And We’re Off… FD/QGA Kick Week Off With Press Party Honoring White House Correspondents!

NORTHWEST -- While D.C. sees many a celebrity jet in for the occasional Congressional hearing, gala, movie premiere or performance at the Verizon Center, Washingtonians may notice an abnormally large number of limousines, earpiece-wearing and clipboard-wielding handlers, and, yes, even photographers mulling about the city this week.

We’re referring, of course, to the days leading up to the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner (WHCD), which will be held Saturday, April 30th, 2011 at the Washington Hilton hotel.

Originally conceived as a fun few hours of comedy and glamour in order to honor members of the White House press corps, the celebration has transformed over the years into an endless sea of parties, with various international media organizations and magazines competing to throw the most talked about pre-party or after party of the year.

Hardly a stranger to the hullabaloo surrounding Saturday’s dinner, the strategic communications masters at powerhouse firms Financial Dynamics and Quinn Gillespie & Associates (QGA) chose to commemorate the occasion this year in their traditionally low-key manner (last year’s party was held at Public Bar), with an intimate soiree held inside the offices of the American Gas Association overlooking the Capitol.

Macaroni and cheese and flatbread sandwiches stood-in for caviar and pate at Tuesday night’s reception, with critically-acclaimed D.C. food trucks CapMac and Sauca catering the event. An authentic Good Humor ice cream cart had even been brought-in for dessert!

Journalists, lobbyists, and TV anchors alike mingled about the party, as QGA’s Jack Quinn, Chris Brown, and Patricia McMurray circulated among the crowd and recording artist Timmie Metz performed a live guitar set.

Karin Tanabe, Amie Parnes, Susanna Quinn, and Jack Quinn.
It wasn’t all shop talk though. Susanna Quinn, Jack’s wife, along with daughter Jocelyn and best friend Riley Folsom, stopped-by halfway through the evening, and cheerfully spent the remaining portion of the party chatting with the likes of former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe, CNN senior White House correspondent Ed Henry and CNN senior producer Shirley Hung, Huffington Post VP and DC Bureau General Manager Peter Cherukuri, and POLITICO reporter Karin Tanabe.

A decidedly family affair...
A relaxing evening amidst a week of chaos….