The Arts Club | November 20th 2008
introducingthenewdigitalpodge
The annual lunch for creative directors and MDs from the digital agency community.
The aim? Meet old and new friends, exchange information, and have fun.
For 13 years the design community have pencilled in one event they do NOT miss, and its not the D&AD awards. It's the annual Podge lunch. Once a year, by invitation only, the creative directors and managing directors of the country's top design agencies get together over a long (very long) lunch and swap stories and have fun with their rivals and peers. It works because of the informality and because nobody is selling anything. The ONLY aim is to encourage senior people to swap stories and experiences.
So, why digitalpodge?
The editor of NMA attended one of the Podge lunches and asked if the idea could work for the digital community. We tried it in December 2003 and it was really well supported and great fun. In 2004, 2005 and 2006 it was sold out with weeks to spare and we know that very few people who attended will be keen to lose their seat for the 2007 lunch.
If you receive an invitation, its because someone at the 2006 lunch
recommended you and you fit the criteria of MD or CD.
Thats the way it works.
Phil Jones
thisyear'sattendees
click here to view
2006's attendees
Philippa Gibson
Associate Partner
Pratik Madhavji
Associate Partner
Paul Angeli
Managing Director
MediaCentrix
Tom Adams
Managing Director
Tom Evans
Creative Director
Roger Thelwell
Operations Director
Mook
Philip Hunt
Free Spirit
Free Spirit
Neil Miller
Founder and Joint Managing Director
Chris Perry
Founder and Joint Managing Director
Avenue A, Razorfish
Founder and Joint Managing Director
Chris Perry
Founder and Joint Managing Director
Avenue A, Razorfish
Flo Heiss
Executive Creative Director
Lee Wright
Managing Director
James Cooper
Creative Director
Dare Digital
Executive Creative Director
Lee Wright
Managing Director
James Cooper
Creative Director
Dare Digital
Xanthe Arvanitakis
VP Europe
Marc Giusti
Creative Director and Managing Partner
Tim Seddon
Managing Partner
GT
VP Europe
Marc Giusti
Creative Director and Managing Partner
Tim Seddon
Managing Partner
GT
Nic Howell
Features Editor
Andy Oakes
Publisher
Justin Pearse
Editor
Michael Nutley
Editor-in-Chief
NMA
Features Editor
Andy Oakes
Publisher
Justin Pearse
Editor
Michael Nutley
Editor-in-Chief
NMA
Trevor Chambers
Executive Creative Director
Mike Curtis
Managing Director
Darren Whittingham
Group Executive Creative Director
Start Creative
Executive Creative Director
Mike Curtis
Managing Director
Darren Whittingham
Group Executive Creative Director
Start Creative
whyyou'lllovedigitalpodge
"The first time I went to the digital podge i had my hand licked by Mr Ball from Lean Mean. The second time I got the Wasserfall treatment whilst overdosing on Sir Hegarty plonk. I know for a fact that this year's event will top these experiences, because the podge always delivers. Imagine a great dinner party with ace people and you got the podge. Forget myface. This is social networking live."
Flo Heiss
Creative Partner
"It takes a 45 minute flight from Antwerp to London and a different world. Bigger & better perhaps. Funnier & more drunk for sure.
The first time I actually "enjoyed" networking. Probably also because I’m not known in the UK so I don’t care about embarrassing situations and god behaviour, pictures. Hey, I even met some people there that I now consider to be friends.
Podge is really top-notch: great food, great venue, great agencies, many facing the same challenges; talk covered fashion, women, movies, beer, holidays and tax avoidance.
One tip: Get lot's of sleep the night before and stay over in London .
Phil deserves a statue for the podge initiative."
Erwin Jansen
Managing Director
"Phil's proprietary mix of amazing people, open and unpretentious talk, good cheer, and delicious food and drink is pure genius. We had such an excellent time at our first Podge (although truth be told we remember the evening hours rather poorly) that we decided to ask Mr. Jones if he would help us get a Swedish spinoff going. And do you know what? He did! But of course there can be only one true Podge, and the original rules the world. We can't wait for this year's edition."
Patrick Gardner and Tony Högqvist
Founding Partners
"Digital Podge is all wrong.
For one day your Clients come last and your competitors come first.
