• by Kelly Samardak , November 5, 2008

Yahoo! Election Cocktails, Cain, New York
November 4, 2008

It's hard for me to hear the word "election" today. I'm trying to function, but I hopped three election parties last night for you guys, ending with the 23/6 fiasco (come on, everyone just keeps referring to it as the Huffington Post party), and I'm a little under the weather. I thought about clumping all three events together in one shotgun blast of an election post, but then I grinned sadistically and decided it's more fun to saturate you with three separate posts, tsunami style. Come with me, if you dare, to election cocktails at Cain, courtesy of Yahoo!.

I almost deleted it -- that email with the subject "I see you're going to be at ad:tech." But something stopped me, made me open it, and read it. Inside was a concisely written note that Yahoo had some execs not only speaking at ad:tech, but also willing to throw a few back at the recently relaunched Cain. I'm getting tired of heading far west for the majority of these parties, but West Chelsea has such a dirty, dark, and scandalous feel with its wide cobbled streets and empty lofts, warehouses, and chichi don't-even-think- about-wearing-those-jeans-here clubs, it's hard to say no. It's also hard for me to turn down an invitation to a club that uses wild animals as décor inspiration.

Because I was confirmed literally the day of the party, I wasn't on the list -- but my +1 and super date for the evening, Gail Hilton, Director Sales and Marketing at Qwikker, and I were warmly welcomed, got our nametag stickers printed out and we were in!

Now, it should be noted that this was not offered as an "election party" -- simply an election night cocktail party, so I wasn't expecting that sport bar scene with flat screens blasting Wolf Blitzer (does that guy age?). I don't know if Cain was expecting it, either, because they had some minor TV tech glitches. Their crew worked feverishly, dangling cables from steps ladders, to get those screens to stop wiggling like the free almost-porn channel.

Cain is just a really pretty venue, there is no other word to describe it. Pink Greg-Brady-style threaded curtains slithered along the bar, tickling the ground. Red lights warmed the bar while guests of Yahoo! ordered nose-tingling champagne, Grey Goose, and yes, bottled water. Yahoo! didn't let any purple detail slip away, either. From the lights to the blinking plastic ice cubes, the party was subtly doused in purple. The first group of Yahooligans were in town from Portland for one night. It sounded like they needed to let loose after a full day of one after another ad agency meetings. Yes, there was a little talk of politics, but mostly, I wanted to know if they ever play with the eRoi guys, assuming everyone in Portland knows each other. I suggested they get out there with Twitter and start making friends.

Across the room, bathed in purple light and chicken sticks were Michael Bayle, Senior Director, Global Mobile Monetization, Yahoo!, and Mariano Burstein, Founder of Adfunky digital media. I'm confused about Mariano. He said he's not with Yahoo!, but the adfunky logo appears on a Yahoo! business card. These mysteries are perplexing. What's not perplexing is the fabulous array of food served at Cain. Yes, the customary mini-burger slid by, but it was followed closely by seared tuna, veggie eggrolls, and the crowd-pleasing chicken chunk on a toothpick. Cocktail waitresses glided by with trays of drinks so lazy drinking networkers never had to leave their velvety seat. Oh! It also turns out that Michael knows someone that Gail works with at Qwikker, making the media industry family tree ever more inbred.

Erin Ross of Comet Ads was trying her best not to lose a retina while standing speakerside with Jason Cobbler, Account Executive, and Nick Dauchez, Vice President, Media Sales US/International Partner, both of Redux Media. Erin noted that it was a little difficult to network with the music so loud and that the lights were making it difficult to read nametags. This was true, but I look at those barriers as signs to move away from the speakers and talk about odd non-business-related things.

Kicking back, possibly talking about business (or maybe the awesome restrooms!)on a dark fuzzy couch were Tony Lishner, Interactive Media Planner, Sandee Supanpong, Senior Account Manager, and Sharon Arnold, Interactive Traffic Manager -- all of Gotham Direct, Inc, a small and proud of it agency.

I wasn't the only MediaPoster taking in the sexy beauty of Cain. Andrew Ettinger writes "The Sell," a monthly column in Media magazine, and he nabbed me as I was heading out and freaked me out hooting "MediaPoster!!!" and posing with his goofball pal. When he's not bopping around at Yahoo! parties or writing for MediaPost, you can find him strategizing his face off at RJ Palmer.

It was around 7:15 p.m. that my nerves started jangling and I wanted to get myself to a thick red white and blue election party. Next stop, the Naked party.

Send invitations to kelly@mediapost.com and get in Just An Online Minute!

See who partied like it was their civic duty on Flickr !

The parties keep coming and I keep going.  Follow me around on Twitter.