
A history of the Syracuse Ad Club by Paul Carl
Looking to join a local organization for marketers? Check out Syracuse Marketing Association
The Syracuse Ad Club first created its website in the year 2000. They described themselves as "a professional trade organization serving the Central New York advertising community."
They had over 200 members that included the media, advertising agencies, production services, photographers and local advertisers, as well as educational institutions such as Syracuse University. Their monthly programs consisted of a mix of guest speakers, informational seminars and networking opportunities.
The Syracuse Ad Club was a member of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) and sponsored an ADDY Awards Competition to honor excellence in locally created and produced advertising. Their original website (pictured below) was created by Paul Opel
The Syracuse Ad Club fizzled out for a while but was relaunched in 2014. On January 15, 2014 the club held a relaunching event at Al's Wine & Whiskey in Armory Square. With the relaunch came a new logo (pictured below).
The relaunched club featured speaking events with national industry experts as well as informal events like their Notworking Networking Nights. Award events included The Syracuse Advertising Awards — the local ADDY® Awards, the Local Broadcast/Cable Production Awards, the Student ADDY® Awards and the Creative Spark Awards for excellence in account services, media and other fields.
The Syracuse Ad Club also held special events like the Media & More Auction, Holiday Gala, Funky Furniture Auction, CADDYs golf tournament and summer clambake. Club members also helped stuudents improve their portfolios and had the Suzanne L. McGrath Scholarship fund, which provides financial support to deserving local college students.
There are still some articles floating around the web about the Syracuse Ad Club. I've collected a couple here for you.
James Henry Quello was appointed commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) by Richard Nixon in 1974. He served until stepping down in 1997. While commissioner, James Quello spoke at the Syracuse Ad Club in 1977! You can read his speech here.
The Syracuse Marketing Association is a new local organization for marketers to network, learn, and create together. They host free events with speakers, discussions, networking, workshops, and more. Are you interested?
Hi, I'm Paul Carl and I created this website. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. I'd also be interested in more sources or first-hand knowledge to fill in some of the gaps in the history of the Syracuse Ad Club.