OMMA West Recap

I'm back from OMMA and putting out fires in the office now, after taking the redeye back from SF last night/this morning. I've never been good at the whole sleep-on-the-plane-and-go-right-to-work thing, so I'm a bit out of it today. And I can't even sleep on the train on the way back to Wading River tonight because my flight was late and I had to drive to work this morning. Ugh! The conference was a blast, and I got to catch up with plenty of old friends, including Matt de Ganon (former president and chairman at K2, now working for The Weather Channel), fellow Spin writers Mark Naples, Cory Treffiletti, and Seana Mulcahy, Bill McCloskey, Robert Tas, Tom Jenen, Seashal Morse and many more.

I also got to meet some people face to face that I've only exchanged e-mail with, like Sean Cheyney from Accuquote, Bob Heyman from Mediasmith, and some people who had responded to my Spin columns on the Spin Board.

I moderated a panel on Data Overlays on Monday. The panel was a bit underattended, but we made it fun anyway by electing to have "class outside" and we abandoned the PA system and conference room for sitting outside in the garden and having a more intimate, conversational panel.

Tuesday was quite busy. In the morning, I moderated a panel on integrated planning and buying with a few old friends - Aimee Reker, Robert Davidman and Jeremy Helfand among them. In the afternoon, we did an uproarious panel with all the Spin writers, Geoff Ramsey from eMarketer and John Battelle. I hadn't met new Spin writer Shelley Palmer until the panel, but it was a blast riffing off of one another on the stage.

In between panels, I was taking potential clients out for meals and drinks, finishing up two proposals and a media plan, and generally running around like crazy. I'd never had a conference that was so fast-paced. (Jon Whitfield and Nick Friese from Mediapost and I were cutting deals for a potential client on Monday, in between sessions.)

All in all, it was terrific fun, but I am worn out and looking forward to my bed in Wading River.