Date: Thursday, April 27, 2023 Occasion: A kickoff event to the dinner in support of healthcare price transparency. Location: Sequoia Scene: Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, French Montana & Rick Ross performing a full-blown hip hop concert on the Georgetown waterfront, with bipartisan members of Congress nostalgically rapping lyrics back.
Rapper Fat Joe.Rick Ross performs.U.S. Capitol Police officers Randy Yendi, Byron Evans, Eugene Goodman, and Laurent Mathurin flank Representative Ilhan Omar (center). Goodman is the officer who heroically diverted rioters away from lawmakers on Jan. 6.French Montana performs.Patient testimonials were projected onto the outdoor windows of Sequoia.DeUndre Eberhart, Kwabena Nsiah, Power to the Patients founder Cynthia Fisher, and Yebbie Watkins.Marcus Richardson and Abby Phillip.The patio at Sequoia.Olivia Nuzzi and Ryan Lizza.Paul Morra, Kimball Stroud, Amanda Perry, and Jake Perry.Janice and Shawn Smeallie.Outdoor flatscreens displayed the concert and advocacy messages to guests.Jena Gross and Jeremy Deutsch.Priscilla Thomas, Scott Stewart, Sepe Zuccari, and Jason Zuccari.
Motion Picture Association Reception
Date: Friday, April 28, 2023 Occasion: MPA teamed-up with SAG-AFTRA to announce the launch of the Green Council, promoting environmentally conscious and sustainable practices in the entertainment industry. Location: Motion Picture Association global headquarters Scene: Cementing MPA’s status as the go-to spot for all things Hollywood among the Hill set, guests walked a green carpet surrounded by movie memorabilia on loan from member studios. If President Biden ever wants to know what Hogwarts house he belongs to, the MPA has the actual sorting hat from the movies on-site.
Charles Rivkin (chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association) and Fran Drescher (actress and SAG-AFTRA president).The Motion Picture Association lobby is lined with movie and television memorabilia on loan from various member studios.Kyra Sedgwick, Bradley Whitford, and Amy Landecker.Wonder Woman, the DJ, and Batman.Gloria Dittus, Timothy Lowery, and Senay Bulbul.
Axios After Hours
Date: Friday, April 28, 2023 Occasion: An evening of live music and mingling co-hosted by Axios and Live Nation. Location: National Building Museum Scene: Newcomers to the late-night WHCD party circuit, Axios and Live Nation flexed their industry muscle with a surprise concert by country star Lainey Wilson and DJ D-Nice.
Axios co-founders Mike Allen, Roy Schwartz, and Jim Vandehei with Live Nation President & CFO Joe Berchtold (second from left).Hilary Rosen, Alex Thompson, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Jenn Smira, and Jennifer Beals.Echostage owner Pete Kalamoutsos, Alycia Donnelly, Dave Muller, and Kelly Flanigan (Live Nation President of Washington, DC – U.S. Concerts).Susanna Quinn, Autumn VandeHei, and Rachel Roy.British Ambassador Karen Pierce, Sir Charles Roxburgh, and Liz Johnson.
United Talent Agency Celebration
Date: Friday, April 28, 2023 Occasion: The global talent agency’s annual celebration of America’s journalists. Location: Fiola Mare Scene: Probably the hardest late-night Friday invitation to score. But once you get in, you’re greeted by some of the best food and celebrity-spotting of the weekend. Superagents Jay Sures, Rene Jones, Darnell Strom, Ryan Hayden and team draw an A-list crowd of anchors and actors alike and everyone in between.
United Talent Agency vice chairman Jay Sures, Jen Psaki, and Don Lemon.The entrance to Fiola Mare.Vladimir Duthiers and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.Lala Kent and Ariana Madix.Rene Jones, Cobie Smulders, and Gloria Calderon Kellett.Norah O’Donnell, Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, and Heather Podesta.The Fiola Mare kitchen team led by Executive Chef Anton Bolling (right).Gerry Harrington, Liev Schreiber, and Lyndon Boozer.Rina Shah, Francesca Chambers, and Opal Vadhan.
30th Anniversary Garden Brunch
Date: Saturday, April 29, 2023 Occasion: Now an annual WHCD tradition on the day of the dinner, the Garden Brunch unites journalists, politicians, and celebrities in philanthropic support of nonprofit partner Blue Star Families, which strengthens military families through community engagement. Location: Mark and Sally Ein’s Beall-Washington House (the former home of Katharine Graham, the late publisher of The Washington Post) Scene: What began 30 years ago in Tammy Haddad’s backyard as an intimate gathering of friends has become a charitable juggernaut. Craigslist founder Craig Newmark donated $1 million alone in 2023 to Blue Star Families at the brunch.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Tammy Haddad, and Craig Newmark.The entrance to Beall-Washington House.Mark, Charlie, Chloe, and Sally Ein.Dmitri Alperovitch, Maureen Hinman, and Justin Theroux.Lisa Vanderpump and Gayle King.Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet (front row left), Liev Schreiber (back row center), and Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova (back row right), with American service members.Live Nation President Joe Berchtold, White House Cabinet Secretary Evan Ryan, Voto Latino President & CEO Maria Teresa Kumar, actress Rosario Dawson, Devex President & Editor Raj Kumar, and Hilary Rosen.John Leguizamo and Craig Minassian.Espresso martinis helped guests power through the early hours of the day.Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Marissa Pérez.Pierre de Lucy, Jodie McLean, Monty Hoffman, and guest.The VERSUS team who helped provide mixologists and bar staff to both the Garden Brunch and CBS News After Party.Kendra Lamy, Eric Schultz, Jonathan Scott, and Zooey Deschanel.Photos from past Citi Open tournaments, which Mark Ein also owns, line the home’s entrance.Olivia Nuzzi and Eugene Daniels.Teresa Carlson, André Pienaar, and Carol Melton.Amanda McClements and Alex Marquardt.
