Call Sheet #259: Amazon Courts High Fashion, Visa Plans Biggest Olympic Sponsorship, Facebook Coaches Brands on Posting

BIZBASH CALL SHEET — #259 — Tuesday, 05.08.12

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Compiled today by Beth Kormanik and Anna Sekula in New York
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TODAY'S CALENDAR: National Confectioners Association's Sweets & Snacks Expo begins in Chicago

* INCOMING *

1. AMAZON'S FASHION FIGHT: The online retailer has set its focus on selling high-end fashion, signing companies such as Michael Kors, Vivienne Westwood, Catherine Malandrino, Jack Spade, and Tracy Reese, and it continues to prowl for more. It also sponsored and live-streamed the benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. The New York Times: "The traditional retail world—and many major brands that want no part of Amazon—are gearing up to fight for their lives. 'It has the latitude to set prices and charge whatever it wants,' Sucharita Mulpuru, an analyst for Forrester Research, said of Amazon. 'That is a huge threat for brands.'"

And here's a recap on the Met Ball from contributor Jim Shi: "Monday night's Costume Institute gala at the Met Museum celebrating the "Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations" exhibition featured a quirky yet tasteful aesthetic throughout. At the entrance, guests were met with a soaring sculpture of 40,000 red and white roses overseen by Raul Avila that featured a Schiaparelli lip motif. For dinner, once again held in the Temple of Dendur, simple tabletops included anemones in single stem vases and chairs wrapped in vintage archival prints. While helping to raise a record $11 million for the Costume Institute, celebrities from Gwyneth Paltrow to Rihanna dined on whole baby lobsters, veal Milanese with arugula and fennel, and apricot salad. Dessert was inspired by the two designers and comprised violet tarts and petit fours with red lips.

2. CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER REGRETS: Will there be fewer Kardashians coming to Washington next year? Some high-profile journalists, including Tom Brokaw, are complaining that the star-studded White House Correspondents' Dinner has become a little too glitzy. Even the Correspondents Association president, Ed Henry of Fox News, conceded "sometimes [the event] looks too much like a celebrity-fest, and we've got to make sure that doesn't overshadow it." Poynter: http://journ.us/IQ87ZH

3. VISA'S SUMMER GAMES: The credit card company is planning its largest Olympics campaign ever, "Go world," joining other blue-chip sponsors including Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Procter & Gamble, and Samsung that are spending billions of dollars on marketing during the games. This year, armed with a Twitter account, YouTube channel, and Facebook page, "Social media are playing far larger roles in the campaign than they did for the Visa campaign for the 2008 Summer Games, or even for the campaign for the Winter Olympics only two years ago." The New York Times: http://nyti.ms/JNPPqO

4. BRANDING BUBBLY: Sotheby's is launching its own champagne label, made by France's R&L Legras, priced at $29.95 a bottle and $69.95 for a magnum. "We will be serving it at Sotheby's events in New York, London and Hong Kong, and I will also be drinking many a bottle at home, too," Jamie Ritchie, a Sotheby's wine expert, told the New York Post. http://nyp.st/IU3ADv

5. MIAMI MODERN: Mad Men may have some competition for the most stylish TV show. Magic City, a new series on Starz, takes its inspiration from Miami Modernist architect Morris Lapidus, who designed iconic hotels including Fontainebleau, Deauville, and Eden Roc. The show is set in 1959 Miami Beach in the luxurious Miramar Playa Hotel, and the Los Angeles Times takes a look at the sets. If the show takes off, expect events to borrow from the combination of "gold, glitz and glamour." http://lat.ms/IQomDx

6. WHO SHOULD TWEET? With Twitter's growing relevance and use in campaigns—including those for presidential candidates—who should be responsible for overseeing the message? Ad Week: "In a world routinely grown weary of micro scoops, memes, and never-ending political posturing, a social media slipup can mean lost jobs, and lost campaigns...The issue raises real questions about the restructuring of campaigns in the social media age. Should younger staffers who are more fluent in the medium be handed the reins? Or should senior staffers who can be trusted to stay on message—and stay out of trouble—be given social media oversight?" http://bit.ly/JkTjB6

7. FACEBOOK ENGAGEMENT: The site's recent study of 1,200 posts from 23 brands yielded insights on which type of posts connect best with customers. Ad Age: "'By far, the biggest predictor of engagement was that the post was on a topic relevant to the brand,' said Sean Bruich, head of measurement platforms and standards at Facebook. 'It impacts everything, from lightweight likes to more invested shares. It's actually one of the most important things a brand can do. People are seeing the content because they liked the brand, and it makes sense that content about the brand will get them engaged.'" http://bit.ly/Izi1vd

8. BILINGUAL DEAL: Disney's ABC News and Univision News announced a joint news venture that "would combine Univision's ability to reach U.S. Hispanics and 'ABC's global news leadership to serve over 50 million Hispanics, the youngest and fastest-growing demographic in the U.S.,'" executives said. The Hollywood Reporter: http://bit.ly/IAdmcj

In other news for Univision, yesterday four former AOL event staffers—Rachel Gross, Samantha Newman, Paulina Ramirez-Tapia, and Jenny Stahl—officially joined Univision Communications as the event marketing team. The crew is still based in New York, operating from the Spanish language network's Midtown East offices.

