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Call Sheet #35: Million-Dollar Parties Return, Kate Middleton's Event Debut, George Little for Sale

BIZBASH CALL SHEET — #35 — Friday, 06.10.11

Compiled today by Chad Kaydo in New York
Feed the Sheet: [email protected]
Subscribe: http://info.bizbash.com/callsheet.html

* INCOMING *

1. MILLION-DOLLAR PARTIES RETURN: Bloomberg Businessweek says big spending on corporate events and retreats is back. Exhibit A: Dennis DeYoung, the former Styx frontman, isn't booking as many corporate gigs as he did during the recession. (He's not that expensive.) "The $1 million corporate events are coming back," says his manager. "There are fewer people looking for value."

More: "General Electric (GE) in January returned to the tony Boca Raton (Fla.) Resort for its annual leadership meeting of top executives. For the previous two years, GE held the gathering at its in-house training center outside New York City."

But—of course—"people are definitely more careful about being flashy," says another entertainment booker. But you've heard that before, no?
http://buswk.co/irRsLm

2. OLYMPIC MAP: Heading to the 2012 Olympics? Want to know where to find, say, 11,000 Belgians? London-based Event magazine has an interactive map with the locations of fan houses, Olympic venues, details of the torch relay, and more:
http://bit.ly/myz9Ql
The mag is housing all of its pre-Olympics coverage here:
http://bit.ly/iIGODL

3. KATE'S EVENT DEBUT: Speaking of London, People magazine reports: "Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge made her first official bow as a working princess Thursday night, joining her husband, Prince William, at a glamorous London fundraiser…the 10th annual Absolute Return for Kids (ARK) gala dinner." The prince announced a collaboration between ARK and his foundation: "Catherine and I hope to use our philanthropy as a long-term catalyst for meaningful change."
http://bit.ly/izY7d5

4. GEORGE LITTLE UP FOR SALE: The Guardian: "The Daily Mail & General Trust is to sell its US trade show business, George Little Management, in a deal likely to be worth more than £100m. DMGT, which owns the Daily Mail and more than 100 regional newspapers, said that it is 'reviewing the strategic alternatives' for the division." GLM runs about 15 American trade shows, including the New York International Gift Fair.
http://bit.ly/kHaTHc

5. ASSOCIATION EXECS QUIT HYBRID APPROACH: After trying a hybrid approach for is 2010 annual meeting, the American Society of Association Executives plans to scrap the live streaming component for its 2011 meeting in St. Louis August 6-9. The main reason: It's expensive, and instead of attracting new attendees, it drew people who occasionally attend in person; marketing it too late might have been to blame. It'll offer some sessions on-demand online after the meeting instead. Association Meetings:
http://bit.ly/j3gefw

* FRIDAY BLOG ROLL *

Some of the interesting items on event-related blogs this week:

Why Augmented Reality Is Poised to Change Marketing [Mashable]
http://on.mash.to/ijFZ8q

Content or Meeting Logistics: Which Is More Important? [Jeff Hurt/Midcourse Corrections]
http://bit.ly/mNprgk

9 Well-Designed User Registration Pages to Learn From
http://on.mash.to/lvaJqC

3 Myths About Trade Show Success [Trade Show Bob's Blog]
http://bit.ly/infQOo

* INSPIRATION BREAK *

The New York Times has a slide show of installations at the Venice Biennale, where critic Roberta Smith says, "Jasper Johns’s famous admonition to 'take an object, do something to it,' seems to have been upgraded to the more aggressively territorial 'take a space, fill it with something.'"
Slide show:
http://nyti.ms/j9Mes8
Review:
http://nyti.ms/jwxJ7q

* INTERNAL BUSINESS: NEW TORONTO BUREAU CHIEF *

Carla Warrilow has joined our team in Toronto. She'll be reporting on the most innovative local events and meetings, and hunting down new ideas, venues, and trends for our Canadian readers. Warrilow has written about events and restaurants for Where Toronto, and has also contributed articles and photographs to Snap, an arts and culture magazine in Montreal. You can reach her at [email protected].

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON: The Boston Symphony Orchestra will open its 2011 Tanglewood season with a July 8 gala. Chef Lydia Shire will oversee the dinner menu, and the program will include music from Italian composers Belini and Verdi.
http://bit.ly/l6gtcy

CHICAGO: For the first time this year, Macy's reps will walk in Chicago's gay pride parade on June 26. Pride-related in-store events will include a cocktail hour with figure skater Johnny Weir and a concert from the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus June 22.

