Facebook has served us well for social posts like photo sharing, but it's not the ideal place for thinky work mode posts. That’s more of a job for LinkedIn. And given its recent enhancements, including a familiar-feeling news feed, as well as a decent, targeted ad system and improved company pages, it’s become more enjoyable to spend time there.

So we'll be utilizing LinkedIn on two fronts. First, through our company page, we'll be sharing notable links related to work and news about local agencies and vendors along with AAF Seattle club news. Second, through the AAF Seattle group, we'll provide a forum to converse about Seattle-specific topics, to continue discussions and networking begun during our events, featuring participation from our speakers and panelists, and for club-related chatter. There may even be gossip.

So follow our company page and join our group, and we'll do our best to make it worth your while.

On April 18th we're hosting After Hours: Copacino+Fujikado, and it's coming at just the right time. For one thing, it's their 15th anniversary, and that's a lot to crow about for them. So they may have more than a few fun things cooked up. But for us, we're coming off ADDY season and a blistering pace of four major events in less than two months.

After Hours is an informal social mixer hosted by an agency member. No program, no speakers, just drinks, noms, and a random mix of creative types. It's a great way to get to know your industry peers with a bit more time than you get before one of our bigger programs. Plus it's just $5 (free for AAF Seattle members) with food+drinks (Redhook's new Audible Ale and 14 Hands wines) included.

So what's with the weird pics? Copacino+Fujikado—Italian+Japanese—is a surprising combination. We're featuring other surprising combinations on our Pinterest board. Tag your own surprising combinations with #AAFfterHours to join in.

We thought the Seattle ADDY Awards would be a perfect opportunity to launch our presence on Instagram. No food or kitten pics for us, just some behind-the-scenes and in-progress shots from AAF functions, some teasers, and a few choice glamour shots. It's also a great way to keep up with official event #hashtags to see what others are posting.

Check us out at @AAFSeattle and give us a follow.

What an amazing evening! The culmination of five months of planning, tons of entries from agencies old and new in categories old and new, a long weekend of very tough judging, and lots of legwork by committee members and volunteers.

Bell Harbor International Conference Center was packed with Seattle's creative elite (due to massive demand this year's event was over 60% larger than 2012). Booze flowed freely. The crowd were enthusiastic. Mayor Mike McGinn presented the vaunted AAF Silver Medal Award to Bob Peterson after a great intro from Creature's Matt Peterson and Wexley School for Girls's Cal McAllister. Even Sir Mix-a-Lot got in on the action.

Bling
A special shout-out to these outstanding winners:

ADDY-quake!
#SeattleADDYs trended all night! Catch up on all the social posts from event attendees at our Storify.

THANK YOU
Thanks for entering, attending, volunteering, planning and sponsoring. We hope you had a great night! We'd love to hear what you thought in our short survey.

Panelists Kerry Antezana, Mary Knight, Mary Olson, Laurie Fritts, and MC Hilllary Miller

We had an amazing night Wednesday with a packed house that came not just to hear our panel but to engage with them and with each other.

An event like this generates a lot of interest in the topic, the panelists and the attendees, as well as some great social activity that used our #AAFWomen hashtag. We've assembled all kinds of relevant and hopefully interesting information into our Storify entry.

If you attended, we'd love your feedback in our short survey.

6:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 27th at Hotel 1000.

Women are a huge part of the workforce in the creative services industry yet recent reports indicate that for all their effort and accomplishments women are dramatically underrepresented in power positions, making up just 3-4% of agency creative leaders.

We've assembled some of Seattle's successful creative women who have been there and done that to tell us about their hiccups and accomplishments as they have navigated their careers in the industry.

Join us for an honest discussion about topics including:

• Why is it important that women have better representation in the creative departments of advertising agencies?
• What keeps women from getting into the creative side? Does the perception of a men's club mentality keep them out?
• Do you have to be a bitch?
• Is motherhood a career killer?
• Are we in this together?
• Women can't do this alone. How can men help?

