• by Kelly Samardak , May 30, 2008

COREMedia's 16th Anniversary/Keep A Child Alive Benefit, Marquee, New York
May 30, 2008

I took 449 pictures last night. Do you have any idea what that does to someone's brain the day after a kickbutt party at Marquee thrown by COREMedia? It makes the brain soupy. This was the party to beat, people. I used all my space-age film (some call it a compactflash card), my battery died, AND my phone died by the end of the evening. It was like Y2K up there.

Food gets top billing today because I can still taste that last cocktail wiener, even though I flossed with a piece of razor wire. Danielle Sichuk, in her sassy peacock greenish-blue Grecian summertime dress, stood with me as I surveyed the venue and munched on those little pig pieces part cylinders - the first app of the night!

It's dark. Crud. I still don't have my external flash-diffuser combo -- and peering through the red saucy club gave me belly knots the size of the disco balls dangling from the ceiling. I'd have to make do.

Tuna tartare sashayed by, glistening pink with green flecks of happiness. It plopped on top of a crispy round cracker buddy and leaped into my mouth, leaving just a tiny little wasabi pinch on my tongue. I picked up the tray and dumped the rest into my mouth, Danielle slapped me, and then I went home. Not really.

Gulping my sixth mound of raw delicious pinkness, I realized I was surrounded by suits, sexy satin shifts, pantsuits, cropped skinny jeans, and the tallest man I have ever seen. This party drew a corporate diverse crowd with its 16th Anniversary party/Keep a Child Alive Benefit. The tall fellow who hooked me up with a VIP pass? Why, that's Glenn DeKraker, CEO, COREMedia Systems Inc. I don't want to create any scandal, but every time I saw Glenn, he was being followed by a gaggle of hot blond whippersnappers. I'm just saying.

Next course, the VIP room. I was let through the velvet rope by my pal Radar, who only looks like a mild-mannered bouncer - he's also running his own business as a personal trainer. The VIP room was dead around 7:00 p.m. which was fine with me since I hate to wait for a drink. I glanced around at the cushy banquettes and had another one of those "is this really my life right now?" moments.

Think about it. People are having to make choices like "Do I get gas so I can get to work, or do I buy milk and eggs so my family can eat, but then I can't pay my mortgage" and my biggest choice last night was whether to go with a sparkly or strapless dress. Which is WHY it is so important to GIVE if you can. If your biggest decision has to do with clubwear, honey, you have some cash to spare. And last night COREMedia was the conduit, so thank you.

I was super excited to hear "American Boy" by Estelle, who had her video directed by James Larese, one of the new directors honored at the SHOOT New Directors Showcase (site of yesterday's Minute.) Once the DJ spun that track, the party got thumping, the booties started dropping, and pictures got really interesting. You'll see those photos in Just An Online Minute's coverage of COREMedia's 16th Anniversary: Scandalous Edition.

I'm not kidding.

Want Kelly to stand on a table and dance while also covering your party for Just An Online Minute? Send invitations to: kelly@mediapost.com

See all the amazing food and people on Flickr