The event was fittingly held in the old Tower Records space on 4th & Bway, which felt so desolate and sad, after being stripped of its musical inventory.  Brightening things up though, was a non-profit organization entitled “No Longer Empty” which brings temporary cultural exhibits to unused real estate throughout the city.  As such, the walls displayed a slew of musical tributes, ranging from a flock of birds made out of old vinyl records to a wall plastered with all of the magazine covers that famed wanna-be rapper, Vanilla Ice, graced back in the early 90s.

Before the panel got started, SoundCTRL announced a new contest called FlashFWD.  Here, they are looking for the top music startups that are reshaping the current music biz model as we know it.  (Be a doll, and nominate my client BLAZETRAK for this honor here).  Winner gets to attend the infamous SXSW conference, the largest music & tech conference of the year.

The panel incuded:
James Andrews – Moderator (@keyinfluencer)
Marisa Bangash – Uncensored Interview (@mbangash)
Andrew Katz – Pepsi – Music Marketing Division (@phillykatz)
?uestLove – Drummer for The Roots / current drummer on The Jimmy Fallon Show (@QuestLove)

The debate explored the not-necessarily-foreseeable new model that the music industry is going to need to adopt, as music sales continue to decline, and the consumer continues to have innovative ways to access music online for free.  For the most part, the panel agreed that the question comes down to the financier.  Who is going to finance the artist development, the studio time, the production, and ultimately, the publicity of the musical acts?  How are we going to have superstars like Michael Jackson and Beyonce without sales and thus funding?

This lead into a discussion over the notion of partnering Brands with Bands, and if the advertising companies, or the huge corporate sponsors (Hi there, Pepsi!), would be the new creatives in the business.  Brands as curators?  And whether or not marketing will impede upon the musical integrity of an act.   Andrew Katz, representative of Pepsi, quickly chimed in that this is something that Brands will have to earn.  It’s a process of building up that kind of credibility and respect, something he says Pepsi is already in the process of doing.

Other suggestions for new revenue models ranged from music superstars being paid to tweet, having digital music listening charge like a utility bill would, and even one mention that Blazetrak is solving the problem!

My favorite moment of the night was when Questlove was talking about hip-hop not having any credible acts with major $$$ budgets backing them before 1992.  At which point his eye conveniently caught the Vanilla Ice exhibit, and he cracked up, thinking about how it was manufactured rap acts just like this, who helped to bring hip-hop into the mainstream.   Questlove’s insight, passion, and humor added a thoroughly enjoyable touch to the evening’s discussion (read: huge crush).

What do you think is the next sustainable model for the music business?

**All photos courtesy of Random Night Out’s Nick McGlynn

*The Panel (from left to right): James Andrews, Marisa, Andrew Katz, Questlove

*The audience, during Q&A (I was sitting directly in front of the guy asking the question, how am I not visible?)

*Nate Casey, co-founder of Blazetrak.com, chatting with Questlove

*The lovely Emily Gannett with Social Diva, Peg Samuel.

*The SoundCTRL board members w/ the Panelists

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

The book surrounds his relatively quick and calculated rise to personal branding fame and the opportunity that is newly available to everyone in today’s restructured digital society.  In the book, Gary states that he lives by three simple rules:

Love your family.
Work Superhard.
Live your passion.

With this, he says, you will find ultimate happiness and success.

The main theme of the book is identifying and pursuing your true passion, with a focus on the current (free) social media tools available to all of us.  Although these channels may change as rapidly as they’ve been created, the strategy for success remains the same, “If you spend most of your life time working, then it better be for something you love,” warns Gary.

Gary was an entrepreneur from the very beginning, creating a “personal brand” on everything he did, from his franchised lemonade stands to his baseball card trading empire. Soon, he was working at his parents liquor store in Clark, New Jersey which he later grew into a $60 million business.  The book explains why we should all be able to do the same (if we’re truly crushing it, that is).

Gary, with his life-long obsession to one day buy the New York Jets, has used his god-given DNA to pursue what comes naturally to him, and what doesn’t even feel like work.  The book points out that we all have different DNA, and it’s important to embrace what we’re instinctively good at and recognize what we’re not.  Authenticity in business is key.

Gary, like me, shares the motto “refuse to settle” and was prompted to do this book out of the disbelief that there are still people out there who haven’t figured out that you don’t have to settle, ever.

