NATIONAL: Thrillist will host “Slay Ride,'' a fundraiser for The Trevor Project, on Dec. 15. This second annual event will pay homage to a 1960s-style telethon—but with a drag makeover; it will be hosted by Manila Luzon and Monique Heart, stars of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. The livestreamed holiday special will bring audiences “shablam contests,” cocktail how-to’s and musical performances. The Paramount+-sponsored event will stream on Thrillist’s YouTube, Facebook page and website, as well as NowThis’ YouTube channel.
Global event solutions company INSPIRE, previously known as J & S Audio Visual, has hired Mike Mahaffey as executive vice president of show and event services. Mahaffey previously worked at Freeman.
ATLANTA: Hyatt Centric Buckhead Atlanta, which is scheduled to open later this month, has named Kristi Cotten-Morris general manager and Yajaira Torres director of sales and marketing. The 218-room hotel will have 3,700 square feet of meeting and prefunction space, plus two food and beverage concepts from James Beard award-winning chef Hugh Acheson.
AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO: The 36th annual South by Southwest Music Festival has announced a second round of performers, which includes up-and-coming and established artists like A-Wall, Black Lips, Charlie Hickey and Circuit Des Yeux. The festival takes place March 14-20 in Austin.
DETROIT: Detroit’s convention center has a new name: Huntington Place, after a partnership with Huntington Bank. The ASM Global-operated venue has 723,000 square feet of exhibit space, including the largest ballroom in Michigan.
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