{"id":48,"date":"2008-08-12T13:30:14","date_gmt":"2008-08-12T13:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bellwether-asicentral.com\/bellblog\/2008\/08\/12\/fun-in-the-sun-at-the-saac-show\/"},"modified":"2008-08-18T20:11:05","modified_gmt":"2008-08-18T20:11:05","slug":"fun-in-the-sun-at-the-saac-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bellwether-asicentral.com\/bellblog\/2008\/08\/12\/fun-in-the-sun-at-the-saac-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Fun in the Sun at the SAAC Show!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi\u00a0Everyone!<\/p>\n

I just returned to the office after being at the always-awesome SAAC Show in Long Beach, CA, last week. I’ve been attending the SAAC Show since its last year at the Towne & Country hotel in San\u00a0Diego and have\u00a0been a huge fan ever since. I don’t know if it’s because the show is the last of the year\u00a0for many people or the relaxed vibe of Cali, but this show\u00a0always\u00a0has a distinct atmosphere to it — one of profound fun, where everyone is laid-back and happy.<\/p>\n

See below for a smorgasbord of photos I took\u00a0chronicling the week. Two of my favorite moments that I missed the chance to photograph? My pal Jamie Raynor from JournalBooks, who is always the epitome of moderation, reason and decorum, succumbing to the crazies and doing Irish Car Bombs (rock on, Jamie!) at the\u00a0iPROMOTEu\u00a0“SupplierPalooza” party and\u00a0Kris Robinson, vice president of Counselor <\/em>Top 40 distributor PromoShop, getting five other people to join him in sticking their fingers in shots of Sambuca, lighting them on fire <\/em>, raising their arms in the air and declaring themselves the “Statues of Liberty.” And truly, I can think of no better analogy for the SAAC Show and this industry: “Give us your weirdoes, wackos, loonies and kooks…” ; )<\/p>\n

More next week!<\/p>\n

Cheers!!!<\/p>\n

Michele<\/p>\n


\nModerne Glass\u2019s Stan Breckenridge (left), the current PPAI chairman of the board, shown here with Mel Ellis, president of Humphrey Line, at the Advertising Product Suppliers (APS) meeting held last Monday in Long Beach, CA, during the show. Why is Stan bandaged, you may be wondering? During a slightly contentious portion of the meeting involving PPAI\u2019s dues structure, Stan was a little body-checked against the boards, verbally, by some suppliers in attendance. Being the good sport he is, Stan rose to the occasion with aplomb and emerged at the post-meeting cocktail party donning this head bandage. The reaction? Everyone just cracked up at his quick wit.<\/p>\n


\nWorldwide\u2019s Steve Rone, Del Rey Nut Co.’s Mark Hobbs and Promo Marketing<\/em> publisher, my pal Matty Barnes, enjoying cocktails at the APS cocktail reception following the meeting.<\/p>\n


\nASI\u2019s president\/CEO, Tim Andrews (center), poses here with the industry\u2019s beautiful couple, Mark Hobbs and PromoBiz\u2019s Nadine Panetti. Both Mark and Nadine are on Counselor<\/em>\u2019s inaugural \u201cHot\u201d list in the August issue.<\/p>\n


\nASI\u2019s director of ESP, Candace Hershey and Ross Silverstein, CEO of Counselor<\/em>Top 40 distributor iPROMOTEu, at the Irish Pub in Long Beach. Everyone who loves to party at this show always ends their evenings at this place, which, I know, has a formal name. However, everyone who\u2019s any rummy just calls it \u2013 with the wave of a hand — \u201cthat Irish bar across the street from the Hyatt.\u201d<\/p>\n