The Ambassador East Hotel will transform into Public—an Ian Schrager property—in the fall. The hotel's famous Pump Room restaurant may keep its name, or become the Gold Coast Kitchen. It's up to locals, who can vote at:
http://bit.ly/lAeDqQ

Under the direction of returning culinary ambassador Graham Elliot, Lollapalooza's food vendors will include Sola, Grahamwich, and the Gage. Offerings will range from lobster rolls to watermelon-jalapeno popsicles. Eater:
http://bit.ly/myDOlC

LAS VEGAS: Live music and wine will converge for the Rock ‘n Roll Wine event, to be will be hosted at Comme Ça inside the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas June 16.

LOS ANGELES: Someone's in the Kitchen owner Joann Roth-Oseary announced the opening of SITK Design Services Division, headed up by vice president Cheryl Fish. The two have produced events together for 30 years. Fish was owner and president of L.A. production company It’s the Main Event Inc., before moving to Las Vegas to spearhead the first event production company for a hotel-casino as vice president of MGM Mirage Events. Tammie Richards comes on board as account manager for business development, and Lauren Ho is executive assistant.

On Wednesday, at Franklin Canyon Ranch, the nonprofit arts org Sundance Institute hosted its first L.A. benefit, with a performance by Fitz and the Tantrums.

First Lady Michelle Obama will discuss her Joining Forces initiative and related topics with military family members Monday in the Writers Guild of America, West Theater in Beverly Hills.

On Saturday the Todd Group will produce the "Taste of the NFL Celebrity Dinner" for the Make it Wright Foundation at Tiato in Santa Monica. 

MIAMI: Boca West Country Club will host more than 800 people for the Club Managers Association of America gala Sunday, with event design and flowers from Daniel Events, rentals from Atlas Party Rental, and photography by Visual Enterprises.
 
Guy Fieri and Emeril Lagasse are hosts of the new event at the 2012 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival: "Red, White and Q" will be a wine-driven event that replaces BubbleQ, the popular champagne and barbeque party held for the last time at this year's festival.
 
The DoubleTree by Hilton Cookie Careavan stops at Cocowalk today to hand out the chain's signature chocolate chip cookie. The Miami stop is part of a 10-week, 50-city tour to mark the 25th anniversary of the cookie. Throughout the tour the company is posting photos, video, and real-time updates to Twitter and Facebook. PR: Carma Public Relations & Marketing.

NEW YORK: We hear KCD will produce Dylan Lauren's wedding in Bedford Saturday, and Olivier Cheng will cater. KCD produces fashion shows for Dylan's father, Ralph.

The Tony Awards on Sunday will host a green room and gifting suite, conceptualized by Axcess Luxury & Lifestyle. Audemars Piguet is the title sponsor and, with Patagonia Sur, is offsetting the carbon footprint for room and the carbon emissions of the flights of the approximately 100 award presenters and nominees. Other brands involved include Fendi Casa, The Lodge at Woodloch, Avión Tequila, Armani/Dolci, Judith Ripka, and Jurlique.

Tony Alcindor is the new global communications and marketing director at Benarroch Productions, where he will build strategic partnerships between its entertainment clients and companies that would benefit from brand association with the premieres, film festivals, and private screenings the firm produces. He was previously PR and marketing director for Ports 1961.

ORLANDO: The official "Star Wars" fan fest is coming back to Orlando in August 2012, making this the only city to host the event twice since it began in 1999. More than 21,000 people attended "Star Wars" Celebration V at the Orange County Convention Center last year. ReedPOP, a division of Reed Exhibitions, produces the event in partnership with Lucasfilm Ltd.
http://bit.ly/jKzoFg

TORONTO: Restaurant and lounge Brassaii unveiled its re-designed courtyard patio last night, with complementary cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Channeling a "Muskoka nights" feel, the brand new cedar deck includes banquette seating, a fireplace, and two bars. Available for buyout and with a special events manager on staff, the Brassaii patio offers a cabin retreat in the city.

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

With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, Carla Warrilow in Toronto, and Anna Sekula and Courtney Thompson in New York.

BizBash Call Sheet is the must-read daily digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.
Feed the Sheet: [email protected]
Subscribe: http://info.bizbash.com/callsheet.html

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