| EVENT REPORT 10.26.09 4:19 PM |
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Volkswagen Party Launches Car and Its iPhone App Counterpart
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FROM NEW YORK
More than 100 members of the gaming and automotive press made their way to the mouth of the Holland Tunnel last Wednesday, where Volkswagen launched both a tangible and video game version of its latest GTI model at the Classic Car Club. To cater to the tech savvy crowd, Volkswagen brought in G4TV's Olivia Munn to host, built several gaming stations, and filled the room with suggestions to guests to post comments about the party to Twitter.
As of the morning after the party, the 2010 GTI became the first vehicle launch on Apple's app store—with a role in a free version of the popular Firemint Real Racing game—so the mobile application was woven into the fabric of the party almost as much as the car itself.
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RELATED TOPICS
Volkswagen, Apple, Twitter |
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| NEWS 09.28.09 8:00 AM |
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Poll Results: Congratulations, You're Quite Busy
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Event professionals we spoke with recently agreed that business is up this fall, but what about the rest of our readers? A poll reveals that most participants agree. Almost half of those who contributed described themselves as "very busy," and another 8 percent might even be too busy. Almost 30 percent say business is picking up, and a scant 13 percent are still twiddling their thumbs from nine to five.
Our next poll, which you'll find on the left column of the home page, asks how you're using Twitter.
RELATED TOPICS
Twitter |
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| EVENT INTELLIGENCE 09.15.09 1:21 PM |
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Event Security: The Twitter Effect
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 | The Black Eyed Peas at a tweeted party
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images |
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Texting, blogging, and online social networking have already made it a breeze for guests to send out tips to their friends and readers on scoring access to private parties. Now, with the increasing popularity of Twitter, the volume of recipients is growing exponentially and the details are leaking in real time. Crashers, gawkers, and paparazzi have instant access to more information than they’ve ever had before—on an easy-to-search platform—and security professionals and planners agree that 140 characters are more than enough to cause some trouble.
Barry Meyerson, president of Manhattan-based security firm Meyerson Associates Inc., first noticed Twitter’s impact during New York Fashion Week in September 2008. As celebrities and partygoers shared details online, queues outside venues got longer, and throngs of paparazzi seemed thicker.
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RELATED TOPICS
Twitter, Security, Secuity Leaks, Black Eyed Peas, Fashion Week |
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| EVENT REPORT 09.03.09 3:18 PM |
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"Regulars" Fill Floor at Magic, Where Disney Hosts Wonderland-Inspired Party
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 | Disney's Alice in Wonderland-inspired party at Magic
Photo: Glenn Pinkerton |
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FROM LAS VEGAS
Twice a year, Las Vegas effectively turns into one of the world’s lengthiest catwalks when fashion designers, manufacturers, and buyers converge on the city for Advanstar’s Magic Marketplace. The latest installment of Magic opened at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Monday and wrapped up yesterday.
Timed to provide a showcase for spring and summer 2010 men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel, accessories, and footwear, this go-round attracted about 60,000 attendees (according to a projection by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority), who came from from as many as 80 countries around the globe.
The Magic Marketplace comprises several shows within showsin the convention center's Central and North Halls. For this incarnation of the show, the entire men’s area was redesigned with wider aisles and a layout that showcased similar brands side by side. Mini lounges were positioned to allow buyers to regroup; also on offer were a Wi-Fi lounge, a footwear trend showcase, and a free haircut booth sponsored by New York barber Frank’s Chop Shop.
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RELATED TOPICS
Magic, Advanstar, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Ed Hardy, Christian Audigier, Will.i.am, Kenny Chesney, Disney, Sea and Sun, Twitter, Women's Wear Daily |
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| NEWS 08.12.09 11:41 AM |
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In the News: Low-Key Event Sponsorships Thrive, Victoria's Secret Show Returns to New York
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Corporate Sponsors Take Subtle Approach: Sponsorships are still present at major events, but some companies are going to extreme lengths to ensure people don't notice. Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, and Morgan Stanley, for example, all had a presence at the 2009 U.S. Open golf tournament, but instead of branding tables, shirts, and tents with their logos, each of the banks slipped by under the radar. The banks paid $750,000 between them just on tables at a hospitality center off the 18th green, but declined any sort of signage. Many professionals suggest that this is indicative of the new importance of perception over actual spending. [NYT]
Victoria's Secret Show Heads Back East: After three years in other markets, the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show will return to New York this fall. No official date or venue have been selected, but the event is typically held in November and its most recent New York show was at the 69th Regiment Armory. The event will once again be broadcast several weeks later on CBS. [NYM]
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Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Victoria’s Secret, Twitter, Facebook |
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| NEWS 06.30.09 4:54 PM |
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BET Awards' Hastily Planned Jackson Tribute Yields Ratings Triumph
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After Michael Jackson died suddenly on Thursday afternoon, BET worked fast to transform its already-scheduled awards on Sunday at the Shrine Auditorium into a tribute to the pop star. And, in addition to being what some would consider an appropriate format change for a show celebrating black entertainment, the modified broadcast was also a boon for the network: It was the top-watched cable telecast this year and BET's biggest audience ever, according to a press release from the network.
