For the second year running, some of Singapore's leading agencies opened their doors - or the doors of a bar in Starcom's case - to Spikes delegates. Competition was fierce, but the high number of festival attendees meant all parties enjoyed a high turn out.
First up was Starcom, once again highlighting their skill in media placement by appealing to delegates at source. The Starcom bash was held at Harry's bar at the Suntech centre and managed to catch delegates eager for a post Spikes drink. Starcom did however have to compete with a number of other unofficial parties in and around Suntech, including that of Microsoft at the adjoining Pan Pacific hotel.
Across town, Euro RSG attracted party goers with a combination of food, drink and caged women. Yes, Euro once again took a saucy approach to celebrating Spikes After Dark but sadly, as far as we know, there was no repeat of last year when Matt Fanshawe was stripped to his underwear.
From Euro to nearby Ogilvy, who, determined not to make the same mistake as 12 months ago when the beer ran out, ensured a steady flow of drinks. Special mention for the non-stop food trays, which were a blessing for those of us who had to skip dinner. Highlight of the night: Ed Bell and Paul Heath recreating a famous scene from Dirty Dancing.
On to the first rooftop of the night at the stylish TBWA building. The paddling pools were a nice touch, especially as they were filled with ice and beer. Panic almost set in when the music went silent early in the evening, but TBWA's regional comms head Louise Upperton rescued the situation and the party atmosphere was resumed.
With its relative distance from the other agency offices, JWT was chosen by most as the last venue of the night. A big crowd gathered on the rooftop, including none other than Sir Martin Sorrell. While Sorrell managed to stay on firm ground, navigating the rooftop pools proved more difficult for one well known TV exec, who ended up waist deep in water.
The party wound up just before midnight when rumours went around that the alcohol had run out. Had the curse of WWP struck again? Apparently so but we didn't wait to find out and instead retired for a relatively early night in preparation for another busy day at Spikes.
So who had the best party? A genuinely hard call, but if we had to pick one it would have to go the best host and while special mention goes to Li Yann at Ogilvy, we felt TBWA put out the best welcome. See you all next year.
