NOT FOR YOUR
CV.

Hello dear OMC team,

there are stories that you plan… and then there is mine from OMC 25.

It all started completely harmlessly – well, let’s say “slightly tipsy”. So while I was happily strolling across the event, I discovered this photo wall. You know it: good lighting, fancy background, perfect opportunity for a memorable photo. What I hadn’t planned on: spontaneously standing next to a completely unknown guy.

But that’s exactly what happened.

He was English, I was in a good mood, he was in a very good mood – and somehow we understood each other without words. Two people united by… let’s call it “event euphoria”.

Without thinking much, we decided: anyone can do standard photos. So we turned our backs to the camera. Back instead of face. Kinda funny, I thought.

Then it escalated.

While I was still proudly enjoying my “rebellious” photo moment, I suddenly realized that my British photo partner took the whole thing… a bit more seriously than I did. Much more seriously.

He had just completely stripped bare.

Completely.

I stood there still spruced up and spruced-up-ish, while next to me the uncensored version of “Courage for Freedom” was suddenly presented.

And the best part?

Of course there is an evidence photo.

To this day I’m not sure what shocked me more: his spontaneity or the fact that I only realized it after the photo.

Conclusion: OMC 25 taught me a lot of things – networking, spontaneity… and that you should maybe briefly look left and right before photo walls.

With slightly blushing regards 😂

At OMClub 2024 we were out with a few friends and eventually kept getting stuck at the Moshi booth. They were just really good and we got along super well directly with the two women from the booth. Over the course of the evening we were there several times, chatted and really filled our bellies.

Around midnight the two of them felt like going out to party themselves. So, under the “slight” influence of alcohol, we simply hijacked the Moshi booth and busily distributed Moshis to the other guests, but of course also to ourselves.

Shortly after that, the cotton candy booth was abandoned too and we took that one over as well. So for the next two hours we stood between Moshi and cotton candy, supplied people and met many new people. In between, someone went to get drinks every now and then, the rest kept the shop running.

When at some point all Moshis were distributed and the cotton candy story was over, we plunged back into the party action completely relaxed and just kept partying the evening away.

And yes, we have evidence photos.

Fatal Mix-Up #The Roast Chicken Guy

OMClub 2023 – 9:00 PM – just arrived and straight to the bar outside. There are already a lot of people there. I look around and think I recognize a familiar face about five meters away. The young man looks at me too and I can read from his face that he is also trying to place me. I remember our meeting at an OM event several months ago. I remember every face, but I’m not so good with names. This time too I’m sure: place, time, story! But I just can’t remember his name.

I gather my courage and just walk up to him. “Hi! Aren’t you the roast chicken guy?” I ask. “Hello! Who or what is a roast chicken guy?” he asks. (Digression: The roast chicken guy was pretty funny and sarcastic back then and now I’m sure it’s him. I think he’s pulling my leg again.)

“Ok let me ask differently: Do you have a roast chicken tattoo on your chest?” “What?!? – No!!! – Who would get a roast chicken tattooed on their chest?” “Well someone who likes roast chicken very much! At least that’s what you said last time.” “Really? Did I? Was I drunk? Maybe I just wanted to tease you!” “But I saw it!” “Are you kidding me right now???” “No way!” “Should I show you my chest now to prove that it wasn’t me?!” “Yes please!” “Seriously?! It’s 9:00 PM right now! Is this a pickup line??” “I don’t believe a word you say! Unbutton your shirt!!”

He laughs and actually does it and what do I see? No roast chicken tattoo! No tattoo at all…

“Am I crazy then? But I know you!” “Yes, I know you too!”

Desperate search for his name tag. No name tag. Now it just looks like I’m groping. Damn! I venture one last try: “What’s your name?” I ask. I should have started with that!

He says it and now everything becomes clear to me: A partner I’ve known for ages, met in 2012, cooperated for years, but haven’t seen live for a long time. Looks confusingly similar to the roast chicken guy in the dim evening light.

I tell him the story of the real roast chicken guy. He doesn’t believe me. He is now convinced that I just wanted to flirt. “Man, believe me! My flirting looks completely different!”

He is friends with the boss of the roast chicken guy. (I still knew the company!) He checks my story and writes to his friend: “Do you have an employee who has a roast chicken tattoo? Do I look like the roast chicken guy? Just met Olga from ViolAd here.”

Answer: 10 laughing flash smileys.

Conclusion: If the non-roast-chicken guy had been less charming or I had been less convinced that I am a super-recognizer, the conversation would have been over very quickly and two good old acquaintances would not have had one of the funniest encounters of the evening.

