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Students Win at Annual Portfolio Review

May 13, 2015October 28, 2016Ad Club Of Buffalo

PR_text

The library of Villa Maria College hosted 30 area visual communications students who displayed their work at another successful Portfolio Review. The event sold out in advance to sophomores, juniors and seniors from 6 area collegiate institutions. Students were more prepared than ever with collections of work from Daemen, UB, Buffalo State, Canisius, R.I.T., and Villa Maria.

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Nearly 25 accomplished professionals from the advertising, communications, and design fields volunteered to offer insight to each student in timed intervals. It was a soirée of networking and encouragement with lunch provided at the midpoint. The pros then voted for the most effective portfolios.

The format was revised this year with positive feedback, and an increase in scholarships was awarded. Every student worked hard and presented themselves professionally, but the following students received the most accolades from the judges. SM_PortfolioReview_04182015_AdClubofBuffalo_0457

1st Place Laura Hoerner, RIT Junior
2nd Place Grace Gruarin, Villa Maria Junior
3rd Place Jay Fleckenstein, RIT Junior
Honorable Mention (tie) Carl Hunley, Villa Maria Sophomore
and Samantha Watson, RIT Junior

Congratulations to all the students who participated in the event. And, thank you to the many professionals who gave up their Saturday to offer valuable feedback. We look forward to seeing more terrific design work next year!

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AAF District Two ADDYs Winners

April 15, 2014October 28, 2016Ad Club Of Buffalo

You may have assumed the ADDYs concluded shortly after Buster Bison threw you a tee shirt during the show at the Tralf back on March 7.

Well the fact is, for those elitists who just insist on producing the highest quality creative, our local awards show was just the first stop.

District level judging was held in New York City late last month and Buffalo represented!

Three Golds and four Silvers were earned between Crowley Webb, Gelia, Print Collection and The Martin Group. In addition to the professional entry winners, St. Bonaventure University and Villa Maria College each had a student win Silver.

Here’s a look at the winning work:

Crowley Webb, ADDY Mixed Media, Gold (Advertising Industry – Integrated Campaign)

Crowley Webb, Beacon Website, Silver (Digital Advertising – B2B Website)

Gelia, Music Teachers Advocacy Poster, Gold (Collateral Material – Poster, Single)

Print Collection, See America Travel Poster Series, Gold (Collateral Material – Poster, Campaign)

The Martin Group, Lawley Marketplace Sales Kit, Silver (Sales Promotion – Sales Kit)

The Martin Group, 6×6 Lacrosse Packaging, Silver (Sales Promotion – Packaging)

The Martin Group, 6×6 Lacrosse T-Shirts, Silver (Direct Marketing – Apparel)

St. Bonaventure University, Step Up for Kids, Silver (Elements of Advertising – Copywriting)

Villa Maria College, The Bread Box, Silver (Sales Promotion – Packaging)

Results for all of the Clubs in District Two can be found here.

Next stop: Nationals in May. Winners of Gold at the District level advance automatically, Silvers have the option to pay to move on.

Congrats and Good Luck!

Events Students

Portfolio Day is Upon Us

April 7, 2014October 28, 2016Brittney Sikora

Portfolio Day is quickly approaching, happening Saturday April 12th at Villa Maria College from 9am -3pm. I know the thought of getting a portfolio together in this short amount of time may be a bit overwhelming, you may even be debating whether or not to attend the event. This time last year I was going through the same thought process. Even though I was nervous, I ended up going, and had such a positive experience. So hopefully by the end of reading this I can convince you on attending, and give you some insight on how to successfully survive Portfolio Day.

The thought of talking with pros and showing them your work may make you extremely nervous, but there’s no need to be! The pros were once in your shoes too so they get it. In the end, the nerves, sweaty palms, and stumbling of words will pay off, I promise. You’re going to get a ton of constructive feedback, which is going to help you and your portfolio in the long run. So just relax and have a little confidence in yourself!

Also, attending means you have a chance at winning a $500 scholarship. Can it be any more obvious on why you should go…it’s free money!

Buffalo is a pretty tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone, events like this are great for getting your name out there. At the moment, the thought of networking may not sound that important to you, but it may just be the most important thing you can be doing right now. You’re probably even thinking “Oh I have plenty of time for that”. But the sooner you start connecting with people in the industry the better. College goes by fast and at the end of it your going to want a job in the industry. The search for that job should begin now, not at graduation. So show up, work hard and stand out!

Just by coming to the event and showing your work you have a better likelihood of being offered an internship or maybe even a job. And if it doesn’t happen at this particular event, don’t be discouraged because people will still remember you. Bring business cards or maybe even a leave behind for the pros to take away with them and have a little reminder of you.

Come prepared to talk about your work and have questions ready. It’s just as much of an interview for you as it is for the pros. Asking questions shows your interested and may even help break the ice a bit.

The event is completely worth it I cannot stress that enough! By the end of the day you’ll walk away feeling great about yourself and portfolio.

Hope to see you all there!