When the White House Correspondents’ Association hosts its first dinner since the pandemic in two weeks, it’ll be matched by the return of another longstanding D.C. tradition: the imperative pre- and post- events that make the weekend so unique and politically loaded.
Among the slew of night before parties that have been announced, Funny or Die and People Magazine will co-sponsor an after-party at The Reach at the Kennedy Center. For both brands, this will be their first WHCD weekend event in several years. In 2006, People started an annual party with Time on the Friday evening before the dinner, and the event got to be known for its mix of Hollywood celebrities and White House figures, as well as a “hefty swag bag,” according to Deadline. However, that ended during Donald Trump’s years, as concerns grew over his malice toward the press and general distaste for Washington.
This particularly piques interest this year, as both brands have new owners. Henry R. Munoz III bought Funny or Die while Dotdash purchased People Magazine both around the same time last year. Additionally, People Magazine is under new leadership, Leah Wyar as President of Dotdash Meredith, and Liz Vaccariello as Editor-in-Chief of People Magazine.
Both People and DC Modern Luxury magazine threw pre-WHCD receptions tonight, the eve of the big dinner itself tomorrow night. At the St. Regis Hotel, just blocks away from the White House, the old world elegance of the venue provided a warm atmosphere for the People bash, which was packed nearly wall-to-wall. Hotel staff in tuxes passed drinks and hors d’oeuvres among the several hundred guests, who included actor Kevin Bacon and musician Ludacris. TV news personalities also filled the room, such as CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, ABC News’ Ann Compton, NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell and Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren. The mood was relaxed and festive.
extremely modern digs of the Finnish Embassy. Pale wood and glass and steel abounded as a capacity crowd of mostly younger guests mixed and mingled. Spotted among the faces was CNN’s Ed Henry and Suzanne Malvaux. A DJ played a mix of house music for dancers, whose numbers increased as the evening grew later.
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