The “Seven-Man-Station-Wagon” Mission

The bass was still booming in our ears when we stumbled out of the club at four in the morning. The air outside was cool, the mood gigantic, and our ambition to all get home together was… well, sporty.

Our driver (the end boss of the discipline, bone dry and sober) unlocked the station wagon. Actually a spacious car, but just not a regular bus. “It’ll fit,” someone muttered, and then the big Tetris game for advanced players began.

The crew: Front: Driver and co-pilot (both deeply relaxed). Back seat: Three guys who already loved each other very much. Trunk: Two volunteers who settled in nicely between jackets and returnable bottles.

7 Men. One Station Wagon. One Goal.

We rolled off the parking lot, not a hundred meters far, the mood was at its peak, until the universe answered in the form of a flashing blue light. “Stop. Police.”

The Moment of Truth

Silence in the box.

The trunk held its breath. The window whirred down, and the officer shone his flashlight inside. His expression? A mixture of bewilderment and painstakingly suppressed laughter.

“Good evening… or morning. I don’t even know where to start. Papers and step out, please.”

One after another we peeled ourselves out of the car. It looked like a clown car in a circus that just wouldn’t empty. We stood there, slightly disheveled, in the bright flashlight, waiting for the thunderstorm, the points on our license and the hefty fine.

The Verdict

The policeman looked at our driver, checked the papers and noted: The man is actually clean. Then he looked into our tired but peaceful faces.

“Guys,” he said, shaking his head, “this is not a team bus. If I get my pen out now, this is going to be a very expensive sunrise for all of you.”

We held our breath. Then the miracle: “Mercy before justice.” He put his pad away. The condition: The car doesn’t move an inch as long as there are more than five people in it.

The End of the Song

Ten minutes later, three of us stood on the side of the road waiting for the taxi, while the rest of the squad (completely legally!) rolled away in the station wagon. We paid double, once for the taxi and once for our pride, but we were spared the penalty.

When my dear friend told me about OMclub, my first thought was: OWhat? OYes! It was clear, this party cannot and must not take place without us. The preparations started immediately: Bubbles were bought, the glitter was checked for shelf life, Tiny Hands were ordered and the fingernails of the same were painted. A quick check of the Elotrans inventory was also made in order to be able to taste as many of the advertised drinks as possible. So we are prepared, the question is, are you ready for us? 🎉

Favorite memory: September 2019 – the big poker tournament, the anticipation was huge! My colleagues and I had motivatedly signed up. However, the colleagues were eliminated after what felt like 15 minutes, moved straight on to the bars and got excessively drunk. At 1:00 AM I was suddenly sitting at the Final Table – my alcohol level was far too low because I took the tournament far too seriously. And in the end, I actually accidentally won the thing!

From 1:15 AM, of course, I had to catch up as quickly as possible: I drank what felt like seven Vodka Bulls in an hour to get to the level of the others. The ride home in the taxi was then absolutely grandiose: We had to stop four times on a 25-minute ride because a colleague would have blessed not only the side of the road, but almost the taxi with her stomach contents!

Helpfulness from the other drunk colleagues? Absolutely non-existent. So that evening I not only won the glorious poker tournament, but also the unofficial championship in holding hair and cleaning taxis. I was the absolute winner of the evening! And the best part: The next morning I was fit and standing on the trade fair again right on time at 9:00 AM!

I have so many great memories, but OMClub 2014 will always remain something very special for me. Back then, I more or less randomly won a free ticket at dmexco for this party that everyone was so incredibly keen on. I just thought to myself: “Take a quick look, but go to bed early, after all, there’s the trade fair again the next day.”

Well, the trade fair the next day probably fell flat for me! I pulled completely through and since that day OMClub has been an absolute mandatory program in my calendar.

Last year, due to a short-term cancellation of two colleagues, we still had two free tickets left. Our goal was to give these tickets away to real party animals at dmexco. At a booth party, I then discovered someone who ignited a flawless tornado with his beer! I went over immediately and we struck up a conversation.

It turned out that their evening plans were actually already set and they wanted to go to another aftershow party. However, after a few cold drinks together and showing them the OMClub aftermovie, their plans quickly vanished into thin air. Shortly before the trade fair closed, it was clear: We had found two brilliant companions! The two of them came to OMClub with us and we partied the whole night through. Nobody regretted it for a single second.