We all love something, we’re all overly knowledgeable about something, and we are all the ‘go to’ person for something amongst our family and friends. As far as Gary is concerned, the more niche your passion the better, in one example showing how even a fisherman particularly interested in the best bait for the best catch is a walking money machine if monetized correctly.

Advertising dollars are going where the eye-balls are, and the eye-balls are moving from print to screens, so if there was ever a time to create a loyal audience online and offer that inventory up to an ad-buying company within your niche–it’s now.

In today’s world, the gate keepers have lost their power and to succeed, you just need to clarify where your DNA and passion intersect–and be willing to hustle.

WATCH the below video of AMP3 PR client, Justine Suh of The Green Scout Report, interviewing Gary Vaynerchuk about the new book (and disregard my shaky camera work!).

For anyone out there looking to motivate their personal and career goals, I strongly recommend this read. I personally plan on gifting it to several people in my life who are in the process of reinventing themselves or are considering new entrepreneurial ventures this year.

From Roberto Gonazalez, my friend and NYC real estate guru who conceived, wrote and directed the viral video “The NYC Realty Guide” to my big sister who is a pharmacist by day but a passionate family travel blogger by night, the niches that social citizens could be capitalizing on are endless, and @Garyvee is not afraid to say it, “Quit your job, quit your job today.”

Gary (next to my hero Oprah) is in the running to be my mentor of the decade.

Get out there, and start crushing it today!

And for the wine lovers out there, don’t forget to tune into WineLibrary.TV for Gary’s ongoing video series on all things wine.

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

Here is Joe’s article, which you can also read directly, here.

How To: Plant An Item in Page Six

With savory hors d’oeuvres, wine courtesy of VOGA, and mini cupcakes from The Cupcake Stop, guests listened in as co-founding partners Corey Stanford, Nate Casey, and Ron Harrison presented a demo of the Blazetrak website to the crowd.

Blazetrak.com aims to connect aspiring hopefuls (aka: Users) with established celebrity talent (aka: Professionals), in exchange for GUARANTEED video feedback, in a guaranteed amount of time.  Users are able to search a huge database of highly sought-after (and until now, untouchable) professionals, sift through the types of “submissions” these pros are currently accepting, and select a relevant opportunity for which to submit.  Pros are able to scout and catalog talent for their upcoming projects and monetize their expertise by providing invaluable feedback to these users who would normally never get the chance to present to them, otherwise.

Guests at the Sneak Peek included: Kelly Samardak (MediaPost’s Just An Online Minute),  Matt Caldecutt (Paint the Town Red), Andrew Graham (Greentarget), Brett Petersel (Mashable), Nate Westheimer (organizer of the New York Tech Meetup),  Tiffany Winbush (Publicist), Dave Ford (Founder of Branded Evolution), Michael Gruen (Author of Twitter for Dummies), Yuli Ziv (Co-founder of My It Things & Fashion 2.0), Bob Bland (Founder of Brooklyn Royalty and The Arsenal), Delaina Dixon (TV reporter), Maegan Carberry (Truu Confessions / Media Personality), Charlie Oliver (Founder of ArtofTalk.tv), Brenda Dargan (Partnership Producer for MarthaStewart.com), Jessica Bailis (Digital Marketing at Universal Music Group), and Jenny Muller (writer for Sephora.com).

Blazetrak is set to launch on September 15th, 2009.  For more information on the launch you can contact me here.

[ALL PHOTOS BELOW courtesy of photo journalist extraordinaire, Kelly Samardak.  See all of her photos here].

*Part of the all-too-quickly consumed smorgasbord

*Co-founders of Blazetrak: Nate Casey, Corey Stanford, and Ron Harrison

*AMP3’s Sabina Ellahi, and My It Things’ Yuli Ziv

*Ron Harrison and Alyson Campbell (aka: me) chatting with the president of the New York Tech Meetup, Nate Westheimer about tech and impending root canals, among other things.

*Three peas in a pod: Andrew Graham, Brett Petersel, and Matthew Caldecutt, hanging out at my desk.

*The official sponsor of the wine for the evening: VOGA, available in both Pinot Grigio and Sparkling Pinot Grigio!

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

The four piece boyish band featuring Mike Bruno (lead vocals / guitar), Andrew Lee (bass / vocals), Jay Rosen (keys / vocals) and Alexander Noyes (drums) brought down the house with several new tracks off their forth-coming album, “Fashionably Late,” as well as a few old favorites that are familiar to their hometown crowd in New York (including my fav: See U In The Dark).

