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Just An Online Minute... 360i Turns Ten, Doesn't Use Party Hats Or Clowns

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360i Tenth Anniversary Party, Mark Ecko Showroom, New York
October 24, 2008

Another day, another dollar -- but not for some. Don't think that while mags are folding (according to Gawker, RADAR is chucking everyone today), newspapers are cutting, and agencies are laying off by the dozens that I'm blind to it. Of course I see it, of course it makes my stomach hurt for people losing their jobs. Of course I'm not sitting here smiling and typing listening to the Carpenters and living on a diet of marshmallows and rainbows. What I am doing is my job, and that is to hopefully entertain you, employed or otherwise, with the not-so-heavy (even though I'm getting heavier from it) side of our industry. Maybe when you've had your depressing fill of layoff trackers and breaking news death knells, you'll pop on over here and smile at a mini-burger.

Last night was 360i's tenth anniversary party. And you know what; they have every right to celebrate. Staying power is a difficult thing, and if you've seen  their timeline, you'll see they're no strangers to shaking change (love the Apple computer pictures). David Berkowitz, director of emerging media at 360i, is a familiar face to me for a number of reasons: I found him on Flickr when I was trying to gather a pool of people who took photos at OMMA events, we started following each other on Twitter, he's spoken at OMMA events that I haven't been to, and then finally we met in person at the Buddy Media party a while back. And now, there I was, standing in the Mark Ecko studio, surrounded by racks and racks of fancy pants, shirts and hats, celebrating with the 360i clan.

Now, because of last night, I've decided that MediaPost, too, needs a circular wooden bar in the middle of the office, with books lined up on top of it to look less alcoholic and more intellectual. The room also needs some vibrant colors, like the multi-swirlie-squared shark painting that says "Big Money Likes Silence" in Mark Ecko's space. Only I want ours to be guppies with the phrase "Small Money Likes To Scream" -- or maybe just an amazing pizza mural.

In between bites of the most flavorless mini-burgers I've ever pounced on (and you KNOW I'm practically the Bobby Flay of mini-burgers), guests were racking and cracking some balls on the maroon pool table, another "must-have" for any office. Little balls of crab cakes floated by while I interrupted Markus W Rauschnabel, Chief Operating Officer, and Sebastian Reichelt, Junior Portal Manager, both of eFurnity , for a photo. Don't say eFurnity out loud, you'll laugh. I feel like my mouth is making a mistake when I say it.

David Berkowitz, Sara Holoubek, a consultant, and I somehow found ourselves in a discussion about samba lessons, which led us to how we found our significant others, when then made me amorous for a mini-burger, so I ran off and into John Ragals, COO, 360i with his scooter, hanging out with Jason Kopeloff, also of 360i. On the periphery of the pool table were Mike Hegarty and Chris Hansen representing 360i, ad nestled by the racks shirts I found a big bunch of Googlers.  Some don't have last names yet, but I gotta get this minute out!  They were Andy, Dan Taylor, Nora Ziegenhagen, Nick Van Winkle of 360i, and Dan Dan the mystery man from Pandora.  I can't forget Amanda Bird of 360i fame, who was also running around with a camera getting shots of her party guests.

It was a fairly sedate party, and by sedate I mean no one was dancing on tables, no one fell down the stairs, no one stole any shirts, and as far as I know, no one tried to do the dirt- dirty in Mark Ecko's office. All of which is fine by me. You can only handle so much of that in one week. I had to take off towards the end with the greatest intentions to make it to Resident's first year anniversary party, but the cold I had been on the cusp of all week knocked me over the edge. When I notified them, their response was understanding, with a dash of guilt. Whatever, man, who wants a sick party guest?

Tonight is going to be huge. Perez Hilton is throwing a "pre party" with his ad sales team, clients, customers, friends, frenemies, and party crashers (no!) and then we're all heading over to his CMJ showcase at Highline Ballroom with what will no doubt prove to be one of the biggest Friday night circuses in Manhattan. Afterwards, so I can power through the next week and Ad:Tech week, I'm going to bathe in NyQuil and place tiny screens in my nostrils to block out those nasty germs you people keep spreading around.

Getting older? Send invitations to kelly@mediapost.com and let's celebrate with Just An Online Minute!

Get the rest of the party pics on Flickr!

You'll be fine if you don't follow me on Twitter.

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