New York – August 8, 1997 (Full Issue)

Related Links:
Go West Young Journalist!
Up-Set Annual Summer Membership Party
Live TV in the Alley
Magic, magic!
New Century Networks bonanza

August 8, 1997

Go West Young Journalist!
SUMMER IS ZOOMING BY and I’m taking off the last two weeks of August with the Alley to Valley Rally ’97. I will be uploading travel journal entries daily to my team site — @NY is one of the sponsors — and other rallyers will be uploading to their sites as well. Excerpts of the diary will also appear in the e-mail newsletter and as my column in two weeks. Our send-off will be August 15th at the Harley Davidson cafe, as part of AOL’s Hub Heaven launch. And don’t forget to join me in the inaugural live @The Scene chat tonight, featuring Alley to Valley founder Greg Elin, @NY editor Tom Watson, and a pack of Silicon Alley types. Tune in from 8 to 9 p.m.

Up-Set Annual Summer Membership Party
WHILE WE’VE HAD OUR FAIR share of rain these past few weeks, its no good reason to get upset. The torrential rain didn’t dampen any spirits (booze or moral) at the Up-Set Annual Summer Membership Party for NYC and Boston members of Our Square on Thursday, July 24th, sponsored by NY Sports Club, Samuel Adams, John Allan’s, and Brooklyn Brewery. The online service caters to Ivy League graduates, building a virtual community around topics like work and relationships. Guests included cyber-scribe Katherine Cavanaugh, Mark Filstrup (producer, CKS/Site Specific), Pamela Vitale (freelance, creative concept, art direction), and Jason Kuffer (Vyne). Jason has been busy since I last saw him at a Spin Doctors Cybercast, by just completing the Ford Foundation site. Emi Clark (head of production for ParentTime, which is a joint venture bewtween Time Inc. and Procter and Gamble) commented on the demographics of the party and its objectives and thought it was “a narrow niche.” Narrow, but specific. Janine Savarese (Fordham ’97, Middleberg & Associates) along with her two friends, Victoria Grantham and Jessica Steckroth (John Hopkins ’96) seemed knowledgeable and savvy about this medium.

Up-Set founder James Marciano distinguished himself in a corduroy jacket and the inspiration for this start-up, “it was a personal statement against AOL.” He also coordinated this event with a sister party at the same time in Boston as well. Thanks to the sponsors, there was a 1st prize raffle for one month free membership at the NY Sports Club, and 2nd Prize of full treatment at John Allan’s Salon.

Live TV in the Alley
LIVE TV IN THE ALLEY was the theme on Friday evening, July 25. I was an honored guest of kHyAl’s kUriOsiTiEs show on Richard Siegel‘s OnlineTV. This inaugural show featured a huge rubber spider prop, Miles Rose of Regional Delights, and myself. The show was loosely organized, impromptu, and fun. Thanks to Miles we had all the Yodels and Ding Dong’s we could eat. Uh, “got milk?” He ran out and got some. The commercial break featured my fellow NYU ETW grad Conchetta Kirshner, Princess Supahstar.

Magic, magic!
MOVE OVER DAVID COPPERFIELD, now there’s something meatier! Magician Michael Chaut is movin’ on in. Producing the popular Monday Night Magic (July 28th) at the Sullivan Street Playhouse (home of the Fantasticks for the last 37 years), this 2nd Annual intimate presentation of illusions and magic featured professional magicians from the area. Beginning the show with e-mail testimonials from around the world, including a well-wisher from Bosnia Herzegovina, Master of Ceremonies Peter Kougasian explained how when attempting to revive the group, after their first theater closed, they utilized the community building and support strengths of the Internet to achieve this….

New Century Networks bonanza
“WHERE CAN YOU FIND the original Chicken Fried Steak?”* This plus many more intriguing questions were played with at the New Century Networks party on Wednesday, July 30th in the Sculpture Galley Garden on Lafayette Street. Featuring local culinary treats and beers from many of the locations where NewsWorks has an affiliated newspaper, clients could eat and drink their way through the NewsWorks network and across the country. Amidst tables strewn with cute funky patio lights of fish, pigs, and 1950’s styled cars, Sheila Young, Director of Marketing Services for NCN explained how advertising space can be bought for as little or as much of the network of paper’s sites as a client would like. Gregory Bender of BD Interactive, which produced the Internet Advertising Bureau and Miles Weissleder of I-traffic washed back their mussels from the raw bar with Blackened Voodoo beer from New Orleans. Regional music from the localities filled the air as did the jealous stares toward the lucky winners of one of the many unique raffle prizes (like lobsters from Maine, and wine from California).

RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET was a party to celebrate the formation of the East Coast Digital Consortium. In large raw space rooms with 6′ tall by 20′ long mirrors, a mixed crowd of digital, video and cyber artists mingled, munched on cheese rounds, were served margaritas from a 4 gallon tub and of course, posed, schmoozed, and reveled. The space reflected the buildings other tenant — NYU’s Musical Theater Works — with one room for an upcoming band, while another had a big ol’ ping pong table.

CYBER SEER

* August 12-14: Online Advertising 2 Conference. Jupiter Communications. Contact Hema (800_ 488-4345) or e-mail

* August 15th: Kick off party for the Silicon Alley To Valley Rally ’97. Harley Davidson Cafe, 1370 Avenue of the Americas (that’s Sixth Avenue to you), NYC

* August 16th: NYVRML SIG Landmark Art Directors and Sponsors Social Extravaganza. Cosmic Voyage IMAX show, Dinner and Dessert evening. Contact Mary Jo Fahey