That agency you hated for winning that pitch turn out to actually be great blokes.
You expect lots of lame networking chat, but get great banter.
A day away from the office is completely worthwhile."
Andrew Massey and Ross Laurie
Founding Partners
"Its the only mass musical chairs event i know that everyone comes away a winner, a little more educated, little less jaded and a lot more drunk.
Happy days"
Simon Waterfall
Founding Partner
"Podge is brilliant. A social networking phenomena. It's like Facebook, but with beer. And a better carbon footprint"
Jon Williams
Head of Digital (Creative)
"Ahhhhh Podge. Just the mere word fills me with the nauseous hangover of over indulgence, debauchery, industry gossip and a thoroughly good time. An industry lunch for digital people sounds as dull as a, er, really dull thing, but maybe its the venue, or maybe its the people, or the booze perhaps, or maybe its just Phil ? but Podge is uniquely unpretentious, edifying and, quite simply, a great piss up. I wouldn?t miss it for the world. Did I mention the booze?"
Tom Evans
Creative Director
"Meeting your peers - people that you really rate and respect is always a bit nerve-racking but after five minutes I was so glad I had come. We're a fragmented, immature industry and the Podge enabled me to bounce ideas and problems off people who beat us in pitches or who read about in the press and who collectively have more combined experience than anyone else in the world. If Al Qaeda wanted to destroy the UK's best online creative talent the Podge would be a good starting point and the food was dead nice and so was the drink."
Justin Cooke
Managing Director
"I have to be honest, I was dreading going to the first digitalpodge. Last thing I wanted was another tedious networking event, full of people I would hope to never bump into again. I dragged myself along with the consolation that I had an early exit strategy planned in advance.
I needn't have worried - I ended up being one of the last to leave.
Great people, great venue, great food, great organisation. I met people there that night I now consider industry friends. Well worth going!"
Rob Corradi
Creative Director
"One of the first things scribbled in my diary at the beginning of the year is the Digital Podge Lunch. Unlike normal "networking" events, Digital Podge manages to achieve a perfect convivial atmosphere in which to chat with fellow professionals. Until around 8pm that is, when we can only grin inanely and hiccup softly while talking more drivel than you hear at your average pitch! Roll on December…"
Margaret Manning
CEO
A glittery room stuffed full of people who don't do industry events, very little shop talk, long lost nice folk, and an eight hour lunch. I won a bottle of Champagne from someone who, last time I saw him, nicked our gaudiest client off us. Which capped a brilliant afternoon eating good food, drinking good wine, and talking shit with people I hadn't seen in a decade. Roll on '07."
Felix Velarde
CEO, Managing Partner
"digitalpodge is one of the best ideas the digital industry never had. So thank god Phil did.
Never thought that so many Creative Directors in a room could be such a success. Leave your 'Networking Hat' back at the agency, turn up, have fun, catch up on the gossip and who knows, you might even find out why you lost that Pitch!"
Marc Giusti
Creative Director and Manging Partner
"digitalpodge provides glamour, entertainment and conversation only equalled by Elton's Oscar parties. Except, of course, Podge is graced by the luminous presence of Phil. "Fantabulous" describes how great it is meeting the cream of the digital creative world and having the chance to talk utter bollocks with people you'd normally only meet briefly in client reception areas during the pitch process. Podge is like the 1960's - anyone that can remember exactly what went on wasn't there! I remember returning to my office the day following my first Podge and some bright spark in the studio had stuck a sign on my desk which said "Alasdair : Missing, Presumed Fed."
Alasdair Scott
Chief Creative Officer
Filter
"Nice food, nice place, nice folk.
Best thing was winning a bottle of champagne.
Next best was meeting the people behind the agencies we rate and swapping stories with them.
Its good to know that others are going through and facing similar issues and its great being able to share concerns and have a good laugh about them.
We're looking forward to more of the same this year."
Frances and Jane
Joint Managing Directors
Recollective
"Digital has finally come of age and let's face it, it's going to have great kids. Phil's digital podge has continuously captured the zeitgeist.
This years Podge is going to be quality, there'll be more buyouts in the Arts Club than a city trading floor."
