Happy Friday one and all, last week I got a bit carried away with behavioural and forgot to tell you all about my trip to the Festival of Media in Valencia ( thank you Adconion ) 

Sometimes I get a bit of a complex about being the digital geek and having read the attendee list I was humbled ( and to be honest shit scared that I’d be totally out of my depth ) by the list of names speaking over the two days – Dominic Proctor, John Charles Deceaux, Steve King, basically all that is great and good in the world of media. What struck me was that all these big fish kept coming back to 4 main points

1. agency remuneration models – commission doesn’t cut it anymore

2. social media – can’t afford to do it, can’t afford not to

3. value attribution – no one has the measurement model right yet

4. technology – is the future

So as the grand fromages mulled these points I thought about our stance with regard to them. 

1. we rebate all commissions and charge on a time based model with performance related uplift, always have, always will

2. yes you can if you get the above right and also have a bunch of people who manage to live and breathe this stuff even though its not in their job title

3. ok you got me but at least we are no further behind than anyone else

4. gave myself a self satisfied pat on the back as people talking about technology without actually having a tech team ( in our case an 80 strong one ) is a bit like me talking about the virtures of an Alexander McQueen dress without having ever worn one, aspirational and unfounded.

So that is why today is a Happy Friday,  I am not banging the drum and claiming the death of anything non digital however I thoroughly enjoyed the conference as it reinforced my belief in our proposition and I came away feeling not quite shark like but no longer a minnow.

There’s an ongoing discussion around our office about the viral WTF phenomenon.   There’s no way of explaining what a WFT (or wuttuf) is – they just are, and have to be seen to be understood.

So, King of the Wuttuf – Adam – has kindly put together a list  of his Top 5 wuttufs.  WTFFFFFFFFF?!?!?!

WTF 1 – Pretty Ricky – Late Night Special

WTF 2 – Techno Viking

WTF 3 – Angel of death takes life

WTF 4 – edarem – Pretty Woman

WTF 5 – Chocolate Rain

Nevermind the depressive recession, and more news that friends and families are losing jobs and homes, there is still affordable fun out there, especially in the city of London this weekend, as joy comes to a boat on the Thames River for the debut of *****Tropical City***** this Saturday evening.

Bright neon lights, a festive crowd adorned in day-glo colours that are sure to flip your switch from winter-blues blah to spring and summer super happy. The musical line-up will inspire the most devoted wallflower to venture out on the dancefloor and get down. There will even be a Krumping dance crew, Funk Physics, popping battles, and teaching a few tricks. This party is a celebration of a mix and mash of urban cultures from warm and cold climates. It is hip-hop and reggae meet electro, for what looks like Miami Vice, and the original UK combination of it all is going to see this boat quaking and shaking into the wee morning hours.

Organized by Fake Ornate, the producers of other creative London parties The Nativity Hoedown, The Human Zoo and Cosmic Disco, this new creation is a kick-off for the group’s summer festival tour season. Next stop, Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party and Bloom.

“Tropical City is a ghetto-fabulous themed party, run by Fake Ornate who are inspired by the underground scene, and comitted to bringing the world cutting edge entertainment,” said Kate Risker, aka the fabulous Miss Risk. “Think Santogold to grime to Krump battles. Let’s get tropical!”

Headlining the evening, and the group that inspired the tropical theme is De Tropix who will get the boat swaying with electro reggae step sounds and deep bass beats that will quiver up and down your spine. Also featuring:

Supreme grime from Conrad The Scoundral,

A.J. Holmes the king of the electric high-life,
The Heatwave – skankin dancehall and tropical tunage from DJ Gabriel Heatwave,

and sweet female vocals from MC Cherry B.

Want to come to the Tropical City?

RSVP through the Tropical City Facebook Group
Saturday, May 9, 2009, 8pm-1.30am, £7. Dress Code: Ghetto
Fabulous/Tropical/neon. Location: Tamesis Dock (on the Thames) SE1 7TP.
Street: Albert Embankment, London, United Kingdom.

More information here.

I’ll be on the boat,

-Lisa