Over 90 FSU Ad Club members visit NYC agencies and attend AWNY Conference

Posted by Natalie Kates on
FSU Ad Club gathered in the lobby of their NYC hotel, The Milford
FSU Ad Club gathered in the lobby of their NYC hotel, The Milford

The Advertising Club at Florida State University (FSU) visited New York City from Nov. 20-24, 2013 to tour agencies and attend the Advertising Women of New York (AWNY)’s 57th Advertising Career Conference.  They were well-represented with 91 members who went on this trip and recognized by AWNY for being the university with most attendees.

The Ad Club Executive Board arrived several days before the other members to participate in the first ever Arrowhead Advertising Team reunion in NYC.  The group also met with a past FSU Ad Club president and Communication alum, Elisa Cool, where she currently works, Contently, as their Director of Business Development.  She has previous marketing experience at other major companies including the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones, Ogilvy & Mather, Anheuser Busch and Mediaedge:CIA.

To promote the professional development of Ad Club members, the Exec Board (Sarah Jean Ferraris, Marissa Monivis, Madalyn McLane, Ashley Van Der Laan, Christina Yatros and Leah Jarem) lined up a combined 12 agency visits for Nov. 21-22 with some of the world’s largest firms.  These were: 360i, Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), Deutsch, FCB, Droga5, Grey, J. Walter Thompson (JWT), Mindshare, MRY, Ogilvy & Mather, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Translation.  Students had the chance to explore creative work environments; JWT’s vibrant office was complete with a tree house located next to the Chrysler building, and Deutsch’s industrial workspace that occupied an entire block!

Throughout their tours, the FSU visitors were welcomed by agencies and engaged in presentations from diverse departmental representatives.  Ad Club members networked with employees from areas like account management, creative strategy, media planning and human resources.  At some of the companies, they were even greeted by former Ad Clubbers and CCI alumni who revealed their success stories and advice.  Several highlights include:

  • Michael Goldberg, Deutsch CMO, spoke about key points that will lead to a successful career in the industry, and what it takes to be a “Deutscher.”
  • Christina Amazan at Grey, whoshared about her experiences as a copywriter for pharmaceutical accounts at agencies such as Grey Healthcare Group, Draftfcb Healthcare and Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness.
  • Jackie Shultz at Saatchi & Saatchi discussed her role in the account management department.
  • Tiffany Lettsome at Draftfcb presented about media planning.

After checking out agencies, the AWNY Advertising Career Conference kicked off Friday night with a welcome reception at the Fashion Institute of Technology.  It featured Belle Frank, EVP, Global Director of Strategy & Applied Research of Young & Rubicam as the guest speaker.  At this opening event, Ad Club members met other students from different universities around the country.

On Saturday, Nov. 23, the conference started with a keynote address from Sarah Personette, North American President of Universal McCann, followed by a presentation of AWNY scholarship awards.  One of the winners was an FSU Ad Club member and this year’s Captain of the Arrowhead Advertising Team, Nicole Regan.

During the conference, students attended resume/portfolio clinics and break-out sessions that taught about copywriting/art direction, digital advertising, personal branding, and more.  Other workshop topics focused on how to thrive in departments like account planning, media buying, and public relations.

This NYC trip exposed members to the marketing/communication fields, leaving them feeling empowered to successfully begin their careers.  Unique opportunities such as these to visit large cities (they went to Boston in spring 2013) helps separate the Ad Club from other FSU student organizations.  Members get an inside look at top agencies but most importantly, they gain valuable knowledge, new contacts, and connect with fellow student members who have common interests.

The Ad Club is a student organization within the College of Communication & Information but it is also open to all majors.  Members are provided with continuous professional development at meetings, in addition to an annual trip offered every fall semester to the AWNY Conference in NYC and a different big city location is chosen in the spring.  To learn more, follow them on Twitter at @FSUAdClub and join their Facebook group called “FSU Ad Club.”

 

Find other past College news stories related to the Ad Club and FSU CCI AWNY scholarships winners at:

Ad Clubbers at creative ad agency, GREY group
Ad Clubbers at creative ad agency, GREY group
Current and past members of the FSU Arrowhead Advertising Team reunite at the Perfect Pint
Current and past members of the FSU Arrowhead Advertising Team reunite at the Perfect Pint
Ad Clubbers tour the set of Good Morning America thanks to Maura Hayes, CCI alum and Director of Operations at Times Square Studios
Ad Clubbers tour the set of Good Morning America thanks to Maura Hayes, CCI alum and Director of Operations at Times Square Studios
Ad Clubbers tour the set of Good Morning America in Times Square
Ad Clubbers tour the set of Good Morning America in Times Square

 

Article Written by: Sarah Jean Ferraris and Marissa Monivis; Edited by: Natalie Kates