Party circuit turns pink.

• Author: MARKS, SUSAN J.
• Position: LH3 Inc marketing strategy - Brief Article

GATHERINGS UNITE LAID-OFF WORKERS, POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS

No problem. There's a new party in town -- the Pink Slip Party.

Springing from New York and San Francisco roots, this type of techno tete-a-tete is hot coast to coast. Laid-off dot-commers, IT workers, recruiters and even employers head to a local bar or a happening spot, put on name tags and mingle.

Pink-slip blues got you down? Looking for a new outlet for your IT talents? Or just out to rub shoulders with fellow techies?

The purpose can be to commiserate with fellow out-of-work types, to network in pursuit of the next stop on the corporate ladder, or just to socialize.

On the West Coast, the parties are free and draw 1,000 or more people.

A Denver interactive marketing agency, LH3 Inc., has taken the concept to another level, albeit on a smaller scale. Instead of 1,000-plus people, these parties are limited to up to 350 attendees with about a dozen employers and recruiters who serve as sponsors.

The purpose is all business, says Lauri Harrison, founder and president of LH3 Inc.

Denver's parties carry a pricetag, but all three thus far this year have been sellouts. For companies, the fees have ranged from $1,000 in January to just...