My SPW NewsPage View

The ADVERTISING Club is announcing its first-time, online auction open to the industry that provides one-on-one access to some of the biggest names in advertising and marketing. The AD Club All Access Auction will offer 29 exciting "New York experiences" with high profile, star executives from the agency, media and corporate worlds to underscore its mission of making connections, learning from the pros and "giving back." Proceeds of the auction will go to the Club's Foundation, which funds educational initiatives, scholarships and mentoring programs for students looking to enter the business.

The All Access Auction gives people the opportunity to gain access they would not ordinarily have to top tier, successful executives – the movers and shakers who make an imprint in our business and lead some of the most prominent companies and organizations locally, nationally, and worldwide. The auction (and site) which launches live at the Club's Stars of Madison Avenue luncheon (kicking-off ADVERTISING Week) on Monday, September 27th will continue online throughout that week and conclude on Monday, October 4st (details available at www.theadvertisingclub.org on Sept 13th). The highest bidder will have a breakfast, lunch or dinner with their "prize" at a major NYC hot spot (all expenses paid) which, in some cases, will also include time at a ball game, art gallery, karaoke hall or the corridors of the executive's company. The opening bid for each is $500.

The fabulous, diverse array of talent and experiences include:
· a three martini, retro-inspired lunch at '21" with Mad Man and Mad Woman Bryan Batt of AMC's "Mad Men" and Linda Kaplan Thaler, CEO/Chief Creative Officer, The Kaplan Thaler Group
· a private meeting with HBO Co-President Richard Plepler and lunch at HBO
· Lunch with The Legends: a roundtable for multiple winners with industry icons Jerry Della Femina, George Lois, and Allen Rosenshine at The Four Seasons
· breakfast with New York restaurateur Danny Meyer at his latest Maialino in The Gramercy Park Hotel, a tour of the kitchen and autographed copy of his latest book
· lunch and kick-off at a Giants game at the new Meadowlands Stadium with Mike Stevens, CMO of The New York Giants
· afternoon tea at the private Core Club with Wenda Harris Millard, President & COO, MediaLink llc
· a West Village evening at Recette and the Village Vanguard with Microsoft researcher and influential designer Bill Buxton
· dinner with director Bob Giraldi at his Gigino Trattoria in Tribeca and a two- week session of his Social Media & Advertising class at the School of Visual Arts
· partying in New York with Crispin, Porter + Bogusky partners Andrew Keller, Jeff Benjamin and Rob Reilly at Rosa Mexicano followed by a night of karaoke.

Other executives in the line-up are Tim Armstrong, AOL; David Sable, Wunderman, with illusionist David Blaine; Michael Lebowitz, Big Spaceship; David Droga, Droga5; Susan Jurevics, Sony USA; Richard Beaven and Tim Spengler, Initiative Worldwide; Linda Sawyer, Deutsch Inc.; Stuart Elliott, The New York Times; Joe Abruzzese, Discovery Communications; Joanne Davis, Joanne Davis Consulting Inc., with Dick Roth, Roth Associates; Bob Liodice, ANA; Judy Hu, GE, with John Osborn and Don Schneider, BBDO NY; Tom Carroll, TBWA Worldwide; Kim Kadlec, J&J; Mary Baglivo, Saatchi & Saatchi; Steve Stoute, Translation Advertising; Michael Kassan, MediaLink llc; Carol Bartz, Yahoo!; and David Jones, Havas Worldwide/Euro RSCG.

"In the business world, access, connections and 'who you know' is essential when careers are measurably shaped by effective networking. We've done auctions on a smaller scale in the past, but the All Access Auction is the most extensive, ambitious and exciting one we've ever conducted," says Gina Grillo, President & CEO, The ADVERTISING Club. "Time with these executives will be invaluable, memorable and a lot of fun – we've arranged for some absolutely wonderful 'offerings.' We hope that everyone takes advantage of this fundraiser as an opportunity to spend personal time with an industry star and help the next generation of young people who are working hard to enter the business."

The Club thanks the All Access Event Committee for their support in making this program happen: Joanne Davis, Joanne Davis Consulting; Michael Duda, Consigliere.; Valerie Graves; Brad Jakeman, Activision; Jacki Kelley, UM; Alan Krinsky, Alan Krinsky Associates; Mari Kim Novak, Microsoft Advertising; Ian Parmiter, Discovery Networks; Laurel Rossi, Strategy Farm; and Jerry Shereshewsky, grownupmarketing.com

The ADVERTISING Club is the premier organization for all communications professionals in New York. The Club, founded in 1896, offers its members a forum to exchange ideas, make connections and honor excellence. The Club's Foundation provides students numerous educational outreach programs that give back to build a stronger and more diverse advertising and marketing community. The Club is the facilitating sponsor of the International ANDY Awards, which acknowledge outstanding creative achievement around the world in the field of advertising.