Web 2.0 South Park Crawl - Party Awards

April 24, 2008 | Event Report | Event Report

So I can’t say that this award list is in any way fair as I didn’t attend every single party on the Web 2.0 South Park Crawl (I’d not be writing this now had I tried), but for what it’s worth, here is a list of awards based on all the parties I did attend, or at least attempted to. If you didn’t make the list, please don’t be sad. You were just too darn far away (and by far I mean not within stumbling distance).

Most Sober and Smelliest Food - Zoom Prospector

Smart idea, great timing, and great bubbly at the bar, but did you have to have shrimp AND salmon at the party? It smelled like lunchtime at Seaworld in there, and everyone was way too dressed up for a Web 2.0 party. The preso was interesting too, but I felt corralled into watching it by their sales team. I had to leave early because I wasn’t digging the sheer corporateness of it all, but that may have had something to do with the fact that Gavin Newsom was supposed to show up but didn’t (oh snap!). Kudos for starting an hour before anyone else and for having good champers at the bar.

Most unpleasant bouncers - Yahoo! Brickhouse

I was really bummed that security was so tight here, but did they have to be so snooty about it? I mean really, it’s not like I was trying to get into Bungalow 8 here. After getting rebuffed by the blonde hair, pointy shoed PR lady “Umm… Conference passes only… thanks.” I was referred to the security guard who couldn’t even focus for a second. I literally had to explain to him four times that I RSVP’d on the Upcoming.org list before he was actually able to check the list — only to see that I wasn’t on it.

Best Low Key Party — LeverageSoftware

After getting rebuffed by the Yahoo! people I picked up my ego, brushed it off, and waltzed right into the one of the cooler parties of the night. I had no idea what LeverageSoftware did but apparently nobody cared if I did or didn’t! In fact, I wasn’t even subjected once to a pitch or presentation of any kind. Beer and Redbull sat in tubs of ice and huge bottles of Absolut and Makers Mark were available for a do-it-yourself cocktails bar. Food was everywhere I turned and there were even free tshirts (I love a good tradeshow T). Music was good, and when I left people were playing a Guitar Hero Three duet!

Nicest bouncers — Federated Media & Wired Magazine

I wasn’t able to get into either party but at least my attempt to enter was met with a polite excuse and embarrassed smile: “Sorry, but right now we’re so full we’re only letting conference attendees with blue passes in. Sorry!”

Best Networking - VCTini

For a networking party, the Andrea Schwartz Gallery can’t be beat. It was spacious, well lit and although crowded at times, not overwhelmingly so. There were servers walking through the crowd offering tasteful, bite-sized appetizers (which makes a huge difference in the atmosphere, I think), and the apple martinis were free flowing, albeit a tad sweet for my tastes. Network connected iMacs were stationed around the party for informal and impromptu demonstrations. I met the most people here, including a high school friend of mine who was pitching his startup, Orange Door, Inc., a SAS tax software company aimed at disrupting Intuit’s Turbo Tax.

Best Ride — Schwaggin’ Waggon!

Pete Cashmore is a branding genius. When I left Web 2.0 earlier in the afternoon I saw his sponsored Schwaggin’ Waggon cronies collecting all the Web 2.0 Schwag to donate to charities. Great idea, right, but honestly what are orphans going to do with conference mints? Anyway, I digress. I called out to Pete as he was leaving the conference, “Hey Pete, where’s the party at tonight?” and he gave me his card saying, “It’s at Mighty. RSVP only but give me a text when you arrive and I’ll let you in”

Then later that night, as I was leaving the VCTini party wondering where the heck I’d go to catch a cab, I spied the Schwaggin’ Waggon across the street. It was actually the glowing lanterns and Christmas lights in the cabin that first got my attention, but as soon as I realized what it was I nearly cried with joy as I knew it had to be going where I was — to the Mashable party. I quickly climbed in to find that it was PACKED with drunken conference party people, but nobody cared because it was a party van! The entire ride there, everyone was taking pictures with their mobile phones and talking loudly over the blaring music. It was such a smart idea to collect all the drunken South Park people and steal them away in a fun, albeit crowded party van. Brilliant.

Best Party and Most Drunk — Mashable/Chimp Party @ Mighty

So last party of the night for me, and what a scene! We all spilled out of the Schwagvan, and into the club. There was virtually no security by the time I arrived (they checked my ID but not my conference pass) and the music was bumping. Everyone was there, and everyone was drunk from all the parties they had attended earlier in the night. I met some MBA students who exchanged name tags with me, and even managed to meet a new twitter friend. The music was good and lots of people were dancing on the huge dance floor. This party was my favorite because everyone was truly there just to party. It was too dark and too loud to network anyway! Pete even hired a photographer to take photos of him and his buds, and I managed to snap one with him on the way out (care to share, Pete?).

Overall, I had a blast, met a ton of new contacts and highly recommend going to the Web 2.0 conference parties in the future.

Best,
Jeff

Note: Jeff is available to review YOUR tech party, too! Email him an invitation at Jeff [at] sparkpr [dot] com.

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