Nominations are now open for the 12th Annual EEAs!
It's time to make your mark. Nominations are now open for the 12th Annual Event Experience Awards!

US: Ringo Starr's 80th Birthday Party, Dragon Con's Shift to Virtual, New Virtual Event Technology, and More

NATIONAL: Ringo Starr's “Ringo’s Big Birthday Show” will air on July 7 via the musician's YouTube page. The broadcast will benefit four charities: Black Lives Matter Global Network, the David Lynch Foundation, Musicares, and WaterAid. The show celebrates Starr's 80th birthday with at-home performances and never-before-seen concert footage from Starr, Paul McCartney, and Joe Walsh, as well as Gary Clark Jr., Sheryl Crow, Sheila E. and Ben Harper, and more.

TNT will host the virtual world premiere of The Alienist Angel of Darkness on July 16. The screening with the cast and executive producers will also include an interactive theatrical murder mystery after-party. In support of the premiere, TNT plans to make donations to the NYC Health & Hospitals COVID-19 fund and the Tenement Museum in Manhattan. 

ATLANTA: Pop culture convention Dragon Con will cancel its 2020 outing as the result of the COVID-19 outbreak. The event was originally scheduled for September 3-7, and organizers are planning a virtual event to take place on the same weekend. Those who had signed up for this year’s event will have their tickets automatically rolled over to the 2021 event, be granted a pass for the 2020 virtual event, and receive “an exclusive Dragon Con item that will not be released in any other form or fashion” in the fall. 

AUSTIN: Canopy by Hilton Austin Downtown reopened on July 1 with participation in Hilton CleanStay, a new program that delivers a standard of cleanliness and disinfection. The hotel is offering its first guests a "Stay Sixth" promotion, which provides the addition of valet parking and a $50 daily food and drink credit for an additional $6 per night. 

LOS ANGELES: Idyllwild Arts Academy has announced the return of its annual fundraiser, Jazz In The Pines. The free event will be streamed via Zoom from July 5-17. Jazz In The Pines will also include several in-person events in Idyllwild and LA, with a lineup of live and recorded performances and workshops curated by jazz vocalist Rose Colella. Donations support Idyllwild Arts to engage professional artists and educators, offer educational programs for global citizen artists, and provide scholarships for young artists to attend Idyllwild Arts’ Boarding Arts High School and Summer Program.

Sugar’s creative company, Sugar23, has teamed up with Blue Revolver on a first-to-market, multi-sensory technology for virtual events and digital at-home retail. The XR software will allow brands and entertainment companies to create multisensory, interactive experiences in an app, eliminating the need for VR headsets or equipment. 

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

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