Milwaukee Press Club

Events

The Milwaukee Press Club regularly holds a variety of events of interest to journalists and the broader community. All of the club's events are open to the public.

The club's three main annual events are the Milwaukee City Birthday Party, the Gridiron awards banquet, and the Hall of Fame banquet. Those events are held at various locations throughout the city. In addition, Newsmaker Luncheons and evening gatherings are held at the club's meeting place, the Newsroom Pub. The evening events include social gatherings and presentations on media-related topics.

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Event Descriptions

Milwaukee City Birthday Party

The club presents the Milwaukee City Birthday Party at the end of each January. This party evolved from earlier days when Milwaukee Mayor Henry Maier would walk over to the old Press Club restaurant and, at lunchtime, present a state of the city address. The parties are now evening gatherings at various downtown locations and draw hundreds of attendees from throughout the community.

Past themes include...

 

Gridiron Banquet

Each spring the club presents the Gridiron banquet, which incorporates the awards ceremony for the Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism contest, the Sacred Cat award and the Headliner award. The Sacred Cat award goes to a prominent national journalist. The Headliner award goes to a worthy civic, community or business leader from the area. See our list of Sacred Cat winners and Headliners.

Hall of Fame Banquet

In October the club presents the induction ceremony for the Milwaukee Media Hall of Fame. The club's past presidents' council nominates inductees, which the board ratifies. Names of all the inductees are displayed at the Newsroom Pub.

Newsmaker Luncheons

The club holds Newsmaker Luncheons at the Newsroom Pub. Speakers and topics run the gamut. Held monthly at the Newsroom Pub, each event is a forum for a local, regional or national person or entity currently making headlines to speak and field questions from journalists and the public. Reservations are required and many events sell out. Admission (currently $10 for members, $15 for non-members) includes a catered lunch.

Annual Meetings

Since the opening of The Newsroom Pub in 2000, the club has elevated its September annual meeting from strictly a business meeting to a large social gathering with a keynote speaker.

Third Thursdays

The Pub is also the site of the club's Third Thursday evening socials, when members and friends gather for fun and two-for-one drink specials.

Special Cermonies

When warranted, the club holds a special ceremony to invest members of the media or the community into, respectively, the circle of the Knights of the Golden Quill or the Knights of Bohemia. While the honors are serious, the ceremonies are conducted in a fun and lively manner.