September 14, 2015: Obama Switches Hotel to Avoid Stay at Chinese-Owned Waldorf Astoria, the Unusual Way One Agency Managed Events at the U.S. Open, What to Consider Before Sponsoring a Music Festival

1. OBAMA SWITCHES HOTEL TO AVOID STAY AT CHINESE-OWNED WALDORF-ASTORIA: When President Obama visits New York later this month for the annual United Nations General Assembly, he will forgo the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, the traditional hotel for United States presidents, in favor of the New York Palace Hotel. Associated Press: “U.S. officials have pointed to Hilton's sale of the Waldorf-Astoria to China's Beijing-based Anbang Insurance Group for $1.95 billion last year as having prompted the security concerns and on recent overnight trips to New York, Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry have all shunned the Waldorf for other hotels. It was not immediately clear if U.S. officials would be barred from meeting with foreign dignitaries at the Waldorf, which will continue to host non-U.S. delegations. However, an early version of Kerry's schedule for this year's General Assembly shows him with no meetings at the Waldorf. Terms of the sale allow Hilton to run Waldorf for the next 100 years but also call for ‘a major renovation’ that officials say has raised eyebrows in Washington, where fears of Chinese eavesdropping and cyberespionage run high.” http://bit.ly/1J2Q2AP

2. THE UNUSUAL WAY ONE AGENCY MANAGED EVENTS AT THE U.S. OPEN: The experiential agency Momentum produced several activations for American Express at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, requiring staff to be on site for more than two weeks. So it turned to a novel approach for managing some aspects of the work: a “telepresence robot,” essentially an iPad on wheels controlled by someone back in the home office. The Wall Street Journal: “A person can log on from a desktop computer at one location–such as the Momentum office in Manhattan–and then talk to people at the tennis center through the telepresence robot, which they can also 'drive' around the event using the arrows on their computer’s keyboard. People engaging with the robot see the person controlling the robot’s face thanks to a webcam. … Members of [the] team can also use the robot, including engineers from numerous Momentum offices across the country who can make sure everything at the American Express event is up to snuff. Beyond the Open, the company has employed the telepresence robot for numerous other ad events the agency has helped facilitate.” http://on.wsj.com/1K1RVRZ

3. WHAT TO CONSIDER BEFORE SPONSORING A MUSIC FESTIVAL: When it comes to creating brand experiences at music festivals, doing it wrong may be worse than not doing it at all. CNBC: “While not necessarily anti-brand, they are pro-authenticity. A brand can't simply buy its way into a festival and expect people to line up, especially in an environment where they are being barraged all day with different images, sounds and tastes. Companies that want to be remembered need to create an experience that stands out and enhances the enjoyment of the festival fan, whether that's by creating a comfortable lounge for weary concertgoers (Jack Daniels, Fat Boy), or places to plug in and recharge a cell phone (Samsung and Verizon).” http://cnb.cx/1XUiD6g

4. DONALD TRUMP BUYS NBC'S STAKE IN MISS UNIVERSE ORGANIZATION: Donald Trump announced last week that he now owns 100 percent of the Miss Universe Organization after buying out NBC’s stake in the pageant. Associated Press: “The network said in June it was severing ties with Trump because of comments he made about Mexican immigrants during his presidential campaign kickoff speech. The fallout reverberated far beyond the pageant: Macy's stopped carrying a line of Trump menswear, a television company owned by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim ended a project with Trump and the PGA of America moved a golf tournament off a Trump-owned course.” http://bit.ly/1FHOADO

* LOCAL NEWS *

ATLANTA:  The BB&T Atlanta Open tennis tournament has been sold to a New York-based financial management group, but the tournament will remain in Atlantic Station. Atlanta Journal-Constitution: http://on-ajc.com/1iDaUJD

BOSTON:  Phantom Gourmet Food Festival will take over Lansdowne and Ipswich Streets September 19. The event will showcase more than 100 culinary items, including chicken pies and cheesecake cones.

CHICAGO:  The Weizmann Institute of Science will host its annual gala at the Fairmont Chicago October 17. Visuals will be handled by graphic designer Michael Paglucio and Tom Kehoe of Kehoe Designs.

LAS VEGAS:  Unikrn C.E.O. and co-founder Rahul Sood will deliver the final keynote speech at the Global Gaming Expo 2015, taking place September 29-October 1 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.

Motley Brews' Downtown Brew Festival will take place October 24 at the Clark County Amphitheater. The festival will feature live entertainment, beer-inspired fare, and more than 200 craft beers from more than 60 local, national, and international breweries.

LOS ANGELES:  The Great Wolf Lodge Southern California, slated to open in February, will have more than 21,000 square feet of conference space and a 100,000-square-foot indoor water park.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  In advance of the November opening of Talde Miami Beach restaurant at Thompson Miami Beach, chef Dale Talde will host a pop-up dinner September 29 at the hotel’s 1930s House bungalow and event space. The ticketed event includes a copy of the chef’s new cookbook, Asian-American: Proudly Inauthentic Recipes From the Philippines to Brooklyn.

NEW YORK:  The America-Israel Cultural Foundation will mark its 76th Anniversary Celebration October 25 at the 92nd Street Y's Kaufmann Concert Hall. The event will honor classical pianist Evgeny Kissin and feature live performances by the Milk and Honeys band, dancer Revital Naroditski, and more.

Baby Buggy, a nonprofit that helps families living in poverty, will celebrate its 15th anniversary with “An Evening With Jerry Seinfeld and Amy Schumer,” a public benefit performance November 16 at the Beacon Theatre.

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

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios will end after this year because of preparation for the recently announced Toy Story Land and Star Wars-theme land. The lights will be on display for a final time November 6-January 3. Orlando Sentinel: http://bit.ly/1QsUYVD

SAN FRANCISCO:  British singer FKA Twigs will perform at the Treasure Island Music Festival October 17-18. The lineup also includes Run the Jewels and Panda Bear.

TORONTO:  Mississauga councillors have stated that they won't support a Toronto bid for the 2024 Olympics, citing lack of benefit from the Pan Am Games. Toronto Star: http://on.thestar.com/1LosAj5

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  The AARP organized an event on the National Mall to pack more than 1 million meals that were then donated to the Capital Area Food Bank. The event, in which 5,000 volunteers participated, was part of the September 11 AARP Foundation's A Celebration of Service.

Taste of DC, which includes the fifth annual Ben’s Chili Bowl World Chili Eating Championship, will take place October 10-11 along several blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue.

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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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