Every year, Maxim Magazine throws a party in various cities across the country. It teamed up with Bud Light for this year's MaximExposure party, which for Madison (one of 45 cities) took place Sept. 14 at the Expo Center.
The main ways to get invited were: 1) Know someone connected to this party (i.e. a Budweiser sales rep), 2) Get spotted at the bars by a Maxim/Bud Light talent scout, or 3) Enter your myspace site on Z104.
The party began at 9 p.m. There were apparently a lot of people there rightaway, as many guests went to the pre-party at Madison's, then took the free shuttle over to the Expo Center.
As you entered the building, you had to sign a waiver allowing for Maxim to take pictures and video of you for future promos. After getting checked off on the guest list, your driver's license was scanned and then you were given a blue wrist band.
Past the security (which didn't allow re-entry), you got to pose with two Maxim girls in front of approximately six photographers (like you were in Hollywood--it was neat). Then there was a bar in which they served you Bud Light in the aluminum bottle [free for the entire night].
You then walked through a door made of fog (nice effect) to get to the main party. Several areas were set up for hired women to dress scantily and dance. One area had a bed on which several women danced in their underwear.
One corner had a video shoot where women and their friends could pose; this was televised on several of the numerous video screens placed around the party. This seemed pretty popular as there was a constant line.
Adjacent to that was an inflatable trampoline, which also served as a Twister board. Anyone was allowed to play; many of the female contestants apparently did not care or remember that they were wearing short skirts while playing.
On the other side of the video shoot was an elevated VIP area, with the entrance guarded by security. Besides a few sitting areas, it was not impressive at all. There was another elevated area that was even higher, and it was a good vantage point for the party, but otherwise it was no big deal.
In yet another corner was a photo booth. Like most booths, it took four color photos and spewed them out after a few minutes (also free). The catch was that there was a video camera set up in there as well; either patrons didn't care or realize that everything they were doing could be seen outside on the video screens.
As a whole, the room was decorated nicely. You felt like you were in a nightclub, other than for the fact that there was no established dance area (you just danced where you felt like). Most people danced in the center of the room, despite the obstacles (like TVs).
Other observations:
- The lines for the bars (there was one big bar and one little bar) were never bad, as the bartenders always anticipated your arrival. Although the aluminum bottles were nice because they kept the beer so cold, they also were harder to hold since they were so cold.
- The party had too many men; how some of them (who were old and creepy) got invited still remains a mystery. [They really stood out because Madison is a college town, and most of the guests looked between 21 and 30.]
- Some more sitting areas (i.e. booths) would have been nice. There were some seats, but they were off to the side, away from the action.
- The attire was all across the board. Some men were suits, others wore shorts. Some women had nightclub dresses, others wore a tank top and jeans [that's the problem with a small town like Madison; its residents don't know what to wear to an event like this because most of the bars here are college bars or dive bars]. The most funny thing was seeing half of the men wear the same thing: a button-down white shirt with jeans (be more creative in your outfits, guys!).
For more info and pics from the party, check out www.maximexposure.com (make sure to play the photo shoot game!).
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