Ellen DeGeneres, George Lopez, Maury Povich, Montel Williams, Regis Philbin, Tony Danza, and Tyra Banks were among the 600 guests at the party—where TV syndicators tried to sell advertisers, agencies, and media buyers on their programs—and roving photographers snapped Polaroids of the noncelebrities with the celebrities for the plebes to take home as souvenirs.

Tomik covered much of the Empire State ballroom's carpet with white, and lighting designer Eric Tetuan shone a cast of blue throughout the space—camouflaging the room's brocade walls, chandeliers, and mirrors. Blue up-lighting from the bases of white birch trees drew attention to the springlike white lilies and tulips clustered there. Similar arrangements dotted the tabletops, where guests dined on international foods from the extensive buffets and carving stations around the perimeter; behind one buffet, an ice sculpture emphasized the wintry feel.

As the evening went on—and guests had sipped their share from the martini bars—the dance floor filled up to the DJ’s top 40 tunes. A videographer captured highlights of the crowd, and projected them on large screens on one wall; some shied away as soon as they saw the camera, some played to it—and others never saw it at all, getting down to the likes of 50 Cent and Beyoncé, in suits and nametags and all.


—Alesandra Dubin