Battle of the balls as inaugural galas woo US revelers

Organizers of balls celebrating Barack Obama's presidential inauguration on January 20 are rolling out special offers to entice revelers amid deepening economic turmoil in the United States.

Unlimited drinks and fine food, a limited edition Obama print and a draw to win a wide-screen TV are just some of the goodies promised to guests who buy the 250-dollar "Maharajah" (king) package for the first-ever inaugural ball organized by the US Sikh community.

But the organizer, Lakhinder Vohra, said he's getting far more takers for the less expensive "Yuvraaj" (prince) package, which offers just "a couple of drink tickets, food, music and DJ, and a special gift that is minuscule compared to what the Maharajah package gets."

Ticket sales for the Haitians for Barack Obama ball were lackluster until the organizers offered a cheaper, no-frills option.

"Initially, we offered tickets for 250 dollars, which covered food, an all-you-can-drink bar and memorabilia, including medallions with the face of Toussaint Louverture (a leader of Haiti's slave revolt in 1791) on one side and Obama's on the other," said Mirline Labissiere, an organizer of the Reality of a Dream ball.

"But a lot of people were concerned about the 250 dollars, saying we are in a recession, all of this is happening after the holidays and they are strapped for cash," she said.

When the 150-dollar, no-medallion, pay-as-you-drink tickets went on offer, sales practically doubled and Labissiere projected that the event, to be held in a hotel near the Capitol, where Obama will be sworn in at noon on January 20, would draw a capacity crowd of 400.

Inaugural balls have been a key part of US presidential inaugurations since George Washington took the oath of office in 1789.

In 1913, Woodrow Wilson became the first and only US president to refuse to have a ball, saying they were frivolous.

And the inaugural balls held in the 1930s, as the United States grappled with the Great Depression, and 1940s during World War II were subdued affairs.

Obama will host 10 official inaugural balls, whose tickets were sought by prospective revelers like gold dust.

Hundreds of unofficial galas are also planned to mark the historic inauguration, which comes as the United States fights in two wars, joblessness soars and the economy crumbles.

A gala organized by the Jaycees community group in Oxon Hill, a commuter suburb of Washington, where the most expensive ticket cost 120 dollars, was struggling to attract guests.

"We can accommodate 205 and we've sold about 40 tickets," organizer Joni Paskins told AFP.

"A lot of people have expressed interest in the event, but right after the holidays and with the economy the way it is, they don't want to commit to anything," even if their 120 dollars will give them access to a gourmet meal, unlimited wine and champagne, and Obama champagne glasses and bumper magnets, she said.

The cheapest way to attend a ball is virtually, via Internet or television links to the official galas.

But for the many Americans who insist on being there in person while keeping to a tight budget, there are soirees like the Grassroots Inaugural.

"We wanted to do something accessible because a lot of these events are priced outrageously," said Joan Porte, a former Obama campaign worker helping to organize the ball-cum-fundraiser in the Washington suburb of Falls Church, Virginia, two days before the inauguration.

"Obama has called for a day of service, so we thought why not make our event a fundraiser," said Porte.

The Grassroots Inaugural costs 50 dollars, most of which is tax deductible. Guests are also asked to bring non-perishable food items that will be donated to a foodbank.

Hors d'oeuvres are included in the entry price, drinks will be available for purchase, there will be a local band and guests will receive a souvenir of the historic inauguration.

"We'll probably have buttons (badges) for everyone, and we're thinking of handing out constitutions because we figured everyone should know the US constitution," Porte said.

Two weeks before the inauguration, nearly three-quarters of the 500 tickets to the Grassroots Inaugural had been sold.