1. HOW TECH MOGULS ARE RUINING BURNING MAN: Instead of roughing it in the desert at the Burning Man festival, tech elite are bringing custom yurts, sushi chefs, and bathroom trailers. The New York Times: “Over the last two years, Burning Man, which this year runs from Aug. 25 to Sept. 1, has been the annual getaway for a new crop of millionaire and billionaire technology moguls, many of whom are one-upping one another in a secret game of I-can-spend-more-money-than-you-can and, some say, ruining it for everyone else.” http://nyti.ms/1plduUW
2. ROBOTS CAN NOW DECORATE CAKES: It might not be ready to finish off event cakes just yet, but one robot has been programmed to frost and lightly decorate cakes. Huffington Post: “This robot, from Unifiller, shoots out sweet, sweet frosting, evenly coats spongy cake and even tops them with decorative leaves (among other things). Chocolate cakes are frosted in mere seconds. Carrot cakes topped with orange and green frosting in even less time.” See a vide here: http://huff.to/1qwkz10
3. MTV HELPS BRANDS WITH REAL-TIME MARKETING AT V.M.A.S: To reach millennial audiences, brands such as Pepsi and Verizon Wireless have strategies to create real-time ads during Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards and other live events. The New York Times: “There is also a lively debate on Madison Avenue over whether real-time marketing is an effective new weapon in the advertising arsenal or a fad that is soon to fade. It is more likely, critics complain, for people who read or comment on marketing-related posts to work in the marketing or media industries rather than be potential buyers of the products.” http://nyti.ms/1oYaGOe
* INDUSTRY NEWS *
TechCrunch: "Mobile events and conferences app DoubleDutch announced the raise of $19 million in Series D funding this morning. Led by Mithril Capital Management with participation from Bessemer, Index, and Bullpen Capital, the new cash is intended to help expand DoubleDutch’s global reach, build out technical capabilities, and cement DoubleDutch’s market dominance, according to the company." http://tcrn.ch/1q37WgA
* LOCAL NEWS *
BOSTON: Berklee College of Music will kick off its 2014-15 Signature Series with a performance called “Inspired by Muddy and Monroe.” The evening will feature bluegrass group the Del McCoury Band and blues vocalist Catherine Russell.
CHICAGO: Kimpton has purchased a historic office building in the Loop and will convert the venue into a 281-room hotel by 2016. The hotel will have a restaurant, a bar, and a top-floor ballroom.
LAS VEGAS: Delano Las Vegas, which opens September 1, will have a cocktail-centric lobby car called Franklin. The space will host live entertainment including DJ sets.
LOS ANGELES: Macy’s Passport Presents Glamorama Fashion Rocks is scheduled for September 9 at Create.
Local event listings from Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA: Miami International Film Festival announced that developers Terra Group and the Related Group will sponsor its Shorts Competition, naming it after their upcoming Park Grove condominium project. The competition will present a winning filmmaker with $2,500 at the festival, which is slated for March 6-15.
NEW YORK: The Lowline Anti-Gala is October 8 at Skylight Modern with an after-party featuring a performance by Bleachers.
Local event listings from Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork
ORLANDO: Thearon Scurlock will be the director of marketing for Artegon Marketplace, a new shopping and dining complex scheduled to open November 20 on International Drive.
SAN FRANCISCO: The Digital Publishing Innovation Summit is December 10-11 with speakers from companies such as Forbes, BuzzFeed, and ESPN Deportes Digital.
TORONTO: Inspire Toronto International Book Fair is November 13-16 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Featured authors will include Margaret Atwood and Jim Gaffigan.
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Emerge Art Fair returns for its fourth year with 85 exhibitors presenting works by 150 artists from 30 countries at the Capitol Skyline Hotel.
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With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, and Anna Sekula in New York.
BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.
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August 22, 2014: How Tech Moguls Are Ruining Burning Man, Robots Decorate Cakes, MTV Helps Brands With Real-Time Marketing at V.M.A.s
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