CBS News After Party
Date: Saturday, April 29, 2023 Occasion: An after party hosted by French Ambassador Laurent Bili and CBS News. Location: Residence of the Ambassador of France Scene: Now in its second year, the after-party hosted by CBS News and parent company Paramount drew big names thanks in small part to its close proximity to the Washington Hilton, where the WHCD dinner was held.
Gayle King, George Cheeks, Brittney Griner, Cherelle Griner, and Shari Redstone.The exterior of the French Ambassador’s residence.Skyler Henry, Wesley Lowery, Roy Wood Jr., Elahe Izadi, and Nancy Chen.Ashley Biden and Adrienne Arsht.White House Cabinet Secretary Evan Ryan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Sophia Bush.Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s daughter Daria (left) and wife Yulia (right), with Amy Entelis (center).U.S. Chief of Protocol Rufus Gifford.Jerry O’Connell, Rebecca Romijn, DJ Judd.French Ambassador Laurent Bili and Sabine Raczy.The interior of the party.Steve Clemons and Andrew Oros.Jonathan Scott, Eric Schultz, and Eric Kuhn.Clark Gregg and Tim Daly.Susan Rice and Ian Cameron.
Comcast-NBC Universal News Group After Party
Date: Saturday, April 29, 2023 Occasion: An after-party to the dinner. Location: The Organization of American States Scene: A perennial post-dinner favorite, Comcast-NBC Universal used the recently launched Ford F-150 Lightning EV to power this year’s DJ booth.
Peter Alexander, Kristen Welker, Cesar Conde, and Kelly O’Donnell.Rachel Adler and Andrea Mitchell.The entrance to the OAS.Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.Jesse Rodriguez and Jamal Simmons.Angelo Greco and Luisana Pérez Fernández.Representative Debbie Dingell, Jeff Zeleny, and Paul Kane.The inside of the OAS building.Izzi Lynn and Richard Hudock.Andrew Desiderio, Leigh Steinberg, and Rachel Schindler.Elizabeth Landers, Sahil Kapur, Garrett Haake, Allison Harris Haake, and Jim Acosta.The front of the OAS building.
Time Post-Dinner Celebration
Date: Saturday, April 29, 2023 Occasion: A celebration of 100 years of Time magazine, hosted by Swiss Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud & Madame Angélique Gakako Pitteloud. Location: Residence of the Ambassador of Switzerland Scene: A giant Time logo was a popular photo opp for guests in the massive outdoor tent erected outside for the evening, but it was the cheesy raclette stations that won over hearts and stomachs.
Tennessee state Representative Justin Jones, Swiss Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud, U.S. Representative Maxwell Frost, and U.S. Representative Summer Lee.An oversized Time logo proved a popular backdrop for selfies.Maura Judkis and Nikki Schwab.U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai (center left) and Robert Skidmore (center right) with guests.The hangar-size outdoor tent provided shelter from the rain.Moyer McCoy, Malcolm Sherrod, and Jacob Hochberg.Swiss Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud, Sara Omolewu, Brian Donahue, and Joy Kingsley-Ibeh.Matt Lauer, Brendan Kownacki, Neil Grace, and Samantha Sault.
Politico Brunch
Date: Sunday, April 30, 2023 Occasion: A bookend to the weekend hosted by Dr. Elena and Robert Allbritton. Location: Allbritton Residence in Georgetown Scene: If there was a Michelin-starred WHCD event, it would be the Politico brunch. Michelin-starred Chef Nicholas Stefanelli’s Masseria was enlisted, along with Timber Pizza, to provide the catering for this year’s Tuscan-themed closing party. A stone fountain at the center of the tent, imported from Italy, wowed even 2023 dinner host Roy Wood Jr. The cute, bright red Politico Vespa served-up the most selfies.
Fresh flowers greeted guests at every turn.Michelin-starred Masseria, led by Chef Nick Stefanelli (right), dished-out freshly prepared plates of risotto.The event boasted an elegant Italian theme.Politico-branded bottles of prosecco with a 2007 vintage (the year Politico was founded).A fresh limoncello bar.A red Vespa scooter provided a zippy backdrop for photographs.An extensive Bloody Mary bar proved popular with guests.Timber Pizza Company served up pies to-go that were still hot from the oven.
