Comments on: New Year’s Eve at the National Building Museum Receives Major Complaints on GOG

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:49:32 +0000

My husband and I flew in from Florida to visit a friend that had just moved to D.C. to attend this event. Shocked and dissapointed doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt after arriving at this event. It was absolute chaos. We waited in line for 30 minutes IN THE COLD RAIN in full black tie attire. We paid over $300.00 for my husband and I’s VIP tickets and there wasn’t even a line for VIP??? That was the first joke. They never checked our tickets for VIP so anyone could have paid half as much and drank along with me if they could have even got a drink! Coat check? You have to be kidding….Lines were soooooo long and after the rain I wanted my promised top shelf liquor. An hour later I was dead sober still waiting for my top shelf liquor. I don’t know how they do things in D.C., but top shelf does NOT consist of Svedka vodka in Orlando, which consequently ran out at 11pm anyways! Thankfully I was amongst good company and with the help of fellow friends and stolen bottles of liquor, we were able to laugh off the joke of VIP access to the “biggest party in D.C.”
They should be ashamed of themselves!

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:02:24 +0000

WHERE ARE THE GIFTCARDS?????

By: RubySlipper

RubySlipper — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:00:55 +0000

I would just like to say that is IS possible to go to a large event and have a good time. I went to the HiBall “Big Night DC” event at the Gaylord National, which had 6,000+ guests. It is obviously a much-better managed event (by a reputable event promoter). The bar lines were not very long, there was plenty of food, and they did not run out of anything. There was a countdown at midnight and it was totally fun and awesome. My friends and I stayed in a hotel room there, so we didn’t have to go home that night either. I attended last year’s event there too, so this was my second POSITIVE experience in a row. It just goes to show you that if you are going to attend a big event on NYE, you need to go with one that has been well-estabished and received positive reviews for many years.

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:49:08 +0000

I just read 5800 tickets sold. These two guys took in over 600K.. and judging by the lack of, well, everything – appropriate security, bartending, coat-check, no party favors (hats, glasses, – heck, I’d have even settled for confetti) and rail read rot-gut vodka (they ran out of ICE!!! had only Club or Tonic as mixers). To say it was on level of a frat party is a serious insult to frat parties. These douche bags think they can get away with I’m guessing 500K profit, with the bare minimum they spent, jeopardizing the safety and property of others? That’s sick. Not only will there be a class action suit, I’m hoping they serve time for reckelss endangerment – I understand several girls went to the hospital. More scary – well-run parties in DC (like the Hyatt) will likely have to up their bill next year, because a’holes like these two put people in jeopardy – bumping everyone’s insurance rates..

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:54:17 +0000

Check out Vox Populi’s photo from the event. NBM looks TRASHED.
http://blog.georgetownvoice.com/2010/01/06/latenightshots-throws-a-terrible-new-years-eve-party/

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:47:45 +0000

I had to pose as Security and convince one of the (immigrant) bartenders that I worked there and we needed a bottle of Champagne, Vodka, & Wine for one of the private rooms and he gave it to me!!! That made our night completely worthwhile for me and my friends.

If it wasn’t for that I would’ve been peeing in the fountain, lighting a coat bonfire, and vomiting off the railing. What stinks is next year will probably be good because they’ll have all their sh*t in order.

I was hoping it would’ve been like Capitale in NYC -the greatest NYE event ever!

By: Vox Populi » LateNightShots throws a terrible New Year’s Eve party

Vox Populi » LateNightShots throws a terrible New Year’s Eve party — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:01:50 +0000

[...] another from WeLoveDC: “How to begin? To say this event was terrible does not begin to describe the [...]

By: I told you so

I told you so — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:26:00 +0000

These are the same people that socialize with Salahis and all the other phonies in GTown. Most of these idiots don’t even live in GTown. They are hanger-ons. I was stiffed by a couple of Reed’s pals during inauguration over a party I catered for them. None of these people work in politics, government or non-profts and have no business in DC other than leeching off of hard working people. I could have told you this party would suck. No surprise at all. I almost made the mistake of recently doing an event at Reed’s bar in GTown and his assistant was so arrogant I didn’t even return her email. I just walked away. I say boycott Reed, Late Night Shots, City Tavern Club, Smith Point and any other place where these morons frequent. The new White House crasher is also part of this scene. Birds of a feather! Buyer beware because you’ve been warned.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:12:03 +0000

Sounds like this was a sh$tshow. Good thing I was at Griers house doing lines all night

By: john

john — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:00:51 +0000

they planned the party for 3000 people. once they sold all 3000 tickets extreamly quick they realized they could sell more and sold close to 5800. you hire staff for 3000 and bring in almost double, this happens and its their fault.

