November 16, 2017: Four Women Accuse FYF Fest Founder of Sexual Misconduct, Vans Warped Tour to End After 2018 Festival, Trump Wedding Cake Is Up for Auction

1. FOUR WOMEN ACCUSE FYF FEST FOUNDER OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT: Four women have accused Sean Carlson, founder of Los Angeles music festival FYF Fest, of sexual misconduct. Festival promoter Goldenvoice had announced on Monday that it ended its relationship with Carlson. Spin: “Goldenvoice did not offer a public explanation for its decision to part ways with Carlson. FYF Fest’s publicist declined to give comment on the matter. In rumors and social media postings, however, allegations of sexual harassment swirled. Over the past month, Spin has spoken to at least four women who accuse Carlson of sexual misconduct, including one who alleges that Carlson sexually assaulted her. The incidents of which Spin is aware date between 2010 and 2015. Spin spoke to one man, a person who worked with Carlson from 2006 to 2010. Frustrating logistical problems at the 2010 FYF Fest was one of the reasons he stopped working with Carlson. The other, he said, was his discomfort with Carlson’s treatment of women. … The man described Carlson’s conduct with women as an ‘open secret’ in the L.A. music scene, a description echoed by multiple others. ‘I think that most of the women work in the industry and are just terrified of coming forward and giving their names and being blacklisted,’ he said.” http://bit.ly/2iYPLvB

2. VANS WARPED TOUR TO END AFTER 2018 FESTIVAL: Vans Warped Tour, one of the music industry's major traveling music festivals, will end after its 2018 iteration. Billboard: "Next year, The Vans Warped Tour will ride into the sunset for a final summer’s worth of North American dates. According to producer Kevin Lyman, who founded the fest in 1995, numerous factors -- including an evolving summer festival industry, a shrinking pool of bands, and declining ticket sales amongst its teenage demographic -- led him to declare the tour’s 24th year its last. 'Before Warped I was on three years of Lollapalooza, so [it’s been] 26 straight summers out on the road,' Lyman tells Billboard. 'Not that I’m completely going anywhere, but traveling around the country with a tour this size in the landscape that we’re in is… to be honest, I’m just tired.' But Warped still has one final summer’s worth of dates on the road. No artists have been confirmed, and in fact, Lyman is still filling the bill, hoping some Warped icons will hop on to make the last hurrah extra special. 'You’re gonna see a big mix of bands I felt really embraced the Warped Tour lifestyle,' he says. 'I don’t want to say a ‘mature’ lineup, but bands that I think could use one more big push of Warped Tour to help further their careers.' Warped built its brand of a 'punk-rock summer camp' by bringing out scene staples like NOFX and Bad Religion numerous times. But it was also an early champion of bands like Blink-182, No Doubt, and Paramore -- punkers eventually embraced by the pop world. And outside of punk entirely, Warped’s past lineups are ridded with pre-superstardom misfit toys who found an early home amongst the skate shows and merch tents: Katy Perry, Eminem, Kid Rock, the Black Eyed Peas, G-Eazy, Bebe Rexha. Their ranks were rarely favorites of critics, but they no doubt shaped culture." http://bit.ly/2ASAPXT

3. TRUMP WEDDING CAKE IS UP FOR AUCTION: A souvenir cake from Donald and Melania Trump’s 2005 wedding is up for auction. The Hollywood Reporter: “The mini dessert, which is being auctioned at Culver City-based Julien's Auctions, is described as a chocolate truffle cake with a white rose frosting that was given to guests as a wedding favor. It comes in a white paper box monogrammed with ‘M D T.’ Meanwhile, the actual wedding cake, which featured seven tiers and weighed more than 200 pounds, was made with a classic yellow sponge cake flavored with orange zest, filled with butter­cream and soaked in Grand Marnier. It featured 2,000 individually constructed flowers spun from sugar. However, due to the cake's wiring infrastucture, guests weren't served any of it. Former pastry chef at Mar-a-Lago Cedric Barberet and his team made 5-inch-tall mini ‘backup cakes’ instead. As for the original, ‘we served it to the staff after the wedding,’ Barberet told The Hollywood Reporter. ‘We had some very hungry employees.’” http://bit.ly/2zLtEAD


* INDUSTRY NEWS*

SPIN: Senior Professionals Industry Network has announced the recipients of its inaugural SPIN: 40 Over 40, a recognition of veteran meeting planners. The 40 honorees will receive complimentary registration to and recognition at SPINCon 2017, which will take place December 3-5 at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas. 

* LOCAL NEWS *

HONOLULU:  Doug Sears has been named general manager for the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa. 

LOS ANGELES:  The Rodeo Drive Holiday Lighting Celebration takes place this evening. The event, which is presented in partnership with the City of Beverly Hills, Baccarat, and Gearys Beverly Hills, will include a performance by Robin Thicke and DJ Balthazar Getty. The event kicks off six weeks of holiday events in Beverly Hills, designated as Bold Holiday events. 

Hillary Clinton will be the keynote speaker at the inaugural Teen Vogue Summit, taking place December 1-2 in Los Angeles. 

For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Delano South Beach has partnered with the Temple House, a 15,000-square-foot private event space located walking distance from the hotel. The venue will be available for a variety of events produced by in-house teams. 

NAPLES, FLORIDA:  Naples Grande Beach Resort will reopen December 15 after being closed for more than three months because of Hurricane Irma. The 474-room property has undergone a multi-million renovation, which includes upgrades to its guestrooms, public spaces, pools, and outdoor landscaping. 

NEW YORK:  MediaPost, in partnership with the New York Auto Show, will hold its annual Marketing Automotive Conference at the 2018 and 2019 editions of the show. The 2018 conference will take place March 28, with the New York Auto Show running March 30-April 8 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. 

For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

SAN FRANCISCO:  SF Sketchfest presented by Audible will produce the 17th annual San Francisco Comedy Festival, taking place January 11-28, 2018. The event will feature more than 200 comedy shows performing in 16 venues across the city. 

TORONTO:  The 10th annual Illuminite tree-lighting ceremony will take place Saturday at Yonge-Dundas Square. 

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Hilton has turned the ground floor of its McLean-based global headquarters into “The Social,” a public gathering space that aims to promote productivity and is open to the local community. The 10,000-square-foot space has a welcome reception area, an international food hall, a Starbucks, collaborative workspaces, and an outdoor terrace.

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

JOB BOARD: Post a job or find a job: http://jobs.bizbash.com

With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.

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