How a massive Silicon Alley party for NYCs tech scene turned into a bust | Latest Tech News
A lavish party meant to have fun the thirtieth anniversary of New York City’s “Silicon Alley” tech scene turned into a bust — after a building allow snafu left a whole bunch of attendees stranded in a “freezing” building foyer, The Post has realized.
Roughly 1,300 people had been set to attend the $95-a-head event, “30+ Years of Silicon Alley,” on the forty first ground of 180 Maiden Lane in the Financial District.
The Friday shindig was billed as a “one-night-only celebration” of “three decades of tech & innovation in New York,” with jazz and cocktails adopted by a live efficiency by DJ Isaac Ferry.
“Silicon Alley” refers to New York City’s tech scene. Silicon Alley
However, an occupancy certificates for the sky-high Maiden Lane party space listed a most of just 186 people at a time, according to public data reviewed by The Post.
What’s more, the certificates was labeled as momentary and expired on July 23, 2023.
While some executives made it upstairs, a whole bunch of other well-dressed company — including some whose companies had cosponsored the shindig — had been stranded in the frigid foyer.
The local fire marshal told company that the party space was method above its max occupancy and had to shut down, sources said.
“There was a huge queue snaking around the lobby, which led to escalators and then elevators up to the event. Hundreds of people, and the line did not move at all,” one attendee told The Post. “It was an indoor lobby, of course, but huge and airy, and freezing.”
The venue had submitted a “temporary place of assembly” request for the forty first ground on Jan. 29 — just in the future before the Silicon Alley party was scheduled to happen, metropolis data show. But metropolis officers raised “objections” to the submitting, which seems to have never acquired remaining approval before the party.
The data don’t specify what the objections had been.
The event’s steering committee included New York tech heavyweights like Julie Samuels of the influential commerce group TechNYC and Kevin Ryan of AlleyCorp.
The party was billed as a “one-night-only celebration” of “three decades of tech & innovation in New York.” Jeff Glueck / LinkedIn
Major sponsors included giants like Amazon, Microsoft and Sequoia, as properly as an military of local VCs and tech startups.
“Everyone was outside and wouldn’t be let up,” a second source added. “The lobby was not warm. It was a very bad situation.”
Stranded company had been left with no selection but to depart. Some headed to local hotspot Old Mates and other close by bars, sources said. Later in the night time, security started letting some company into the party venue, but on a “one-in, one-out” foundation, one of the sources said.
“Silicon Valley is famously lame at partying, so at least we’ve begun to compete with them on that front,” one dejected partygoer told The Post.
The Silicon Alley thirtieth anniversary party occurred on Jan. 30. Jeff Glueck / LinkedIn
Others voiced their frustration on social media, with one writing on X that the party had “turned into “Fyre Festival” – a reference to the notorious doomed music pageant.
Representatives for the steering committee declined to remark.
By Saturday, the event’s organizers had despatched an e-mail apologizing for the mess and promising refunds to ticketholders.
The party occurred at 180 Maiden Lane, also identified as the WSA Building. UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
“Due to a permitting issue with the venue that was outside of our control, we were unexpected told that we couldn’t admit any additional guests at a certain point in the evening, and that the celebration ultimately needed to be cut short,” the organizers said in an e-mail, which was obtained by The Post.
180 Maiden Lane was acquired by real estate firm 99c in 2024.
The skyscraper’s occasions are managed by the hospitality group Happier People Management, which is listed as a “production partner” for the event, and the affiliated Water Street Associates, a self-styled “creative hub” that oversees venue at 180 Maiden Lane and close by 161 Water Street.
Happier, WSA and the FDNY didn’t return The Post’s requests for remark.
Stay informed with the latest in tech! Our web site is your trusted source for breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, gadget launches, software program updates, cybersecurity, and digital innovation.
For recent insights, skilled coverage, and trending tech updates, go to us recurrently by clicking right here.
