Philadelphia

Diner en Blanc, People, Table Settings, Insider Info & Media Blitz with Videos & Photos & My Media Links

August 26, 2013 by HughE Dillon

By now you should all be familiar with Diner en Blanc,  no doubt after the amazing media blitz that happened last week especially on Friday. With 2500 confirmed people for the pop-up dinner party, Diner en Blanc engaged 4 photographers to cover the event as photojournalists.

 

 We were all given different assignments. Since I photograph people for a living, that was my focus. I love what I do: Get people, stories and for the most part get names so that the organization could send out the 30 – 50 shots Diner en Blanc requested from me to send to them for distribution. Plus I took photos for my two media outlets.  Hopefully you’ll find yours in one of my outlets, if not at some point I will be putting some of the other 400 shots on my FB page Philly ChitChat or sending them to Diner en Blanc for their use.

I was assigned the meeting place at 5th and Market.
It was here that I said “Kory Aversa, Aversa PR, please don’t tweet that photo, I want to include it in my column and it will be a fun surprise.” {I say that to him a lot, as well as others including poor Kate Marly’s who I snapped at at the end of the night when she shot something I had just shot.}

Crazy dedications to get to the location. Throughout the night I would ask people was it worth it, not one person said no. Many said they’d do it again next year.

Love this gal in the subway
whew up two flights
This year’s secret location: The JFK Blvd Bridge near 30th Street Station, Super choice, dining with views of the Schuylkill River, the City Skyline, and 30th Street Station. (Oh and by the way, a stone’s throw away from where Wegman’s is thinking of setting up shop in 2015)

With the waving of the napkins, it signals the start of dinner.

Nice spread for the press. Over 55 bloggers and press people were invited to attend the event, most having done pre-press and a few doing follow up stories. I think that Aversa PR has tapped into something. I know we’re friends, but I have never seen as much coverage for an event, and so much afterwards too. My Philly.com column went up at 3PM and immediately shot to #1 most popular story by 5PM. (The comments can be son interesting too.)

Dan Reinherz and Hadas Kuznits
Thanks to Matthew Stevens & Lauren Jasinski for this shot. An engagement occurred during the sparkler portion and I missed the whole thing (although the engagement shot was so fun, see link at bottom). So sad. I love the song they play too. 

I did get this though, if anyone can tell me how to unattach the videos I would love it. It drives me crazy they run into each other.

 

Maciej Ciezki and Kasia Hopek
I love how she kept her sunglasses on all night
So many people I talked to Thursday night told me how they made friends at last years event, and this year they went with them. Others told me of the fun they were having with the new friends they met this year. With this many people, and no incidences occurred, there’s something magical going on.
The table settings were divine
Smores
The Metro Newspaper Gang

It was really amazing what people brought to their table to make it that much more special

These Main Line girls returned for a 2nd year
A group of friends I chatted with came all the way from Baltimore, MD
 Absolutely one of my favorite photos of the night. “Don’t Stop Believing.” or some song like that.

Everyone was responsible for removing their own trash too ie see see the trash bag she’s carrying as they leave the event.


 These folks were leaving and gave a shout out that they’d be back again next year.

The end – After the event, the Kory Aversa, PR machine continued full force fielding calls from media who wanted info for the next day, I got home and started separating out which photos would go where, preparing my Philly.com (2hrs, sorry no names this week) then my PhillyMag post (took about 3hrs). There were no overlap photos in any of the outlets. That’s the way it should be done. (OK see if you can pick out the kinda close overlap of Tony Luke & Jennifer Schloeder, there’s a tiny difference in the shot. Sorry for those peeps who I promised I would run and didn’t. I realized when I got home it was too difficult to follow my notes, and I just did visuals on my photos and chose that way. Next time remind me that I promised to run you and I didn’t)
Here are some of the places my photos went to:
G Philly
Philly Mag (my twice weekly column – Fun stories)
Philly.com Out and About (my weekly column – fun photos) 
PhillyMag Weddings There Was a Proposal at Philly’s Dîner En Blanc Last Night 
Phila Biz Journal ‘Diner en Blanc‘ event attracts 2500 (photo gallery)
Philly Style Magazine

(PS Please do not remove these photos for 72hrs from today. Please link to the appropriate pages; Thanks)