Monday, June 12, 2000

Country Mouse, City Mouse


New Canaan, CT-based e-Media has been streaming Web content since the Web's early days. And just because they've established offices in the historic Chrysler Building in Gotham City, doesn't mean they're forgetting their roots in the country. Interior window boxes of tall slender Palm fronds (okay, so Palm trees aren't native to Connecticut) graced the windows around the sprawling 31st floor. Front and center at the reception, drinks were being served at an instant bar. Here I found John Engle, in his true-to-character, distinguishing bow-tie look, chatting with Doug Fannon of e-Media and David Butcher of Revolution magazine.

Outside, just beyond the terrace, one of the building's famed steel Eagles jutted out southwestward. Wendy DellaCamera, a former colleague from Young & Rubicam's New Technologies group (before it became Brand Dialogue and then Luminant), now settled into her lifestyle in Connecticut, introduced me around the new office space. I think I got a demo of their newest product, BAM(3), along with Timothy Davis of First Manhattan Consulting Group. Then we chatted with Gene Trivell of PSINet, and Josh Katinger and Jeff Braswell of e-Media. Melissa Blau of Constellation Ventures and Tony Greenberg, formerly of DEN and now of Ramprate, were heading out to the Akamai party at Bryant Park. I tarried a bit longer and relished an usually relaxed pace, despite and in spite of the frenzied night.