Media gather for party
Convention Center plays host for journalists
At first, the party had the appearance of any other, with bright lights, guests clutching drinks in the lobby of the new Convention & Exhibition Center, local politicians shaking hands.
Then the drum and bugle corps arrived, and led the crowd through glass doors into a massive room with lantern-lit cabanas, a seemingly endless line of cocktail bars, even a Ferris wheel.
With that, Boston officially ushered in one of the biggest party week of its history, beginning last night with a bash for the more than 10,000 local, national, and international members of the working media who are expected to cover the Democratic National Convention.
The city had a contractual obligation to hold the party, but attendees last night said they had not counted on anything quite so dramatic.
The drum and bugle corps was just one of about a dozen performers, including headliner Little Richard.
Upstairs at the VIP party, local politicians, high-powered media members and celebrities such as former Boston Celtic Bill Russell mingled before the bash.
John F. Kerry's daughters, Vanessa and Alexandra, arrived later, as did Helen Thomas, the grande dame of political coverage, and Fox anchor Greta Van Susteren. Other guests included New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and former White House press secretary Mike McCurry.
''Today" host Katie Couric was expected, though not until later in the evening because of the Red Sox game.
Jesse Jackson, surrounded by admirers and reporters looking for comment, spoke about what he called President Bush's ''closed-door" policies on organized labor and people of color. He then gazed at the massive room.
Jackson said he'd been to many convention media parties, but ''this is the biggest I've ever seen."
The event kicked off Democratic Convention Week, when party planners estimate that there will be from 500 to 800 parties expected ranging from big-ticket events featuring rock stars and Hollywood celebrities to small dinner parties for the politically connected.
The media bash is expected to be the largest gathering.
''We thought it would be a big reception with some speeches," said Marlea Regan, assistant director of the WGBH Educational Foundation. ''This is unbelievable."
The theme of the party, ''Momentum" was meant to send a message about new Boston, according to one of the organizers, Estelle MacDonald.
''Everybody knows about the bad stuff," she said.
''But do they know about what's on with high tech, medicine, or the Lenny Zakim bridge?"
Former Suffolk County District Attorney Ralph Martin agreed, saying, ''This is what we are now."
''We're much more hip and complex than anybody would know from the outside," he said.
The Globe was the party's major sponsor.
Univision,
In the new convention hall, wall-length video screens framed the two main rooms of the party, with a series of rotating images ranging from the war in Iran to the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
The 80 cabanas featured furniture on which small groups gathered to sample appetizers. Walking through to the second room, guests faced the stage on which Little Richard and others performed.
Forty-eight bartenders staffed the room, serving up a range of specialty cocktails, including ''Razz the Vote!" (Stoli Razberi and cranberry juice) and the Presidential Margarita (Sauza tequila and Ocean Spray margarita mix).
The menu included steamed mussels, herb-crusted pork loin, tapas, and a chocolate fondue fountain.
Guests said they were impressed by both the party and the setting.
The event was one of the first major events held at the city's newest landmark.
''It's so state-of-the-art," Verizon account manager Lisa Gouveia said of the new convention center, which was pushed by Governor Mitt Romney and others as an alternate site for the convention.
''They definitely should have had the convention here instead of at the Fleet. I feel like I'm at the fair."
Some were more skeptical about the over-the-top atmosphere.
''We were wondering what 'Momentum' was all about," said conservative commentator Ann Coulter.
''The drinks are excellent. But too many journalists."
Said Jon Keller, WB56-TV political analyst: ''It's a good marketing ploy for the Convention Center, and I thank the Globe for the free beer, but Ferris wheels and open bars are a dangerous combination." 