Call Sheet #245: Pow Wow 2012 Plans, What Tupac's Hologram Means for Marketers, Event Budgets Growing

BIZBASH CALL SHEET — #245 — Wednesday, 04.18.12

++ Sponsored by Event Leadership Institute ++

Compiled today by Anna Sekula in New York.
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TODAY'S CALENDAR: BizBash Florida Expo & Awards in Fort Lauderdale, Tribeca Film Festival begins in New York, U.S. Olympic Committee's 100-day Countdown Promotion in New York

* INCOMING *

1. POW WOW PREVIEW: The International Pow Wow is headed to the Los Angeles Convention Center April 21-25. The massive show, one of the nation's largest travel industry events, is expected to bring more than 1,500 travel business operators. For delegates, Pow Wow will offer sightseeing tours opening weekend, including trips to L.A.'s beaches on bikes or Hollywood hills on horseback. Evening events include an opening-night party at Hollywood & Highland, a night at Universal Studios Hollywood, "Dine Out Tuesday" at participating restaurants, and a closing-night party at the Water Court at California Plaza downtown.

2. PUTTING HOLOGRAMS ON STAGE: The biggest news from Coachella's first weekend was the return of slain rapper Tupac Shakur in holographic form, a stunt produced by Geronimo Productions, the Yard Entertainment, and Digital Domain. According to Ed Ulbrich, the chief creative officer of Digital Domain, technology for such realistic imagery at events "does not take a major motion-picture budget" and is "a glimpse at what's to come—where the lines between reality and virtual are completely blurred." Ad Age: http://bit.ly/INn79Z

3. EVENT SPENDING ON THE RISE: A study by the Event Marketing Institute and experiential marketing agency Mosaic, found that brands are expecting budgets for events and experiential marketing to grow by 7.8 percent this year and new technologies and social media platforms are a big part of this mix. http://bit.ly/tqduSN

4. MOVING TARGETS: From Oscar Meyer's Wienermobile to Le Creuset's "Truckette," AdWeek illustrates how vehicles have been used as effective experiential marketing tools—even with the rise of digital and social media. http://bit.ly/JfhboX

5. MUSICAL FEET: A Nightline report looks at Converse's new marketing tactics, efforts that include inviting musicians to record tracks at a 5,200-square-foot studio in Brooklyn. "The goal is to win back that 'rebel consumer' of hard-to-woo hipsters." http://abcn.ws/IJUQvJ

6. EDIBLE ART: This Sunday, New York will see a recreation of artist Alison Knowles' "Make a Salad," a piece originally performed in 1962 that involves creating an edible dish of mixed greens. The salad—which will apparently serve as many as 1,000 people—will be prepared on the High Line and tossed to the crowd. http://bit.ly/HMZijF

7. HOTEL PROGRAMS: According to USA Today, the latest fad in hospitality is providing instructional classes for guests, including courses on etiquette for children, self-defense, and mixology. http://usat.ly/J8Ue6P

In other hotel news, Condé Nast Traveler released its annual hot list of best new hotels, spas, and restaurants, which includes the Hotel Bel-Air and Mr. C Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, Public in Chicago, the Four Seasons Baltimore, and Hotel Americano in New York. Press release: http://prn.to/ISeTtS

++ A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR: EVENT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE ++

The Event Leadership Institute is proud to provide the most progressive training and education for event planners in the industry, through on-demand video classes, biweekly webinars, white papers as well as interviews with industry leaders. www.eventleadershipinstitute.com

* FROM THE EVENT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE: 2012 EVENT DESIGN TRENDS *

E.L.I. published a white paper on 2012 event design trends on today, based on insights from 16 event influencers. The key findings:

*One of the most notable points was that "event design" is not just the domain of the vendors that supply visual "stuff," like flowers, sets, and furniture. "Any touch point, large or small, can become a brand experience … [brands should utilize] as many event elements as possible to convey your message and style."
*Tech is no longer "nice to have"—it's a necessary part of event design. Custom apps, QR codes, and social media can extend the brand experience and support event goals—but only if used correctly.
*One design trend cited in a number of responses was the "mixing of disparate styles to create a look of contrast and interest," such as mixing antique furniture with modern accents, or mixing different linen textures and patterns.
*In lieu of traditional design elements, like flowers, new developments in lighting technology (video and 3-D mapping, LED mesh grids, immersive and holographic projections) are taking center stage as the main visual stimuli at events.
 
