June 16, 2016: Budweiser Brings Latest Event Activation to Country Music Fests, Why a Video Game Publisher Created a Separate E3 Fan Event, CBS to Broadcast Grammys Through 2026

1. BUDWEISER BRINGS LATEST ACTIVATION TO COUNTRY MUSIC FESTS: Active live music event sponsor Budweiser has turned its focus to country music festivals with a marketing campaign that involves an experiential touring activation. Titled the Budweiser Country Club, the three-story structure is coming to festivals including Stagecoach, Country 500, and Faster Horses this summer. The brand's vice president, Ricardo Marques, says the new experience heightens sponsorship impact and is a way to connect with millennials. Forbes: "'Budweiser is one of the most powerful brands in the industry, so awareness is no longer the main driving point for sponsorships,' Marques says. 'It’s no longer about the signage or the size of a logo on a poster or a ticket or a stage. It’s about what people talk about and the experience they take away and talk about later and remember and post online.' The Budweiser Country Club structure was designed with those goals in mind. The experience in the several-thousand-square-foot area in and around the barn-shaped 'Club' includes dedicated areas for playing corn hole, taking photos, asking Budweiser’s “brewmasters” questions about the brewing process and, of course, ordering draft and bottled beer. There are also several spaces featuring the work of local artisans. At CMA Fest, lines were often two-dozen people deep for the iconic poster company Hatch Show Print and leather koozies that fans could emblazon with custom letters and designs. … Based on attendance numbers of the festivals, an estimated 12,000 and 25,000 people per event are likely experiencing the activation. While the per-person (or “per-experience”) cost may seem high—potentially $35 per person assuming a conservative total cost estimate of $2.5 million and 70,000 visitors over the summer—that’s a relatively low customer acquisition cost for a brand that, if it builds affinity, has the potential to capture incremental retail sales from visitors for many decades." http://onforb.es/1UdEgPW

2. WHY A VIDEO GAME PUBLISHER CREATED A SEPARATE E3 FAN EVENT: This year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, brought more than 50,000 gaming fans to the Los Angeles Convention Center. Video game publisher Electronic Arts, which usually has its own booth at the convention center, decided to ditch the venue booth for its own press event and fan event next door at L.A. Live. Laura Miele, executive vice president of global publishing at Electronic Arts, explained the strategic move. VentureBeat: “The culture of the company has changed pretty radically under Andrew Wilson’s leadership. He’s done a phenomenal job. When he first came in, we changed our focus and our filter to be a player-first company. A lot of things changed for us, whether it’s when we release games, what those games are, the values we offer to players. Fast forward to where we are today, that brings us to EA Play. We had to be player-centric. Being on the E3 show floor wasn’t player-centric enough, so we decided to try this. We’re happy to see the player response. It’s as rewarding for us as it is for them. We get to see them play our games in person. That’s a rich experience for employees at EA as well. … We’re able to curate our audience here as well. We have game creators we’ve invited, players, our partners. We’ve hand-selected who is here, as opposed to an open booth where everyone’s coming through. We hope it creates a better experience for everyone.” http://bit.ly/1UV03WN

3. CBS TO BROADCAST GRAMMYS THROUGH 2026: CBS has announced it will show the Grammy Awards through 2026, which makes a record-breaking partnership between a network and awards ceremony. USA Today: "A deal announced Wednesday by the Recording Academy and CBS will keep the Grammy Awards on CBS through 2026. The agreement means the ceremony will appear 54 consecutive years on the same network, a record for the longest continuous partnership between an awards show and broadcaster. The annual ceremony in which recording-industry peers recognize musical excellence began airing on CBS in 1973. 'The broadcast of the Grammys and our long-standing relationship with extraordinary partners at The Recording Academy represent an important part of CBS’s past and future, Leslie Moonves, CBS CEO, said in a statement. 'Everyone at CBS is proud to reach this milestone with Neil and his team, and we look forward to building on this legacy and creating more Grammy moments together well into the next decade and beyond.'" http://usat.ly/1U9O4Fz

* LOCAL NEWS *

COAST TO COAST:  According to a survey by travel insurance provider Allianz Global Assistance, 71 percent of Americans aren't interested in traveling to Rio de Janeiro for the upcoming Olympics, and 82 percent said the Zika virus impacted their decision. Survey results also included that 49 percent of Americans think the Olympics should have been delayed to protect people from Zika, and 48 percent prefer to wait to attend the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

BOSTON:  Virginia-based bluegrass festival the Festy Experience will bring a new event, the New England Festy, to Canton September 17-18. Boston.com: http://bit.ly/1Ua1QYx

CHICAGO:  Conrad Chicago has appointed James Lintelmann as executive chef of the hotel's two restaurants, Baptiste & Bottle and Noyane.

LAS VEGAS:  For its 50th anniversary celebration, Caesars Palace will throw a block party from July 1-3, which will end with more than 13 minutes of fireworks above the reimagined Julius Tower.

LOS ANGELES:  The L.A. Dodgers Foundation’s second annual Blue Diamond Gala is slated for July 28, and will include a Fleetwood Mac performance.

Production studio the Rogue Initiative and film director Michael Bay have announced a partnership to develop original entertainment focused on virtual reality and interactive hardware.

For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Carlson Redizor Hotel Group is opening a Radisson Red Miami Airport Hotel. The hotel will break ground this fall and will open in 2018.   

NEW YORK:  The owners of the Waldorf-Astoria plan to convert 1,000 of the 1,420 rooms into luxury condos. New York Post: http://nyp.st/28DmLNt

The Doe Fund will host the "Dishes by Doe" culinary tasting event for 80 gastronomers and guests on Friday at the James Beard House. Hosted by Union Square Cafe general manager Sheryl Heefner, the event will feature a menu prepared by graduates of the Doe Fund's culinary arts training program.

The Wizard of Oz-inspired Emerald City Ball will take place June 25 at Supercinema at the McKittrick Hotel. Event proceeds will benefit the Equality Florida Pulse Victims Fund and Everytown for Gun Safety.

Keep a Child Alive's 13th annual Black Ball will take place October 19 at Manhattan Center. The event will be hosted by Alicia Keys.

For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  Wahlburgers will open a second Central Florida location at Waterford Lakes by the end of the year.

SAN FRANCISCO:  The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, has announced plans to build a new lakefront project called the Lake Club, scheduled to debut in summer 2017. Designed by local architect Clare Walton, the multilevel space will feature a 650-square-foot indoor gathering area and bar, a 600-square-foot ground-floor dining terrace, a 950-square-foot upper-level deck, and a 2,000-square-foot lawn.

TORONTO:  The 55th Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition will take place July 8-10 at Nathan Phillips Square. The event will feature works from more than 350 artists and a beer garden presented by Henderson Brewing Co.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  The Society for Human Resource Management Annual Conference and Exposition will take place June 19-22 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Guest speakers include Fox and Friends Weekend anchor Tucker Carlson.

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

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