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* ABOUT LAST NIGHT *

From style editor Lauren Matthews: The James Beard Awards returned to Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall to celebrate a new crop of culinary talent, as well as the James Beard Foundation's silver anniversary. This year's theme,"25 Years of Food at Its Best," featured a selection of dishes inspired by historic recipes pulled from the more than 20 cookbooks Beard authored. The 6 p.m. award ceremony drew a sold-out crowd of more than 1,800 guests and winners included Outstanding Chef Winner Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park and New York City Best Chef winner Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern. This year, the foundation also added a new award category, Outstanding Bar Program, which was given to New York's PDT. After the program, guests headed to the hall's lobby for the gala reception that served dishes from 24 chefs, such as chef Gary Danko's buckwheat blinis with smoked salmon and Pacific Plaza caviar and pastry chef Sarabeth Levine's strawberry shortcake. Last year's press room got a significant makeover from sponsor Groupon, but this year returned to its regular few bars and food stations from sponsors, like the California Caviar Company and Perrier-Jouet champagne. Regular sponsors Delta and Mercedes-Benz returned, and the outdoor lounge, sponsored by Urban Spoon, offered the online food Web site's new reservation software on iPads. Upstairs in the V.I.P. area, dinner tables displayed centerpieces of welded-together silverware and silver serving pieces in honor of the milestone silver anniversary.

More from The New York Times on the awards: http://nyti.ms/IUyecH

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON: Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder and chief scientist at Fusion-io, will speak at the 2012 EuraMedia Summit June 13-16.

CHICAGO: The National Confectioners Association's Sweets & Snacks Expo is today through Thursday at McCormick Place.

LAS VEGAS: Friday was Maggie Tuitele-Garcia's last day as director of sales and catering for Sugar Factory, Chateau Nightclub & Gardens, Cabo Wabo Cantina Las Vegas, and Gallery Nightclub. She will relocate to Washington state.

Avatar Ventures Corp. announced the appointment of a new president, Voltair Gomez, as well as an expanded direction for the company beyond mobile marketing to online, social media, and location-based marketing. Press release: http://on.mktw.net/JseIpG

LOS ANGELES/SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: On Thursday, Kinetic Lighting will host its fourth annual open house, which will include product demos, training and breakout sessions, and an iPad raffle with proceeds benefiting U.S.C. Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Local dignitaries and community members joined Port of Hueneme commissioners Friday to celebrate 75 years as a working port. The event took place along Hueneme Beach Promenade, and marked the beginning of a year of events.

Local event listings from Masterplanner: http://masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

MIAMI: Barton G. Weiss launches his magazine, Vault, with a party Friday at The Villa By Barton G. The party will turn the space—the former Versace Mansion on Ocean Drive—into a three-dimensional representation of the issue, with the magazine's stories, images, and personalities.

American Express Open will host V.I.P. Contract Connections and Teaming Wednesday to educated business owners on winning government contracts. The free event will be at the InterContinental Hotel Doral

NEW YORK: On Friday, Michael Capponi took to New York to celebrate his 40th birthday. The Wall Street Journal: "His friends, representing various parts of the nightlife industry, gathered at Capitale Friday to celebrate and raise money for the Haiti Empowerment Mission, Mr. Capponi's charity that is helping to transform Jacmel, a city in Haiti that was decimated in the 2010 earthquake, into a thriving tourist town." http://bit.ly/ITzTWq

Eventi Hotel's Bar Basque has closed. hotelchatter.com: http://bit.ly/Jj2Qsm

Local event listings from Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

ORLANDO: The Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival is scheduled for May 16-28 at Loch Haven Park. In addition to ticketed performances at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center and Orlando Repertory Theatre, the festival hosts a variety of interdisciplinary activities and exhibits.

TORONTO: Drake Hotel Properties has announced plans to open a lakeside inn in Wellington, Prince Edward County. The Drake Devonshire Inn will open early next year in a renovated historic building. The country property will have a metropolitan feel.

WASHINGTON: The D.C. Caribbean Carnival is moving to Baltimore and will change its name to Baltimore/Washington One Caribbean Carnival. The July 14 event had faced an uncertain future after racking up unpaid bills of $200,000. NBC Washington: http://bit.ly/KBar8p

Sesma, the Special Event Sites Marketing Alliance, will host a networking event May 15 at the Terrace at 101 Constitution with a cocktail reception from Federal City Catering.

Taste of Seamless, a gourmet food tasting with more than a dozen caterers, is May 17 at Long View Gallery.

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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