The Atlantic Hosts Big Names in Journalism and Politics at "First Draft of History" Summit - 09.30.09

This Thursday and Friday, The Atlantic, partnering with the Aspen Institute and the Newseum, will hold what producers hope to be the first of many annual summits of journalists, politicians, and business leaders. "The First Draft of History" boasts a lineup of back-to-back interviews between the likes of David Axelrod and Charlie Gibson, John McCain and David Gregory, and Michael Bloomberg and George Stephanopoulos.

"This is a really unique moment in Washington with the new administration and all of the new people," said Elizabeth Baker Keffer, president of Atlantic Live, the events arm of Atlantic Media. "And with with the economic downturn and the city's role in that, Washington has become the center of attention."

Baker Keffer and Atlantic editors got the idea for the event about a year ago and formalized the plan in early 2009, after partnering with the Aspen Institute and Newseum trustee Shelby Coffey, whose long journalism background came in handy. Once the venue and timing were settled upon, the real challenge was wrangling all of the talent required to fill the two days of programming. The magazine found an event editorial director in reporter Margaret Carlson, who worked with Atlantic Media president Justin Smith and editor in chief James Bennet to find the right people to appear at the event.

"They have been meeting relentlessly to capture this talent," Baker Keffer said. "They made a wish list of the top news-makers and journalists, and, in each case, what we've done is look at who has the relationships and who should reach out."

The event team also spent a lot of time curating a guest list. An expected 500 to 600 individuals will head to the Newseum over the course of the two-day conference, with Washington-based politicos and journalists accounting for the majority of them. Leaders from the worlds of business, nonprofits, and education—presidents of Brown, Harvard, and New York University among them—will join a handful of lottery winners and local students to fill the seats.

Space is limited. The Knight Conference Center on the museum's seventh floor has seating for 250, with room for about another 100 in overflow. The room will be altered to fit the event design, with staging and set production by Future View, and a large time line of events from the past year that also appears in in the programs. The Atlantic also worked with partners such as CSI for printing and branding, Sugarplum Tents, MarcParc Valet, in-house Newseum caterer Wolfgang Puck Catering, and the event's executive producer, Tammy Haddad.

"One of our goals is to use this to set a foundation for an annual gathering, an appointment event for leaders around the country and potentially around the globe," Baker Keffer said. "Although this is different, we'd like it to achieve the same resonance and engagement that Davos [home of the World Economic Forum] has."

Regardless of the precedent this week's summit sets, the magazine already has plans to keep the event in the minds of attendees and readers. The January/February issue of The Atlantic will bear the title "The First Draft of History" and include reports on the proceedings as well as reflections from a handful of historians who'll be in attendance.

In It to Win It - 08.10.09

Inspired by the National Valet Parking Association's Olympics in November, MarcParc Valet held its first annual Valet Olympics.

With a cry of “Let the games begin,” about 20 valet drivers hit the pavement on Sunday to compete in MarcParc Inc.’s first annual Valet Olympics, which included four different events to test drivers’ abilities. Held on one of the hottest days of the year at the MarcParc parking lot at New York Avenue and 5th Street, the competition sent cones flying through the air as participants maneuvered four MarcParc-owned SUVs and trucks around the course in an effort to win a gold medal and a Garmin GPS.

Event co-chair Manuel Montano, MarcParc’s director of standards and training, organized the event as a teambuilding exercise and a chance for valets to show off their skills. “When you think of a valet, you think of them getting in a car, driving to a parking spot, and that’s the end of that,” he said. “But here, you’re testing organizational skills, maneuvering skills, and making sure the vehicle is secure. It’s very challenging.”

To judge the competition and tally scores, Montano used the National Valet Parking Association’s official Valet Olympic rules and guidelines, which specify penalties and infractions, such as a 10-second penalty for knocking over a cone.

The event kicked off at 10:30 a.m. as valets tested their ability to quickly recognize vehicle keys and corresponding tickets in the Key Jumble. Another group took turns at the slalom event, maneuvering forwards and backwards without exceeding 10 mph through cones placed along the length of the parking lot. Judges kept track of the drivers’ times, while participants engaged in a little lighthearted trash talking, such as “My grandmother can go faster than that!” or “Where’s my car? I’ve been standing here for 20 minutes!”

After a lunch break catered by Uncle Julio’s Rio Grande Café, the drivers competed in two final events—individual maneuvering, which tested parking ability, and a team relay race that required valets to sprint in the oppressive heat just after downing fajitas. But the contestants went for the gold, with their pride on the line as well as a chance to possibly represent the MarcParc team at the National Valet Olympics in November in Scottsdale, Arizona. Although Montano wants to send a MarcParc team to the conference, the company's presence is still up in the air, depending both on employee interest and available funds.

Parking Magazine: MarcParcValet goes Hollywood - 11.01.07

Valet Company Featured in New Kidman Film

Employees of MarcParcValet in Washington, DC, recently got a glimpse of what life is like on a Hollywood film set when they were cast in a scene from the new Nicole Kidman-Daniel Craig film, “The Invasion.”

According to MarcParcValet Executive Director Mike Jasser, the company was originally contacted by Warner Brothers and asked if they could supply valet uniforms for the film. They later got a call asking if they could also supply the actors.

“Our uniforms have a distinctive look, more so than the average valet uniform,” said Jasser.

The scene was filmed at the Chilean embassy over two days in early October. In the scene, Kidman arrives at a dinner party and has her car valet parked.

Jasser and three employees – Casey Kost, Alex Slavin and Ryan Porath – were used in the filming. He said that even a seemingly simple act such as parking a car is not without potential hazards, as Kidman found out during the shoot.

“During the rehearsal shot, Kidman pulls up in a Mercedes ML SUV,” said Jasser. “It was a new model at the time, and apparently no one had briefed her on the vehicle. She stopped the car, and was halfway out of it when the car started rolling.

“Craig, who was in the passenger seat, jumps over the console , hits what he thinks is the brake, but was actually the gas. One of the valets then pulls Kidman away from the car, leans in and hits the brake.”

Jasser recently saw the film and said that the valet scene made it into the final cut – for about 10 seconds.

Casey Kost, Alex Slavin and Ryan Porath and MarcParcValet Executive Director Mike Jasser.