| EVENT REPORT 05.12.09 8:00 AM |
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More Correspondents' Weekend Coverage: Bloomberg and Vanity Fair's Exclusive Party, Atlantic Media's Dinner, McLaughlin's Brunch, and More
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As in years past, parties of every kind and color—from movie screenings to exhibit openings to hangover brunches—surrounded this year's White House Correspondents' Association dinner. Here’s a wrap-up of the weekend's attractions:
Bloomberg and Vanity Fair's After-Party
Capitol File may have hosted the weekend's biggest party, but the most exclusive honors went to Bloomberg LP and Vanity Fair, who hosted an impossible-to-get-into shindig for 250 on Saturday night. Taking over French ambassador Pierre Vimont's turn-of-the-century home in Kalorama, the party drew big names from politics and Hollywood, among them Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Glenn Close, Eva Longoria, David Axelrod, Desiree Rogers, and the ubiquitous Captains Chesley Sullenberger and Richard Phillips. The party took over the mansion's interior rooms with bars and buffets, and spilled out into the backyard, where the many trees were uplit in blue, pink, and green.
David Bradley's Private Dinner
On Friday night, Atlantic Media owner David Bradley and his wife, Katherine Brittain Bradley, hosted an indoor cocktail reception followed by an outdoor seated dinner at their Embassy Row home. Sponsored by Toyota and Robert Mondavi Winery, the annual event was twice as large as last year, thus requiring for the first time a 40- by 40-foot HDO Productions tent, which Frost Lighting technicians draped with white rope lights.
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White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, Capitol File, Bloomberg, Vanity Fair, Atlantic Media, Toyota, Robert Mondavi Winery, Barack Obama, Haddad Media, White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, Creative Coalition, DC Magazine, The McLaughlin Group, Time Inc., People Magazine, Time magazine |
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| 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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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 05.06.09 12:52 PM |
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In the News: Time 100 Draws First Lady, Nonprofits Struggle to Find Honorees
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Time 100 Draws First Lady: Time magazine held its annual party for its "100 Most Influential People" issue last night. The event included honorees in attendance, including Oprah Winfrey, Barbara Walters, Stella McCartney, and Michelle Obama. The first lady wasn't joined by her husband, a fellow honoree, but she did take the stage for a brief speech about public service. She also skipped posing for photos on the party's A-list red carpet. [AP]
Honorees Opt Out of Benefits: Nonprofit institutions depend quite a bit on honorees to bring in the big money. Hefty donations, expensive tables, and a group of generous friends and associates are expected from the people benefits choose to celebrate. But these days, not everyone is willing make that kind of commitment, and would-be honorees are turning benefits down. Facing that scenario, Carnegie Hall axed its Medal of Excellence this year. And many posit that moving forward, nonprofits will have a more difficult time choosing people to honor. [NYT]
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Time Magazine, Michelle Obama, Glamour, Swine Flu, U.S. Travel Association |
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| NEWS 05.05.09 1:47 PM |
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Hosts Gear Up for White House Correspondents Weekend Parties
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With the approval rating high for the new administration, it appears that a tsunami of V.I.P.s will be in town for this weekend’s line up of brunches, cocktail receptions, dinners, and after-parties surrounding Saturday night’s White House Correspondents Association dinner at the Hilton Washington. (The only big name not mentioned, thus far, appears to be British reality TV sensation Susan Boyle.)
The once-sleepy insider’s dinner and joke fest, traditionally attended by the President of the United States, has never been the same since that day in 1987 when Baltimore Sun reporter Michael Kelly escorted the Iran-Contra scandal’s Fawn Hall. One hot guest still in the paddock is Sir Elton John, reportedly in town this weekend attending the Land Rover America’s Polo Cup, according to the Washington Times.
Few details have emerged ahead of Friday night’s Time Inc. joint party for Time and People at the Astor Terrace of the St. Regis or the joint fete Bloomberg News and Vanity Fair are teaming up to host Saturday night for 300 guests at the residence of French Ambassador Pierre Vimont. Other media organizations, however, are sharing details.
RELATED TOPICS
White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, America's Polo Cup, Barack Obama, The McLaughlin Group, Time Magazine, People Magazine, The Atlantic, ABC, Creative Coalition, Haddad Media, Capitol File, DC Magazine, National Journal Group |
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| NEWS 04.17.09 1:53 PM |
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People and Time Team Up for White House Correspondents Weekend Party
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Cohosting, it appears, is the order of the day for media companies throwing parties before and after this year’s White House Correspondents' Association dinner Saturday, May 9, at the Hilton Washington.
Time Inc. publications Time and People will jointly host a cocktail reception Friday evening at Astor Terrace at the St. Regis. Expected to attend are some of the entertainers who will be at the People table the following night: Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, along with Miranda Cosgrove, Kevin Bacon, Forest Whitaker, Jon Hamm, Eva Longoria Parker, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, and Brooke Shields and her husband, Chris Henchy. Time has not released its dinner guest list.
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White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, Time Inc., Time Magazine, Bloomberg, Vanity Fair, Haddad Media, National Journal Group, People Magazine, The Atlantic, ABC, Capitol File |
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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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| NEWS 10.24.07 12:58 PM |
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Teambuilding, Corny? Not to Cathay Pacific
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This week's Time magazine takes a look at the aggressive teambuilding efforts of Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific. (Why? Cathay's profit is up 55 percent so far this year, largely due to a reputation for excellent service on long-haul international flights, the newsmagazine says, and executives say they've been focusing on improving staff productivity.)
From Time's story: "Cathay has tried to turn its global training headquarters near Hong Kong International Airport into a temple of team spirit. Employees can wander into classes for yoga and belly-dancing and get a drink at Dhakota's, the company bar. 'It's like a big playground,' says Steve Lawrence, one of Cathay's training and development managers. The rooftop patio hosts just about every hokey team-building exercise ever invented. Trainees regularly participate in 100-person lap sits, in which each person sits on the next one's knees, forming a circle while trying mightily to stay balanced. There are blindfolded 'trust walks' and, until recently, group-dancing first thing in the morning. Sadly, Morning Boogie was phased out after the speaker system got blown away in a typhoon."
RELATED TOPICS
Cathay Pacific, Time Magazine, Teambuilding |
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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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