\nMy favorite day at my favorite show: Pool Day at the Hyatt during the SAAC Show! Started a few years back by a collective of rummies sunning themselves by the pool like liquored-up lizards, this is my High Holy Day of frolicking \u2026 the one I look forward to throughout the year. Here, Bravo\u2019s Greg Livings \u2013 one of the charter members of Pool Day \u2013 gets ready to order everyone\u2019s drink of choice: The Greyhound (that\u2019s a refreshing blend of Grey Goose and grapefruit juice for those of you who\u2019d like to know\u2026.). Over the years, it would be a fair statement to say that we\u2019ve all drank PACKS of Greyhounds.<\/p>\n


\nLiqui-Mark\u2019s vice president Josh Goodelman, a novice of Pool Day, was hooked after his third Greyhound. I think he realized he was in for a treat when Javier, the Hyatt pool waiter who takes care of us every year, showed up like a vision bearing drinks and remembered us all from last year, by name<\/em>. Now that, my friends, is how you make an impression. Note I didn\u2019t clarify if it\u2019s a good<\/em> impression\u2026 ; )<\/p>\n


\nAmerican Ad Bag\u2019s Gary Semrow, with what was his first of many beers of Pool Day.<\/p>\n


\nProvidence\u2019s president Hank Riccitelli and Express Pens\u2019 Matt Linderman catch up by the Hyatt pool.<\/p>\n


\nMatt Linderman, my BFF Tom Ngo from Key-Bak, his adorable colleague Barbie Brandon and Awesome Lines\u2019 Jodi Friedman take solace from the sun, which was scorching in Long Beach last Tuesday.<\/p>\n


\nPromo Marketing <\/em>magazine\u2019s Vicky Tirpack, a character in her own right, and Lisa Horn (right), PPB<\/em>\u2019s former editor and now an industry marketing consultant, hanging out by the pool.<\/p>\n


\nSome of my favorite die-hard pool pals, from left: Media Tree\u2019s Steve Greene, Pencoa\u2019s Stacy Horton, Avaline\u2019s Lisa Parker and American Ad Bag\u2019s Gary Semrow.<\/p>\n


\nAs our numbers grew by the Hyatt\u2019s pool last Tuesday, so did the amount of cocktails coming out on Javier\u2019s tray. Rock on, my little lounge lizards!<\/p>\n


\nLest you think it was only the imbibers out by the pool, some moderate, respectable members of the industry also took the time to socialize and catch some rays. Here, Bob Waldorf (left), industry veteran and former CEO of Lee Wayne, and Providence\u2019s Hank Riccitelli \u2013 old friends from way back \u2013 enjoy some downtime.<\/p>\n


\nLogomark\u2019s Kimberly Horton, Larry \u201cThe Velvet Fog\u201d Sitten and Josh Goodelman enjoy some relaxing moments by the pool before the start of the SAAC Show the following day.<\/p>\n


\nBravo\u2019s Greg Livings (with his impressively inked back facing the camera), Hannah Promotions\u2019 Shauna Feldman and Bravo\u2019s Brian Starke, enjoy some smokes and pancakes.<\/p>\n


\nGary Semrow, toasting the end of another awesome SAAC Pool Day\u2026 Until next year, everyone!<\/p>\n


\nTanned, glam and fabulous, Pencoa\u2019s Stacy Horton (left) poses here with pal Maureen Williams.<\/p>\n


\nOne of the nicest, most creative couples in the industry, Geiger\u2019s Gaye Kruger and Dave Ribble.<\/p>\n


\nMy friend Nadine Panetti, also known as the Saucy Aussie, threw a soiree at her home in Culver City and was gracious enough to invite me, along with some other industry friends. Here, Del Rey\u2019s Mark Hobbs (and one half of the reason Mark and Nadine are the industry\u2019s reigning \u201cbeautiful couple\u201d), Maureen Williams, ASI\u2019s president\/CEO Tim Andrews and ASI vice president of supplier sales Ron Ball, revel in a mellow evening with goof friends before the craziness of the show starts.<\/p>\n


\nMary Ryan, who works with Nadine at PromoBiz and assisted her with the party, smiles on her way to serve more of Nadine\u2019s mind-blowingly good champagne punch.<\/p>\n