Panelists:
Mary Knight - Executive Creative Director, Hydrogen
Kerry Antezana - Creative Director/Copywriter, Freelance
Mary Olson - Brand Director, Seattle University
Laurie Fritts - Creative Director/Copywriter, Freelance

MC:
Hillary Miller - VP, Global Strategic Services Director, Wunderman

Prizes!
We'll also be holding a raffle for great prizes from our sponsors, including an acupuncture session from Blissful Healing Arts, a full hair treatment from Savoir Faire, and a dozen custom thank you notes from Farewell Paperie.

Agenda:
6:00-6:30 - Cocktail hour
6:30-7:45 - Host-led panel discussion
8:00-9:00 - Networking and socializing

Cost:
$10 - AAF Seattle Members
$20 - Non-members
$30 - Door
Light food is included in the ticket price. Cash bar available.

Links:
RSVP on Facebook
See related links, videos, tweets and panelist info on Storify
Tweet and Instagram with #AAFWomen to be included in the Storify and social stream
Let your social contacts know your plans to attend on Plancast
Get event info and track panelists, the MC and us with Lanyrd

Sponsors:
Farewell Paperie, Savoir Faire, Tacoma Rainiers, and Blissful Healing Arts.

AAF Seattle and PSAMA co-host our annual Chalk Talk Super Bowl Ad Replay at 5:30 p.m.,  February 7th, at 415 Westlake.

Chalk Talk is your chance to hear a panel of ad industry pros praise and tear down what we all saw during time outs in the big game, discussing new trends and questioning strategies in an interactive discussion including the audience.

New This Year
Even more pre-panel fun. We're bringing the tailgate experience indoors, with games and activities straight from the parking lot!

New Audible Ale
We'll be pouring Redhook Ale Brewery's brand new Audible Ale all night - included in the ticket price! Be among the first in the nation to enjoy the beer brewed in cooperation with The Dan Patrick Show.

Win a GoPro Camera
Hand Crank Films will be giving away a GoPro HD camera to a lucky winner.

Panel:
Frank Clark, Creative Director - Square Tomato
Paul Huggett, Design Director - Tether
Mike Hayward, Creative Director - Copacino+Fujikado
Chris Elliott, Executive Creative Director - Wunderman
Jeff Hasen, CMO - Hipcricket

MC:
Chris Copacino - Copacino+Fujikado

Sponsors:
Hand Crank Films, The Seattle Times, Redhook Ale Brewery, and Shake Bartenders.

To get our event and Super Bowl ad-related news, Like the Chalk Talk Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter.

We've got a huge event planned for Wednesday, January 23rd, at leading local social media agency Banyan Branch.

Come for a discussion about making sense of and opportunities from all that social data you've got piling up. Whether you're a seasoned analytics vet or you're struggling to make sense of it all, there will be plenty of gems to take home and execute.

Panelists include data experts from analytic tool providers Sysomos, Radian6 Marketing Cloud, Traackr, and Simply Measured, all moderated by Banyan CEO Dave Hanley.

Light apps, beer and wine will be provided by catering sponsors Metropolitan Market Catering and Shake Bartenders.

More info and tickets: http://j.mp/AAFAnalytics

It's raw and unfinished. The colors are off-brand. We know. Don't judge. Let's just pretend it's cute in the meantime and then we'll never speak of this again.

The good part is we'll be making lots of frequent changes. So check back in to see our progress. We're going to try to impress you.

In the meantime, enjoy the lo-fi. Try not to get too attached.

Back sometime in late 2011, when the American Advertising Federation suggested all affiliate clubs adopt their naming system, Ad Club Seattle saw that as a great opportunity. We didn't just rename, we rebranded and rededicated ourselves to connecting our members and sponsors with creativity everywhere it exists in Seattle, not just in the ad business.

At the same time, we've been Ad Club Seattle since 1909. So while we'll call ourselves AAF Seattle, we'll still answer to Ad Club Seattle. Or Big Papa.