Dear Members,

The Club is yours and we’re working extremely hard to get it ready for you.

It’s been 4 months since I stepped in, and I wanted to bring up you up to date on what’s happening behind the scenes.

Perhaps you follow us on Twitter (@ADCGlobal) or Facebook, or are subscribed to our newsletter, and therefore you already know much of this. But just in case you don’t, here are some of the latest highlights:

1. Just one week from Friday, we will be hosting our annual ADC Hall of Fame Benefit Gala, during Advertising Week, on October 5th at Capitale. Our Hall of Fame includes incredible greats like Andy Warhol, Walt Disney, Milton Glaser, Leo Burnett and so many more. This year we add Barry Blitt, David Droga, Kevin O’Callaghan, Mary Ellen Mark and Deborah Sussman to the mix and we would love you to join us, and these talented laureates, at the Gala. The exhibition at the ADC Gallery is going to be absolutely jaw dropping, as well, so be sure you stop by and take a look. More details at adcglobal.org/awards/hof/.

2. We have a new awesome partnership with Lürzer’s Archive, which will bring existing and future ADC members a complimentary trial subscription to Lürzer’s Archive magazine. ADC members will also receive an incredibly reduced discount rate to renew/continue a subscription.
3. We are going to publish our own magazine. We will be going behind the scenes of some of ADC Awards’ top winners to find out how these great campaigns were made. It will be sexy, it will be beautiful and will be made available freely to all Archive subscribers and our members around the world later this fall.
4. We are going to Miami! For the first time in 92 years, ADC is leaving the Big Apple and putting on its short shorts to hit the shores of South Beach. The ADC 92nd Annual Awards Gala + Festival will be taking place in Miami from April 2-4, 2013. We are going to design a creative conference where you actually learn through hands-on workshops, and where you truly become a better professional. We’re also going to make it really fun. Teaser: there will be a pool party, and YES, there will be karaoke. Get ready and book your pass early for a reduced entry fee. We are also offering a staggered payment plan for those who cannot purchase the pass in full (contact Ariel at ariel@adcglobal.org for more info).
5. We have launched our very own on-going film festival called “BUTTER: A Night of Pop Culture and Popcorn.” I love short films and documentaries and really wanted to do something with this. We got a huge popcorn machine, and our new partner Fatboy USA donated several colorful and super comfy Fatboy chairs to the ADC. So let’s all get together each month to watch great films, have a beer, eat some popcorn, talk and network.
6. Our first ADC event, StartUP, was a huge success. It sold out well in advance and the room was filled with creative, inquiring minds, all of whom had a blast learning from those who have taken the leap. There has been a wave of creative directors quitting their jobs to launch their own non-advertising related startups and the evening was an incredibly revealing view into the changing industry. See some of the live conversation here.
7. ADC’s membership offer has begun to change. We plan on dramatically expanding what your membership earns for you, but so far you’ll see great changes from complimentary magazines, to even bigger discounts on top products and cool stuff like Fatboy discounts subsidized by ADC.
8. Our open door policy has been a great success. Tons of members have dropped by for a café cubano with me. I’m doing my best to help and connect our members who are coming from as far as Dubai. I love getting to know you all, so feel free to knock at our door by making an 30-minute appointment with Ariel at ariel@adcglobal.org
9. The Tomorrow Awards Call for Entries is open for just two more weeks, so make sure to submit your best work here by October 5th! What makes this show different is that there are no categories and it focuses on the future of advertising. Will we be designing stores? Will art directors learn to code apps? Will augmented reality be dead in two years? Those are some of the questions we are tackling. Our Award Show will take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil in November, so make sure to follow @TomorrowAwards for details.
10. Portfolio Night, the world’s most important and largest simultaneous talent and portfolio review is taking place for its 11th year and we plan on making it bigger than ever this time around. Cities are signing up quickly, so please connect with Global Portfolio Night Manager Sarah West (sarah@adcglobal.org) if you are interested in having your agency, school or organization host the event and your city represented on the map.
11. New websites are coming! Yes, we did burn an old iMac to make a gif and announce the new website. We are very, very, very excited to launch our new sites for adcglobal.org and adcyoungguns.org. What you see now is going to change significantly as we are now going to be creating a lot of custom content including feature articles, interviews, documentaries and showcasing a lot of work from our members to keep you coming back for more. It’s going to be a completely different ADC. Coming to an iPad, iPhone or computer near you soon. Want to pitch a feature? Contact our Director of Content and Communications Brianna Graves at brianna@adcglobal.org.
12. On October 3 we’ll be launching what I think is going to be the most exciting program launched by any industry organization in the last decade: the ADC Adventure Club. This one is very close to my heart and essentially, we’ll be taking ADC members around the world on monthly voyages and adventures that will include hiking, diving, art, photography, wine and even yoga in remote locations. Get your sleeping bags ready.

That is just a selection of all the greatness that we have in store for you. Your ADC team (have you met them?) is working tirelessly to bring these new initiatives and programs to life and my team and I can’t wait to meet you in person at the next event or around the Club.

Until then, see you on the Interwebs.

Your Executive Director,
Ignacio Oreamuno