Celebrity What Is Washington, D.C.'s #NerdProm – and Why Did Kendall Jenner Score an Invite? While teens across the country preen and primp for this spring's crop of high school dances, there's a group of adults in Washington, D.C., doing the same By Lindsay Kimble Lindsay Kimble Lindsay Kimble is a Senior Digital News Editor and the Sports Editor for PEOPLE Digital. She's worked at PEOPLE for over seven years as a writer, reporter and editor across our Entertainment, Lifestyle and News teams, covering everything from the Super Bowl to the Met Gala. She's been nominated for the ASME NEXT Awards for Journalists Under 30, and previously wrote for Us Weekly while on staff at Wenner Media. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 29, 2016 09:10 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Olivier Douliery/Getty While teens across the country preen and primp for this spring’s crop of high school dances, there’s a group of adults in Washington, D.C., doing the same – with no punch-spiking necessary. The White House Correspondent’s Dinner has almost arrived, an annual political event that’s increasing star factor has earned it the nickname “#nerdprom.” Held at the Washington Hilton (this year on Saturday), the Correspondents’ Dinner honors the reporters who cover politics from the front lines: in the White House Correspondents’ Association’s West Wing press room. Journalists from the country’s top news organizations don their finest to be entertained by a comedic host – this year, Comedy Central’s Larry Wilmore – and dine on things like smoked paprika rubbed filet and mascarpone cheese stone grits. And the prom king? President Barack Obama, of course – who’s relinquishing his title after 2016, his final White House Correspondents’ Dinner. PEOPLE was Live with the Cast of Scandal in D.C. Ahead of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner The president gets his chance to finally rib the reporters who cover his every move, taking the podium in front of a who’s who of guests. “Of course the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is known of the prom of Washington, D.C., a term coined by political reporters who clearly never had the chance to go to an actual prom,” he once joked during his speech. What You Need to Know About a Contested GOP Convention The shindig isn’t reserved for just Capitol Hill elites, however – some of Hollywood’s finest are bequeathed a seat at the pricy tables (ticket fees raise money for scholarships). Media organizations invite celebrities – some of the big names this year include Kendall Jenner and Will Smith. But don’t expect to see repeat guest Donald Trump, however. The Republican frontrunner won’t be attending. “I was asked by every single group of media available to mankind [to attend this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner],” he told The Hill. “But I’ve decided not to go. Do you know why? I would have a good time and the press would say I look like I wasn’t having a good time.”