2010 New Year's Eve Gala w/5-hr Open Bar!
- Location
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610 F St NW
The Shakespeare Theatre Company
Washington, DC 20004
How to find us
"We'll have greeters at the entrance"
- Attendance
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666 people attended.
Who organized?
Kelly & J.T. - Price
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$99.00 per person
refund policy
UPDATE:
- If you paid by Paypal, please bring your confirmation email from Paypal. We have your name on the list, but this is just a backup precaution. All tickets will be held under the name of the person who paid for the tickets. The name on our list will be the name on the Paypal account.
- *Everyone* needs to present an id at check-in to verify you are of drinking age.
- We will have 3 check-in lines, separated by FIRST NAME. Line 1: A-E, Line 2:F-L, Line 3:M-Z
- Coat check service will be available for $2. Please bring correct change for faster processing.
- Per DC liquor law,*NO* tickets can be sold at door.
- Harman Center is also known as “Shakespeare Theatre Company”. It is located across from the Verizon Center.
- Metro will be closing at 2:00 am so please plan your departure accordingly. There should be plenty of taxi's available or you can call 202-taxicab. Street parking is limited and some garages may not be open.
UPDATE: If you are not able to RSVP "yes" because the event is full, be sure to add your name to the waitlist...you will automatically be moved to the "yes" RSVP list once spots become available. You do not have to pay to be added to wait list....but you will be prompted to pay when transferred to "yes" list.
UPDATE: Our DJ for the evening will be DJ Pedram, resident DJ at Ultrabar. DJ Pedram spins it all, from Mash-ups, to Top 40, to Hip-Hop...and has also performed at Lima, Eyebar, Fur, and Love.
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It's that time again! Join us for our NEW YEAR'S EVE GALA!
We had a phenomenal time last year at our mansion party... only downside was we had a 200 person max capacity and sold out too early!
SO, we've moved to a much larger and very luxurious venue....the Harman Center for the Arts, home of the Shakespeare Theatre Company. And we'll have 2 floors! The Harman Center is a beautiful venue in the heart of Chinatown, right across from the Chinatown Metro Stop. You've probably all seen it coming out of the Metro- modern, sleek, with the front side made entirely of glass. This place glows at night!! See the pics below:
We have a great line up for the evening. First, your ticket price includes a 5-hr premium OPEN BAR with the below brands:
Bacardi Light Rum
Capt. Morgan Sp. Rum
Skyy Vodka
Luksusowa Vodka
Seagram's 7 Whiskey
Cuervo Gold
Amstel Light
Yuengling Lager
House Red & White Wines
And no bartender gratuities! Bartender tips are included in ticket price (a $10-$20 value). In fact, our caterer will not permit their bartenders to accept tips.
We will have 9 bartenders and 4-6 bartending stations...so no long lines!
Your ticket price also includes multiple Hors D'Oeuvres Buffets:
Selection of Cheeses to include: Aged New York Cheddar, domestic Goat Cheese, Fontina and Maytag Blue. Presented with a Fruit and Nut garnish, imported Crackers and Baguettes.
A creamy warm Dip made from Artichoke Hearts, Garlic, Parmesan Cheese, and Lemon. Served warm with Pita Chips.
A colorful variety of lightly blanched seasonal Vegetables accompanied by Dill and Mustard Dip. The selection may include Carrots, Radishes, Red Peppers, Asparagus, Endive spears, and New White Potatoes.
Creamy Roasted Eggplant Baba Gannoujh served with toasted Pita triangles.
Traditional dish of ground Chickpea blended with Tahini and Lemon Juice. Served with Pita triangles and Cucumber slices.
Old-fashioned creamy Onion Dip made with Sour Cream, caramelized Vidalia Onions, Shallots, and Chives. Served with assorted Grissini.
Our live entertainment features:
-A "Roaming” Illusionist performing unique, stimulating magic to intrigue your senses.
-Fortune Teller to see what 2010 holds for you
-Caricature Sketch Artist for your 2009 party face
And all this while the DJ gets us shaking our tail feathers in a journey through time from the 80s, 90s, and 00s!
We'll hand out Party Favors to all in preparation for the NYE Countdown and Midnight Celebration...which of course will include a Midnight Champagne Toast!!
DRESS CODE is Black Tie Optional. So dress to impress! For guys, this means jacket and tie or tux. And for ladies, cocktail or formal dress. For all, creativity is encouraged! So don’t be afraid to get funky, MTV Music Award-like with your attire!
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Space is limited, so sign-up early! Early-bird ticket price is only $70 from now until Nov 30th. YES, $70!!! These are tough economic times my friends, so it's our pleasure to present an alternative to those annoying $120-$160 ticket price NYE events.
