Conde’s holiday bash was more ho-hum than ho-ho-ho. The cocktail party for Condé Nast top brass at Aureole on Monday was a low-key affair that insiders say didn’t hold a candle to the old lavish lunch, with its Kremlinesque intrigues.
Traditionally, the Condé Nast party set the pace for the rest of the media industry. But the Four Seasons meal for chief editors, publishers and executives may never return, sources say. The company last held a Christmas luncheon in 2007.
At a cocktail party, there is no seating chart to illustrate who is in favor, breaking bread at the table of the billionaire chairman, S.I. Newhouse, Jr., and who is in the far reaches, known as Siberia.
Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour reportedly looked stunning in red at Aureole. Vanity Fair Editor-in-Chief Graydon Carter, who famously forgot the date a decade ago, didn’t miss this one.
Condé officialdom was cranky and tight-lipped when asked about the party, which only featured hors d’oeuvres and an open bar.
Some guests joked that maybe, in the absence of a seating chart, attendees would jockey to see who got to stand next to Si.
But even the jokes weren’t too funny, in a year when Condé Nast shut down an unprecedented six magazines — Gourmet, Cookie, Domino, Portfolio, Modern Bride and Elegant Brides — and laid off an estimated 460 people.
“It was a very nice reception,” said spokeswoman Maurie Perl. “I don’t have anything to say about anything or who was standing where.”
Newhouse spoke at length in the center of the room without a microphone, referred to both this reporter and the New York Times’ media critic David Carr, and gave a rundown of the company’s history going back to its founding a century ago by the man named Condé Nast.
Most of the guests filed out before the end of the two-hour event. Lou Cona, the man who took over for Richard “Mad Dog” Beckman in running the Condé Nast Media group, didn’t even make the scene, as he was on a “business trip” to Europe.
Newhouse still handed out handwritten thank-you notes on expensive stationery to attendees, though nobody was sure if he would also give very expensive bottles of wine — costing as much as $500 each — as he had in the past.
But one staffer still held out hope: “I think there might be something next week.”
Newhouse is still scheduled to begin his long winter European vacation to Paris, Vienna and elsewhere next week, sources said.
“We don’t normally discuss Si’s travel plans,” a spokeswoman said.
Often when he returns, he has cooked up a January surprise to shake up the ranks. This past year’s surprise did not happen until early February, when Domino was closed. After this year’s carnage, few decisions would surprise anyone.
Food envy
A culture clash may be brewing between old media BusinessWeek and snacks-happy Bloomberg LP.
A Bloomberg HR person was sent to address some of the surviving editors and writers of BusinessWeek, which is being bought by Mayor Mike Bloomberg‘s company, and welcome them to the new company.
Bloomberg is famous for perks such as free coffee and edibles.
“When you hear the word Bloomberg, what do you think of?” asked the HR person.
“Snacks!” yelled a BusinessWeek staffer.
“Very good,” said the Bloomberg rep. “And why do you think we do that?”
“Because you don’t want us to leave our desks?” said someone in the rear.
“No,” she said. “Because we care about you.”
About 70 people — or nearly 35 percent of the 200-person staff — were laid off from BusinessWeek in advance of the deal closing in early December.
Film flam
Paparazzi have a bone to pick with the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting.
Starting Tuesday, the office will discontinue its permit viewing sessions, which disclose the times and street locations for TV and movie filming. Now anyone hoping to get a look at the permits will have to submit a freedom of information request.
Mary Beth Ihle, a spokeswoman for the city agency, said the rules are being changed in part because the viewing office was very small and only two people could view the permits at a time. She also said that there were instances of photographers swiping the permits, apparently to keep other photogs from showing up at a shoot.
The agency hopes to be able to service all FOIA requests within a week, she said.
The change doesn’t sit well with civil liberties lawyer Norman Siegel. “It’s totally unrealistic,” Siegel said. “It’s about preventing paparazzi photographers from taking pictures.
“As long they are not interfering with anyone’s rights, they have a right to be there,” he said.
CORRECTION: Playboy Enterprises said that of 70 people now working on its magazine, it expects that up to 25 people might be laid off. An item on Wednesday said the layoffs could be higher. None of the editorial staff will be cut, the company said. keith.kelly@nypost.com