DOPES mixer draws good crowd

February 25, 2009 by Dave Haynes

Well, I will admit I wasn’t sure what to expect when I wandered into the Peppermill Fireside Lounge.

Would the place be even stranger than it appears in snapshots?

And would anyone show up for the first DSE meet-up?

I can confirm there is indeed a fire rising from a pool in the middle of some pink and purple love seats at this glorious kitschy place. The waitresses all wear long black gowns. And there were people drinking cocktails in glasses the size of deep-diving helmets. 

I can also confirm the mixer was as good as I hoped, with a nice mix of people from across the industry waterfront – a lopsided amount of Canadians drawn as always by the notion of people hanging around drinking beer. But there were also lots of Americans, many I’d never met, from as far afield as Atlanta, Buffalo and San Diego.

In all, there were at least 40 people, maybe 50. A fresh wave was coming in just as I was getting ready to  head out in search of food. A lot of people met for the first time, which was kinda the point. So mission accomplished there, and I think this can be a bit of a tradition. Maybe next time we squeeze a sponsor for buying a few drinks?

As for the formation of DOPES, I’m afraid there was little in the way of official business for the Digital Out of home Professionals and Executives Society. But I’m at piece with that. Great institutions don’t rise overnight.

Yawn. My pillow awaits.