Obama inauguration news

The $500,000 inauguration fantasy weekend

Big Spender: Worth a king’s ransom to attend Obama’s swearing-in?

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By Charles Passy

Reuters

Beyonce will sing the national anthem at President Barack Obama's second inauguration ceremony on January 21, the organizing committee announced on Wednesday. Here she performs at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles.

The pitch

It’s oath-taking time for Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., and the Presidential Inaugural Committee is promising visitors a memorable experience, saying the upcoming event “will attract people from across the country and all over the world to once again be part of history.” But for those seeking a party with a little more panache — and a lot more exclusivity — there are options aplenty for indulging in the ultimate inaugural weekend.

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The upcoming inauguration has sparked interest in collectibles from years gone by. Expert authenticator and museum consultant Seth Kaller joins Lunch Break with pieces from our past. Photo: Getty Images.

Start with the $250,000 “Washington Premium Partner Access” package that’s being offered by the Inaugural Committee itself: It includes admission to a couple of the big events on Monday — the Inaugural Ball (four tickets) and the Inaugural Parade (two bleacher seats) — plus access to select receptions and a children’s concert featuring Katy Perry, Alicia Keys and Brad Paisley. Of course, you’ll also need tickets to the swearing-in ceremony — those are technically not for sale (they’re distributed through members of Congress), but they’re still being offered by brokers for as much as $16,250 a pair. And what about a place to rest your head? Hoteliers are promoting all sorts of presidential-worthy accommodations, but price-wise, it’s hard to top the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown’s $201,300 “West Wing” package, which comes with a block of rooms on two private floors, 24-hour butler service, a custom-designed inaugural necklace, a $20,000 shopping spree at Bloomingdale’s and — perhaps most important of all — the opportunity to host your own inaugural ball (for up to 75 guests) with a five-course dinner “customized for the client.”
Oh, and you don’t want to leave Washington without an inaugural souvenir. No worry — the Inaugural Committee sells those as well, including a $7,500 medallion set, with bronze, silver and gold pieces, a certificate of authenticity and a “decorative display box” for showing off the keepsakes.
Add it all up and the inauguration fantasy weekend’s tab comes to $475,050. But we’re assuming you’re a generous tipper, so we’ll call it an even half-million.
The reality
You don’t need to spend a dime to attend an inauguration: The swearing-in ceremony is free and open to the public — provided you don’t mind standing far from the podium. But the buzz on the 2013 inauguration is that it’s unlikely to attract the record-breaking crowd of 1.8 million that attended Obama’s truly historic 2009 inauguration as the first African-American U.S. president, so viewing should be better than it was then. The smaller crowds also mean less demand for hotels, so prices should be more within reason: Destination DC, the capital’s tourism and convention marketer, says rooms within the city can be had for as little as $200 — or not much more than they would normally run during a busy time of year. As for the Ritz-Carlton, it also offers a “value” option at each of its two D.C.-area hotels: a standard room for $1,000 a night during the inauguration weekend, which, a hotel spokesperson notes, comes with such perks as inauguration-themed chocolate-chip cookies (made using Michelle Obama’s favorite recipe).
So, what’s with all the four-, five- and six-figure parties and packages? Tourism and marketing professionals say they’re aimed at those who feel the need to distinguish themselves from the hundreds of thousands who attend the inaugural festivities at little to no price. “It goes back to the whole conspicuous-consumption thing,” says Maggie Daniels, an associate professor at George Mason University who coordinates the school’s tourism and events-management program.
As for souvenir shopping, collectors of political memorabilia say inauguration trinkets rarely have much value — other than a sentimental one. “Political collectors are into the campaign items,” says Tom Peeling, who blogs for the Collectors Quest website. In other words, a $7,500 medallion set may be nothing more than a pretty paperweight in the long run. A cheaper alternative? The Inaugural Committee is also selling official buttons featuring the presidential pooch, Bo — for five bucks apiece.