Battle of the balls

2009-01-09 12:54

Washington - Organisers of balls celebrating Barack Obama's presidential inauguration on January 20 are rolling out special offers to entice revellers amid deepening economic turmoil in the United States.

Unlimited drinks and fine food, a limited edition Obama print and a draw to win a wide-screen TV are just some of the goodies promised to guests who buy the $250 "Maharajah" (king) package for the first-ever inaugural ball organised by the US Sikh community.

But the organiser, Lakhinder Vohra, said he's getting far more takers for the less expensive "Yuvraaj" (prince) package, which offers just "a couple of drink tickets, food, music and DJ, and a special gift that is minuscule compared to what the Maharajah package gets".

Ticket sales for the Haitians for Barack Obama ball were lacklustre until the organisers offered a cheaper, no-frills option.

"Initially, we offered tickets for $250, which covered food, an all-you-can-drink bar and memorabilia, including medallions with the face of Toussaint Louverture (a leader of Haiti's slave revolt in 1791) on one side and Obama's on the other," said Mirline Labissiere, an organiser of the Reality of a Dream ball.

"But a lot of people were concerned about the $250, saying we are in a recession, all of this is happening after the holidays and they are strapped for cash," she said.

When the $150, no-medallion, pay-as-you-drink tickets went on offer, sales practically doubled and Labissiere projected that the event, to be held in a hotel near the Capitol, where Obama will be sworn in at noon on January 20, would draw a capacity crowd of 400.

Historic

Inaugural balls have been a key part of US presidential inaugurations since George Washington took the oath of office in 1789.

In 1913, Woodrow Wilson became the first and only US president to refuse to have a ball, saying they were frivolous.

And the inaugural balls held in the 1930s, as the United States grappled with the Great Depression, and 1940s during World War II were subdued affairs.

Obama will host 10 official inaugural balls, whose tickets were sought by prospective revellers like gold dust.

Hundreds of unofficial galas are also planned to mark the historic inauguration, which comes as the United States fights in two wars, joblessness soars and the economy crumbles.

A gala organised by the Jaycees community group in Oxon Hill, a commuter suburb of Washington, where the most expensive ticket cost $120, was struggling to attract guests.

"We can accommodate 205 and we've sold about 40 tickets," organiser Joni Paskins told AFP.

'They don't want to commit'

"A lot of people have expressed interest in the event, but right after the holidays and with the economy the way it is, they don't want to commit to anything," even if their $120 will give them access to a gourmet meal, unlimited wine and champagne, and Obama champagne glasses and bumper magnets, she said.

The cheapest way to attend a ball is virtually, via internet or television links to the official galas.

But for the many Americans who insist on being there in person while keeping to a tight budget, there are soirees like the Grassroots Inaugural.

"We wanted to do something accessible because a lot of these events are priced outrageously," said Joan Porte, a former Obama campaign worker helping to organise the ball-cum-fundraiser in the Washington suburb of Falls Church, Virginia, two days before the inauguration.

"Obama has called for a day of service, so we thought why not make our event a fundraiser," said Porte.

The Grassroots Inaugural costs $50, most of which is tax deductible. Guests are also asked to bring non-perishable food items that will be donated to a foodbank.

Hors d'oeuvres are included in the entry price, drinks will be available for purchase, there will be a local band and guests will receive a souvenir of the historic inauguration.

"We'll probably have buttons (badges) for everyone, and we're thinking of handing out constitutions because we figured everyone should know the US constitution," Porte said.

Two weeks before the inauguration, nearly three-quarters of the 500 tickets to the Grassroots Inaugural had been sold.

- AFP