| TOP 100 EVENTS 06.22.09 11:44 AM |
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Washington's Top Political & Press Events 2009
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 | Rush Limbaugh
Photo: Courtesy of CPAC 2009 and Panoramic Visions |
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1. State of the Union Address
The president’s big annual speech is the only time the entire federal government gathers in one place. Although a new president’s first-year address to Congress bears all the trappings of this gathering, it’s technically not considered one, so President Obama’s first official State of the Union takes place January 2010.
2. White House Correspondent’s Association Dinner
Comedian Wanda Sykes hosted this May 9 event, traditionally attended by the president along with some 2,000 politicians, journalists, and celebrities. Dinner at the Washington Hilton is preceded by a maze of pre-parties hosted by media outlets. For the first time, Bloomberg and Vanity Fair co-hosted an after-party this year.
3. Gridiron Club Black-Tie Dinner
President Obama bucked tradition in March, skipping this 125-year-old event in favor of a family vacation. The 600-plus guests at the Marriott Renaissance Hotel consoled themselves with barbs from Vice President Joe Biden and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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RELATED TOPICS
Washington's Top 100 Events, State of the Union, Barack Obama, White House Correspondents' Association, Wanda Sykes, Bloomberg, Vanity Fair, Gridiron Club, Joe Biden, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Radio and Television Correspondents' Association, Presidential Medal of Freedom Ceremony, George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Washington Press Club Foundation, Mitt Romney, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, National Governors' Association, U.S. Confernece of Mayors, Bill Clinton, Rahm Emanuel, National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation, America's Future Now!, Human Rights Campaign, Hillary Clinton |
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| EVENT REPORT 12.18.08 4:12 PM |
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Despite Ongoing Construction, Four Seasons Draws a Capacity Crowd to a Holiday Fund-Raiser
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 | The decorated trees at the Georgetown Jingle fund-raiser
Photo: BizBash |
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The third annual Georgetown Jingle welcomed a jolly crowd of more than 500 adults and kids on Sunday at the Four Seasons in Georgetown. Sponsored by the hotel, JDS Design Inc. and the Washington Design Center, the four-hour event offered a 200-item silent auction, live entertainment, food tastings from area restaurants, a craft workshop for children, and the display of 14 opulently decorated Christmas trees, which were the hot ticket items at the silent auction. The “Celebrity Tree,” chock full of signatures from the likes of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Eli Manning, sold for $5,000.
Created by local design teams, the trees were among the event’s big draws. Yet displaying them proved to be this year’s biggest obstacle. The Four Seasons is undergoing a lobby renovation. “Because the trees typically adorn the lobby area, we had to improvise and create a winter wonderland for [them],” said event host Julia Chappell. “HDO Productions hoisted a set of tents to cover the entire courtyard.” Among the trees, a three-piece band played bluesy holiday music and tuxedoed staff doled out flutes of champagne.
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RELATED TOPICS
CVS, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Washington Design Center, JDS Design Inc. |
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| VENUE NEWS 09.02.08 11:08 AM |
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Bombay Club to Open Private Room in December
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 | The Bombay Club's 155-seat dining room
Photo: Michael J Colella |
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The Bombay Club, right off Lafayette Park, is familiar ground for Washington's A-list, including longtime patrons Bill and Hillary Clinton. In December, the high-end Indian eatery will unveil its new 24-seat private room, which will open in time for the restaurant's 20th anniversary. The renovation, by the London firm ARA Design Consultants, will match the Bombay Club's raj-inspired 155-seat dining room. The restaurant also offers a 30-seat patio and a lounge with room for 25. —Danielle O'Steen
RELATED TOPICS
Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton |
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| EVENT REPORT 07.15.08 7:01 PM |
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Latin American League Ends Conference With Buckets of Beer, Hillary Speech
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 | The League of Latin American Citizens presidential banquet at the Washington Hilton's International Ballroom
Photo: BizBash |
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The League of Latin American Citizens capped off its 79th annual conference on Friday night with a 1,250-person banquet at the Washington Hilton’s enormous International Ballroom. After a week-long schedule of events, which included talks from both presumptive presidential candidates, the dinner drew a crowd with Senator Hillary Clinton as the featured speaker.
For the politically charged evening, at which Clinton spoke to an energized room about her continuing support for the Latino community, planner Jorge Fuentes Davila of the San Juan, Puerto Rico-based firm the Event Factory went for a decidedly American look. “We followed the red, white, and blue theme we’ve been doing the whole week,” he said.
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League of Latin American Citizens, Hillary Clinton, Miller Beer, Miller Lite, Wal-Mart, Sprint, Comcast, American Airlines |
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| NEWS 06.27.08 11:44 AM |
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Big Conventions and Meetings Heading to the District This Summer
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This week Destination D.C. announced the lineup of conventions hitting Washington this summer. “The summer months are often a slower period for meetings and conventions in D.C., but this year we’ve helped to level out the calendar by securing some high-profile July and August gatherings,” said the organization's president and C.E.O., Bill Hanbury, in a press release.
Starting next week, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center is home to the National Education Association's annual conference and expo for 17,000 from July 2 to 6. The convention center is also on tap to host the 100th anniversary conference of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority with more than 20,000 members from July 11 to 18, as well as the A.A.R.P. convention from September 4 to 6, which will mark 50 years for the Washington-based organization with 25,000 attendees, presentations from Gene Simmons, Cal Ripken, and Magic Johnson, and musical performances by Chaka Khan and Natalie Cole.
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RELATED TOPICS
National Education Association, Alpha Kappa Alpha, American Association for Clinical Chemistry, American Association of Diabetes Educators, G.E. Healthcare, United Latin American Citizens, National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, Barack Obama, John McCain, Hillary Clinton |
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| NEWS 06.11.08 9:25 AM |
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Clinton Marks Concession With Building Museum Event and Private Parties
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This weekend marked the end of Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, with her Saturday concession speech in Washington. Held at the gala-favorite National Building Museum, instead of the usual convention center and university campaign venues, the event filled out the large space with thousands of supporters, who had been waiting in long lines to get in despite the 90-degree weather, according to The New York Times. A portion of the people participating in the Susan G. Komen National Race for the Cure (which we told you about here) also stopped in to see Clinton, who spoke for about 30 minutes on a solitary podium with American flags in the background.
In anticipation of her concession, the senator held a private party at her Washington home on Friday, catered by Occasions, for some 400 staffers. And after her speech, as reported by Yeas & Nays, Clinton, along with 250 friends, family, and supporters (including actors Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen), headed over to the 701 Restaurant for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. There, she thanked the crowd and posed for pictures for two hours before heading out. —Danielle O'Steen
RELATED TOPICS
Hillary Clinton, Election '08 |
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