The live broadcast, hosted by Jamie Foxx, drew 10.65 million viewers. About 10 percent of televisions that were on during the broadcast period were tuned to the awards program, uncommonly high for a cable network, according to Nielsen Media Research findings cited in The Los Angeles Times.
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BET Awards, BET, Michael Jackson, Jamie Foxx, Twitter |
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| NEWS 05.27.09 3:13 PM |
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In the News: Another Blow to Vegas Conventions, Event Planners Find Use for Twitter
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Attendance and Spirits Down at Vegas Gathering: The International Council of Shopping Centers’ Global Retail Real Estate Convention returned to Las Vegas last week for its annual three-day run, only this year attendance was down a whopping 50 percent, a far cry from the record-breaking crowd of 50,000 last year. Booths were empty, temperatures were sweltering, and spirits of those who did make it out suffered due to the lack of parties. One broker interviewed even said he could hear the buzzing of fluorescent lights on the still convention center floor. [NYO]
Burberry Kicks Off U.S. Push With Party: British clothier Burberry officially launches its New York headquarters tomorrow with a marketing push that includes the lighting of a 50-foot-long Burberry logo on its new Madison Avenue office and a celebrity-filled party for 300 at the neighboring Palace Hotel. Burberry hopes the stunts, new office, and plans for expanded retail presence will help it crack the North American market. [WWD]
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Burberry, Twitter, Tinker, Monster.com, Job Fairs |
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| Q & A 04.02.09 10:00 AM |
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Virginia Gold Cup's Katie Snyder Adds Sponsor Categories for New Revenue Streams
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 | Virginia Gold Cup races at Great Meadow in the Plains
Photo: © Isabel J. Kurek |
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FROM WASHINGTON
The race never stops for Katie Snyder, director of development for the Virginia Gold Cup Association. Based in Warrenton, Virginia, Snyder and her full-time staff of four produce the Old Dominion’s largest twice-yearly horse race, with the leading purses for timber racing (jumping fences) in the country. The two race days in spring and fall draw a total of more than 85,000 fans to the 175-acre Great Meadow equestrian facility and event venue in the town of The Plains for one of the biggest social and sporting events in the D.C. area.
Before taking the Gold Cup reins in summer 2007, Snyder was the associate director of corporate development for the Sundance Institute in Los Angeles and also practiced law. Her efforts at Gold Cup have added new corporate-sponsorship opportunities, such as a Chairman's Box and JumboTrons, to an already action-packed day at the races. In addition to the ever-popular Jack Russell terrier races (sponsored by the Virginia Lottery) and tailgate competition (sponsored by Goodstone Inn and Estate), there are now nearly 25 sponsored programs and activities. We spoke to Snyder as she nailed down details for the upcoming Virginia Gold Cup race May 2.
When do you start planning for Gold Cup?
We start about 18 months out. This year will be the 84th running for the spring races, and our major vendors for tents, equipment, and catering have multiyear contracts to receive the best pricing. But so far this year we are seeing an 8 to 10 percent decline in ticket sales from 2008. Still, our attendance is very diverse, from young socialites to college alumni to business groups, as well as neighborhood families and friends. These groups annually book tailgate spots or buy the higher-end tickets on Members Hill for the spring tradition of seeing and being seen.
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RELATED TOPICS
Virginia Gold Cup Association, Sundance Institute, Facebook, Twitter, Virginia Lottery, Goodstone Inn & Estate, Fidelity Investments, Airbus Industries, Booz Allen Hamilton |
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