On June 28, AMADC held its inaugural Power on the Potomac Networking
event at the stunning House of Sweden on the Georgetown waterfront
honoring 2011 Marketing Hall of Fame award winner Seth Goldman,
President and TeaEO of Honest Tea. 
No doubt the buzz from the event could be heard across the Potomac as
more than 160 area marketers gathered to network while enjoying
complimentary selection of beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres paired with
Honest Tea samples. A special thanks to Ridgewells Catering for furnishing
the evening’s tasty tidbits. 

On June 28, AMADC held its inaugural Power on the Potomac Networking event at the stunning House of Sweden on the Georgetown waterfront honoring 2011 Marketing Hall of Fame award winner Seth Goldman, President and TeaEO of Honest Tea.  No doubt the buzz from the event could be heard across the Potomac as more than 160 area marketers gathered to network while enjoying complimentary selection of beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres paired with Honest Tea samples. A special thanks to Ridgewells Catering for furnishing the evening’s tasty tidbits. 

Upon arriving, guests received individual gift bags packed with the latest samples of Honest Tea and other goodies courtesy of The Coca Cola Company, presenting sponsor for the event. Working with AMADC, Honest Tea unveiled a special commemorative “AMADC Tea” label for the event – WHERE MARKETING POWER PLAYS (AND SIPS).

AMADC President, Christie Susko, began the awards reception by welcoming marketers and providing a brief overview of the year’s successes before welcoming Seth Goldman’s long-time colleague and collaborator Denise Hamler to the stage.  Denise Hamler is the director of the Green America Green Business Network, the oldest, largest and most diverse association of socially and environmentally responsible businesses with over 4,000 business members.  Honest Tea is a founding member of the organization, dating back to 1982.  Denise’s warm comments and anecdotes about knowing Seth in the early days of Honest Tea made for a great introduction to AMADC’s 2011 Marketing Hall of Fame winner.  Seth entertained the audience with a story about replacing the label on a Snapple bottle as part of his first sample creation; a true example of entrepreneurship and marketing on shoestring.    Honest Tea’s “cup to mouth” marketing campaigns are inspiring examples of non-traditional marketing techniques.  Seth ended his presentation speaking to the audience about how marketing changes people’s minds and lives.  His socially responsible approach to life and business combined with the company’s sustainability efforts and innovative marketing exemplifies the marketing leadership recognized by the award.

The celebration resumed with guests networking, experiencing samples of Honest Tea’s new Cocoa Nova products, and imbibing live music from DJ Déjà Vu.  Guests agreed – This was the hottest networking event for marketers this summer. 

Each year, AMADC presents the Hall of Fame Marketing award to a leader who inspires others in the local marketing community and has made distinguished and consistent contributions to the marketing profession.  Past honorees include Mark Bisnow (Bisnow), Ted Ward (GEICO), Catherine Meloy (Goodwill of Greater Washington), Bruce Himelstein (Ritz Carlton),  JW Marriott (Marriott International), Ted Leonsis (AOL), Ronald Goldstein, PhD (Georgetown) and William Novelli (AARP).

AMADC would like to thank the following sponsors and partners for their generous support: The Coca-Cola Company, Goodwill of Greater Washington, Ridgewells Catering, Imijination Photography, Stand for Art Foundation, Global Printing and Pixels and Ink, Incorporated.