Plus, ticket price includes all bartender gratuities. In fact, our caterer will not permit their bartenders to accept tips....so you DO NOT have to budget an extra $10-$20 for bartender tips.
After Nov 30th, ticket prices go up to $85, then to $99. So RSVP early....because as last year showed, these spots go fast!
Also please know that your RSVP is not guaranteed unless we receive payment. When you pay, if you receive a paypal receipt, then that is confirmation that we have received your payment.
Event will be from 9:00pm – 2:00am. Closest Metro Stop is Chinatown on the Red/Yellow/Green Line. We also recommend using wmata to plan your travels.
And in case you missed it, check out photos and comments from our 2008-2009 New Year's Eve Party.
See You There!
Jared
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Payment Instructions (Paypal account not required):
* Click "Pay online now" button above
* Enter in correct dollar amount for number of people you're paying for, click "Pay Now" button
* If you have a Paypal account, simply log in, and pay as you normally would via Paypal
* If you don't have a Paypal account, click "Continue" under "Don't have a Paypal account?"
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Since there are limited spots, all sales are final. Hopefully you understand we can't have people cancelling and requesting a refund, when that spot could have been filled by others. Thanks for understanding. =)
Who attended?
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666 attendees
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“ Some people aren't giving JT and Jared credit for all of the hard work they put into this event. I was lucky enough to avoid the end of evening situation and had a wonderful time with my friends. Some of the constructive criticisms are valid, but others just cannot be facilitated for budget or location constraints. The planners are only human. ” -
20s & 30s Rockstar!“ I had a great time last night, I was surprised to hear that there were alot of fights going on like a few minutes after I left the building. I have noticed alot of people that were intoxicated because of the incidents and hopefully no one got hurt. ” -
Bee (+1 guest)“ We didn't have a 5 hour open bar because we got kicked out early! No one's fault except those who started fighting and being crazy. ” -
“ With the exception of the bar service, the music, the dance floor, the decorations (or lack thereof), and the food was very mediocre. The dance floor was as small as my bedroom and the music system was a joke. I could have paid a lot less to drink just as much and stand around staring at other people. If someone is going to charge $75-$99, they should provide some more entertainment, not an embarrassing dance floor with only enough room for 40 people and a DJ area that is the size of my desk. In all honesty, I won't be spending another new years eve with this meetup group. ” -
Amanda B (+1 guest)20s & 30s Rockstar“ I had a really great time until 1 AM - which is when the party was shut down. I appreciated the follow up email to explain what had happened during the evening. But up until then it was a great party- I showed up right at 9 PM, got in no problem - and thought all the bar lines flowed pretty smoothly considering that with the hook of an "open bar" there were going to be some lines because let's face it everyone loves an open bar. Except some people love it too much. The magicians were fun and tarot card readings - nice touches. I did get my glass of champagne too! I agree with the majority of the useful feedback which is (a) communication to the party about the 1/2 shut down of bars, and (b) security. I would strongly suggest speaking with your coat check vendor about how they were organized as the coats weren't even in numerical order. Anyway, still had a blast and at least an interesting story to tell. Y'all should read what happened at the Building Museum for comparison. ” -
Sugar (+1 guest)20s & 30s Rockstar!“ The party started off well. The people I met were friendly, JT and Kelly are always great hosts! I do agree with many of the comments of other posters. I found the lines to get a drink no worse than most bars for most of the night. The madhouse downstairs was ridiculous! I was pushed and stepped on and really not much of a girl to fight back. Maybe a coat check that had a seperate in and out would've helped. I also think communication could have been better. The venue was pretty and lent itself to a fun atmosphere. I know Jared and JT want to be able to include as many people as possible in their events, but perhaps a smaller crowd for next year? There's no telling what can happen with hours of alcohol and some people's serious lack of good judgement; but I've enjoyed the other meet-up funtions and will continue to come to events. I just may stick to the ones that don't get so large and out of hand. Thank you JT and Kelly. ” -
“ When you pay for a 5 hour open bar, you should expect a 5 hour open bar. Shutting the bar down at 12:30 is unacceptable. I think there should be some type of refund involved here and certainly would not attend another party. Elizabeth Diaga, Allison Norman, and Julie Pekowski ” -
“ It was fun, but 1. I wish they didn't run out of alcohol at the end 2. Hopefully next year they'll have a better method for returning coats. Many people didn't make the metro because the coat check line was a mob scene. 3. What the heck happened to cause it to end at 1pm? ” -
Leti (+1 guest)“ I really enjoyed myself. The venue was absolutely beautiful, and I loved the open bar! The only downers were the party ending early due to a fight, and the mob scene at coat check. ” -
“ Need something for singles;music too loud ” -
“ Did anyone at the New Years event take my coat by accident? It is a Marc or Jones New York black wool trench coat. It has a set of keys in the pocket with a LA fitness membership tag on them. I also had a gray sock hat with blue stripes in the pocket. If any one has this coat please email me at [masked]
