  Fun!

What's going on next week?Send invitations to kelly@mediapost.com!