| 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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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 03.04.09 11:00 AM |
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Larry King Cardiac Foundation Cancels Annual Gala, Goes Virtual
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With a nod to the recession, the Larry King Cardiac Foundation canceled its annual gala, which had been scheduled for March 28 at the Ritz Carlton Washington. Last year's event, produced by Linda Roth, raised more than $1.2 million for the CNN host’s foundation.
Foundation president Larry King Jr. told us yesterday that considering the state of the economy, “It just didn’t feel like the right year. Instead, we decided, 'Let’s do something different, involve more people.' So we launched a virtual fund-raiser this week.”
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Larry King Cardiac Foundation, CNN, eBay |
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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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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 04.28.08 5:35 PM |
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Modern Lounges Accent Correspondents Dinner Preparties
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 | Thomson Reuters's stark white setting and pink lighting
Photo: Lara Shipley for BizBash |
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The cocktail parties before the White House Correspondents Association dinner, held at various sites throughtout the Washington Hilton terrace and lobby, kicked off a long night of shoulder-rubbing and celebrity sightings (with hundreds of tourists and locals waiting outside to get a glimpse) on Saturday evening. News outlets competed to get the best crowd into their rooms, relying on sparse decor, heavy branding, and the tabloid-friendly roster of celebrities they were able to lure—everyone from the Jonas Brothers and Perez Hilton to The Hills' feuding starlets Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag made the rounds.
Thomson Reuters suffered from crowd-flow issues due to a bottleneck (and the large check-in table) at the adjacent Newsweek fete. That said, the company did put some thought into this year's decor scheme. “After having done this event for a couple of years, we knew we wanted a fresh, clean lounge,” said Thomson Reuters marketing communications executive Iris Puerto, who worked with New York-based Watson Productions to create an all-white space, from the short shag carpeting to the low leather seating. Flat-screen monitors showed off the company’s brand-new orange and white logo, while pink lighting gave off a girlish hue.
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White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, Newsweek, Thomson Reuters, People Magazine, CNN, Time magazine, Fortune, Time Inc., Atlantic Media |
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| GUEST QUESTIONS 05.22.07 8:27 PM |
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Correspondents Dinner Pre-Partiers Prefer Newsweek, CNN
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The old real estate adage—“location, location, location”—also seemed to apply to the pre-parties for the White House Correspondents Association dinner held at the Hilton Washington in Dupont Circle on Saturday, April 21. An open-door policy allowed guests to choose their party, and the fetes that were closest to the dining room won out. We asked revelers about their impressions and expectations for the evening:
“The Newsweek party is the first party we’ve been to, and it’s definitely very lively and lots of energy, lots of excitement.”
—Nancy Jacobson, Democratic consultant for Hillary Clinton
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White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, CNN, Newsweek |
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| EVENT REPORT 05.22.07 8:27 PM |
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Correspondents Dinner Pre-Parties Get Spartan Decor
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 | Reuters called its pre-party a "house party."
Photo: Jason Reed/Reuters |
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The cocktail parties preceding the White House Correspondents Association dinner at the Hilton Washington had the feel of the first 30 minutes or so of a high school prom. Guests were craning their necks to see which celebs hit the 15-plus party suites, adjusting to seeing one another in daylight (much of the festivities were held in the hotel’s poolside courtyard) and in black-tie duds instead of the usual drab suits under fluorescent lights.
Although Reuters had fun with its decor—a silver circular bar and white carpeting created a mod atmosphere—Newsweek’s bigger room and better location enticed a honcho-heavy crowd. Outside, Atlantic Media held the best real estate—two tents in the center of the courtyard—and the best spot for scoping out the crowd. The company’s senior events manager, Stacey Pavesi Debre, kept it simple. “When it’s nice outside, this is where you want to be,” she said. “It’s just so beautiful, and you pick up the ambiance and the air.”
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White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, Newsweek, Atlantic Media, Reuters, Time Magazine, People Magazine, CNN, Fortune, USA Today, Gannett |
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