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Filed under: ASI Shows, Fun
Hi Everyone —
The week of May 5th week was the first-ever ASI Show in New York City and it was a blast! This year’s Counselor Top 40 banquet was held at the quintessential New York hot spot Cipriani, and it was fantastic. At my table were my pals Jo-an Lantz from Geiger, Scott Siegel from R.S. Owens and Gemline owner Jonathan Isaacson, who is this year’s Counselor International Person of the Year. Jonathan’s knowledge on the topic is so vast and his passion for conveying the widespread impact that pricing issues in Asia will have on our industry is so contagious, that he actually has me saying things like this to my girlfriends over cocktails: “Prices on items imported from China have been so cheap due to its government’s refusal to let the yuan float against the U.S. dollar; that’s going to change as China is now exporting its inflationary markets to the U.S.” It would be at this point, if my life had its own soundtrack, that you’d here the crickets chirping over the Grey Goose, as my friends gaped at me, slack jawed.
In addition to the show and the Counselor banquet, there were lots of late nights with industry characters and a fabulous client appreciation party hosted by LA-based distributor PromoShop. “This is our 4th year doing the party at the same location: AVA Lounge in the Dream Hotel,” Kris Robinson, PromoShop’s vice president of marketing, told me. “We invite mostly clients that are in NYC or the East Coast and we had a few preferred vendor partners join us this year. We had over 250 guests and it was our best party by far.”
As Christian Brandt, ASI’s executive director of distributor services and my party “handler” on the show tour and I can attest, few people in the industry party with the gusto of the PromoShop folks. They are prodigious.
Cheers!
— Michele
My pal Jeffrey Kramer, founder of Bullet Line, and one of my favorite BFFs.
Kandy Kramer and I, enjoying our awesome meal and the fun company. Kandy, without question, is one of the coolest ladies I know and I always have a blast with her, whether we’re in Hong Kong or NYC.
Ron Ball, ASI’s vice president of supplier sales, and Jeffrey. Just for the occasion, Ron wore his swanky pinstripe suit, hand-sewn from Classy Broadway Tailors in Hong Kong. It is flashy, and very Ron. During our meal, Cab Calloway called Ron from 1920s Harlem and asked for his zoot suit back.
This year’s Counselor “International Person of the Year,” Jonathan Isaacson (left), owner of Gemline, enjoys some quiet time before the Counselor Top 40 banquet at legendary New York hot spot Cipriani with his industry BFF Marc Simon, CEO of HALO/Lee Wayne.
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right… Here I am at the Counselor Top 40 banquet with my two wacko work “husbands,” Ron Ball (left) and Christian Brandt, ASI’s executive director of distributor services. Why do I need two work husbands? Because that’s how I roll… what good is one of anything? Right before this photo was taken, Ron snapped one of my cleavage on his camera, for his “own, personal blog,” he says. Those of you who know me don’t think for a second that my work husbands would be politically correct, do you?
Counselor editor Andy Cohen (left), ASI’s senior vice president/publisher Rich Fairfield, and editor-in-chief Melinda Ligos get ready to welcome guests to the Counselor Top 40 banquet at Cipriani on Wall Street in NYC.
Sabrina & Memo Kahan, owner of PromoShop, shown here with Kris Robinson, PromoShop’s vice president of marketing, celebrate at the Counselor banquet in NYC. This is the first year that PromoShop cracked the Top 40 list of distributors with $30, 300,000 in sales. Way to go, guys!
After the banquet, my pal Tim O’Boyle, vice president of sales at JournalBooks, and I joined other banquet guests for a cocktail before hitting the next bar. To Tim’s left is ASI senior vice president Dale Denham, who — it should be noted — never joins the rowdy industry degenerates on bar benders… though we think he should!
 
Somewhere around 2:00 a.m., my pal Jake Krolick, ASI’s supplier marketing guru, and I — sauced in the Big Apple and wandering through Times Square in formalwear after the black tie Counselor Top 40 banquet — began CRAVING McDonalds (which, for those of you who drink know, there is no better food after cocktailing…). We found one that was open, and so delighted was I that I treated everyone in the establishment to Happy Meals. These photos capture Jake’s ravenous, rapturous glee when ripping into our gourmet fare.
Me, my road show partner in crime Eddie “E” Roth from Aunt Beth’s Cookie Keepers and Laura Fisher, account executive in ASI’s membership services department, at a small Irish bar in NYC with lots of “character” [read: it was a borderline dive…]. The drinks were cheap, the company was fantastic and the jukebox was jam-packed with Stones, AC/DC and the ever-popular Journey. If they allowed smoking in the bar, we’d still be there.
E & I having a “moment” courtesy of our close friends Captain Morgan and Grey Goose.
(From left): BIC’s Dave Saracino, Gemini Canada’s Dave Rucklos, PromoShop’s vice president of marketing and reigning industry celebutante Kris Robinson, and ASI’s Christian Brandt at PromoShop’s awesome “Ocho De Mayo” party, held Thursday night, May 8th, at Club AVA in NYC. As one would expect from the partiers at LA-based PromoShop — new to Counselor‘s Distributor Top 40 list this year with $30,300,000 in sales for 2007 — the venue was swanky, the cocktails were flowing and the view from the rooftop bar was spectacular.
ASI’s Christian Brandt and BIC’s Dave Saracino, who topped iPROMOTEu’s “Fun Thirty” list in the May issue of Counselor (page 16). If you’ve spent more than five minutes with Dave, you know exactly why he garnered the Number One spot.
Robb Ross of MI-based distributor Chamberlain Marketing and Christian, standing next to what appears to be the most stylish Good Humor man ever.
Here are the top five reasons why I love Memo Kahan, PromoShop’s owner:
5. He plays as hard as he works, and personifies Cali cool.
4. His love affair with Patrone rivals mine with Grey Goose.
3. He once played golf with Meatloaf, his favorite singer. Who wouldn’t have loved to be there to witness that conversation?
2. We’re keeping each other’s secret — in “the Vault” — about drunken degenerate escapades we’ve each had in the past.
1. His wife, Sabrina, is even cooler than he is.
PromoShop’s Memo Kahan holds court on the rooftop bar at the AVA Lounge in the Dream Hotel in NYC. His awesome client appreciation party drew over 250 guests, basking in the glow of PromoShop’s fabulousness.
 
With the New York skyline as its backdrop, the PromoShop party couldn’t have had more mesmerizing decor.
ASI’s Christian Brandt and PromoShop’s Memo Kahan, exemplifying why those who imbibe always make the shiniest, happiest people.
JournalBooks’ Tim O’Boyle, Tim’s nephew David Lehman, PromoShop’s Memo Kahan and ASI’s Christian Brandt on the rooftop bar of the AVA Lounge in NYC.
Memo’s sublime wife, Sabrina Kahan (right), and Barbara Bell, a family friend who has known Memo for more than 30 years — back when his family lived in Mexico. “My parents became friends with Barbara and her family — they are the reason we moved to this wonderful country,” Memo says.
Supplier Mike Williams from ETS Express poses here with the host with the most, PromoShop’s Memo Kahan.
3 Comments
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No Big Kahuna Burger, but that was one Tasty Burger! Thanks Bell – showcasing one of my “finer” moments.
Michele you kill me! If you get lucky you will see my stripped sports coat in AC at promotions East.
Kandy Kramer is my first cousin with whom I have lost contact. If you think of it, please give her my email address.