Media Bitch's Diary 16 July

Blake Chandlee calls the shots at leaving party

Most US executives last six months when they relocate to London - but not Facebook’s Blake Chandlee, who has become media-land’s "honorary Brit" after spending five years as commercial director of Facebook.

So it was only fitting that Chandlee should have a good send-off before he departs to manage Facebook’s emerging markets, gathering colleagues including Stephen Haines and Trevor Johnson and agency friends such as HMDG’s Greg Grimmer and Carat’s Rob Horler at a Poland Street bar.

One of many qualities Chandlee will be remembered for is his love of tequila - it was the first drink he shared with Grimmer when the pair met in 2005 and it also proved the last five years later (as our picture above can testify).

From there, a finish "in the wee hours" was inevitable, with Grimmer dimly recalling Chandlee making some "impressive moves" on the dancefloor.

David Weeks’ frock-y horror show at the IAA Ball

Civilians in the vicinity of The Hurlingham Club received the fright of their life last night (Thursday 15 July) when they spotted a fiendish-looking Joker walking the streets of Fulham.

However, there was no need to call the police as it was only David Weeks, strategic sales director of The Week, dressed as Batman’s nemesis on his way to the IAA’s superhero-themed Summer Ball.

Weeks claims he threw his outfit together from things he already had in his wardrobe, but he still managed to beat the other two finalists Annie Charman from Adconion and Chris Brown from Initiative (pictured below) to win the evening’s Best Costume prize - a media-sized Magnum of champagne.

"It was worryingly easy to look that scary," said Weeks, who interrupted his family surfing holiday in Devon to attend the ball. "But I forgot what I wearing so I was surprised by the looks of horror I received. Even more so than usual."

Kinetic rocks the boat... to Enya

Kinetic continues this week’s fancy dress theme with its "nautical" summer party on board the Miryuki Mari, which set sail from Embankment to the Thames Barrier to the sound of Bob Marley’s Rock the Boat and Enya’s Sail Away.

The prizes for best costumes went to Chris Rayson, Neil Dudley and Nick Mawditt (pictured below with Jocelyn Yeboah-Newton), while the sunny nature of Breese Stevens won her the Prozac Award for Optimism.

Later, when the ship had docked at The Opal bar, the unofficial award for Best Stamina went to senior managers Eric Newnham, James Copley and Nick Parker, who were spotted "strutting their stuff" until the small hours. Bitch hears the Kinetic coffee machines were "working overtime" this morning…

Chiswick Massive stay smart at "Waitrose-stock"

One stylish guest at Walker Media’s Summer Party at the Chiswick House Festival noted a clear divide between guests who had "already checked out into weekend mode" and those who were "sweltering in their office suits".

So you can make your own mind up as to which camp Fru Hazlitt, Stephen Miron, Claudine Collins, Dominic Carter, Carolyn McCall, Stan Myerson, Simon Kelner, Mike Soutar, Phil Georgiadis and friends fell into.

What is certain is that the party - held shortly before guests of News International, ITV and Yahoo flew to South Africa for the World Cup final - marked a return to old-school media entertaining, with lobsters and champagne on tap.

One guest described the event as a "Magic Media Porridge Pot" - although Bitch prefers his alternative suggestion of "Waitrose-stock". "The Chiswick Massive came down but they didn’t want to get their shoes dirty," he noted.

Felix Dennis Cashes in from global managers

When Felix Dennis hosted drinks on the terrace after Dennis Publishing’s conference for global managers, it wasn’t long before he and Steven Kotok, US president of The Week, were enjoying a "healthy debate" over whether Johnny Cash covered a particular Bob Dylan song.

So lively was the dispute between the two music lovers that $100 was put on the table and UK chief executive James Tye was called in to adjudicate, deciding Felix won "on a technicality" after a search through the pair’s iPods.

Ever the gracious winner, Felix not only donated his winnings to a couple of bottles of Mersault, but invited his 10 managers to continue the party back at his barn Highfield, where the executives listened to soul and blues and played pinball, table football and air hockey.

Several bottles - or should that be cases? - of fine wine later, the managers finally made it back to the Ettington Park conference venue at 3am.

This article was first published on mediaweek.co.uk