| EVENT REPORT 05.11.09 1:33 PM |
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Warhol-Style Portraits, Serpentine Modern Lounge Highlight Jam-Packed Correspondents' Dinner Pre-Parties
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 | The Thomson Reuters cocktail party prior to the White House Correspondents' Association dinner
Photo: Tony Brown/Imijination Photography for BizBash |
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FROM WASHINGTON
Members of the White House press corps, Washington elite, and A-list celebrities literally rubbed shoulders in a steamy mass of humanity at the cocktail parties preceding the White House Correspondents' Association dinner Saturday night at the Hilton Washington. Hosted by media organizations and taking place from 6:00 to 7:45 p.m., the pre-parties went from mellow and civilized at the start to decidedly uncomfortable as guests surged into the concourse leading them to security checkpoints and the black-tie dinner. More than one guest muttered “Where’s the fire marshal?” as the likes of Kerry Washington, Al Sharpton, and Donatella Versace fought their way through the crowd.
Secret Service agents, on hand for the arrival of President Barack Obama, and Hilton staff members maintained order the best they could, given the 2,600 dinner guests and hundreds of extras who came solely for the cocktail receptions. Otherwise, there were few decor surprises at the individual parties and the usual smoked salmon and roast beef bites were on offer.
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RELATED TOPICS
White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, Barack Obama, Newsweek, The Washington Post, Thomson Reuters, Atlantic Media, National Journal Group, The Atlantic, ABC, Time Magazine, People Magazine, CNN, Fortune |
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| NEWS 12.09.08 3:06 PM |
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Media Outlets See Obstacles to Hosting Inauguration Events
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With six weeks to go before President-elect Barack Obama takes the oath of office, many media outlets are still tentative about hosting inaugural events. Faced with a flock of challenges—a poor economy, competition for venues, guests, and attention—some potential hosts who once considered throwing their brands into the mix have either opted out or are still unsure, though MTV, CNN, and the Huffington Post continue to move forward with party plans.
"There are two factors making corporations leery to do a big name-in-lights program, one being the economy," said Elizabeth Baker Keffer, vice president of The Atlantic and president of events division Atlantic Live. "Even if you have the money to host a big event, the optics of doing something lavish are not good. The second factor is the many congressional guidelines to hosting events in town. Non-Washington companies need to make sure they are compliant with the congressional guidelines."
During the past couple weeks, event and PR staffers at several publications reported ongoing discussions about whether or not to host something. Some are still mulling: "We're undecided," Vanity Fair public relations director Beth Kseniak said yesterday. Meanwhile, at Condé Nast sibling The New Yorker, special events director Melissa Meyer said the business side is currently discussing plans to entertain clients in some way. As of now, the editorial side of the magazine is not planning anything.
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RELATED TOPICS
Inauguration 2009, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Condé Nast, CNN, MTV, Huffington Post, Niche Media, The Atlantic, OK Magazine |
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| EVENT REPORT 10.23.08 5:16 PM |
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Growing Women's Conference Draws 14,000, Adds Night-Before Program
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 | Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, CNN anchor Campbell Brown, and PepsiCo chairman and C.E.O. Indra Nooyi on stage
Photo: Gold/Wong |
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How do you accommodate a record crowd of 14,000 women for a fast-growing, sold-out conference at the Long Beach Convention Center? For one thing, open access to the men's bathrooms. But organizers behind Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver's annual Women's Conference had plenty of bigger ideas than that for this year's event, which drew the biggest crowd in its history—with tickets selling out immediately after going on sale.
In addition to the full day of conference programming—which included a varied list of more than 70 speakers, including hosts Schwarzenegger and Shriver, plus Warren Buffett, Condoleezza Rice, Madeleine Albright, Jennifer Lopez, and Gloria Steinem—organizers added an evening-before event called Night at the Village. On Tuesday night, attendees could browse the vendors on the exhibit floor and stay for book signings, entertainment, food, and a conversation with Rachael Ray. (The show floor was also open throughout the day of the conference.) In addition, the conference extended the outreach for its extensive live Webcasting offerings, with the goal to reach 1 million additional viewers in the U.S. and internationally online.
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RELATED TOPICS
The Women's Conference, Maria Shriver, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Condoleezza Rice, PepsiCo, CNN, Target |
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