| NEWS 06.10.09 3:59 PM |
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In the News: 10 Banks Buy Out of TARP Scrutiny, Verizon Comps Taxi Rides in Marketing Stunt
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Companies Under TARP Watch Shrink: Bank holding companies such as American Express, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and Morgan Stanley no longer have to worry about taxpayer scrutiny when planning corporate meetings and events. They're among the 10 large firms that the Obama administration allowed to repay the federal aid they received during the beginning of the financial crisis. Under the watch of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) for the better part of 2009, the banks' travel expenses, bonuses, and sponsored events came under fire for the perceived misuse of public funds. [NYT]
Walmart Shareholder Meeting Still a Production: An ability to healthily navigate the recession thus far allowed Walmart to keep up appearances at its annual shareholder meeting earlier last week. A crowd of 15,000 gathered at the Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas, bright and early last Friday for a Ben Stiller-hosted show that included performances by Miley Cyrus and recent American Idol winner Kris Allen. [AdAge]
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TARP, American Express, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Walmart, Verizon |
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| EVENT REPORT 09.08.08 8:00 AM |
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AARP Expo Offers Games, Freebies, and Massages From 400 Exhibitors
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 | The DirecTV display at the AARP expo
Photo: BizBash |
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The AARP Life @50+ National Event & Expo opened at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Thursday. The three-day convention offered the usual fare—educational sessions and mixers—in addition to concerts and appearances from personalities such as Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, Quincy Jones, Gene Simmons, and Paul Simon. At the expo, some 400 exhibitors—from Microsoft to Sam's Club to Walgreens—set up shop to spread their corporate message to the 25,000-person crowd, using relaxation stations, interactive games, and loads of freebies. Here's a look at some of the stand-out exhibits.
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Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, Quincy Jones, Gene Simmons, Paul Simon, Microsoft, Sam's Club, Walgreens, Verizon, Nintendo, Chrysler, N.A.S.A., DirecTV, Amtrak, H.P. |
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| EVENT REPORT 02.11.08 4:39 PM |
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Grammy Event Highlights: What Lured Guests Where
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 | Nicole Khristine's guests took over Social Hollywood, plus its new restaurant, Citrus.
Photo: Todd Williamson/WireImage |
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FROM LOS ANGELES
On Grammy weekend, you can bet many potential guests had a stack of invitations from which to choose. And the notorious sprawl synonymous with Los Angeles only made it less likely that would-be attendees could make stops at all of those events. So how did hosts pull crowds? Here are some of their strategies.
A Gorgeous Venue
The restaurant at the spectacular Getty Center set the scene for Montblanc's pre-Grammy party on Thursday night, a rare opportunity for guests to make it up the hill after the museum's closing time (and to drive up, instead of ascending by tram). The program included cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, and performances by cartoonishly cute kid pianist Marc Yu and the new chairman of the Foundation D'Enterprise Montblanc de la Culture, Grammy-nominated pianist Lang Lang. (Alas, come Grammy night, he would not take the prize.)
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Award Season, Grammys, Recording Academy, Montblanc, Nicole Khristine, Make it Right 9, MusiCares, Verizon, People Magazine, Sony BMG |
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| NEWS 02.06.08 11:05 AM |
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Grammy Events: Who's Going Where
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FROM LOS ANGELES
Across the land—Hollywoodland, that is—a broad array of folks involved with award-season planning have seen their share of disappointments this year. With the writers strike still ongoing (although showing signs of a reprieve) and some events over the last few weeks scaled back or canceled altogether (most notably the intimate fetes known as the Golden Globes and Vanity Fair's Oscar party), the Grammys may start to bring some luster back to the bummer-tinged season. Events related to the music spectacle begin in earnest this Thursday and continue through the weekend.
In fact, Thursday night looks to be one of the busier nights on the slate, with a party at the Getty Center to announce Grammy-nominated classical pianist Lang Lang as the new chairman of the Foundation D'Enterprise Montblanc de la Culture. Later in the evening, at Boulevard3 across town, the Recording Academy will join with In Style for the magazine's first attempt at a fashion show, showcasing the clothing lines of musicians-turned-designers such as Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, and Jay-Z.
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RELATED TOPICS
Grammys, Award Season, Warner Music Group, Recording Academy, In Style Magazine, People Magazine, Verizon, Montblanc, Clothes Off Our Back, MusiCares, Writers' Strike, Nicole Khristine |
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