. I drive anywhere to get it no questions asked. ”
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Conrad (+1 guest)“ Very well done. Short lines to get drinks. Staff were professional. I left @12:30 but heard about some commotion going on about 15 mins after I left. I was not present for any of the fights or mayhem, but I would suggest not accepting so many people to such an event to prevent issues like that from occuring again. Also, if you're not responsible enough to hold your liquor, stop coming to these events. ” -
“ I had a great time. There were a lot of snacks. And the three different activities were a hit. I would have added a singles area or section or activity so that people who were looking or there alone could meet up with others. I left before any incident happened but my suggestion would be to have bartenders who have bartended before or go light on the alcohol in the drinks. 5 hours of an open bar is great if everyone was mature enough to drink sensible and enjoy the atmosphere more than the fact that there was an abundance of alcohol. I would not cut anyone off after the fact unless you are done for the night. I want to repeat that I would not make such strong drinks! I wish that you had two people doing the fortune telling because the lines were an hour long (I am not kidding 1 long hour). I would have liked a bigger dance floor or maybe more than one dance floor. It would have been nice to be able to dance more but it was so crowded. Thank you, Patty ” -
“ Got to hand it to Jared, JT, et al for organizing the event. Overall, it was a good time. Responsible and civil behavior should be at the top of every attendee's agenda--for the vast majority, it was. But definitely there should be a security presence and good communication using microphones and possibly megaphones when there is a large crowd and plenty of alcohol consumption. If the budget allows, a party planner, rather than just a caterer, may be helpful. I would definitely do it again, and "20s and 30s" is still a great group to be a part of--a lot of bright, talented, intelligent, attractive, and fun people. I guess there's a reason it is the second largest meetup group in the world. ” -
“ We had a lot of fun until...12:30. Price was good and included tips, music OK, decent alcohol selection. Once alcohol was cut off, no one, including the bartenders and catering manager, seemed to know what was going on. Coat check was chaos; like the US Embassy on the last days of the Vietnam war or Lord of the Flies. Boiled down to a few really drunk and/or angry people, lack of communication, and lack of security. Would be great if everyone behaved, but it's not a perfect world. Have to plan that with a 5 hour open bar, some people will get wasted. Amazingly there was NO security or if there was, it certainly wasn't visible. Better communication may have improved the situation and calmed things down. If the initial announcement to suspend alcohol and why was made, we didn't hear it. We did hear the announcement the party was over. Next time, go to the GW Univ gym, hire the biggest guys there, give them 'security' shirts and solve the problem before it starts. ” -
“ I am so disappointed with this event. How are you going to end beverage service and not inform your guests of what is going on? How do you not have enough staff to support an event of this size? Where was the illusionist? He could have entertained us while the music went off and the lights were on. COMMUNICATION IS KEY. I understand that things happen and I commend the organizers for handling the behind the scenes events as best as they could; HOWEVER, I don't think it was right to leave the other 600+ guests without any information about why they spent $70+ for a 5 hour open bar, and only received 3.5 of that? When you ask the bartender for a drink, he tells you there is no more? again. communication. My friends and I are requesting a partial refund immediately. ” -
Christian (+9 guests)“ Had a great time and apparently was oblivious to all of the drama that was unfolding around me. I was on the third floor for most of the party and left the coat in the car, so I guess I lucked out. The venue was great; hors d'oeuvres, music and crowd (from what I encountered) were good. Thank you to all who organized this event in an effort to provide a quality, cost effective NYE. Hopefully next year’s party will go a little smoother! ” -
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Duncan (+1 guest)“ coat check nightmare ” -
Marlayna (+1 guest)“ Good until the end...although probably too many people crammed into too small a space. Made for limited standing/dancing room and exacerbated the rush at the end. Should have probably stuck with the original cap of 500 people... ”
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Rochelle Sambur (+1 guest)“ There was no forks, knives or any silverware to eat from and everyone's hands were in the dips and many people did not eat. The consumption of alcohol greatly overpowered the food intake therefore causing fights and disruptions. I had taken my mother with me to celebrate and we did not even get a chance to get a glass of champagne. The Harmon Center was overpopulated, not sure why there was 600+ invited. The bartenders were making terrible drinks due to the demand of too many people invited to the venue. The DJ was terrible and every time I passed by him, his back was to the turntable/itunes while making out with his date. It's unfortunate that such a great place like the Harmon Center will apparently never have you hold a venue there. Thank You and I hope you will hold better smarter venues in the future. --Rochelle ”
