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Washington Post (Metro section)
Budget: $0
Location Home of Virginia editor Mike Semel
Food: Huge chocolate cake made with donuts; other stuff
Drink: Wine, soda, and bottled water
Entertainment: Skit parodying editors meeting
Washington Examiner
Budget: Small
Location Examiner’s D.C. and Virginia offices
Food: “Kind of a pizza party,” says Editor John Wilpers.
Drink: No alcohol
Entertainment: “We don’t even plan on singing,” says Wilpers.
Metro Weekly
Budget: Small
Location Home of Editor Sean Bugg (tentative)
Food: Linguine with shrimp scampi, strawberry and spinach salad, and red velvet cake (tentative)
Drink: Apple martinis, beer, and unsweetened iced tea (tentative)
Entertainment: “Whatever they choose off the iPod and video games,” Bugg says, adding that he has an Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube at his Falls Church home. (tentative)
Hill Rag, East of the River, and DC North
Budget: “No idea”
Location Banana Cafe
Food: Finger food. “Better than the Washington Post,” says Andrew Lightman, managing editor of Capitol Community News, which owns the three community papers.
Drink: Rail drinks purchased with tickets. Each guest receives two to three tickets.
Entertainment: “We have a lot of politicians coming,” Lightman says. “I think I’d rather not quote the guest list to you.”
Washington Blade
Budget: Advertising trades
Location Halo
Food: Appetizers, possibly including fruit and cheese, shrimp cocktail, mini crab cakes, and mini quiches. “That’s probably all that we are going to be getting,” says Kevin Smith, director of Projects and Planning.
Drink: Open bar for two hours
Entertainment: Music, piped in. “We have a voting thing going on for best employees,” Smith says. Winners get swag CDs and DVDs.
On Tap
Budget: Partially through ad exchange, depending on the night’s bar tab
Location District Chophouse
Food: “Heavy appetizer spread,” explains publisher James Currie. “Anything above that is on the employees.
Drink: Rail drinks, beer, and wine from 7:30 until last call
Entertainment: Pool tables and gift bags containing gift certificates to restaurants and tickets to Wizards and Caps games (received in trade for ads)
Roll Call
Budget: N/A
Location Zola’s EyesOnly Room
Food: Food stations to include pasta, finger food, and possible meat-carving dude
Drink: Open bar
Entertainment: “They pipe in music for us,” explains Jennifer Myers, marketing director. “They actually will take our CDs. I haven’t gotten that nailed down yet. We probably won’t go 50 Cent. Maybe we’ll throw in some holiday songs and some party mix.”
Capitol File
Budget: N/A
Location Olives
Food: Employees can order what they want, including drinks
Drink: ?
Entertainment: ?
DC Style
Budget: N/A
Location Somewhere in Philadelphia
Food: TK
Drink: ?
Entertainment: ?
InTowner
No party
“We just never done one,” says publisher Peter Wolff. “I don’t know. I guess we’re too busy….It’s not that we’re Scrooges—we’re fun people. We go our separate ways.”