Month: June 2010

New Year, New Board

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The Ad 2 Orlando 2010-2011 year has officially begun! Think you have what it takes to make this year even better than last? Ad 2 Orlando is looking for members with strong leadership abilities, and are looking to get involved, to join our board. This is the best way to see what goes on behind the scenes as well as have your voice heard. To learn about all of our committees and descriptions of what they do, please visit the following link: http://ad2orlando.org/committees.php

The open board positions for the 2010-2011 year are:

+ Public Relations (1 Chair)
+ Socials (1 Co-Chair)
+ Programs (1 Co-Chair)
+ Education (2 Co-Chairs)
+ Diversity (1 Co-Chair)
+ Sponsorship (2 Co-Chairs)

If you are interested in taking a position or have any questions please e-mail Ad 2 Orlando president, Jennifer Gammichia, at president@ad2orlando.org.

It is going to be an incredible year and we want you to be a part of it with us.

Thanks,
– Your Executive Committee

“Hi, I’m Tiffany Ryan from Ad 2 Orlampa.”

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That’s how I introduced myself to people last weekend at the American Advertising Federation National Conference.

As both a recent transplant to Orlando and still an active board member of Ad 2 Tampa Bay this national conference was a very unique experience for me. First, it was being held right here in Orlando, and second I was competing in the Public Service Competition for Ad 2 Tampa Bay, and third I am still trying to get to know all of the people who make up the fabulous Ad 2 and AAF Orlando clubs.

We were lucky enough to have the national conference this year in our very own city. Members from all over the country converged on the Hilton Bonnet Creek for workshops, district meetings, election of officers and much more.

One of the highlights as an Ad 2 member was getting to attend the business and board meetings and meet the outgoing and incoming national board. These people are our representatives in the AAF. We were also able to vote on where the mid-year retreat would be located…Phoenix here we come!

There was also an idea exchange in which all the Ad 2 members got together to share what works for their club and get advice from other clubs on things they may not have figured out yet.

OH! I almost forgot the most amazing part. If you haven’t met Kate and Carl from Ad 2 Tampa Bay they are great people. During the Salute to Achievers lunch Carl proposed to Kate in front of the entire ballroom while accepting the award for Ad 2 Club of the Year. It was amazing and we wish them all the happiness in the world!

The happy couple

Anything can happen at a conference. If you can ever get to a conference I highly recommend it!

Find Your Creative Muse

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So you’re thinking about attending some of the events at the AAF National Conference this week? I can tell you its a great idea because I had my first AAF/Ad 2 conference experience in April and it was awesome.

Jennifer Gammichia, Susan Watts, Lindsey Levy, and myself all made the not-so-far journey over to Tampa for the 4th District AAF Conference: Find Your Creative Muse. I was a bit nervous and wasn’t sure what to expect, what to wear, what to bring and all the other things girls worry about before an event. I was pleasantly surprised by the fun, casual nature of the conference. Everyone was so friendly and willing to exchange ideas. The speakers were excellent as well.

To kick off the conference, Friday’s luncheon speaker was Sally Hogshead and many of us had already taken her personality assessment online to find out our Fascination Score. Currently, I am reading her book and would recommend to anyone looking to make themselves more fascinating.

Now to the stuff you really want to know… what happened Friday night when all of the crazy ad geeks took over Ybor City in Tampa…


Too much booze plus bad singing equals an awesome night of kareoke….


Even our new friends from the US Virgin Islands got in on the act…


Of course, Tiffany couldn’t be out sung and had to represent for her old stomping grounds with some “Chinese Chicken” style kareoke!

Saturday morning was a bit rough, but all of the excellent workshops and speakers made it completely worth getting up for. Murray Izzenwaser from Bitztegra did an eye-opening workshop on social media as a tactic to drive revenue for your client’s business. Our lunch speaker was full of comic relief and insightful ways to reach consumers through non-traditional means. Cal McAllister, from Wexley School for Girls kept the whole room laughing throughout the meal.

Finally, it was time for the district ADDY Awards and we had to clean ourselves up. As you can see we clean up pretty nice.


However, our behavior through dinner wasn’t so nice as we began to find our creative muse through some creative boozing…

And our dinner table decor only improved throughout the evening…

All in all, it was a great experience. I cannot wait for the AAF National Conference this week where I am sure there will be much to learn and much to drink…

If this sounds like its up your alley than please come out with us and the other conference attendees this Friday for A Starry Night Out !

-Amy Mierzwinski