We could not imagine a better way to announce our entry into the Oakland market than hosting a late-summer networking party on the rooftop deck of The Overlook Lounge. Marketers had a blast making new connections and watching the sun set slowly over Lake Merritt on the second to last day of summer. The Tiki Gods must have been smiling upon us that evening, providing the perfect weather for AMA SF’s first ever event in the East Bay. And, magic was (quite literally) in the air thanks to Heather Rogers, who had everyone riveted by her illusions.

Attendees were the perfect mix of marketers at different stages in their careers—from recent grads and recent transplants to the Bay Area, to seasoned marketing professionals. With the help of a margarita (or a Mai Tai), all professional hierarchies faded into the sunset and new connections were made—all beneath the watchful eye of the AMA SF’s unofficial mascot, flat Rick Astley.

We would be remiss not to highlight our special thanks to our extremely generous sponsors, Montperi Catering & Events for the incredible food and cocktails and Kathryn MacDonald for documenting this momentous event in photographs.

For those that may not have heard, the AMA SF is in a period of rapid expansion. It had long been our intent to extend our chapter’s footprint into the East Bay. Then in July, we merged operations with the Silicon Valley chapter. With this merger, we have broadened our network of connected marketers and access to quality programming throughout the Bay Area—making us one of the largest professional marketing associations in the region.

But with our ambitious plans for expansion, we need to increase the chapter’s bandwidth. To provide more, bigger, and better events in San Francisco, the East Bay and Silicon Valley, we need help—help from volunteers, help from sponsors, and the help of additional board members. If you would like to get involved with the AMA SF, let us know! And, make sure to subscribe to our email list so you never miss an event.

We hope to see everyone at our next event, a C-level panel discussion on The Evolution of Marketing and the Revolution of Disruptive Marketing.