By: Daria

Daria — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:07:02 +0000

I would have rather spent 4 hours at the gynocologist than EVER go to another one of their parties again. I was there, and it was absolutely horrible.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:02:06 +0000

The best thing to do to get revenge is write letters to the Building Museum, and local news outlet, and dispute the charge with your payment company (Paypal, Visa, Bank).

Let’s show these clowns that they cant rip us off.

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:14:34 +0000

I have a feeling we won’t evenreceive the gift certificate.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:48:38 +0000

We got there around 9:15 and waited for about 30 minutes. I understand the rain wasn’t the hosts fault, but that line certainly was. From there it took 40 more minutes to get to a restroom and use it and another 30 minutes waiting at a bar for a drink.

While waiting at the bar, I watched the staff screw up numerous drink orders (with quite possibly the most bottom-shelf liquor I’ve ever seen). Additionally, who serves non-twist top domestic beers at a massive event? That’s why people were crudely attempting to use rails and columns to open beers.

We left around 11 and just took a cab back to our friend’s house. I like the idea of giving the $50 gift certificate to a homeless person.

By: Chase

Chase — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:23:48 +0000

This party was lame. These 2 As*holes are genius. Charge high prices for admission, hire very few bar tenders in hopes that people can’t drink as much because they are waiting in line, hire terrible(cheap) entertainment, hire minimum security…brilliant.

Reed Landry and Fritz Brogan threw this party to bump up there “street credit” but all they did was make a profit at the expense of their names. The liquor selection was of the lowest caliber and minimum in stock, the beer was gone before the liquor, there was no countdown and the security was so frustrated at the end, those men started to act like neanderthals in hopes to keep some sort of order.

I feel bad for those who paid for VIP, which turned out to be a hallway that was manned by some poor teenager who had no control over the flow of people. I snuck into the VIP area in search of a bathroom and noticed the “Event Host Private party: Invited Guests only”. I can only imagine what kind of liquor and beer selection they had.

When it was all said in done, I was reduced to drinking straight Kentucky Gentlemen(because they ran out of soda) after I waited 45minutes at the bar, my girlfriend coat was given away(from the official coat check) and I was threatened by a bouncer when I asked to re-enter to get her coat. But I’m sure Reed and Fritz knew about all of these problems right? Or were they at their banks drive-thru deposit box laughing hysterically with a few future date rape victims in their back seat?

Black List Reed Landry and Fritz Brogan from Washington DC

By: Marie

Marie — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:20:53 +0000

I attended this party, and it was a disaster logistically. I think I might be the one reviewer to say that I enjoyed myself. I will say however that I am shocked and appalled at the behavior of certain attendees. I have heard reports that people were relieving themselves in closets, playing in the fountain, throwing pots into the fountain, and most disturbingly using the marble columns and railings to open beer bottles. NBM is such a beautiful venue, and it’s so sad that certain guests would vandalize it.

By: John

John — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:20:16 +0000

@ Leigh….It’s unfortunate to hear you, one of I think two out of over a hundred comments on the Going Out Guide comment thread, say that this party was acceptable in any way. Reed and Fritz were counting on everyone being just like you…..willing to throw away money for some sort of lame frat like party…..thank goodness you’re in the extreme minority.

By: A REAL event planner

A REAL event planner — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:16:57 +0000

So who was this mystery caterer they blame? Those of us who are really in the business want to know.

It IS up to the event organizer to pay for enough bartenders and staff (through the caterer) to have a smooth event. Sounds to me like they cheaped out.

If the vendor really is to blame, then the event management shouldn’t have much if any of a bill to pay from that company, and therefore should be have plenty of money to pay for the attorneys they are going to need.

Wonder if they purchased liability insurance in advance? Ha ha! I crack me up.

EVENT PLANNING IS NOT A CAREER YOU CAN EXCEL AT BECAUSE YOU ATTENDED A WEDDING ONCE.

By: George

George — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 04:38:28 +0000

@Leigh – I think they opened up a side entrance at some point. I got there at 8:30 and there was only 1 entrance with a very long line… later on I saw people coming through a side entrance right across the street from the Metro exit.

On a separate note, please don’t make this about “you knowing what to expect.” A sh*tshow is one thing, spending all but 30 minutes of your night in line for something is quite another. I think the point is that the crappiness of the night far exceeded anybody’s reasonable expectations.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:41:40 +0000

The line for me was like 20-5 minutes. I got there around 930. But yea the party didnt deliver on any of the goods/services advertised.

If a fight had broken out it could have gone on for 10 minutes until a security guard might have noticed.