The guys, all completely deserving of their new found fame and the incredible opportunity to tour with the likes of Jordin Sparks and the infamous Jonas Brothers, are in the middle of their cross country U.S. Tour: “Full Moon Crazy.”

Never have I ever met a band so dedicated to their craft, so committed and convinced of their brand and their sound early on, and so willing to go out of their way to give their fans what they want.

I remember the first time I ever saw them perform, at Sin-e in the Lower East Side back in…2005!?  And, I look forward to their next big NYC-based show.  I have no doubt that before long, I’ll be waiting in line for tickets to see them at Madison Square Garden.

If you haven’t experienced them yet, be sure to check them out online, and to purchase their first record being released off of Jonas Records, “Fashionably Late,” on September 15th, 2009.

Congrats to the guys on all of their success!

*Honor Society performing live on Good Day New York (7-21-09)

*Honor Society music video for “Where are you Now?” featured in the upcoming film “Bandslam” (Aug 14th)

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

NightTime w/ Marcus Goldhaber
at The Night Hotel
132 W. 45^th Street (between Bway & 6^th)

Thursdays (Now through July 2nd, 2009)
6pm – 9pm (2 Live Jazz Sets: 630pm & 8pm)
$10 Cover
1^st Floor Lounge & Atrium

www.NightHotelNY.com
RSVP to: NightHotel@AMP3pr.com

*Some things can only happen at NIGHT…

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

Tia, who, herself, has unexpectedly dealt with and successfully overcome breast cancer, knows about the concern for egg conservation oh too well. Fertile Hope aims to increase awareness of egg harvesting, with the mission to secure funds for women unable to cover the expense of saving their eggs when faced with the possibility of infertility due to chemotherapy. Fertile Hope is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing reproductive information, support and hope to cancer patients and survivors whose medical treatments present the risk of infertility.

The host committee of this charity soiree consisted of: Alex McCord, Simon Van Kempen, Benjamin Emile Le Hay, Stephanie Newhouse, Douglas Marshall, Designer Christine Marchuska, Juliana Ilvento, Jeremy Logan-Canvendish, Larry Zarsky & Robert Levin of Icon Group.

Celebrity couple, Alex McCord & Simon Van Kempen of “The Real Housewives of New York City,” discuss their personal connections to Tia Walker and the Fertile Hope cause:

Tia’s mom and aunt (twins!), Peggie Walker (her mom) and Patricia Diaz (her aunt), explain how and why Tia is so passionate about this cause and how they are able to relate to her concerns:

(VIDEO footage courtesy of me. Unfortunately, my FlipVideo was running low on battery, so forgive me in advance for the short interviews, and please let me thank Alex, Simon, Peggie and Patricia for participating.)

*Tia Walker, Alyson Campbell, and Jeremy Logan-Cavendish

A HUGE congrats goes out to Tia for an event well done, and money well raised for such an important yet under-discussed charity that deserves to be in the spotlight.

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

Alyson Campbell:  So Robin, what inspired you to start YouAreOnTheList.com?
Robin Ross: Well, I grew up in NYC, so I’ve been going out here since my high school days: always checking out all of the newest clubs, bars, parties, etc.  As I got older, I have always had access to all the exclusive events and I wanted to be able to share the experiences that I have been lucky to have, to empower those people who want to try new and exclusive experiences, too.

AC: What was your background before launching your own web company?
RR: I worked at Polo Jeans Ralph Lauren where I became VP of Marketing then went to W Hotels and was VP of Worldwide Marketing.

AC:  Has the website grown and evolved since inception?
RR: Omg Yes! First, we have increased our membership. We have also expanded to Los Angeles. We have worked with some of the best brands such as The New Yorker, GQ, Elle Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Gotham,  Equinox, Warner Bros. to bring our growing list to their events as well as offering an alternative marketing and advertising site to promote their brands.  But since I am such a fashionista, this is my true favorite.  A  fabulous designer by the name of Christine Marchuska of “cmarchuska” debuted a new dress called “The Robin Dress” at her fashion show just this past week.  For me, this has been the best compliment of all.

*The Robin Dress by cmarchuska (photo courtesy of Keith L. Lew)

AC:  If you had to name the Top 3 events you’ve promoted through YouAreOnTheList, what would they be?