The full paper is here: http://bit.ly/IPK3p2

* COAST TO COAST *

Weight loss brand and fitness program ViSalus is planning to mark its one millionth customer by organizing what it hopes to be the world's largest simultaneous flash mob. The April 21 event will invite the public to perform "the Carlton dance," moves made famous by actor Alfonso Ribeiro on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON: Celtics player Greg Stiemsma will host a benefit for the Young Audiences of Massachusetts at Towne Stove and Spirits April 25.

CHICAGO: Crain's Chicago Business ran a piece on Tuesday detailing the "art of the ask," taking tips from Ann Lurie, who raised significant funds to build the Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and underwrite its upcoming gala. One of Lurie's tips: "It seems too much like mixing business and social, and I can't talk and eat at the same time...I don't do business lunches." http://bit.ly/ILZOgD

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum's Butterfly Ball is May 4. Vendors include Event Creative, Calihan Catering, and Lynne Jordan and the Shivers.

Crain's Chicago Business: "McCormick Place hosted more events and visitors last year than in 2010, according to new data from the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau. The convention center had 103 events in 2011, a 12 percent jump over 2010, and overall attendance increased 2 percent to nearly 2.1 million." http://bit.ly/HLTGR3

LAS VEGAS: Las Vegas Sun's Robin Leach reports on how the National Association of Broadcasters show is drawing stars, politicos, and tech experts—100,000 people overall. http://bit.ly/HL2QNz

Former Cosmopolitan event head Rehan Choudhry will host a kick-off party April 28 for his new company, Aurelian Marketing Group, at the Vanguard Lounge.

LOS ANGELES: The seventh annual Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival presented by The Jewish Journal kicks off its lineup of 26 films with an opening-night celebration and premiere of the documentary Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom on May 3.

Church & State's chef Jeremy Berlin will present a spring menu for a Culinary Cause pop-up dinner at artist Cole Sternberg's downtown loft April 19. The evening's proceeds will benefit St. Vincent Meals on Wheels.

MIAMI: Pop-artist-slash-artographer Joey Mugica will host Color a Cure April 19 at Pearl Restaurant and Champagne Lounge. The art show and auction, which will include images of Miami philanthropists and businesswomen, will benefit Dress for Success Miami.

After a lull that ended in the summer of 2010, new cruise ships keep lining up to call Miami home. The latest, the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Cruise Line is set to officially reveal that its ship due in 2014, Norwegian Getaway, will sail year-round from Port Miami. Miami Herald: http://bit.ly/J699k1

NEW YORK: In his review of Alison Price Becker's restaurant Alison Eighteen, The New York Times' Pete Wells praises the "no nonsense" and "uncomplicated" food and the "orderly, un-raucous, cleanly illuminated dining room." http://nyti.ms/I46gOC

Family Equality Council will host its Night at the Pier event May 8. The Broadway-inspired event will celebrate the council's 30th anniversary.

Hilton New York announced the completion of a new green roof system and the installation of a Cogeneration System—both designed to reduce the hotel's carbon footprint. The update was completed just in time for Earth Week, as the hotel prepared to host the Sustainable Operations Summit April 17-19.

ORLANDO: The Orlando Museum of Art debuts a new collection of Florida-based art this Saturday. "Reflections: Paintings of Florida 1865-1965" is from the collection of Cici and Hyatt Brown and includes masterworks from many significant artists who worked in the state during that 100-year period.

TORONTO: More than 8,000 people packed the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Monday for Oprah Winfrey's Lifeclass tour. When the afternoon session sold out just minutes after it had been announced, organizers added a morning session, which sold out as well. This was Winfrey's first broadcast from Canada.

Donald Trump and his children Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Jr. officially opened the Trump International Hotel and Tower with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday. Mayor Rob Ford and players from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Blue Jays were in attendance. The Trump Hotel has been open since January. http://bit.ly/IjTaf8

WASHINGTON: The metropolitan Washington D.C. chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and James Beard Award-winning chef Michel Richard are hosting the second annual Chefs in the City fundraiser May 14 at the National Association of Home Builders. Twenty chefs will design their own table and prepare a five-course tasting menu with wine. mTableware provider Fortessa will decorate using pieces from its inventory.

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, Beth Kormanik, and Rose Chevalier in New York.

BizBash Call Sheet is the must-read daily digest of event industry news from BizBash.com. 

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