• by Kelly Samardak , November 9, 2010

The Rubicon Project Ad:tech Cocktails, 230 Fifth, New York
November 4, 2010

Send party invitations to me at kelly@mediapost.com

It was time to bid a formal sayonara to ad:tech New York at 230 Fifth.  As I walked from Bowlmor's Carnival in my not-so-comfy shoes to 230 Fifth, my toes screamed for me to return home, to reunite with my best friend, the couch, and sink into a late night of DVR catch-up.  I screamed back at my toes "No, toes! I must complete the multi-party challenge!!" and off I continued, +1 in tow, camera banging against my side, shutter finger blistering from hours of snaps.

230 Fifth still cracks me up.  I've probably said it before, but guess what, the broken record gets the... frecord.  Anyway, I've probably said it before but 230 Fifth is one of those bar/lounges that offers itself up as a swanky Manhattan biz pickup joint, but in reality, it's a mass-producing, very-bad-mini-burger-passing, ordinary place.  I think it gets by on looks alone, with that prime rooftop view of the beautiful Empire State Building.  It certainly doesn't get by on personality because I have yet to meet a cocktail waiter (usually it's the waitresses that are most angry) that warms my soul.  Last Thursday night was par for the course server-wise.

But not guest-wise!   Rubicon does not disappoint in party action.  The last time I joined them for an event was their "Mad Men" party, where two extremely inebriated (they later blamed it on Sunday Funday in a very contrite email) people thought the SVA was their hotel room.  I had arrived about an hour before last week's party was supposed to wrap up and while the crowd was dwindling, the energy wasn't.  I blame Devan Fearman, Marketing Communications Manager.  Her contagious smile and boisterous self could convince you to rob a food truck.

It's that smile that convinced me to do something that to this day is making my skin crawl.  Something I've snarled at in the past.  Something that has made me say "Is that person stupid as hell?! Don't they watch the news?!"

I donned the public red robe. 

The one that other peoples' bodies have been in. 

Potentially harboring body lice and bed bugs. 

Yeah, that robe.  I put it on. 

And pulled the hood up over my head. 

Are you vomiting yet? Yeah, me too.

Though they should have been making "what is wrong with you" faces at me, Kara Weber, Rubicon Project SVP of Marketing, and Rachel Richards, Rubicon Project Events Manager were not - though perhaps they were cringing inside. 

Up on the roof, I met Chris Wilson, Business Development at Chitika and Nicholas Timms from Daily Mail.  I also met Peer39's Stephen Graziano and Chrisanne McCoy.  I know I have met both of them before, but I still can't remember where.  Stephen was giving me crap because downstairs he had apparently asked to see the photo I had just taken. I told him no,  which I usually do to everyone, otherwise I'd never get in as much shooting and I'd probably end up just leaving due to people saying "OMG THAT PICTURE IS HORRIBLE" when really what they mean is "OMG I AM MAKING A HORRIBLE FACE IN THAT FABULOUS PICTURE."  Anyway, he seemed irked, but he came around.  I'm thinking about telling people I'm carrying a film camera.

Besides the Halebop robe situation, I did spot a couple making out in a spotlighted area.  Whether they were ad:techers or not could not be confirmed.  And of course, there was the lovely bartender who just stared at me silently until I said, "Am I supposed to order from somewhere else?"  She replied, "Yes."  I guess it's not in her contract to tell a person.  Either that or she read me wrong as another mind talker.

That's it, people.  Another ad:tech NY in the bag.   Next year I am definitely not registering for a press pass.  The constant phone calls, the irrelevant (to an event/nightlife column) deluge of emails, they're just not worth it.  Especially when I get the party invitations anyway.

Tonight I'm covering a party hosted by Netshelter that is either a "holiday mixer" or a "Most Influential Tech Mixer." One sounds lovely, the other sounds like ego-schmooze torture.  Let's hope for the lovely.

Photos are up on Flickr!

Send party invitations to me at kelly@mediapost.com