RR:

1. The 2009 Sundance Film Festival- which included a Martin Scorsese hosted dinner, William Morris Agency event, and the Creative Coalition Celebrity Poker event
2. YOUAREONTHELIST.com Lifestyle Lounge at New York Fashion Week
3. All of the charity events I have had the privilege of working with to help raise money for a good cause, including Fashion Fights Cancer, American Heart Society, Red Cross, Project OVC, and Save The Eggs.

AC:  Fantastic.  I’ll be seeing you at the Save The Eggs event in a couple of weeks!  So, how do you select the events you are going to work with?  What do you look for in an event?
RR: I like to pick events that I would want to attend myself.  Not just based upon free drinks and food. To me, that is secondary though now with the economy, something complimentary is indeed nice.  But I look for new places, new people, unique experiences or parties, up and coming talent, product launches, hard to get into events too since we all love a challenge.  But mostly, events where you feel that you are not doing the same old thing.

AC:  So can just anyone “be on the list,”  how do you keep your list targeted and exclusive?
RR: No and yes. No, meaning you have to meet with our membership team and we need to make sure its a right fit. But yes meaning besides paying the annual fee, we do not require referrals or a certain heritage or lineage like other “clubs” do.  It’s more about your personality and spirit than your family name.

AC:  Can you give us an insider scoop on some exciting up & coming New York society events?
RR: The Led Zeppelin Wine Pairing at City Winery, a series of lifestyle events at Equinox Gym where YOUAREONTHELIST.com experts and myself will be there to talk about membership, and of course all of the June charity events in the Hamptons. No specifics until you are a member!

AC: Touché !  So, being someone who is in the know of what’s hot and what’s not in New York, what is your favorite NYC venue? Restaurant? Bar?
RR: For me, I don’t always think what’s new is hot. I like authentic places with that special feeling when you walk in. You cannot describe it but you keep going back. I grew up here, so a lot of places I go to all the time are those my parents took me to, which shows me it doesn’t matter your age, a place has it or it doesn’t.

Some favorites:
Mr. Chow on 57th
Gino on Lex
The Palm
Pink Elephant
BLT Prime
Nobu 57 for the bar
Marimoto
Balthazar

AC:  Tell us something that would surprise us about Robin Ross?
RR: I really am shy!

AC: And, what’s next for you and your business?
RR: It is my goal to have a YOUAREONTHELIST.com Lifestyle Lounge at all of the big events,  all of the award shows, fashion week, film festivals, and in The Hamptons.  I really want to make it “the place to be”.  I’d also like to grow The Clipboard–our editorial part of the site, and eventually, I’d like to have my own column and a reality show.

*Robin Ross, Founder of YOUAREONTHELIST.com

For more information about YOUAREONTHELIST.com, Robin will be doing a personal appearance in promotion of the website, on May 16th, at the Equinox Gym (74th Street location @ 2nd Avenue) where she will be offering limited-time only VIP memberships.   You can get more information about this, and how to become a member, on the official website, here.

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

I arrived to the home of the NextUP series, 92Y, with fellow AMP3 co-hort @Termeh, where we proceeded to eat (delicious, mind you) hummus, chat with the ever-present Matt Caldecutt, and interview the Editor-In-Chief of Mashable, Adam Ostrow, you know–the usual pre event fare.

Moderated by mashable rep, Adam Hirsch, the talks got underway. And here is the run-down of what we learned:

Panelist(s) #1–Philip James (CEO) and Mark Angelillo (CTO) of Snooth.com:

Snooth.com is a comparison shopping engine for wine. Philip taught us that when dealing with a web startup, most negotiating is actually going to end up being compromise and that is just what you have to deal with in the beginning. His advice was to accept it, swallow your pride, and get your deals done. If you believe in the quality of your product and you know where it’s going, you will be able to revisit your business deals once you have bargaining power. CTO, Mark, gets a giggle out of the crowd after introducing himself as a techie, “I’m a tech guy, so I don’t really talk in front of people… but hey, they did stand me in front of a computer here, so maybe this will be ok.…!?” Turns out it was, as he offered feedback on open source rules and solutions. Mark’s moral of the story? Invent the racecar, not the wheel. The faster you move, the better your business is going to be. The two continued on with the perfect balance of a Tech VS. Business dynamic which is obviously what makes them so successful at what they do.

