March 2, 2015: Why Some Execs Are Skipping SXSW Interactive, What It’s Like to Manage Chicago’s Biggest Banquets, How Jose Cuervo Mixed a Margarita in Space

1. WHY SOME EXECS ARE SKIPPING SXSW INTERACTIVE: According to attendees who are skipping South by Southwest Interactive this year, the festival has lost some of its cache as a must-attend event, citing difficult logistics of the host city and high ticket prices. Mashable: “Austin does a poor job accommodating attendees; there are more efficient ways to mingle with top ad industry or tech execs; and the show, once famous for hurtling services like Twitter into the spotlight, hasn't really introduced a hot new app to the world since Foursquare in 2009. … Hard core techies, meanwhile, have been priced out.” http://on.mash.to/1Ciab8r

2. WHAT IT’S LIKE TO MANAGE CHICAGO’S BIGGEST BANQUETS: As the largest convention center in North America, Chicago’s McCormick Place does big banqueting business. It’s Eugene Gorleku’s job to make sure it all runs smoothly. Chicago Tribune: “The job requires him to lead and manage the center's entire banquet operation, with the help of his management team and banquet captains, which may call for everything from serving coffee to people in an area covering 2.6 million square feet of exhibition space, to serving food for a gala with thousands of guests in Chicago's largest ballrooms.” http://trib.in/1E99AGQ

3. HOW JOSE CUERVO MIXED A MARGARITA IN SPACE: In a stunt to mark National Margarita Day, the tequila brand Jose Cuervo strapped a loaded cocktail shaker onto a spacecraft and sent it into the atmosphere to mix a margarita in space. Adweek: “Severe buffeting of winds at high altitude shook the margarita, and the extreme cold froze it. When the capsule reached about 100,000 feet into space, the weather balloons shattered and the capsule parachuted down. The margarita landed in a ravine 100 miles from the launch site. It reportedly tasted good.” http://bit.ly/1vGwWRc

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  Cafe ArtScience pastry chef Renae Connolly will offer an overview of her dessert program at a tasting on March 9. Held in the “Honeycomb” private event space, the tasting will include bites of rose macaron, rhubarb mille-feuille, and other sweets.

CHICAGO:  Midwest Car exchange now rents the Little Wine Wagon for display at events. The three-wheeled delivery truck has a grapevine-theme exterior finish, bottle storage and display areas, and full-size oak wine barrels that serve as white-wine coolers.

LAS VEGAS:  The DJ duo of Brody Jenner and William Lifestyle announced a residency at TAO Nightclub and TAO Beach for 2015.

LOS ANGELES:  The furniture rental company Taylor Creative is opening a Los Angeles location this week.

Local event listings from Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  BritWeek Miami, an effort to highlight British commerce and culture in South Florida, returns for its third edition March 5-14. Several events are planned including a kickoff party, a film premiere, and an event that focuses on kids and computer coding.

NEW YORK:  The Makeup Show NYC, which takes place May 3-4, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The show is launching a full week of programming under the title “Beauty Week” beginning April 29.

Local event listings from Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

ORLANDO:  Former Visit Orlando convention sales director Zita Steglich-Ross has opened a destination management company, Steglich Ross Business Solutions. The firm provides an array of services to meeting and convention groups including site selection, conference management, booth exhibition and sales services, transportation management, and audiovisual production.

ST. LOUIS:  St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “Mike Sundet, who recently oversaw Bud Light's Super Bowl event marketing, is leaving Anheuser-Busch after a 20 year career at the brewer to join marketing firm Momentum Worldwide.” http://bit.ly/18EiEX2

TORONTO:  The InterContinental Toronto Centre has been named the winner of the 2014 IHG Hotel of the Year Award.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Chef and restaurateur Donnell Long has opened Olde Towne Inn Largo inside the Avi Hotel in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The restaurant will serve homestyle cuisine in a space that holds 200 people.

YOUR NEWS: What are you doing? Tell us: [email protected]. 

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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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