September 20, 2013: N.F.L. Still Upset Over M.I.A.'s Halftime Gesture, AllThingsD Conference Separates From 'Wall Street Journal,' Orchestra Gala to Continue Amid Musician Protest

1. N.F.L. PURSUING LEGAL CLAIMS OVER 2012 HALFTIME SHOW: The N.F.L. is seeking a $1.5 million fine from the singer M.I.A., who flashed her middle finger and mouthed "I don't give a shit" during the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show. While the F.C.C. did not pursue action following the show, which Madonna headlined, the N.F.L. started a case at the American Arbitration Association saying that the singer breached her contract and used the show to generate publicity for herself at the league's expense. The Hollywood Reporter: http://bit.ly/19jQNFB

2. ALLTHINGSD CONFERENCE SEPARATES FROM 'WALL STREET JOURNAL': Failing to reach a new deal with The Wall Street Journal, Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher will take their All Things Digital conference and Web site to another home. Bloomberg: "The AllThingsD conference has been lucrative for the past decade, consistently selling out its limited 500-seat event every year with guests such as Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. (AAPL), Bill Gates of Microsoft Corp. and Rupert Murdoch of News Corp., the parent of Dow Jones. … Tickets to AllThingsD’s most recent conference, at the end of May, cost $5,500 each, for a total of $2.75 million. The conference also takes sponsors—such as Oracle Corp. (ORCL) and Sony Corp.—which pay as much as $400,000 each, adding up to more revenue than ticket sales generate, according to two people with direct knowledge of the business." http://bloom.bg/16dOibJ

3. ORCHESTRA GALA TO CONTINUE AMID PROTESTING MUSICIANS: An awkward situation may play out tonight at a benefit for the Minnesota Orchestra, as gala guests arrive to fete an orchestra whose musicians have been locked out of their jobs for nearly a year. The venue, a newly renovated hall that includes a lobby event space, overlooks the street where musicians and their supporters have vowed to protest. New York Times: “The ball raises $1 million,” said Michael Henson, the orchestra’s president and chief executive. “If we canceled it, we’d be $1 million worse off.” http://nyti.ms/18HeeXg

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  Big Night Entertainment Group will bring its Red Lantern Restaurant & Lounge to Foxwoods Casino. The restaurant will hold 225 guests and will offer a sushi counter, an open kitchen, and decor marked with lanterns and red, ceremonial doors.

Ashley Stanley, founder of Boston's Lovin' Spoonfuls food rescue, has been invited to speak at the International Thought for Food Summit. The event takes place in Berlin this weekend.

CHICAGO:  The annual Hot Chocolate 5K/15K will start in Grant Park on November 3; proceeds will benefit the Little City Foundation. On October 31, organizers will host a packet pickup and Halloween Extravaganza at McCormick Place. The kickoff party will feature "the world's largest cup of hot chocolate," trick-or-treating around sponsor booths,  and a kid's zone.

The Mecum car auction takes place at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center October 10-12. The event showcases more than 1,000 classic cars.

TheWit Hotel Chicago has promoted Ben Galatz to director of restaurants and nightlife. Galatz now oversees the hotel's beverage program as well as operations of State and Lake Chicago Tavern and Roof.

According to the Hearty Boys blog, "macaron weddings" are trending. Brides are requesting macarons in lieu of wedding cake, and the catering firm is preparing the French treats in flavors such as rosemary, salted caramel, and Mexican chocolate. Other couples are using macarons and milk as a late-night passed snack. http://bit.ly/157F1kt

LAS VEGAS:  In collaboration with nightlife vets Michael Greco and Steven Kennedy’s Marvel Management and Marketing and entrepreneur David Furnish, Fizz Las Vegas is a champagne lounge and bar set to open in November inside Caesars Palace Las Vegas.

LOS ANGELES:  Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau said that Disney's 2013 D23 Expo last month at the Anaheim Convention Center was its most successful to date, drawing more than 50,000 people from 48 states and 21 countries to the "Ultimate Disney Fan Event."

Carole King will be honored as the 2014 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 24.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  The third annual Jeff Conine Celebrity Poker Classic, which pairs poker players with sports celebrities to benefit the Conine Clubhouse at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, is September 29 at Calder Casino & Race Course.

NEW YORK:  The Angel Ball, a benefit for Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research, is October 29 at Cipriani Wall Street. Entertainment Tonight correspondent Rocsi Diaz will host the event, which will feature performances from Chaka Khan and Pharrell Williams.

ReedPop will host the New York premiere of the film Zero Charisma on opening night of New York Comic Con, which takes place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center October 10-13.

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

ORLANDO:  A new event venue opens today at Lake Eola Park. Eola House is a Mediterranean Revival-style two-story home built in 1924. The building has an upstairs balcony, two meeting rooms, and a bride's room. It will also serve as the main office for Lake Eola Park and a welcome center for the city.

WASHINGTON:  Park(ing) Day, in which metered parking spaces are changed into temporary public parks, happens today at 131 M Street Northeast. Organized by NoMa BID and supported by One NoMa Station and Union Kitchen, the pop-up park will take over two spaces with beach umbrellas, picnic tables, and free popsicles.

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With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and 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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