New York – July 25, 1997 (Full Issue)
Related Links:
Silicon Alley Partners for Growth
Intel Music Festival Turns 3
Narrowline Dinner
A Nerve-y Launch
Calendar of Events
July 25, 1997
Even if you bemoan that you didn’t arrange for a Hamptons share in time for this summer, there’s certainly plenty of business and social events in town to keep you busy and happy. Just take a look at only a few of the things going on over the last two weeks!
Silicon Alley Partners for Growth
The Silicon Alley Partners for Growth hosted a panel on “Inside the Virtual Boardroom: Going Public” Held on July 15th, the helped new media companies looking to expand their businesses in size and capital. Chris McCarthy and Tery Spataro of Stir Associates were on hand (a premonition?) and commented it was a “really nice” panel and there was “lots of information if you’re looking to learn about this.”
Intel Music Festival Turns 3
Its third year (and sponsor driven name) in a row, the Intel Music Festival is evolving into the music and new media event of the year. The festival attains more sponsors and clubs with each makeover. This year the festival coincided with Jupiter Communication’s Conference “Plug-In” held at the World Trade Center’s Marriot. This was the perfect harmony of the conference focusing on the convergence of new media and the music industry, and the festival actually playing it out. One consistent feature of the festival was the website The Global Internet Gathering where clubs and fans are linked through a high-speed access network. Irving Plaza owner and festival co-producer Andrew Rasiej said, “By linking musical events around the world through a common website, online visitors to the festival will be able to club hop around the world with the click of a button.”
Both events began on July 17th, resulting in a packed day. Starting at the Jupiter conference, and checking out the various exhibitor’s booths, I spoke with Jon Spooner of Netmix. He spoke passionately of how historic this event truly is: “The major record labels are here which shows that they recognize online music as a separate entity that’s worth investigating.” Netmix is a fun brightly colored consoled website that claims to be the World Wide Web’s first continuous dance music mix-show. They must be doing something right, because just last week Bootsy Collins was hanging out in their offices. Across the room was Gerry Basserman, Marketing/Sales, of Cyber Sound. He air-keyboarded a demo of their software which uses a midi interface and special keyboard, to make music while Dean Tucker, VP Marketing, informed me of their other packages. I liked the reflection of company’s musical diversity in their business cards and packaging motif: which harkens to an ethnic, multi-cultural symbol of African/Indonesian shadow puppets. Meanwhile, perched to my right was Jennifer Runne of Herzog Heine Geguld, and “newly hatched lawyer” 96 as her biz card said last time I saw her. Around the corner was OZ Interactive, creators of virtual worlds and hailing originally from the “Silicon Glacier” — Iceland. June Gregg of Earthweb was on hand, demo-ing their newest product, Moderator, and handing out funny chatting teeth plastic hop-along wind-up toys.
Later that night I listened to the festival kick-off concert at Irving Plaza with the well heeled CDNow (http://www.cdnow.com) guys. Andrew Sternthal, New Biz Director, was tragically hip in his black T-shirt and brown leather shoes, Jason Olim, President, sported the ever-trendy-now-classic Vans, and Dave Brown, New Biz/Sales, in his Steed-of-“Avengers” Cole Haan Boots.
Narrowline Dinner
The next night, 7/17, Narrowline hosted a dinner at Flowers restaurant. In an effort to bring together new media people in a social environment to foster friendships and solid contacts they have begun hosting these dinners on a regular basis. On hand this evening were: Amy A. Schoenborn, Dir. of Development, Electronic Frontier Foundation; Jill Goldring, New Media Manager of Time magazine; Eduardo Samame, Dir. of Biz Development, and Mark Elkin, Senior Sales Engineer of NetGravity; Angelina Kwok, Valerie Martinez and Denise Seidner, Young & Rubicam New Technologies’ top project managers and media planner respectively; and Don Wahlig, Director, Media Relations, and Matthew Shevach, Manager/Netcast Relations of Narrowline. The conversation flowed from topics of fine wine to the strange barnacle appetizer some of us brave ones ordered to the senior market and the internet. A personal passion for Jill, she educated us on SeniorNet and her efforts thus far on this important demographic.
A Nerve-y Launch
Nerve Magazine (covered in the 4/11 issue of @NY) had their website launch party at Rivertown Lounge in the upcoming trendy way east village on 7/22. Editors Rufus Griscom and Genevieve Field were on hand to discuss the site and its content. Genevieve enthusiastically spoke of the “thriving nature of the net” and how exciting it is to be a part of something that is so new and visionary. Echoing the importance of expression on the net, she further mentioned that Nerve actually launched on the day the CDA was thrown out. Its refreshing speaking with women who are impassioned about their work (and maintain a sense of style: being clad in a fantastic Vivian Tam dress 96 reemphasizing the importance to add a bit of color to all our wardrobes!) Other Nervy-revelers included Richard Metzger; Jose Caballero of Razorfish; Lauren Young of Smart Money magazine; Richard Laermer of RLM (who wrote “Get On With It” published by Doubleday) and was on hand to say, “Gallant men are alive and well and living in Hoboken;” Ron Sukenick, a contributing writer and his wife Julia Frey, donning an alien-tentacled-inspired wire necklace purchased in Paris; Cartoonist Dame Darcy; Jack Mason, Exec. Producer of Pathfinder; Andrew Susman of Time, Inc.; Kol, who just launched a women’s line of clothing; and Steve Gelsi of Forbes.
Other notable guests were John Perry Barlow brought along two of this 3 beautiful daughters spoke to me briefly about their part of “Anthem,” a film screened as part of ECHO’s Alt.Film series. He said he was “proud to be a part of it” and felt it was a “wonderful tribute to American culture.” Photographs of naked people adorned the exposed brick walls, free Kremly Vodka martinis floated around, and whispers of Quentin Crisp arriving kept the Lounge packed and brimming with conversations.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
8/1: LIFILM (The Long Island Filmmakers’ Network) (http://www.lifilm.org) is having their summer film bash. August 1st at 8:00 at PRO IMAGE STUDIOS, located on the south service road of the Long Island Expressway between exits 57 and 58 (ph# 516-234-4310 for directions). $5.00 donation to the LIFN will be accepted at the door.
8/5: Exclusively for members of NYNMA (http://www.nynma.org) and the Ad Club of NY: “CyberSplash:” August 5, 1997, 6 – 9 pm, (the boat will sail from 7-8 pm), Circle Line Cruise, Pier 83, West 42nd Street, at the Hudson River. Free, no RSVP required.
8/6: NYNMA Panel: “Push Technology: Love It or Hate It?” at NYNEX, 1095 Avenue of the Americas (btwn 41st & 42nd Strs), Registration opens 6:00 pm; Program begins 6:30 pm, Open to NYNMA members and their guests only. Seating is limited. Advance registration is advised. Please send a check for $15 for advance registration, received at NYNMA by 8/5 ($20 at the door); guests are $30 advance registration ($40 at the door).
8/18: NYNMA’s Cybersuds: at The Roxy, 515 West 18th Street (btwn 10th & 11th Aves), 6:00 – 8:00pm, Free, Cash Bar