November 4, 2016: Tech Investor Denies D.O.J. Request to Review Proposed Cvent Buyout, Trump to Hold Low-Key Election-Night Event in New York, N.F.L. to Produce VR Video Series for Google

1. TECH INVESTOR DENIES D.O.J. REQUEST TO REVIEW PROPOSED CVENT BUYOUT: Billionaire tech mogul Robert Smith has denied the Department of Justice’s antitrust regulators’ request to review the $1.65 billion acquisition of event management software company Cvent by his company, Vista Equity Partners. New York Post: “That means the US must decide whether to sue to block the deal before Nov. 22, when Vista has the right to close the merger. ‘He is playing chicken with the DOJ,’ a source said. The Justice Department often asks for more time to review deals—and companies, not looking to anger regulators, almost always agree to the request. Vista Equity’s move to turn down the government is rare. Smith likely believes the Justice Department lacks the evidence to win a court trial and successfully block the merger of the two biggest event-management software companies, one source close to the situation said. … The New York PE firm, with more than $26 billion in assets, wants to merge its Lanyon Solutions, the No. 2 software company in the conference space, and Cvent, the sector’s No. 1 player. Cvent, which has a network of 225,000 hotels that planners can tap into to help them find matches for their conferences, has agreed to be acquired by Lanyon for $36 a share. Cvent, on its earnings call Wednesday, said it expected the Lanyon deal to be completed in the fourth quarter. Vista is arguing that many event planners still organize conferences by searching for hotels on the internet and then calling them without using event software.” http://nyp.st/2efHKxU

2. TRUMP TO HOLD LOW-KEY ELECTION-NIGHT EVENT IN NEW YORK: Rather than opting for a large venue, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will hold his election-night event in a ballroom at New York Hilton Midtown. Washington Post: "The hotel is a couple of blocks from Trump Tower, where the Republican launched his campaign last year. But the atrium in Trump Tower is a privately owned public space, making it a problematic spot for a private campaign event. Trump launched his presidential campaign at that spot, but he was fined $10,000 by the city of New York for holding campaign events there. It's also quite small for an election night event. The campaign rented a ballroom in the Hilton but expects to do a small event—at least compared to most of Trump's big rallies, according to one person familiar with the plans. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe strategy. Trump's decision means that both presidential nominees will spend next Tuesday night in New York. Clinton and her supporters will gather about two miles away from the Hilton at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, a building with a symbolic architectural feature: a large glass ceiling." http://wapo.st/2fhxEPr

3. N.F.L. TO PRODUCE VR VIDEO SERIES FOR GOOGLE: The N.F.L. has announced it will produce a nine-part virtual-reality limited series that will be released on YouTube and Google's Daydream VR set. Recode: "The series, which will be produced by the league’s film studio, NFL Films, will look at “life in and around the NFL—from players, to coaches, to executives, to cheerleaders, to the fans themselves—detailing how each prepares for game day,” the NFL outlined in a press release. The deal is exclusive, which means these videos won’t live on other platforms, like those of Facebook’s Oculus Rift, for example. And while we don’t know for certain whether Google is paying the NFL, it seems likely. The press release described the deal as 'an expansion of [the NFL’s] relationship' with Google—and that existing relationship includes Google paying the league to share game highlights on YouTube. Lots of people are starting to get into virtual reality content, including other pro sports leagues like the NBA. The NFL even tested some VR videos with Jaunt and NextVR around the Super Bowl. But this NFL/Google deal is interesting in part because it gives Google some exclusive content to package with their new headsets—and people love NFL stuff even if it doesn’t necessarily include live game footage." http://on.recode.net/2fjtjeB

* LOCAL NEWS *

ATLANTA:  Hampton Inn Atlanta-Kennesaw has named Peta-Gay Barrett general manager and Crystal Taylor director of sales. The hotel is managed by Commonwealth Hotels.

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA:  Kiawah Island Golf Resort on Kiawah Island will renovate the Gary Player-designed Cougar Point Golf Course. The renovation will begin November 28, with the reopening scheduled for the beginning of October 2017. Since 2011, the resort's golf courses have been undergoing upgrades, including the Turtle Point Golf Course, which closed in January for a nine-month renovation.

HONOLULU:  Hyatt Centric Waikīkī Beach has named Yolanda “Yolee” Cardiff director of sales and marketing. The hotel is managed by Kōkua Hospitality.

LOS ANGELES:  Summit Series has announced that Summit 2017 will take place November 3-6, 2017, in "century-old theaters, grand hotels, and 80-floor rooftops" around the city, according to the event website. The invitation-only conference will include "immersive experiences, interactive programming, lively exhibits, intimate intellectual environments, open-air performances, site-specific artist activations, and more."

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

NEW YORK:  Danny Meyer will eliminate tips from Gramercy Tavern starting December 1. Grub Street: http://grb.st/2eiFWnz

The 2017 Cinema Eye Honors, an award show for documentary films, will take place January 11 at the Museum of Moving Image. OJ: Made in America and I Am Not Your Negro lead the contenders, with five nominations each. The award show is the centerpiece of the 10th annual Cinema Eye Week, a multi-city documentary event whose final four days will take place January 10-13 in New York.

The 80th annual Fashion Scholarship Fund Geoffrey Beene National Scholarship Awards Dinner will take place January 12 at Grand Hyatt. This year's honorees including Michael Strahan, Judy Person, and John Tighe.

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

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  The 23rd annual Founders' Day Festival will take place tonight and Saturday at Bill Breeze Park in Ocoee. The event will feature a performance by Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo.

SAN FRANCISCO:  Choice Hotels International and franchise partner Villa Developers & Investments are developing a new Cambria Hotel and Suites in San Jose. The 11-story, 173-room property is expected to open in 2018.

TORONTO:  Pusateri's Fine Foods will open its second food hall on November 10 with Saks Food Hall by Pusateri's at CF Toronto Eaton Centre.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  On Rye, a modern sandwich shop with a creative twist on Jewish deli staples, will open on November 11 in the Chinatown neighborhood. The 2,550-square-foot restaurant can seat 60 people.

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With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin and Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Carla Hay, Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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

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