FAQ
Portfolio Night might seem overwhelming, so we've got your questions covered!
Getting Your Ticket
Portfolio Night is ideal for people who have a keen desire to work creatively inside an advertising, digital agency or in-house creative department on a daily basis.
Traditionally this refers to copywriters and art directors, but over the years this has grown to include interactive art directors, creative technologists and graphic designers with a very strong focus on advertising.
While the world of creativity is vast, and there is some overlap into the advertising community, if you fall beyond the areas of expertise mentioned above, Portfolio Night might not be right for you. This includes people such as photographers, industrial or fashion designers, architects, fine artists and filmmakers.
Portfolio Night is also not for account planners or strategists. While your skill sets are invaluable to an agency, this evening is squarely focused on creative fields.
There’s no hard and fast rule for the level of experience a Portfolio Night attendee should have, but here’s a rough guide: if you’re still in school and have a long way to go before you're ready to graduate and work a full time job, you might be better of waiting until next year’s Portfolio Night.
Conversely, if you have so much experience that you wouldn’t be considered a “junior” at an agency, Portfolio Night won’t have what you’re looking for.
The price of Portfolio Night tickets vary from city to city.
Please visit your city’s page for more info. Keep in mind that all prices are listed in US Dollars, regardless of what country you are in.
Tickets for most events are ticketed through EventBrite and the Portfolio Night Website.
For select cities where the event is free, you should reach out to the City Host (i.e. Manila or Buenos Aires). These emails can be found through their City Page.
Your ticket grants you access to the event, which includes sit-down meetings with at least three creative directors*.
For in-person events in some cities there could be food and drink, entertainment, or even more networking!
*For Guatemala City, please check your ticket type. There is a non-review type for people looking to network.
You must both purchase tickets for Portfolio Night, even if you are attending as a team.
Definitely! However, the purchaser must be able to fill out the appropriate information for the attendee. For instance, if your Dad is buying your ticket, make sure they know you are a "Copywriter" and not "Some Ad-Making Kid?".
Unfortunately, a card is required for online purchasing.
If you have additional questions, please reach out to your City Host or The One Club for Creativity (portfolionight@oneclub.org). Some cities may have door tickets available.
If tickets are sold out in your city, you may add your name and contact info to a waitlist. If and when a ticket becomes available, you will be contacted with a special registration link.
You can either transfer your ticket to another person (by modifying your registration) or request a cancellation by emailing portfolionight@oneclub.org
No. Creative directors involved in Portfolio Night need not purchase tickets, but they must have been expressly invited to attend by the City Host for their city.
What To Do at the Review
Of course not! When Portfolio Night began in 2003, it was standard to present your work in a beautifully bound physical portfolio.
Fast-forward to now and you are far more likely to see work showcased on a tablet or laptop, especially when showing video or digital projects.
If you are presenting on a tablet or laptop, please keep the following in mind:
- First and foremost, do not rely on WiFi!
- This tip cannot be stressed enough. Your city’s venue may not have wi-fi available for your use, or it might not be strong enough to handle everyone attending Portfolio Night. The last thing you want is to get to Portfolio Night and then have nothing to show because the wi-fi connection wasn’t working or was too slow. Please have your work saved directly on your tablet/laptop.
- Be sure your tablet/laptop is ready to go as soon as you sit down with your creative directors. Waiting until you sit down to load files etc. wastes time.
- Finally, have all of your devices fully charged before arriving. Don’t expect your city’s venue to have power outlets you can use.
It is always good to have a pen and pad on hand to jot down notes, as well as business cards, résumés and CVs to give to the people you meet.
You should also bring valid photo ID, as some agencies will require it to get through building security or to drink alcohol.
Beyond that, be sure to bring questions to ask the creative directors you meet. Portfolio Night need not be a one-sided conversation where you quietly listen to what a creative director has to say. Don’t be afraid to ask for specific advice to help you improve!
Your book should only include your absolute best work, work that best represents your capabilities and thinking. Print ads, out of home, interactive, guerrilla, whatever.
But remember: quality over quantity. Weaker pieces bring the whole portfolio down. It’s better to have a book with only four or five awesome pieces than it is to have a book with five awesome pieces and seven or eight mediocre ones.
Some creative directors welcome this, while others are against this. Unfortunately you won’t know which camp the creative directors you meet will fall under until it is too late.
Our advice? Lead with your advertising work and only show the rest if the creative director expresses interest in seeing it.
Most importantly you should be getting constructive feedback.
This is your time with them, so don’t be afraid to ask for it! It is also a great idea to exchange contact information in order to keep in touch in the weeks and months ahead.
Not sure how to decode what the reviewers are saying? Check out our Simple Guide on Interpreting Portfolio Reviews.
Pretty much all cities will have food and drink available, but what this entails has varied from city to city.
Some locations have hors d’oeuvres, some bring in a few dozen pizzas, and others have provided complete meals. Our advice? Be on the safe side and don’t arrive on an empty stomach.
Drinks also vary from city to city, from water and soda to beer and wine to a full open bar. Please remember to bring valid photo ID if you wish to drink alcoholic beverages
If you do choose to drink, please do so responsibly. Too much alcohol will not serve you well during your reviews and meetings.
No, but keep in mind that your portfolio is but one element in presenting yourself to creative directors.
Be yourself, but be the best version of yourself, whether you’re a jeans and T-shirt sort of person or the next Don Draper in a tailored suit.
Unfortunately, no. Upon arrival, you’ll be given a schedule telling you which review stations you’ll be slated to meet at. The creative directors are randomly assigned to these stations.
This is fairest way to handle evening, and prevents scuffles breaking out over who gets to see that one legendary CD in the room (yes, this has happened before).
Each CD at Portfolio Night will have their own perspective and while you might not meet your 'legend', you might meet the CD who helps you become a legend.
Portfolio Night follows a fast-paced format, and as such, you will have approximately fifteen minutes for each of your scheduled reviews.
We suggest practicing to get your portfolio presentation down to 8–10 minutes. If you find that you are unable to present your entire portfolio in 15 minutes, it is possible that you may have included too many projects.
Some creative directors browse through portfolios at lightning speed. If this is the case during one of your reviews, remember: you are also there to ask questions, so don’t be afraid to engage in conversation.
Ask them which is your best piece and why. Ask them what your book is missing or what you are doing wrong and how you can improve.
Thank the Creative Director for their time, exchange contact information, and move on to your next review.
If your review had been going well before the time ran out, you now have a good reason to approach that creative director at the end of the evening to continue the conversation, or follow up with them at a later date!
Welcome to the subjective world of creativity!
You may be tempted to dismiss the critical creative director’s opinions in favor of the ones from the person who loved your work, but perhaps you need a few more opinions.
Yes. Seriously, yes!
Especially if they gave you constructive feedback.
But don’t forget to take all the constructive criticism you received at Portfolio Night and make your book even better before trying to reconnect with them. Show them that you’re not only passionate about the business, but that you’re also willing to improve.
Oh, and don’t forget to thank them for their time. Even in 2024, a handwritten thank-you note goes a long way!
Sure, you might feel dejected if a Creative Director didn’t like your portfolio, but if they gave constructive suggestions on how to improve, and if they gave you their contact info, don’t be afraid to get in touch with them once you’ve improved.
