PRESSROOM

New Media Strategies (NMS) can easily claim to have thrown one of, if not the, best parties of the season. NMS celebrated its ten-year anniversary in online promotion with a bash that, quite literally, rocked on Thursday night.

The young, happy and attractive employees of NMS – together with their clients and friends — partied at The Rock & Roll Hotel for a "Decade of Dominance" party that blew away the conventions that are associated with annual parties.

Founder Pete Snyder knows how to keep his company on the cutting edge, even when it comes to throwing a party: He hired a heavy-metal cover band as the entertainment. Metalhead — a band featuring a guitarist formerly with the band Berlin and a lead singer formerly with the band Warrant — was flown to Washington just for the night's performance. The men dressed in tight leather pants, long teased wigs and plenty of eyeliner played late into the night.

And NMS employees don’t have to worry too much about work on Friday. We hear the staff was all told to meet at McDonald's for breakfast at 10 am.

Party deets:

Venue: Not your average ballroom or corporate headquarters. The choice of the funky Rock & Roll Hotel as the spot for a company party reflected the cool factor of NMS. The spotlights out front that welcomed guests did not seem extravagant given what a great party it was.

Food: There were non-stop platters of food – and the food was far from bite-sized: pulled pork with coleslaw sliders, ham and Swiss on biscuit sandwiches, grilled cheese squares, fried cheese balls, buffalo chicken tenders, hamburger sliders, spanakopita, and fries served in a Pabst Blue Ribbon cup.

Booze: Guests were greeted by servers carrying trays of "red-nosed rocket," a Bacardi Limon and fruit punch cocktail served in a red sugar-lined glass. A well-staffed and open bar kept the booze flowing, serving guests whatever they desired.

Star power: Founder Snyder and his wife, Republican operative Burson Snyder; Limitedbrands's Mark Neuman; Los Angeles Times's Josh Meyer, Jim Oliphant and Tom Hamburger; National Journal's Sara Jerome; MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor; Monocle's Sasha Issenberg; Qorvis's Chelsea Cummings; Senate Finance Committee senior adviser and counsel Scott Mulhauser; The Herald Group's Shannon Flaherty; and POLITICO's Jonathan Martin.

Fun Factor: Rocking out to "Living on a Prayer" and "Sweet Child O' Mine" led to more than one guest saying "This is the party to be at." It’s no wonder why Snyder was named one of the Best Bosses in America by Fortune Small Business.