\nGold Bond\u2019s Mark Godsey, shown here with Nadine\u2019s fluffy cat, which he referred to as his “date for the evening.\u201d Mark never says much around me (proving, without question, that he is a smart, smart man), but when he does it is wickedly funny.<\/p>\n


\nTim Andrews, holding court in Nadine\u2019s lush Tiki Bar backyard garden, and laughing heartily, enjoying everyone\u2019s company.<\/p>\n


\nRon Ball, exhibiting a sly, mischievous look familiar to many of you in the industry, that says: \u201cI just did something naughty.\u201d<\/p>\n


\nPromoBiz\u2019s Mary Ryan, giving Ron a quick shoulder rub. I think he had \u201ca moment.\u201d<\/p>\n


\nAt the Jack Nadel Int\u2019l. luncheon for its management and sales associates, held at Tokyo Wako in Long Beach last Wednesday, some of the company’s finest gather for a photo. From left: Jeni Scott, Debbie Abergel, JNI’s vp\/vendor relations, Stephanie Peyrefitte and Michelle Kajan.<\/p>\n


\nCraig Reese, senior vice president of Counselor <\/em>Top 40 distributor Jack Nadel Intl. and one of my favorites in the industry, shown here with his account coordinator, Katy Smith.<\/p>\n


\nDan Madden, left, shown here with Jack Nadel Int\u2019l. president, Craig Nadel. A few words now about one of my oldest and closest industry friends, Mr. Nadel: At my very first PPAI Dallas Show 11 years ago, I was waiting outside of a room to cover a PPAI committee meeting for Counselor<\/em>. I was hesitant to go in, because the meeting had already started and I didn\u2019t know a soul. Craig showed up soon after I did and, despite the fact that he was on the PPAI committee whose meeting was being held, he sat in the hall and talked to me the entire time. In short, he had me at \u201chello.\u201d One of the smartest people I know in the industry, I value Craig\u2019s friendship so much because he is one of those rare people born without the bullshit gene. What he thinks comes right out his mouth, which is utterly delightful and refreshing in this era of spin. Craig likes to say that despite the fact that we\u2019re so different, we\u2019ve stayed such close friends over the years because we love to dish about three universal topics: Sex, politics and the industry. “If you knew anything at all about sports,” he tells me, “we’d have it all covered.” There are 12 people in the industry I’d lie down in traffic for; Craig Nadel is in the top five.<\/p>\n


\nKey-Bak\u2019s Barbie Brandon, Jack Nadel Int\u2019l. senior vice president Craig Reese and Brilliant Results<\/em>\u2019 magazine publisher Maureen Williams bask in the glow of the sunset at Alegria, a tapas restaurant in Long Beach. Craig Reese and I have known each other for years, and my nickname for him is \u201cThe Porkchop\u201d\u2026 next time you see Craig at a show, ask him why!<\/p>\n


\nMaureen Williams, one of my closest friends, Christian Brandt, ASI\u2019s executive director of distributor sales and my brother from another mother, and Express Pens\u2019 Matt Linderman, who holds a special place in my heart along with his father, Michael, at Alegria. Christian turned 35 years old last Wednesday, and though we know he\u2019d rather have been celebrating with his wife Jen, and their sons Christian and Tyler, his ASI friends held an impromptu soiree to acknowledge the fact that he\u2019s no spring chicken anymore. That sound you hear is Christian shuffling off to the La Brea tar pits with the rest of the fossils. ; )<\/p>\n


\nAh, Michael Linderman. Michael, the owner\/president of Express Pens\/Express TimeSource in Austin, TX, was the very first person I met in the industry 11 \u00bd years ago, when he was PPAI’s Chairman of the Board. How frakin\u2019 lucky did I get with that stroke of serendipity? When people comment on how many folks I know in the industry, a lot of that has to do with Michael, who, when I was brand-spankin\u2019 new and didn\u2019t know ANYONE, introduced me to all the movers, shakers and celebs in the industry \u2013 many of whom I\u2019m good friends with today.<\/p>\n


