The whole event was incredible — from the food and drink to the spectacular photo opportunities with some storied aircraft to mingling with TPG readers and other points and miles enthusiasts. Here's a rundown of how the night unfolded:
7:30pm
Guests began to arrive at the Intrepid Museum. Following a path lined by pink lights and the new TPG logo, attendees made their way from the check-in desk-inspired welcome area to the party, passing a massive screen detailing the work TPG's been doing with PeaceJam (more on that later).
From there, guests made their way down the long corridor lined with aircraft and helicopters of all shapes and sizes — true AvGeek heaven.
Once through the corridor, guests arrived at the party, welcomed by the new TPG logo, which we're excited to share with you now. Our clean new logo replaces the airplane icon with an arrow, which suggests forward motion — and indicates we're a travel lifestyle brand that goes beyond aviation. Stay tuned early next year for even more new TPG launches — including a whole new website.
From there, the drinks were flowing and the hors d'oeuvres trays made their rounds. Drinks ranged from specialty cocktails like the First Class to Champagne, wine, beer and spirits. The huge interior of the aircraft carrier was perfect — plenty of space to mingle — plus, we were inside a historic ship!
8:45pm
TPG stepped on stage to officially welcome everyone to the holiday soirée. After a brief introduction of the TPG team, we looked at how the site has grown throughout 2016 — we now get 3.3 million unique visitors a month. And in the past 12 months, there have been 100 million visits, and 25 million unique visitors have come to the site.
Everything from hitting 1 million Likes on Facebook in April to launching the legendary Chase Sapphire Reserve Card and hitting 3 million visitors for the first time in August!
After an introduction from TPG and a look at the change that Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum has brought to her home country of Guatemala, Menchú Tum stepped on stage and detailed the work of PeaceJam. An organization that's truly making a difference in the lives of youth, PeaceJam teams with Nobel Peace Prize winners to bring their teachings to communities around the world.
PeaceJam co-founders Dawn Engle and Ivan Suvanjieff, who couldn't make the party, recorded a video, which played on stage. In it, they thanked TPG for his constant support and contributions to PeaceJam. Plus, one of the highlights of the night: PeaceJam Director of Programs Kate Cumbo awarded TPG with the title of PeaceJam Global Ambassador — a true honor.
9:55pm
After a bit more mingling, TPG went back on stage to announce the winners of the night's giveaways. If you weren't aware, we teamed up with Starwood Preferred Guest to offer 10 readers the chance to come to the party with an SPG Moments package. The highlight: a performance by Gavin DeGraw.
The giveaways for the night were fantastic, and six guests went home with a variety of prizes. Here's what we gave away, and many thanks to our partners who donated these gifts:
- SPG: Two premium tickets to an MSG event of the winner's choice
- SPG: Five free night awards at up to a Category 6 property
- Norwegian Air: Round-trip airfare for two people in Premium Class from the US to Europe
- Norwegian Air: Round-trip airfare for two people in economy from the US to the French Caribbean
- BLADE: Two seats on a scheduled Bounce-by-the-seat flight
- JetBlue: Two tickets in Mint for a domestic flight
After an exciting giveaway, it was time for DeGraw to take the stage. For such a nontraditional venue, he and his band put on a lively performance.
They played all of their classics — from "I Don't Want to Be" to "Chariot" — and a cover of James Blake's "Let It Go."
10:30pm
Gavin's set was a great way to cap off an incredible evening. On their way out, guests again passed through the same corridor lined with airplanes, helicopters and museum exhibits.
After grabbing their coats before heading back outside, each guest picked up a TPG swag bag. Inside the bag, guests discovered various TPG goodies, including an SPG umbrella and a SKROSS Pro-World travel adapter, which is a great addition to any international traveler's inventory and can be used in more than 220 countries.
From beginning to end, the night was spectacular. Celebrating the accomplishments of The Points Guy in 2016 and looking forward to all that 2017 has in store for the site made for a great night!
Were you at the TPG holiday soirée last night?