Mark Chalmers
Co Founder
"A daunting prospect – going to your first didgitalpodge? Maybe, but it shouldn’t be - within seconds of walking through the door you get to meet a whole bunch of like minded people who are facing all the same highs and lows as you – it’s not so lonely after all. By the end of the afternoon you consider tearing yourself away only to be persuaded stay a little longer, then a little longer, and then a tad longer – don’t arrange anything else for the evening, it’s worth staying put."
Suzanne Linton
Managing Director
"digitalpodge is a pulsating icon in the diary of the worlds digerati.
Vogue and Tatler compare Podge to Vanity Fair's Oscars party. Believe me Podge is way ahead. Elton John, Paris Hilton… Nope. Daljit Singh, Alasdair Scott in a tiara… Yes!
And you can forget party boys like 'P-Diddy' and his annual blow out at Nikki Beach. For one afternoon a year 'P-Jonesy' is the only playa in town. In years to come, in a quiet corner of the Groucho, you'll hear people waxing lyrically about the time they were at one of the first live Podge lunches in the same way they talk about being at the first Sex Pistols gig."
Marcus Vinton
Founding Partner
Bite Worldwide
aselectgroup
if you are the MD or CD of a digital agency and would like to be considered for 2008 digitalpodge lunch then e-mail phil.jones@realtime.co.uk and let him know.
thevenue
the arts club
40 dover street
london w1s 4np
tel: 0207 499 8581
nearest tube station: green park
Post lunch drinks compliments of mediaCentrix
thebigidea.
it just sort of happened.
"You might imagine that as the editor of the industry's leading magazine, I am inundated with glamorous gala lunch invitations. But the fact is that there are too few genuinely decadent events in the new media calendar. So when Phil suggested organising an annual get together for digital creatives and principals, with no other motivation than having fun and drinking your own body weight in wine, myself and my esteemed publisher jumped at the chance. digitalpodge is now an unruly five years old, and we're delighted to have helped Phil bring it into the world."
Michael Nutley
Executive Editor
seethefaces
Below are some photos from the 2006 lunch. Have a looksie here and you can also get a feel for how it all works from some of the photographs on podgelunch.co.uk
Fred Brown of KGB, Joanne Baldwin of Seriously and Simon Waterfall of Poke having a laugh at iPodge 2006.
The Last King of Scotland with Mickey Stretton, from AllofUS and Nykeeta cooling off at the post lunch drinks in The Arts Club
Chris Perry, MD of Avenue A Razorfish with Executive Editor of NMA, Michael Nutley catching up between courses.
Flo Heiss and James Cooper, CDs of Dare making a big entrance on the staircase at The Arts Club.
Margaret Manning, MD of Reading Room and Darren Whittingham, Exec CD of Start Creative have a meeting of the minds.
Rebecca Molina of Raw Nerve and Liane Salthouse from Manchester agency Pavilion at the pre lunch drinks.
Felix Velarde, MD of Underwired and one of the iPodge 2006 guests at the post lunch drinks.
iPodge lunch organiser Phil Jones chatting about his Frank Sinatra collection with Laura J Bambach, head of art at Glue London.
120 name cards make a colourful display of "who's who" in digital for the 2006 iPodge lunch.
The Arts Club is the new home for iPodge lunch and this beautiful dining room leads out to a quiet courtyard.
Sarah Lewis of Start Creative with guest of honour John Hegarty and his partner Phillipa Crane.
Simon Waterfall of Poke with Mickey Stretton of AllofUs.
One of the nicest men in digital, Ross Sleight of Virgin with iPodge lunch sponsor Paul Angeli of MediaCentrix.
Designers of the iPodge website, Mook, showing how to party in the Podge post lunch drinking session at The Arts Club.
The Arts Club friendly staff made sure all Podge guests were looked after on the day.
The Hegarty Chamans wine displayed in all its colourful glory before it gets devoured by the Podge guests.
Digitas Exec CD Chris Clarke with man of leisure Philip Hunt at 2006 iPodge lunch.
Ken Frakes on the right admiring the nice stripey jumper worn by another podge invitee.
Sam Ball, CD of Lean Mean Fighting Machine and Roger Thelwell, founding partner of Mook act as bodyguards for podge guest.
Rufus Spiller of Good Creative and Andy Massey of Line came prepared for the Crankies convention only to find The Arts Club packed with New Media Luvvies.
