July 13, 2015: N.A.A.C.P. Ends Boycott of South Carolina, How Lionsgate Consistently Wins Comic-Con, Inside Target’s House of the Future

1. N.A.A.C.P. ENDS BOYCOTT OF SOUTH CAROLINA: A day after South Carolina removed a Confederate battle flag from its Statehouse grounds, the N.A.A.C.P. voted to end its 15-year economic boycott of the state. Associated Press: “The civil rights group approved the measure Saturday at its national convention in Philadelphia to end the boycott of tourism and other economic activity. The boycott began in 2000 during debate over the flying of the Confederate flag atop South Carolina's Statehouse dome. The boycott continued after it was moved to a flagpole on Statehouse grounds.” http://usat.ly/1D9Snse

2. HOW LIONSGATE CONSISTENTLY WINS COMIC-CON: The competition to cut through the noise at Comic-Con International and get true marketing buzz gets tougher each year, but the film studio Lionsgate seems to have worked out a consistently winning formula. It helps that it’s promoting a hugely popular product, the Hunger Games series. The New York Times: “If Comic-Con is the Super Bowl of location-based entertainment marketing, Lionsgate is a star quarterback. The studio has consistently cut through the noise. … So, to promote ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2,’ Lionsgate on Thursday pushed past Comic-Con’s crowd-control rules, parading 34 costumed kettle drummers into the roughly 6,500-seat hall that forms the convention’s epicenter. And to make its presentation even more lively, the studio took the rare step of securing a well-known professional — Conan O’Brien — as the M.C.” http://nyti.ms/1O0nxrN

3. INSIDE TARGET’S HOUSE OF THE FUTURE: Target is using an unusual pop-up concept—a 3,500-square-foot space in San Francisco designed like a suburban home—to show consumers how smart products can work in their homes. Its partner in the Open House installation is Local Projects, a New York design studio whose projects have included the 9/11 Museum and Cooper Hewitt. Wired: “It’s as though Philip Johnson’s Glass House and the Jetsons’ futuristic pad had a lovechild. … Open House is a retail space, but also a test lab where consumers will learn about products, Target will learn about its consumers, and startups (some of which Target is incubating in-house) will learn what it takes to sell their gadgets to the masses.” http://wrd.cm/1CtqvnV

* LOCAL NEWS *

ATLANTA:  The 11th annual A3C Festival & Conference will take place October 7-11 in Old 4th Ward.

BOSTON:  The debate over the Boston Museum of Fine Arts' now-cancelled "Kimono Wednesdays" event continues, with some Asian Americans defending it in the wake of criticism that it was racist. Artnet: http://artnt.cm/1HSUypo

CHICAGO:  Cirque du Soleil will return to the city with a new show and virtual reality project August 6-September 20. Chicago Business Journal: http://bit.ly/1IPxWXG

LAS VEGAS:  The 12th annual Adam & Eve Charity Love Fling, which benefits New Vista and is sponsored by Azzurre Spirits, will take place July 24 at Hyde Bellagio.

The 13th edition of Cosmoprof Las Vegas, which runs through Tuesday at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, is expected to host almost 1,000 exhibitors and attract 27,000 industry professionals. Cosmeticsdesign.com: http://bit.ly/1TpOPLM

LOS ANGELES:  After 46 days and more than 20,500 miles of traveling, the Special Olympics "Flame of Hope" arrived in Los Angeles on Friday as part of the first Special Olympics Unified Relay Across America.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Beck's Urban Canvas, a community-focused art project from the German beer brand, is sponsoring a dozen Miami-based artists who will create 15 works of art that will be displayed as murals and installations throughout the Wynwood, Little Haiti, Little Havana, and Hialeah. A series of events, including pop-up parties, are planned this summer to celebrate the project.

NEW YORK:  The Friends of Hudson River Park's Annual Gala, which will honor Martha Stewart, will be held October 8 at Pier 60.

The Friends of Eli Kulp Benefit—to raise money to support the chef, who was injured in deadly Amtrak train crash earlier this summer—will take place July 20 at Del Posto.

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

SAN FRANCISCO:  The 2015 IndyCar Championship Celebration will be held August 31 at Nob Hill Masonic Center.

TORONTO:  Panmania, a 35-day arts and culture festival meant to complement the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, had its opening weekend July 10-13. The festival will feature more than 1,300 artists in 250 performances and exhibitions taking place across Toronto. It ends August 15.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  The Luol Deng Foundation will host South Sudan Unite, an event intended to unite the South Sudanese diaspora. The event will include live music from five South Sudanese artists, a fashion show, and an inaugural workshop for its Peace Ambassadors initiative. The event will take place at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium on August 29.

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

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