\nWorldwide\u2019s Steve Rone and my pal Todd Singleton, owner of the LA-based distributor The Singleton Co. Inc. A world about just how amazing Todd is: I call him my Jack Johnson of the industry \u2013 a true renaissance man who surfs, skis and is an amazing artist. Everytime I\u2019m with him, I feel just a little cooler because of it.<\/p>\n


\nMatt Linderman, Shauna Feldman \u2013 my wild child gal pal, who works for Canadian-based distributor Hannah Promotions and is also on Counselor\u2019<\/em>s \u201cHot\u201d list in the August issue \u2013 Brian Starke, co-owner of Toronto-based Bravo Awards, and Key-Bak\u2019s Barbie Brandon. I have truly lost count of the many awesome industry people I\u2019ve met through Brian and his business partner Greg Livings. They are the magnets for the most fun, chill people in the industry and the vortex of la vida loca!<\/p>\n


\n(From left): PromoBiz\u2019s Nadine Panetti, ASI\u2019s Tim Andrews, AdMints\u2019 Brett Hersh, Me, ASI\u2019s Christian Brandt and Del Rey\u2019s Mark Hobbs gather for a group photo in the midst of celebrating Christian\u2019s 35th birthday.<\/p>\n


\nHannah Promotions\u2019 Shauna Feldman, Bravo Awards\u2019 Brian Starke and the newest member of AARP, Christian Brandt.<\/p>\n


\nDoing their best impersonation of KISS\u2019s Gene Simmons, Shauna Feldman and Matt Linderman roll out their tongues for the camera.<\/p>\n


\nChristian Brandt and Matt Linderman, having a \u201cman-date\u201d moment. Should you ever overhear a conversation between these two, it will go something like this:
\n\u201cIs that a Versace shirt\u201d \u201cOf course!\u201d
\n\u201cWhat kind of moisturizer are you using these days?\u201d \u201cDude, I wouldn\u2019t touch anything but Clinique!\u201d
\nIn short, I think these two metrosexuals have a firmer grasp on the latest fashion and hot new grooming products way more than I do.<\/p>\n


\nAdMints\u2019 Brett Hersh, a member in good and well-deserved standing on iPROMOTEu\u2019s \u201cFun Thirty\u201d list, shown here with another charter member of the \u201cFun\u201d list, Mark \u201cI call him \u2018McDreamy\u2019!\u201d Hobbs.<\/p>\n


\nWorldwide\u2019s Steve Rone, Key-Bak\u2019s \u201cBoy Toy Barbie\u201d Brandon and my pal Greg Livings, co-owner of Bravo Awards. You could do a lot worse than be photographed with these two hotties! Some girls have all the luck, Barbie! ; )<\/p>\n


\nChristian Brandt, my brother from another mother at ASI, and I. When I\u2019m on deadline with one of our magazine or an article I\u2019m writing and whining like a child, Christian is the one who tells me to suck it up and reminds me that I have one of the best jobs ever. \u201cAnd,\u201d he frequently says, \u201cYou\u2019re not exactly a model employee so you should count your blessings that ASI puts up with your antics.\u201d He is not wrong.<\/p>\n


\nExpress Pens\u2019 Matt Linderman, greeting a friend at iPROMOTEu\u2019s \u201cSupplierPalooza\u201d party at the Irish Pub in Long Beach. Ross Silverstein, iPROMOTEu\u2019s CEO, can be a pill (and I should know, as I am a world-class pill), but he does know how to throw one hell of a party.<\/p>\n


\nMatt Linderman, enjoying his \u201chappy juice\u201d [read: the first of many pints of Guinness].<\/p>\n


\niPROMOTEu\u2019s \u201cSupplierPalooza\u201d was a huge hit and attracted every noteworthy industry partier and celeb. ASI was one of the main sponsors, and we\u2019re all for events where suppliers are recognized, acknowledged and appreciated for their many efforts.<\/p>\n


