In an effort to bring guests a touch of glamour and memories of happier times, Congressional Quarterly looked to 1950’s Hollywood for inspiration for its after-party following the Washington Press Club Foundation’s 65th Congressional dinner. Both events were held Wednesday night at the Ritz-Carlton Washington, with 300 attending CQ’s retro bash.
“It’s my favorite period in history. And with these economic times, it’s hopeful to return to a romantic age,” said CQ director of marketing and special events Constance Witherspoon, explaining the “Coconut Grove” theme. To save money, CQ produced the annual event in-house this year.
For the media company, this year’s budget was far tighter than last’s. “From a branding standpoint, this is an important event for us. But we could not stray from our budget, which was 40 percent less than last year,” said Witherspoon. “I called my vendors and said, 'We must do this more cheaply.' This is the challenge that every media company and every event planner has, they must do more with less."
Baltimore-based Party Plus staged the red carpet entry, the two vintage martini bars, and the 14 15-foot coconut palms in the ballroom. Easels held enlarged photos of stars of the era. Entertainers dressed as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Jerry Lewis further conveyed the evening’s Rat Pack-era theme as they accompanied the seven-piece swing band Joker’s Wild.
The hotel provided the catering, with two stations of old fashioned bundt cakes and creamy desserts. Every year, the guest of honor is the reigning Miss America. This year that was Miss Indiana, Katie Stam. Low lighting encouraged dancing. “That’s my philosophy: If it’s dark everybody dances,” said Witherspoon. And guests did dance, past 1 a.m.
