• by Kelly Samardak , June 25, 2010

Conversation Cannes Party, Conversation Penthouse, New York
June 24, 2010

Yesterday, after running back and forth from the East Village to the Flatiron searching high and low for my missing notebook with its embarrassing lists and even stranger "brain clues" for people I meet, I looked forward to the evening, with its Conversation on Cannes/Cannes at Conversation party at the Conversation penthouse. I imagined freezing A/C, chilled cocktails, and the promised French food dropping into my belly like Parisian paratroopers. It was sort of like that.

I scooped up my lavender date for the evening, Buddy Media's Jenean Chapman and we walked in the now not-as-mean heat through Union Square, past the didgeridoo beat boxer guy (he's amazing!), and up to the penthouse. The elevator doors opened to pumping music, blazing disco lights, and the smell of... what was that...waffles? I was in sensory overload and my belly growled in the direction of the sweet baked something smell. In order to gain entry, we had to fill out a card asking things like, "What do you think of award shows" with answers like "meh, it's all self congratulatory inner circle backpatting" and others more positive. The final question was my favorite: If you could create an award show, what would it be?" My answer? "Almost Porn Awards, Digital." You know what I'm talking about; you've been to YouTube.

That amazing smell was the crepe station, which was churning out Nutella and bananas like Rave churns out trampy clothes. If you can believe it, this was my virgin voyage into Nutella land, and now I'm afraid it's going to get illegal. So. Good. The amazing music was brought to the party by talented deejaysoul.

The first person I met was none other than Conversation CEO Frank O'Brien's wife Lauren O'Brian. She was slicing happily into her crepe with a big grin. Ordinarily the sight of a roof deck makes me gleeful, but I was so sweaty my brain was melting. In fact, as I spoke with Troy Allen of Conversation, who was sitting with Lorena Pino of The Children's Place and some other woman in a blue dress who felt the need to yell the spelling of Lorena's name when I said I had trouble hearing over the music, my brain was so melty, I could barely string together a cohesive thought. Although, it is hard to focus when someone is verbally abusing you with the alphabet. But I digress!

The sun began to sink, rouging up the side of the Flatiron building and down 23rd street. Everything began its descent from orange into dark blue and the night was nice enough to begin to cool. As the temperature cooled, the party got hotter with more people piling in and the buzzes turning to full on hangover makers.

I ran into Marc Lefton again! He's a Partner at Half Fiction. Troy informed me that Half Fiction had just won the Hustler account. He seemed really impressed with this information. I asked Marc to confirm and he said, with love, "No Hustler for us. Troy is crazy." As a side note, I have a mental block when I see Troy where my brain simply doesn't tell me that I know him, just that I might know him. The block wasn't as fortified last night, so we're getting somewhere!

I also met, or re-met, Manisha Marberry from Mr. Youth. We rehashed their freakishly awesome holiday party. I left Manisha and Jenean to check out the upper roof deck. It was up there that I found Scientist Colin Malone and Simone Bolotine of Alison Broad PR (ABPR). They were enjoying the mini skyline with Beth Daigle, VP at ABPR and Tommy Conlin, a graphic designer. As I made my way back down the stairs I saw the always-ebullient Kenny Heinau who was at Mr. Youth, but is now part of the Conversation crew. He has the smoothest face I've ever seen, in case you were curious. Never far from the Kenny atmosphere is the ball of immeasurable energy, Kelly Buchanan, Account Supervisor at Mr. Youth. When not flipping and bopping and jumping and slithering, she could be found chatting it up with Joe Fairless, Account Supervisor at Mr. Youth, and Alexis Dorenter, Account Exec at Mr. Youth.

Some of my favorite Conversation conversations of the night were with the DiGennaro Communications fem flock of Kendra Peavy, Joann Wardrip and Nora Lyons. Solid down to earth sizzling humored ladies. Another grouping of girls I would invite to a brunch for people who don't suck were Alyssa Bachowski of Conversation; Celena Fergusson of BuzzTxt; and Angela Iannanelli, a graphic designer. 

Time flew on the Conversation roof. I had such a great time AND it looks like they have these little themed bashes every last Thursday of the month, aptly named "Last Thursdays." Hopefully I'll see everyone again. Well, not everyone. I don't need to see the dude who kept insulting my photography skills. And by insulting I mean, "just kidding". Yeah. Hilarious.

Send invitations to kelly@mediapost.com!

Photos are up on Flickr! (more coming!)