July 26, 2016: How Hotels Are Using Events to Attract Local Clientele, Twitter Expects Live Event Coverage to Increase Growth, U.K. Music Festival Offers a First in Drug Testing

1. HOW HOTELS ARE USING EVENTS TO ATTRACT LOCAL CLIENTELE: The last place one would consider a local hangout is a hotel, but lately, many locals are heading to hotels after work because of new group activities and events. The hotels sponsoring these programs hope the presence of local clientele make visitors feel more at home. The New York Times: “Hotels are always eager to get people in the door, of course, whether to spend the night or their money at the bar. And catering wedding parties and banquets has long been central to the hospitality industry. But the newer trend is to focus on getting repeat business from a local following. So the innkeepers are sponsoring running clubs or organizing other attractions like author readings, art shows or musical performances. The effort includes making lobbies and lounges more inviting hangouts, rather than simply places to stare at your smartphone while awaiting a car to the airport. The theory is that a vibrant group of local patrons can make the hotel more attractive to out-of-town lodgers. A buzzing social hive can even convince lodgers that they don’t need to leave the hotel to have a meal, drink or general good time.To breathe new life into its public spaces, Marriott has experimented with various ways to attract an in-town clientele. Its Renaissance Hotels brand a few years ago created an online concierge service, supplemented by recommendations and insights from local ‘navigators.’ More recently it started an Evenings at Renaissance program, with amenities like craft cocktails and musical entertainment. The Renaissance in Asheville, N.C., for instance, had a local acoustic-country duo play for guests at one of its weekly music nights. … Jonathan Frolich, vice president for global brands at Hyatt Hotels’ Andaz line, said each of its hotels holds six to 10 ‘salon’ events a year, which typically draw several dozen people—usually a mix of lodgers and local residents. In Napa, Calif., aspiring artists painted and drank wine alongside a local artist, and in Savannah, Ga., a local scholar gave a presentation on art and design.” http://nyti.ms/2a3oBhE

2. TWITTER EXPECTS LIVE EVENT COVERAGE TO INCREASE GROWTH: Twitter has recently made numerous partnerships to stream live events such as both political conventions, Wimbledon, and Thursday-night N.F.L. games, all new ventures that the social app hopes will help with growth in traffic and revenue. CNBC: “Twitter's efforts to boost engagement during the upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and the NFL partnership could help revenue in the third and fourth quarters, Sandler said. Twitter is also working to upgrade its core product—sometimes to the dismay of users—by expanding its Moments feature, allowing all Twitter users to request verified accounts and cracking down on harassment and violence online. Still, sluggish user growth combined with management turnover and risky bets on new products has led some analysts and investors to view the company as headed for a permanent slowdown, especially if those numbers don't improve this quarter. … Live events could also turn out to be too difficult and competitive a market for Twitter. ‘We believe Facebook's dominant user engagement and similar push into live video presents a very challenging competitive landscape for Twitter,’ Wells Fargo analyst Peter Stabler wrote in a note last week. In the coming quarters, Stabler said he expects ‘only modest user growth.’ Twitter shares have pared some of their losses in recent months. The stock has gained 26 percent since the end of April, driven largely by news that Microsoft agreed to acquire social network LinkedIn for $26.2 billion, leading some experts to predict that Twitter could be next in line for a takeover.” http://cnb.cx/2aqYqmk