Hoss Gifford of Third Eye and Ross Laurie of Line having a good craic at Digital Podge lunch. ipodge site.
Alexandra Jugovic of Hi-Res with the great Dane himself, Peter Pedersen of Blue Square.
Start Creative MD Mike Curtis flanked by two of his podge minders.
Lou Cordwell of Magnetic North chatting to fellow guests at the iPodge Lunch.
Tony Högqvist from Perfect Fools in Sweden (L) with another guest at 2006 iPodge lunch
Bonnie Hoss Gifford and Andy Oakes, publisher of NMA only have eyes for Sarah Jackson of Start Creative.
iPodge table graphics compliments of www.startcreative.com.
Laura Bambach and Zoe Black flanking a dangerous bunch of digi-heroes in the bar after the iPodge lunch.
Guests enjoying themselves at the 2006 iPodge lunch.
Sam Ball on the right hand side, with more guests at the 2006 iPodge lunch.
simplygreatfood
Swiss & Dorchester trained, Executive Head Chef, Simon Whitley, member of the Academie de Culinaire and Chef of the Scottish Football Team joined the Arts Club in September 2007. Simon has already re-vitalised the Club food with the objective of providing the best Club food in London. Before sprinkling his culinary delights at the Club, Simon headed the kitchen of Cameron House Hotel – 5 Star Country Resort in Scotland, opened Home House on Portman Square, one of London’s most successful private members clubs and worked at Vong and Simpsons in the Strand. With all this experience on his plate you’re bound to be in for a culinary treat.
Starter
Cream of wild mushroom and chervil soup, garlic croutons
Main Course
Roast Scotch Sirloin of Beef, Bordelaise Sauce, Dauphinois Potatoes, Green beans wrapped in pancetta, Coriander Carrots and Seasame Broccolli
Dessert
French Pear Tart and Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Cheese and Biscuits
Fish Alternative
Poached Halibut in a Coconut Spiced Sauce, Aubergine, Wilted Spinach and Gallett potatoes
Vegetarian Alternative
Pumpkin and Sage Ravioli, panache of green Vegatables and Parmesan Shavings
Bacon butties served in members bar at 7pm
Wines
Club Sauvignon
(Honore De Berticot -
Cote De Duras)
Macon Villages ‘Chameroy’
Club Merlot
(Mas Du Soleil)
Bourgogne Rouge,
Louis Latour
meettheteam
Podge identity
Start Creative created the concept looks and feel for www.podgelunch.com
and www.digitalpodge.co.uk.
The Start team have raised the bar creatively and we need a challenger for the 2008 lunch. Any takers?
For more information: www.startcreative.co.uk
Podge website
The Mooksters have once again proved themselves the equal of one of the industry's most demanding and tempestuous clients - Podge! Describing the blood, the sweat and the hot angry tears doesn't alter the fact that we volunteer to look after the website because its a real privilege to have been there from the beginning. Long live Podge!!
For more information: www.mook.co.uk
Podge drinks
No Podge get-together would be complete without alcohol. After the lunch at 5pm, digitalpodge attendees will have the opportunity to raise several glasses to mediaCentrix, in return for nothing more than gratitude. Cheers to Paul Angeli!
For more information: www.mediacentrix.com
The A Team
digitalpodge is made to look very slick and polished due to the organisational skills of the volunteers. Clare and Barbara will make sure everyone gets a warm welcome and is seated in the correct place.
Podge photos
Carl doesn't earn his living as a photographer - but Phil reckons he takes a good picture! He's a designer/CD who enjoys capturing the finer moments. Shots you don't get unless you're last man standing at Podge. Carl's business cards all feature photographs of things that inspire him, pick one up on the 6th December and give him a call.
Podge venue
The Arts Club has earned the right to be the regular venue for the Podge Lunch. Great venue, great food, and Ian Palmer and his team are incredibly attentive to the needs of a creative group.
Why not join the club? www.theartsclub.co.uk
Media sponsor
Thanks to Michael, Justin, Andy and the A team, digitalpodge relies on the support and energy provided by the team at NMA. Thanks for your continued support for the digital community.
For more information: www.nma.co.uk
Who sits where?
The team at Preloaded have built a "genius" seating organiser that will make its debut at this year's digital podge lunch.
For more information: www.preloaded.com/
