• by Carrie Cummings , September 30, 2011

Social Media Stars - New York
Marriott Marquis, Times Square
9/27/11 

Tuesday evening found me running through Times Square like a tourist, even asking a cop for directions to the Marriott Marquis before he pointed right in front of me. I hate Times Square so much. But there was a party and a bar that needed emptying, so I did my duty as a hard-hitting party reporter and showed up.  

The Social Media Society, founded by Persia Tatar, held its first annual Social Media Stars awards in New York this past Tuesday. The show rewarded 13 people in the New York area who used social media profiles and campaigns. I guess I should say that The Social Media Society is related to MediaPost in some capacity and that OMMA's Online All Stars program was going on in the room across the hall. I played a hand in the choosing of the All Stars since I edit OMMA magazine, so obviously I thought it was the best show in the world and can't report on it or I'll lose some of my hard-earned journalistic credibility.

Anyway, the Social Media Stars program was held in an intimate ballroom on the 7^th floor of the Marriott. There were tables and champagne and a hilariously charming MC, Benjamin Weisman, who kept the crowd engaged. Persia even had caricature portraits made of the winners along with the stars awards by the Parisian artist, Marson.  

Bim Bom, a Brooklyn-based Bossa Nova band, played the opening cocktail ceremony to get everyone in the social mood as they mingled with the crowd from OMMA Online All Stars and sucked down drinks from the full bar.

I met Luke Glasner,  principal at RedPill Email and a member of the Social Media Society. He reads my column too, and says it's his favorite at MediaPost (mostly because there aren't numbers or analyses in it, but we'll pretend it's because it's the best). I'm told he usually carries pill bottles around with red M&Ms, but he didn't have any that night.  

After the awards were handed out, I met Jeff Arbour, co-founder of Plyfe, a digital loyalty program that will soon launch. I can't find their Web site - maybe it hasn't launched yet, or maybe my Googling skills are off, but I'm excited to see what happens with it.  

It was getting late and I had to get out of Times Square, so I bid the Stars goodbye and was on my way. A great night to kick off the first Social Media Stars awards.  

In attendance: Tribal DDB Worldwide Team; Buddy Media Team; Pauline Ores, Principal, SocialEdge, Business Platforms, Infosys Limited (and Social Media Society advisory board member); Jessica Golden Cortes, Attorney, Davis & Gilbert, (Social Media Society advisory board member); Michelle Fernandez, Vice President, Mom Central Consulting; Dave Kerpen, CEO, Likeable Media (Social Media Society advisory board member); Alan Chan, Founder, Bre.ad; and Sebastian Hempstead, VP North America, Brandwatch 

For more info on The Social Media Society and for a complete list of winners, check out http://www.socialmediasociety.org/. Also, if you want me at your next party, email carrie@mediapost.com

Thanks to JJ Mack for the photographs.