AICP Holiday Party is a Slam

AICP East Coast Holiday Party is a Slam

The benefit for the AICP Foundation and Toys for Tots included ping pong,
beer, US Marines and plenty of production industry good cheer.

By Anthony "Deuce" Vagnoni

@radical.media's Gregg Carlesimo shows off his skills at the AICP 2012 Holiday Party at Spin in New York.

The AICP held its annual Holiday Party last night at Spin, the hip East Side lounge and table tennis emporium, and SourceEcreative was on the scene. The event, as usual, was a benefit for the AICP Foundation and Toys for Tots. It was attended by several hundred industry folks from production, editorial, post production, music and visual effects companies as well as from agencies, who enjoyed cocktails, a buffet dinner and lots of little white and orange ping pong balls flying everywhere. After a period of seemingly random warm-ups and casual games, punctuated by the occasional slam, a good-natured tournament got underway, with winners claiming a bevy of prizes.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the AICP Foundation. Established in 2008, the Foundation raises funds via events and other donations with the goal of training and nurturing young talent and promoting diversity in the advertising and film industries. There was also a Toys for Tots collection at the party, manned by two US Marines in their dress blues.

AICP CEO Matt Miller and Sally Antonacchio of The Artists Company.

Ogilvy & Mather's Matt Bonin with (from left) Danielle Amaral, Jo Arghiris and
Verity Grantham of The Mill.

The Quiet Man crew of Carey Gattyan, Johnnie Semerad,
Bob Nelson and David Michaels.

Guest Merrie Nell Spence joins her friends Tim Merjos and Nina Lorentzes of MJZ.

Smuggler's Caitlin Guthoff and Shane Malach with PicRow's Daria Zeliger.

The Shooters NYC crew of Jeff Beckerman, Jenny Figarola and Tom Firchow.

The Yessian contingent included Weston Fonger, Marlene Bartos and Brian Yessian.

Ray Foote of Big Foote Music and Lyle Greenfield of BANG Music.

Peter Corbett of Click 3X with Scott Persson and Jessica Passoff of Sound Lounge.

Jeff Rosner of the audio house Color with Mary Knox of Red Car, New York.

The director known as Otis with Nancy Kagan of Republic
and freelance artists' consultant Noelle Giddings.

Taking in the action were (from left) Cara Cutrone of Spontaneous, Jason Mayo
of Click 3X and Lively Group's Roe Bressan and Ethel Rubinstein.