I am a presentation snob. If you host a party you should create a party atmosphere...I know there's a budget but c'mon...somebody must have some creativity in a marketing team to make the marketer of the year awards better than a bland powerpoint presentation with the same tired old istock.com photos we've seen on all the corporate branding presentations...and then perhaps play some music to make it a tad more energetic. We drank beer and wine for an hour...went into a blank room with white table cloths, a black backdrop and a white screen...sat and listened to the same marketing spiel we just heard at the last marketing council lunch and learn...and then the awards.....ta da ...

They had lame orchestra music that they sort of turned on between winners. And when I say sort of it was almost as if someone was sitting in the back with a boombox that was playing a cassette tape and when the winner was announced he sort of turned up the volume and turned it down.

I know we are on a budget but c'mon...that was really really lame. They also made some lame joke about only using one staple in the booklet we got explaining the winners. And you don't need a whole lot of money to do up a nice presentation or improve the decor.

Then after the awards there was a small appetizer bar with artichoke dip and bread, little ham crossiants and a veggie tray...and some tarts for dessert. Not terrible but not great either.

I guess it's better than an award ceremony in our cafeteria but maybe not...

Even the Dundee awards were better at Chili's.

Oh and I forgot...they used our marketing council id pictures in the "guide" and the day that my id picture was taken I had old large glasses on and I look like more of a lunatic than I normally do...seriously...I don't take a good picture...i admit it but at least let me submit one that i like for public distribution.

T- minus one day until lift off and I can't help but think I might be forgetting something HUGE. Ah well...