\nBack in the heyday of excess, the \u201870s, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were christened the \u201cGlimmer Twins\u201d by the press due to their decadent, eccentric and outrageous behavior that became legendary and defined the Stones as the Greatest Band Ever. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Brian Landow (left), owner of Counselor <\/em>Top 40 supplier Lanco and Ross Silverstein, iPROMOTEu\u2019s CEO. Separately, their partying is famous in the industry; together, they\u2019re our very own Glimmer Twins.<\/p>\n


\nMy gal pal Shauna Feldman of Hannah Promotions in Montreal squeezes the stuffing out of me (and in certain areas, that\u2019s a LOT of stuffing!) while the band rocked on at Ross\u2019s \u201cSupplierPalooza.\u201d<\/p>\n


\nExpress Pens\u2019 Matt Linderman, apparently emulating a cricket, attempts to bite the head off Shauna Feldman.<\/p>\n


\n\u201cLeave the guns; take the cannolis.\u201d Here, Ross Silverstein\u2019s good-natured consigliore<\/em>, Pat Caccamo and I smile for the camera.<\/p>\n


\nChristian Brandt, shown here with iPROMOTEu\u2019s Pat Caccamo and Ross Silverstein, enjoying the hosts\u2019 hospitality.<\/p>\n


\nRich Golden, the director of the SAAC Show who does an amazing job every year, snapped this photo of ASI\u2019s senior vice president and publisher, Rich Fairfield, me, and ASI\u2019s vice president of supplier sales, Ron Ball. If anyone can explain to me why I feel the need to flash the same Cheese-Whiz-on-a-Cheez-Nip smile every time a camera is within 10 feet of me, drinks are on me at the next show. Seriously. I\u2019m tired of seeing my own Chiclet teeth.<\/p>\n


\nI just happened to be in the JournalBooks\u2019 booth for something you just don\u2019t see every day: A distributor client, Kimo Spencer with AIA\/320 Productions Inc., brought JournalBooks’ vice president of sales Tim O\u2019Boyle, creative director Jamie Raynor and Valerie Serwer, shown here, a to-die-for homemade blueberry cheesecake decorated with confection roses. Did I have a piece? You betcha! Which is, no doubt, one of the reasons you could park a car in the shadow of my ass.<\/p>\n


\nRon Ball, ASI\u2019s vice president of supplier sales and my \u201cwork husband\u201d relaxing at the Hyatt bar immediately after the show. Hey, it\u2019s exhausting being Ron Ball. Just imagine how early he has to wake up each day to decide which pinky ring to wear.<\/p>\n


\nMy pal and favorite partying cohort, Gary Semrow of American Ad Bags. Know this, if you\u2019re carousing with Gary at a show, your chances of getting tossed from a bar will increase exponentially. However, you will have the time of your life and never laugh so hard in the process.<\/p>\n


\nEvery supplier\u2019s favorite bag supplier, the super-cool Nick Wright from Ogio. Hands up \u2013 is there anyone in the industry who doesn\u2019t love Nick??? Didn\u2019t think so\u2026\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi\u00a0Everyone! I just returned to the office after being at the always-awesome SAAC Show in Long Beach, CA, last week. I’ve been attending the SAAC Show since its last year at the Towne & Country hotel in San\u00a0Diego and have\u00a0been a huge fan ever since. I don’t know if it’s because the show is the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial","category-fun","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bellwether-asicentral.com\/bellblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bellwether-asicentral.com\/bellblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bellwether-asicentral.com\/bellblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellwether-asicentral.com\/bellblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellwether-asicentral.com\/bellblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bellwether-asicentral.com\/bellblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bellwether-asicentral.com\/bellblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellwether-asicentral.com\/bellblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellwether-asicentral.com\/bellblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}