3. U.K. MUSIC FESTIVAL OFFERS A FIRST IN DRUG TESTING: This past weekend, Secret Garden Party, an independent musical festival in the U.K., became the first festival to offer attendees the chance to test their illegal drugs. Aimed at promoting safer drug use, the testing facility attracted almost 200 people. The Guardian: “Festivalgoers were offered the tests as part of a 10-minute package of health and safety advice provided by The Loop, an organisation that conducts forensic testing of drugs at festivals and nightclubs and offers associated welfare support. Fiona Measham, co-founder of the organisation, explains: ‘The Loop has been conducting forensic testing at events for a number of years, but before now, we’ve only tested drugs seized by police, dropped in amnesty bins or provided by paramedics as a result of a medical incident. In the past we have been able to use that testing information to inform on-site services and for generalised safety alerts.’ Describing the Secret Garden Party facility as ‘a big step forward’, Measham added: ‘For the first time we’ve been able to offer the testing service to individual users as part of a tailored advice and information package provided by a team of experienced drugs workers. This can help people make informed choices, raising awareness of particularly dangerous substances in circulation and reducing the chance of drug-related problems occurring.’ Speaking from the festival site on Sunday morning, Steve Rolles, senior policy analyst for Transform Drug Policy Foundation which was instrumental in negotiating the testing facility with local authorities, said a key result of the initiative was the removal of potentially toxic substances from circulation over the weekend. ‘Around a quarter of people who brought in their drugs then asked us to dispose of them when they discovered that they had been mis-sold or were duds. We were taking dangerous substances out of circulation.’” http://bit.ly/2aqeQwY

* LOCAL NEWS *

ATLANTA:  The eighth annual Piedmont Park Arts Festival, organized by the Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces, will take place August 13-14. The event will feature work from around 250 artists.

AUSTIN:  South by Southwest Conference and Festivals has announced that TV producer and Transparent creator Jill Soloway and geneticist/CRISPR-Cas9 co-inventor Jennifer Doudna will be the keynote speakers for the 2017 event, which will take place March 10-19.

CHICAGO:  The 24th annual Long Grove Apple Festival will take place September 23-25. The festival will offer desserts from Long Grove Confectionary, apple popcorn from Long Grove Popcorn Shoppe, and caramel apple martinis from Enzo & Lucia Ristorante.

LAS VEGAS:  Britney Spears, U2, Drake, and Ariana Grande are slated to headline the sixth annual iHeartRadio Music Festival, which will take place September 23-24 at T-Mobile Arena.

Carson Kitchen has introduced an all-new menu from owner and chef Cory Harwell and culinary director John Courtney. Menu items include barbecue burt ends, sea bass, spiced watermelon, and strawberry pie.

LOS ANGELES:  The 12th annual Art Deco Festival will take place August 19-21 aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach. Presented by the Queen Mary and the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles, the event will feature a Prohibition mixology class, the Grand Ball with a performance by the Dean Mora orchestra, and a vintage car showcase.

The Amfar Inspiration Gala Los Angeles, honoring Jeffrey Katzenberg, will take place October 27 at Milk. The gala is produced by Josh Wood Productions.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Pérez Art Museum Miami has appointed four new members to its board of trustees: Barron Channer, George Edwin Crapple, Adri Guha, and Dorothy Terrell. In other P.A.M.M. news, the museum will have its ninth annual corporate luncheon on September 28. Sagamore Hotel owner Cricket Taplin, a noted art collector, will be honored at the event.

NEW YORK:  MTV will announce the nominees for this year's Video Music Awards today on Facebook Live. 

A chef tribute to the late Roger Vergé will take place September 12 at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers. Organized by Daniel Boulud and Herb Karlitz, the event will feature chefs creating a dish in tribute to Vergé.

Hospitality group Quality Branded will introduce a new nightclub in the former Riff Raff space in NoMad. The club will be designed by Reunion Goods and Services.

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

PHOENIX/SCOTTSDALE:  Embassy Suites by Hilton Scottsdale Resort, formerly known as Chaparral Suites, has opened following a $25 million renovation. Situated on 15 acres, the sprawling resort has 312 two-room suites and more than 60,000 square feet of meeting space for indoor and outdoor functions.

SAN FRANCISCO:  The 24th annual Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation's Pool Toss will take place October 18 at Phoenix Hotel/Chambers Eat & Drink. Radio hosts Brian Copeland and Nikki Medoro will host the event, which raises funds for the neighborhood's youth and family programs.

TORONTO:  The 10th annual Manifesto Festival of Community & Culture will take place September 9-18 with music performances, dance showcases, community summits, and art exhibits.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Share Space D.C., a new workspace that can host events, had its grand opening July 19. Located inside Mulebone, the new venue is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is free and open to the public.

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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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