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“ I thought the venue was very nice and that having two bars on separate levels was a good idea. However, the dance floor was very small and each floor was very crowded, which resulted in people pushing and stepping all over each other. When I originally signed up it said there will be 400 people able to attend which I thought was appropriate, 600 people was not. The night ended early due to many factors and also resulted in chaos and a bad ending to the night. ”
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“ Although this was a great venue, the event, itself, was badly managed. There should have been better security and better sharing of information as to what was going on and why. I read Jared and J.T.'s email explanation, and I disagree that 3 people at a coat check is enough for 600 people - even if they were leaving over a longer time span. The coat check was a total mess! Why was there no security in the event fights broke out? That's why bars have bouncers! We should all be given a refund since we were not permitted to stay until 2 a.m., and because the bar did not serve alcohol for the entire evening. Overall, this was a poorly planned event and I will not attend another event planned by Jared and J.T. and Meetup. Amateurs should not be planning a party for 600 people on New Year's Eve. ”
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Sven (+1 guest)20s & 30s Rockstar! -
Mike D (+1 guest) -
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Benjamin Skovran (+1 guest) -
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Taran (+1 guest) -
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Melissa (+1 guest)20s & 30s Rockstar! -
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Christina (+1 guest)20s & 30s Rockstar! -
Maureen (+4 guests) -
Meg (+1 guest) -
Lynda (+2 guests) -
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Lindsey (+1 guest) -
Yann Le Renard (+1 guest) -
Jared (+7 guests) -
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Sonia Thomas (+1 guest) -
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Your organizer's refund policy for 2010 New Year's Eve Gala w/5-hr Open Bar!
Refunds are not offered for this Meetup.
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For the record, a detailed account of the event's conclusion can be found in our message to members here... http://files.meetup.com/214400/NYE%20Letter.pdf
I called the Harman Center regarding my jacket & they said that they had my Black Dockers jacket (with black leather gloves in the pockets), was on their inventory list. When I went in, they told me that they said that just because it was on their inventory list didnt mean they actually had it. Did anybody accidentally take a Black men's Dockers jacket by accident? If you did, please contact me at: peteacher91281@aol.com --Thanks! Kevin
All comments have been heard, and have been taken well. We are appreciative for everyone's feedback, both positive and negative, and will use your suggestions to help improve future events. Also know we put a lot of time and energy into organizing events for our group, and we do care about our members greatly. We're working closely with the venue, the catering company, and the coat check company to see how we might best be able to address the challenges faced by the members of our group.
To elaborate on my previous post. My jacket is a Black Eddie Bauer jacket, long, puffy, with fur hood, black leather gloves in pockets. Please let me know if you have it!
Luice.woo@gmail.com. Thanks.
Alan- for this event only, we're directing members to post their feedback of the event (ie pros, cons) on the right panel. We're reserving this central panel for postings by members who had challenges with coat check at end of the night.
Did anyone come across a long (calf length) black women's wool coat? I think it's Jones New York... There was a pair of black gloves in the pocket. Thanks!
Wow real mature guys. If anyone is unhappy with what happened you're just going to delete their comments?
When I went to get my coat it was already gone. Please let me know if you have it. Its a long black (almost knee length) puffy jacket with a fur hood. luice.woo@gmail.com. Thanks.
Was given the wrong coat... Luckily, mine is one of the ones emily listed below (thank you)! I didn't realize it was the wrong coat at the time because it is identical to the coat I lost... I was given a black/dark gray top coat that looks pretty new... nothing in the pockets... email me if it might be yours... rob.clarke@gmail.com
My friend during the mad rush to pick up jackets did not get her scarf which was checked in along with her jackjet. Does anyone got her scarf which does not belong to them.
In the middle of the coat check chaos we were giving two extra coats:
-Dark gray men's wool full length overcoat with scarf (No Joe, it doesn't sound like yours)
-Black puffy women's jacket with furry hood
Email me if you think it's yours and we can figure out a way to get it back to you. emmymcc4@hotmail.com.
Happy New Year!
Did anyone at the New Years event take my coat by accident? It is a Marc or Jones New York black wool trench coat. It has a set of keys in the pocket with a LA fitness membership tag on them. I also had a gray sock hat with blue stripes in the pocket. If any one has this coat please email me at landrjos@hotmail.com. I drive anywhere to get it no questions asked.
I need ONE ticket for my best buddy. Please email me or call 202-465-0330. Thank you!
If anyone has an extra ticket, meganm5@aol.com. Thanks!
I am on the wait list for tonight. If someone has an extra ticket please let me know!
Just bought another ticket from Bryan Perry and going under Jennifer Bodie's name.
Need 2 tix for tonight - please email me at joerood @ gmail . com
I need one ticket for tonight. Please email me if you have one to sell!
I am claiming sugars extra ticket! :) If anyone has one more ticket available, please email me asap.
Think i've got a taker for the ticket
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