Panelist #2–Melanie Notkin, Founder & CEO of SavvyAuntie.com:

Melanie is a beam of positive, contagious energy who really keyed into WHY her business has been so successful, so quickly. I also enjoy her because she coined the phrase “PANK’s” (Professional Aunts, No Kids). Turns out, I am a “pank” myself; a very proud auntie at that, but not so savvy when it comes to what’s trendy for kids. That’s where Melanie’s service comes in.

Here is what Melanie identifies as her 3 secrets to success:

• Powerful Niche: Melanie identified a niche (herself included) of women who were unsavvy about Sponge Bob, The Jonas Brothers, and Hannah Montana, but who were passionate about kids and the kids in their life (even though they are not their own). Turns out, PANKs, are one of the most affluent demographic segments on the market!
• Strong Product: She introduced her website not just as a good idea, but with superior quality, and that is reflected by the fact that she is currently nominated for a WEBBY award.
• Social Influence: She is the face of the brand and she has a strong social presence. She represents the “SavvyAuntie” in everything that she does. Twitter has been a huge social referal for her from Advertisers (such as Playskool and Sephora) to Press Interviews/Coverage, noting that she “launched at the best time, [I] was on Twitter before it got Oprah’d“

Panelist #3–Michael Galpert, Co-Founder of Aviary.com:

Aviary is an accessible Photoshop-like platform that allows you to manipulate visual media with ease, in a manageable, sharable file-type/size. It allows users to be creators and offers a simpler version to the non-graphic-designers out there, similar to what Google Documents has done for those who do not have the Microsoft Suite.

What Michael says is the key to his web start-up is the community focused platform that allows users to share and see what others are doing in real time. He recommends open source, and reminds us that Aviary released an API so that 3rd Party users can use this platform on their own.

Ultimate message: be open, don’t try to control everything, and don’t try to do what has worked for others in the past; think ahead about what’s going to be happening next.

Panelist #4–Scott Belsky, Founder & CEO of Behance.com:

Letting us know that, no, he doesn’t work for Beyonce, Scott reminded us that most good ideas never happen. As such, Behance was born out of frustration as a platform to help creative professionals realize their goals by creating an organizational structure that keeps all project members looped in and accountable. His platform seeks to solve the problem of organizing creative work on a macro and a micro level and also *buzzword* encourages community where creatives can curate and “appreciate” art in one space.

Scott’s Tips for Best Practices:

• Hire based on Initiative, Not Experience [*IMHO--Someone that really wants something, will make it happen, regardless of experience]
• Solve a Frustration [What is your business seeking to achieve? Does it solve a current problem that exists?]
• Value the Experiential Education as Compensation [The old adage rings true: What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, right!? You live, you learn.]

The evening closed with a multi-panelist group Q&A moderated by Mashable’s Editor In Chief, Adam Ostrow, where I captured the above panelists answering the following question: “What do you love about being a web/tech startup in New York City?”

This event was very relevantly sponsored by DubMeNow and SunStartUp Essentials, and rumor has it that the next event will be held on June 3rd regarding “Social Media Marketing,” followed-up by what I can only imagine as hilarious, “Tech Karaoke” in the space after-hours.

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

Next Friday (May 8th), there will be a pre-party to collect clothes for the main benefit that will take place in Fort Greene on May 16th.

Perfectly timed, I encourage everyone to do the “spring cleaning” I’m guessing you probably need to do at this time of year anyway, and instead of throwing out the things you might not need anymore, just throw them into a bag for this great cause instead.

“The Fashion For All Donation Pre-Party on 5.8.09, hosted by MINT Jodi Arnold™, is intended to collect gently used women’s clothing and accessories donations for the Fashion For All Shopping Benefit which will take place at Irondale (www.irondale.org) in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn on May 16th. To show our appreciation, all guests will receive wholesale price on current MINT Jodi Arnold™ Collections. The first 50 guests to arrive with 15 acceptable items or more will receive a luxurious gift bag. Food and beverage will be provided.”

Friday, May 8th, 2009 6pm-9pm
MINT Jodi Arnold™ Showroom
230 W.39th St., Floor 2 New York, NY 10018
(between 7th and 8th Ave.)

RSVP to: Deenie Hartzog
212.997.2329 ext. 24
dhartzog@jodiarnoldnyc.com

Learn more about the cause: http://www.feliciasullivan.com/ffarelease.pdf
Visit: www.fashionforall.org

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]