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