It’s hard to imagine New York Festivals without Michael Demetriades at the helm of the AME Awards. His ability to network across all continents around the globe is second to none. With a background in advertising that goes back to the days of Madison Avenue’s golden years, Michael has witnessed the evolution of the industry and has an archive of the some of the most memorable campaigns from the early days of TV advertising to prove it. Truly he’s an encyclopedic resource of the wonderful world of advertising and the competitions that honor that world.

Michael’s spent almost 20 years with New York Festivals as Executive Director, before that he shared his creative expertise and insights with the Clio Awards in a similar capacity. Advertising Awards are his area of expertise, his sweet spot.

His leadership guidance and friendship will be missed by all who’ve had the pleasure of working with him,  from employees to clients, to vendors. Michael’s connections within the industry, his creative ideas to consistently improve all facets of his competition, his dedication to recruiting world-class juries and his passion for showcasing the world’s most creative work are enviable skills we will all miss.

Now there is finally someone competent and deserving enough for Michael to pass his leadership reins to…Gayle Mandel.

Gayle’s dedication to detail coupled with her top-notch communication skills already utilized at NYF as Director of Media Relations, in addition to her ability to identify opportunities for growth and her ability to surpass expectations will provide NYF’s Advertising & Marketing Effectiveness (AME) Awards with a strong leader to fill Michael’s shoes.

We wish Michael the best of everything, words cannot express our gratitude for all he has contributed… we’ve learned from him and leaned on him all these years and we wish him nothing but the best during this transition.