May 7, 2013: Best Looks From the Met Gala, Nielsen Sells Trade Show Unit, the Buzz Behind Experiential Marketing

1. BEST LOOKS FROM THE MET GALA: Who embraced the punk theme at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual Costume Institute gala, and who didn't? Here's a red-carpet roundup of the most buzzed-about looks, including Sarah Jessica Parker in a faux-hawk headpiece from Philip Treacy. E! Online: "With this year's theme—which honored the 'Punk: Chaos to Couture' exhibit—in place, stars interpreted the concept creatively and added their own twist for a unique and mesmerizing statement all their own." http://eonli.ne/16QaM0I

2. WHY EVERYONE IS INTO EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING: For more companies, marketing means creating experiences. Ad Age: "We don't think of ourselves as doing stunts," said Kris Hoet, managing partner and head of digital at Duval Guillaume Modem. "What we do is create a campaign that is going to create social currency and buzz." Check out three of the year's best stunts. http://bit.ly/18uGsFp

3. NIELSEN SELLS TRADE SHOW UNIT: Toronto-based Onex Corporation is purchasing Nielsen's trade show unit for $950 million in cash. Bloomberg Businessweek: "Nielsen Expositions, based in San Juan Capistrano, California, produces more than 65 business-to-business trade shows and conferences a year in markets including general merchandise, sports, hospitality, and retail design." http://buswk.co/16bUbVe

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  Route for Kids, a 5K run/walk hosted by Horizons for Homeless Children, is May 18 at Jamaica Plain's Southwest Corridor Park.

Mandarin Oriental, Boston opens Oralia's Pop-Up Cake Shoppe today. Open daily in the Lobby Lounge, the shop offers lavish treats from the hotel's pastry chef, Oralia Perez. Offerings include Boston cream cupcakes, salted-peanut-butter-chocolate cakes, and strawberry shortcake.

CHICAGO:  The 30th annual Chicago Blues Festival is June 6-9 at Millennium Park and Grant Park. The outdoor concert event will feature four days of free shows, a panel discussion and centennial celebration of Pinetop Perkins, a celebration of the 60th anniversary of Delmark Records, and more. http://bit.ly/YqAhB3

LAS VEGAS:  Las Vegas Informer: "The community came out to support Jump for Joy Foundation’s third annual Tackling Obesity event on May 4 at Las Vegas Indoor Sports Center" http://bit.ly/17IpswP

Ticket Summit, a conference and trade show for ticketing and live entertainment executives, is July 17-19 at Bellagio. The event will have a new session format, with two-hour blocks of 20-minute sessions and speaker Q&A roundtables. At previous conferences, sessions had a more traditional panel format.

"Legends in Concert" celebrates 30 years this month, becoming only the third show in Las Vegas history to cross the milestone.

LOS ANGELES:  Montblanc's "24 Hour Plays" is June 22 at the Broad Stage.

After stops in London, Singapore, Milan, and Amsterdam, the "Elephant Parade" is making its American debut: Dozens of colorfully decorated life-size elephant sculptures will be on display in Dana Point for more than two months starting in August. Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles will host a media event after the elephants clear customs, unveiling two sculptures.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Los Ranchos Steakhouse has opened a new location in Hialeah’s Westland Mall. The space features natural stone walls, dark woods, large arched windows, and outdoor seating.

Grande Affaires, a social event production company, has relaunched. Its new creative director is Susan Wesselhoft.

NEW YORK:  The Handicapper's Edge: "The Breeders' Cup announced Monday that Drew Sheinman has been named to the position of senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Previously, he served as director of sports marketing for Coca-Cola Company and vice president, marketing for the New York Mets." http://bit.ly/140FJv0

Carrera will host Carrera Ignition Night, a retrospective of the eyewear brand's history; it will also unveil a new brand identity. The event is tonight at 5 Beekman.

Epicurious and Gourmet.com editor in chief Tanya Steel has joined the Children's Aid Society's "Emerald City" fund-raiser Wednesday at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center. The event will offer tips for healthy cooking and eating and a food and recipe discussion with Steel.

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

ORLANDO:  Scott Fish, a principal with UP Development, plans to redevelop Orlando Fashion Square. Fish, who recently purchased the two-story indoor shopping mall, says the finished product will include an arcade, a bowling alley, and a 127-room hotel.  http://thesent.nl/11boSc0

SYDNEY:  AV 24/7 has appointed Mark Ford as senior project manager. The company, which is celebrating 10 years in the industry, has worked on projects for Samsung, Hyundai, Emirates, Google, and Vogue.

TORONTO:  The Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival, which runs through May 31, features live music, lectures, portrait sessions, and exhibits from more than 1,500 Canadian and international artists at 175 venues throughout the greater Toronto area. http://bit.ly/HAHzLF

WASHINGTON:  Chef Mike Isabella is turning the first floor of his restaurant Graffiato into a pop-up sandwich shop called G May 13-17. The 40-seat pop-up will serve a four-course Italian tasting menu during the evenings. Isabella is using the concept to test recipes before he opens G GrabandGo, a 20-seat takeaway-style eatery in Edison, New Jersey.

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

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With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Jenna Berris, Beth Kormanik, Lauren Matthews, and Anna Sekula in New York.

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

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