The most beautiful memories of this party are completely rewritten every year! Bungee jumping was certainly one of the absolute highlights – especially the moment when my foot suddenly slipped out of the clamping loop while dangling in the air! That was pure adrenaline. My absolute favorite OMClub took place in the Lanxess Arena: It was my first time, I met an incredible number of great people who I can still count among my close circle of friends today!

I have only been there once so far, in 2016, and that night was absolutely unforgettable – and extremely hot! I don’t just mean the atmosphere, but the real temperatures: It was over 35 degrees warm and exactly one day before departure the air conditioning in my car had completely failed. So I had to drive the entire 400 kilometers from Hamburg to Cologne in a sweltering hot tin can without ventilation. But every single drop of sweat paid off: The party was simply absolutely gigantic!

There is simply nothing better than showing up at this party after an exhausting day at the trade fair – every time it’s like a journey into a completely different world! I felt like I rode the carousel 1000 times, drank a few shots with colleagues in between, before we loudly sang along to Wonderwall by Oasis.

On every dance floor you met colleagues or clients – it felt like a huge class reunion. But my absolute highlight was my rescue on the stairs: As I was going down from the restroom, I awkwardly twisted my ankle and fell straight into the arms of an enchanting drag queen! An absolutely cinematic moment that we thoroughly amused ourselves over for the rest of the evening.

Before my first OMClub, I naively thought that I would just have a nice, quiet evening at the party, go to bed on time and take the ICE train back to university in Stuttgart relaxed the next morning. Nothing doing!

Not only was the party worlds more grandiose than I had ever dreamed, I also realized pretty quickly that one to two hours is simply far too little time for this event. Without further ado, I threw all my plans overboard and turned night into day. I just partied all the way through, tried all the first-class gin and tonic combinations at the gin bar and promptly missed my ICE the next morning. I only caught the subsequent train by a hair’s breadth by running directly from the dance floor to the train station. My already packed suitcase for the three days of university naturally stayed untouched at home! Instead, my party outfit accompanied me to university for the next few days and still reminds me of this fantastic night today.

My absolute craziest story: That must have been in September 2010 – and is fortunately absolutely statute-barred by now! It was my very first OMClub. We had absolutely no tickets and of course we weren’t on the guest list.

So we dared the coup: A discreet, inconspicuous glance at the printed paper guest list at the terrifying bouncers and quickly memorized a few strangers’ names. Then we stood in line and started to sweat. We prayed fervently that exactly these people were not standing directly in front of or behind us. After what felt like an eternity in line, it was finally our turn. With a trembling voice we named the strangers’ names. A serious, scrutinizing look from the bouncer followed… we trembled even more… and: WE WERE IN! An absolutely unforgettable evening into the early hours of the morning. As I said – fortunately statute-barred long ago!

Phew, so every year I drag along my favorite former agency colleague, who promises every time: “But this year I’m really going home at 2:00 AM…” And every time we have to be swept out of the location at the end!

The best part about it: I met one of my best friends today through other colleagues there and recently got to stand next to her and her groom at the altar as her maid of honor! Less crazy, but an absolute story for the heart. I am very curious to see if you will continue to organize the unbeatable best party of the year!

My first time: I drive somewhere to Mühlheim, stand motivated in line and want to get in. The bouncer looks at me: “You’re not getting in here!” Oh man, wrong party!

So I drove on to the Tanzbrunnen after painstakingly asking around where the actual party was. At the entrance, the bouncer again: “You’re not getting in here!” Only on the third attempt did it finally work out and I ended up at the right event.

The party was completely different than I would have ever expected: Fairground, carnival attractions and endless drinks! The next morning I sat completely wrecked on the train on my way to an important client. I don’t think that client is a client today, but for this legendary evening it was definitely worth it!

OMClub 2018, my first year on the job, and my colleagues said: “You absolutely have to come to the OMClub party – it’s incredible!” I arrived at Halle Tor 2 shortly before 9:00 PM and was completely overwhelmed at first. After a while, I found my colleagues and the first delicious gins were on the table.

Then the complete surprise: Bungee jumping! I just had to try it out. I stood in line from 10:30 PM to 1:30 AM, was supplied with first-class drinks the whole time, and met half the queue. I was a bit jittery as we went up, but it was pure hype! My boss even came up with me – someone had to film the evidence video – and that jump made the night unforgettable. Afterwards, we played Looping Louie and caught up on the missed hours on the dance floor with the whole department. I got home at 6:00 AM and firmly decided: That has to be repeated. I’ve been a loyal regular ever since! The colleagues were absolutely right – simply incredible!