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Rock On: It’s Tech Prom Time!

CDT’s annual dinner, Tech Prom, is right around the corner, and this is the place to get all the details on what to expect.  

If you’ve received this update via email from CDT, congratulations! That means that you are officially registered for the dinner. We look forward to welcoming you, and want to ensure a fabulous time for all.

With our largest turnout ever, the event has officially sold out.

As a reminder, the details for Tech Prom are:

When: April 10, 2019 – 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Where: NEW VENUE!!! The Anthem, 901 Wharf Street SW, Washington, D.C.  

Important reminders: To ensure that you have a positive experience at Tech Prom, we hope you will help us with a few details:

If you have dietary restrictions (vegetarian/kosher/halal) or allergies, please notify CDT by Monday, April 8 at [email protected]. If you’ve already submitted that information to your sponsor host, CDT has it on file, but please feel free to confirm.

If you have a hearing, mobility, or other accommodation request, please notify CDT by Monday, April 8 at [email protected].

If your plans have changed and you are no longer able to join us, please let CDT know as soon as possible at [email protected]. If you are attending as part of a sponsor group, please also inform the person who has invited you. Your unused ticket will be considered a fully tax deductible charitable contribution given in support of CDT’s work.

Evening schedule: CDT will welcome more than 1,100 guests from the tech policy community for an evening of great networking, delicious cocktails, and thoughtful programming. We encourage you to bring your business cards and big ideas, because this year the theme is Informing Democracy. We will be talking about technology’s impact on the development of informed democratic societies, and addressing ways that technology can bring more equity.

The evening begins with cocktails and networking on the second floor concourse at 5:30 p.m. (promptly!). We will begin the dinner and program at 7:00 p.m. (promptly!), and will conclude with a dessert and cocktail reception at 8:30 p.m. (we are determined to release you on time!). Many thanks to our Dessert Reception Sponsor, Goodwin, for its support.

Concurrent to the Dessert Reception, CDT is testing out the sound in our new rock hall venue with a concert by White Ford Bronco, a 1990s cover band. White Ford Bronco will play hits that will be nostalgic for some, vaguely familiar for others, and brand new for those who have yet to discover the joys of Vanilla Ice, Nirvana, and REM. Many thanks to our Entertainment Sponsor, Lyft, for getting this party started.

Grab a dessert and continue networking, or pick up a beer and head back to the stage – the choice is yours, but we hope you will stay for the entire evening.

The program: CDT is excited to welcome our featured speaker, Alberto Ibargüen, President of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. He will join our President & CEO, Nuala O’Connor, in a riveting conversation about trust, media, and democracy. They will both be welcomed by our emcee for the night, Kimberly Adams of NPR’s Marketplace.

After that, Nuala will have the stage to herself as she shares highlights of CDT’s advocacy efforts, and then talks about how we can create a more equitable society by changing the policy and design paradigms that currently govern technology. You will not want to miss it.  

Attire: Business or cocktail attire will be in the majority, but if you’ve got a tux or a ball gown that you’re ready to sport, we all will be suitably impressed (pun intended). There is a lot of standing at our various receptions, so please consider that in your shoe selection (fabulous flats do exist, ladies).

Transportation: Driving directions can be found here. Street parking is very limited, but there is a parking garage in the building to the left of The Anthem. A map of all parking lots can be found here. The closest Metro stop is Southwest Waterfront (green line), which is less than a 15-minute walk to the venue (0.6 miles). With thanks to our sponsors, Lyft and Uber, we are also pleased to offer ride-sharing codes. Using either platform, Tech Prom guests will get $5 off of your ride to or from Tech Prom – we all want to make sure you get home safely. An event reminder email will be sent early next week which will include the coupon codes – the codes will also be available on-site.

Other things to note:

Tech Prom’s Signature Cocktail: The Speech Easy combines gin, champagne, lemon, and simple sugar, and will put some spring in your step. Many thanks to our Signature Cocktail Sponsor, Wix.com, for being the toast of Tech Prom!

Coat check: Complementary coat check is available on Level 1.

Tickets: Don’t panic if you don’t have an event ticket – we didn’t issue any. Your name will be on our list at registration. Please check in to get your table assignment and name badge, which you will need to access the various parts of the event.

Stay juiced: CDT is pleased to offer charging stations in the reception area on Level 2 courtesy of our Platinum sponsors: Amazon, Apple, Dell, DuckDuckGo, Facebook, Google, Intel, Mayer Brown, and Microsoft!

Special thanks: For an event like this, we always turn to our sponsors in thanks – their support makes this event a great night and an important fundraiser for the work that CDT does to advocate for our digital rights year-round. Thank you to all who are taking a leadership role.

#TECHPROMCDT ONLINE:

Whether attending in person or looking on from afar, you can join in the fun by following our Twitter feed and sharing photos, comments, and gifs using #techpromCDT. You can also follow us on Facebook.

If you have any questions about the above information, or need additional information do not hesitate to call Lee-Berkeley Shaw at 202-407-8834 or contact [email protected]. Thank you so much for your support of CDT – we can’t wait to see you at Tech Prom!