Hollywood's high holidays include the Oscars and the Emmys, New York has the Costume Institute gala (and lots of other big events) and Washington's biggest annual party night comes with the White House Correspondents Association's dinner, which has been held every spring for 89 years. The event itself is a basic meat-and-potatoes banquet at the biggest gala space in town, the Washington Hilton. But the night is known for the various related parties and the competition for which news outlet can bring the most outrageous or glamorous guests ripped from popular culture and news headlines. (Last year you might remember that Ozzy Osbourne was the big get.)
This year drew Bachelorette Trista Rehn, West Wing faux politicos, Bo Derek and John Corbett, as well as lots of New Yorkers, who did what they do here: Photographer Patrick McMullan shot anywhere he could, Page Six's Richard Johnson watched for gossip, Steve Brill hawked his book, Al Sharpton fished for votes and press and cast members from the various Law & Order shows enjoyed the parties. All the celebrity-watching—and an appearance by the president of the United States—makes up the event's visual stimulus, and decor is kept at a minimum.
Usually the speechwriters are in high demand to come up with the cleverest jokes, but this year's program was much more sober due to the war in Iraq and the death of more than 13 journalists covering the war. Instead of yuks from past hosts Jay Leno and Drew Carey, guests got songs from Ray Charles.
Because the different news outlets (AOL Time Warner, ABC News, Newsweek) host their own various pre-parties where everyone gets their tickets before the event, there is no formal cocktail hour for the entire group. The competing cocktail parties ranged from modest, chips-and-dip affairs to larger events with ice sculptures and logoed backgrounds for photo ops.
The biggest party of the night—known as Washington's prom—is the annual Bloomberg L.P. after-party, which is considered Washington's best bash by many New Yorkers and locals. It is one of the rare nights that official and non-official Washingtonians stay up late. Led by Alicia Pau (of Bloomberg's London event staff) and Chris Taylor (of its New York-based PR crew), the event maintained its reputation as a grand ol' party and supported the Bloomberg brand.
Across the street from the Hilton, Bloomberg transformed the Russian Trade Ministry into a sophisticated nightclub-type space with music that moderated the flow and pace of the event flawlessly. The entrance was decorated with hundreds of candles on shelves, and clear tents (from HDO) gave gawkers on the street a view of the party. A portable restroom setup felt more like an indoor bathroom than a typical portable toilet.
Regulars said the event was toned down from previous years, while newcomers felt it was on target for the times. Throughout the evening, small details in the event's decor had guests talking. One bar featured a soft, tactile surface of soft plastic filled with shiny black oil. A tic-tac-toe game and a giant crossword puzzle on large magnetic boards gave guests something to do, while symbolizing the idea that information—Bloomberg's product—solves problems. Design Cuisine created eye-catching food stations with a selection of uniquely designed and colorful combinations, including stuffed carrots and mini burgers served on beautiful plates.
A comfortable main floor had seating that emulated an elegant club, and a special smoking section of the tent gave smokers like Richard Branson and Tucker Carlson a place to puff without exiting the party.
—David Adler
This year drew Bachelorette Trista Rehn, West Wing faux politicos, Bo Derek and John Corbett, as well as lots of New Yorkers, who did what they do here: Photographer Patrick McMullan shot anywhere he could, Page Six's Richard Johnson watched for gossip, Steve Brill hawked his book, Al Sharpton fished for votes and press and cast members from the various Law & Order shows enjoyed the parties. All the celebrity-watching—and an appearance by the president of the United States—makes up the event's visual stimulus, and decor is kept at a minimum.
Usually the speechwriters are in high demand to come up with the cleverest jokes, but this year's program was much more sober due to the war in Iraq and the death of more than 13 journalists covering the war. Instead of yuks from past hosts Jay Leno and Drew Carey, guests got songs from Ray Charles.
Because the different news outlets (AOL Time Warner, ABC News, Newsweek) host their own various pre-parties where everyone gets their tickets before the event, there is no formal cocktail hour for the entire group. The competing cocktail parties ranged from modest, chips-and-dip affairs to larger events with ice sculptures and logoed backgrounds for photo ops.
The biggest party of the night—known as Washington's prom—is the annual Bloomberg L.P. after-party, which is considered Washington's best bash by many New Yorkers and locals. It is one of the rare nights that official and non-official Washingtonians stay up late. Led by Alicia Pau (of Bloomberg's London event staff) and Chris Taylor (of its New York-based PR crew), the event maintained its reputation as a grand ol' party and supported the Bloomberg brand.
Across the street from the Hilton, Bloomberg transformed the Russian Trade Ministry into a sophisticated nightclub-type space with music that moderated the flow and pace of the event flawlessly. The entrance was decorated with hundreds of candles on shelves, and clear tents (from HDO) gave gawkers on the street a view of the party. A portable restroom setup felt more like an indoor bathroom than a typical portable toilet.
Regulars said the event was toned down from previous years, while newcomers felt it was on target for the times. Throughout the evening, small details in the event's decor had guests talking. One bar featured a soft, tactile surface of soft plastic filled with shiny black oil. A tic-tac-toe game and a giant crossword puzzle on large magnetic boards gave guests something to do, while symbolizing the idea that information—Bloomberg's product—solves problems. Design Cuisine created eye-catching food stations with a selection of uniquely designed and colorful combinations, including stuffed carrots and mini burgers served on beautiful plates.
A comfortable main floor had seating that emulated an elegant club, and a special smoking section of the tent gave smokers like Richard Branson and Tucker Carlson a place to puff without exiting the party.
—David Adler
The entrance to Bloomberg L.P.'s after-party following the White House correspondents dinner in Washington was decorated with hundreds of candles.
Clear tents covered the Russian Trade Ministry's back terraces, and green leaves were wrapped around the tent poles.
A giant magnetic crossword puzzle gave guests something to do, while symbolizing the idea that information—Bloomberg's product—solves problems.
Caterer Design Cuisine put out small, pre-plated hors d'oeuvres servings in most rooms.
