NBC didn’t have to do much to draw guests to its 60th anniversary celebration of Meet the Press on Thursday. After all, the event was held in one of the latest architectural additions to D.C.—the Newseum, at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue. Washington heavyweights got the chance to sneak a peek at the museum, which is scheduled to open to the public in early 2008.
“The building itself was so much a part of the wow factor of this event, [as were] the people who came,” said Hayes & Associates president Leslie Hayes, who planned the event with Meet the Press executive producer Betsy Fischer. “In this case, Meet the Press is the attraction, Newseum is the attraction, and not the decor.”The no-frills affair attracted some 600 partygoers, including John Kerry, Tiki Barber, and Bob Dole. They walked down the red carpet into the museum’s 90-foot-high atrium, complete with a hanging news helicopter and an enormous screen, which scrolled clips from the Meet the Press history book. A jazz trio, provided by Wright Music, set the tone of the event, as did the catered offerings of chef Wolfgang Puck, who recently opened the Source restaurant in the Newseum complex.
Hors d’oeuvres making the rounds ranged from gourmet pizza served from a wooden plank to mini corn bisques topped with crab cakes. Blue-lit bars accented the party, as did an ice display with shrimp and oysters and tables filled with Puck’s signature Asian-style tidbits (think spring rolls and dumplings). A dessert area, complete with gumdrops and homemade Ding Dongs, was also set up near the entrance, with simple floral arrangements by Amaryllis.
The Newseum handled the technical aspects of the night, including the purple laserlike lighting that covered the crowd on the first floor. The second level featured an installation of interactive newsroom-inspired displays, where guests could try their hand at being a newscaster, with blue screens and teleprompters arranged along the wall. Most of the crowd, however, simply took in the event from the catwalk mezzanine, adjacent to a private dining area and a huge balcony that overlooks Pennsylvania Avenue and the National Gallery of Art.
Longtime Meet the Press host Tim Russert eventually said a few words to the crowd, along with NBC C.E.O. Jeff Zucker and NBC News president Steve Capus. Russert was beaming with pride, both for his show (“The longest-running program in the history of the world”) and the museum, as he is one of the trustees. Newseum vice president Pamela Galloway-Tabb shared that excitement. “It was important to us to have this event,” she said. “And having all these big names here to see this facility will help them to understand what we’ll bring to the public.”
“The building itself was so much a part of the wow factor of this event, [as were] the people who came,” said Hayes & Associates president Leslie Hayes, who planned the event with Meet the Press executive producer Betsy Fischer. “In this case, Meet the Press is the attraction, Newseum is the attraction, and not the decor.”The no-frills affair attracted some 600 partygoers, including John Kerry, Tiki Barber, and Bob Dole. They walked down the red carpet into the museum’s 90-foot-high atrium, complete with a hanging news helicopter and an enormous screen, which scrolled clips from the Meet the Press history book. A jazz trio, provided by Wright Music, set the tone of the event, as did the catered offerings of chef Wolfgang Puck, who recently opened the Source restaurant in the Newseum complex.
Hors d’oeuvres making the rounds ranged from gourmet pizza served from a wooden plank to mini corn bisques topped with crab cakes. Blue-lit bars accented the party, as did an ice display with shrimp and oysters and tables filled with Puck’s signature Asian-style tidbits (think spring rolls and dumplings). A dessert area, complete with gumdrops and homemade Ding Dongs, was also set up near the entrance, with simple floral arrangements by Amaryllis.
The Newseum handled the technical aspects of the night, including the purple laserlike lighting that covered the crowd on the first floor. The second level featured an installation of interactive newsroom-inspired displays, where guests could try their hand at being a newscaster, with blue screens and teleprompters arranged along the wall. Most of the crowd, however, simply took in the event from the catwalk mezzanine, adjacent to a private dining area and a huge balcony that overlooks Pennsylvania Avenue and the National Gallery of Art.
Longtime Meet the Press host Tim Russert eventually said a few words to the crowd, along with NBC C.E.O. Jeff Zucker and NBC News president Steve Capus. Russert was beaming with pride, both for his show (“The longest-running program in the history of the world”) and the museum, as he is one of the trustees. Newseum vice president Pamela Galloway-Tabb shared that excitement. “It was important to us to have this event,” she said. “And having all these big names here to see this facility will help them to understand what we’ll bring to the public.”
A giant screen in the Newseum atrium reminded guests why they were at the event.
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash
A 40- by 22-foot screen projected the Meet the Press logo, as well as snippets from the show's 60-year run.
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash
Blue-lit cocktail tables dotted the Newseum's mezzanine level, where guests could overlook the main floor.
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash
Meet the Press host Tim Russert chatted with ABC correspondent George Stephanopoulos.
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash
Shaded lamps adorned the high-boy cocktail tables that accented the atrium's ground level.
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash
Purple, laserlike lighting washed the venue.
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash
Wright Music provided a jazz trio.
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash
Guests had the chance to see what live reporting was all about with interactive exhibits that placed them in front of the White House and the Supreme Court (courtesy of a blue screen).
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash
Wolfgang Puck Catering placed tiny tabasco bottles among the giant raw bar of shrimp, lobster, and oysters.
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash
A kitschy (and clean) catering element was Asian hors d'oeuvres packaged in Chinese take-out cartons.
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash
Guests could help themselves to a dessert buffet of classic sweet treats. Elegant floral arrangements by Amaryllis featured calla lilies and hydrangea.
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash
