May 31, 2013: Questioning Benefit Concerts, 'Bon Appetit' Expands Food Fest, Ridiculous Guest Requests

1. QUESTIONING BENEFIT CONCERTS: The star-studded fund-raising concerts that pop-up after national tragedies face a problem—and it's not ticket sales. According to the Reliable Source, such events, like Wednesday's benefiting victims of the Oklahoma tornado, aren't always that organized when it comes to donating the money raised to the intended beneficiaries. "Noble intentions all around (except for scalpers reselling the $25 tickets). But it remains to be seen if Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert will actually help victims—or join the ranks of hastily-conceived attempts at humanitarian relief. 'There’s an awful lot of emotional giving that happens after a disaster,' said Heather Joslyn, an editor at the Chronicle of Philanthropy. 'Sometimes that can be a recipe for wasteful spending.'" The Washington Post: http://wapo.st/113s5U8

2. BON APPETIT'S ROVING FOOD FEST EXPANDS: Following the success of its first "Grub Crawl" last year, Bon Appetit is bringing back its roving food festival and adding more cities to the tour. A different take on the popular food festival format, the event puts guests inside the kitchens of break-out restaurants; the first run hit New York, Los Angeles, and New Orleans, and this year will include stops in Chicago and Charleston. WWD: http://wwd.us/16vmuyU

3. RIDICULOUS GUEST REQUESTS: Think you have had some outrageous requests from guests at events? The Hollywood Reporter rounds up some of the most audacious customer demands made at Los Angeles restaurants, including requests for a separate table for a dog, and a beef tenderloin in the shape of an elephant. http://bit.ly/18C2Qi0

4. HILLARY CLINTON TO PRESENT AT C.F.D.A. AWARDS: The rumor that Hillary Clinton would present at this year's C.F.D.A. Awards has been confirmed. According to WWD, the former Secretary of State will present the Founders Award to Oscar de la Renta on Monday night at Alice Tully Hall in New York. http://wwd.us/10Dyf1E

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  Outside the Box, a festival showcasing music, theater, dance, and food, will take over Boston Common and City Hall Plaza July 13 to 21.

CHICAGO:  The Shed, a private musician's club in Highland Park, will host its second annual ShedFest July 19 and 20. Benefitting Rebecca's Dream, the outdoor music festival will showcase local musicians as well as headliners such as Eddy Clearwater and Chicago Blues Reunion.

Giordano's new food truck is available for private events, city events, and festivals. The truck serves personal pizzas, salads, and soft drinks in green packaging.

LAS VEGAS:  Bradley Ogden's Hops & Harvest is slated to open tomorrow at Tivoli Village. The 180-seat restaurant will feature handcrafted cocktails, craft beer, and locally-sourced dishes. http://bit.ly/13mRATp

LOS ANGELES:  Agenda Trade Show is launching Agenda Emerge, a curated platform of industry innovators. The Emerge event is slated for July 26 at the Center Theater at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. Press release: http://bit.ly/15fRYFh

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  The Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce will host its 12th annual gala and awards presentation, Celebration of the Sun-the Yellow Gala, on June 22 at the Hilton Miami Downtown Hotel. Award recipients will include Sherwin-Williams, AT&T, and HGTV host David Bromstad.

NEW YORK:  Outdoor Rise, billed as New York's first outdoor adventure festival, is June 17 to 23. The free event, hosted by Discover Outdoors, will take place at various locales throughout the city and feature activities like sailing, daily yoga in Central Park, and a beach clean-up in Far Rockaway.

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

ORLANDO:  The Premiere Orlando International Beauty Event takes places Saturday through Monday at the Orange County Convention Center. More than 50,000 beauty-industry professionals are expected to attend the event, which includes education and product demonstrations from brands such as Redken, Tigi, Aveda, Matrix, and OPI.

Beginning tomorrow, Del Frisco's Prime Steak & Lobster is changing its name to Christner's Prime Steak & Lobster. The change reflects that the 20-year-old restaurant is transitioning out of the Del Frisco's corporation to be operated by David Christner, son of its founder Russ Christner. The name change will inaugurate a series of design enhancements and new additions to the menu, including the creation of a lounge menu and a scotch-specific beverage menu, which will launch in the fall.

Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek has promoted Matthew Boris to the role of hotel manager. Boris was formerly director of operations for the 400-room property.

TORONTO:  Toronto-based Etsy merchants will host a springtime marketplace tomorrow at 918 Bathurst. The fourth annual event will feature items from more than 40 sellers for purchase, crafting workshops, live music, a charity raffle, and more. http://bit.ly/12ku8L8

WASHINGTON:  The Promenade section of the Virginia Gateway Town Center project in Gainesville will expand to include two new retailers: BJ's Brewhouse, a 8,376-square-foot beer and pizza joint; and Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, a restaurant serving steaks, burgers, and other wood-grilled items. The 1 million-square-foot center—which will feature the 300,000-square-foot Promenade—is slated to open this fall. http://bit.ly/ZhkUvd

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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.

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