August 24, 2016: Tommy Hilfiger's New York Fashion Week Carnival Show to Focus on Consumers, Advertisers Not Pleased With Olympics Ratings, Inside a Social Network That Lets Fans Discuss Concerts

1. TOMMY HILFIGER'S NEW YORK FASHION WEEK CARNIVAL SHOW TO FOCUS ON CONSUMERS: The actual items in Tommy Hilfiger and model Gigi Hadid's new collection might take a backseat during the designer's New York Fashion Week show. Hilfiger will stage a carnival activation at New York's South Street Seaport called the Tommy Pier—complete with a ferris wheel and carnival games. The event is another example of how more brands are focusing on the experience of the show, rather than the clothing. The Hollywood Reporter: "As the brand’s first see-now, buy-now collection, all of the pieces on the runway will be available for purchase immediately, both online as well as at the pier. Consumers who aren't able to make the Friday presentation can drop by Tommy Pier on Saturday (Sept. 10) between noon and 9 p.m. to shop at one of two Tommy x Gigi pop-ups, a vintage Tommy Hilfiger shop and a record shop. Nail art and temporary tattoos—not to mention all of the carnival games and goodies—will also offer plenty of Instagram-worthy entertainment. Though this is his first venture into see-now, buy-now territory, Hilfiger has always emphasized the consumer aspect of his shows. Understanding the reach of influencers (think: bloggers and socialites), the designer created a special 'Instapit' for his NYFW presentation in February, which gave social media stars prime Instagram access to the runway. From football fields to mini beaches, Hilfiger has always gone the extra-mile to stage a buzz-worthy catwalk, too. With superstars like Kanye West and Rihanna hosting consumer-facing fashion-extravaganzas at fashion week, it was only a matter of time before more conventional brands like Tommy Hilfiger tested the waters with over-the-top spectacles of their own. It's a smart move, too, as several studies show that millennials and Gen Z—which make up a significant portion of Gigi Hadid's social following that will surely be closely monitoring the Tommy x Gigi event—value experiences over goods." http://bit.ly/2bNe9gt

2. ADVERTISERS NOT PLEASED WITH OLYMPICS RATINGS: The ratings for NBC’s broadcast of the Summer Olympic Games in Rio were down for the first time since the 2000 Games in Sydney—and advertisers aren’t too happy about it. Mashable: “‘Generally speaking, you're always a little disappointed when it doesn't meet previous expectations,’ said Adam Schwartz, director of national broadcast and sports media at media-buying agency Horizon. Worse yet, the missing chunk of TV viewers were more likely to be valuable young people—millennial viewership declined by a quarter from 2012—many of whom migrated to NBC's digital streaming options. That led to a dramatically bigger-than-expected audience online, where Schwartz said the network charged almost double the per-impression rate of television. If the trend here was a simple shift from analog to streaming video, it wouldn't be as significant of an adjustment—NBC could chalk these Olympics up to a lack of foresight and adjust how it sells ads accordingly next time. But the digital boost isn't enough to fill the hole left in the TV ratings. It's possible that Olympics news and footage circulating on real-time social networks like Snapchat and Twitter and the immediacy of news alerts diluted the appetite for actually watching the games. Michael Nathanson, an advertising and media analyst at MoffetNathanson, said that concession inventory means NBC may have less to offer in coming months. He said in a report that the event speaks to television's inability to hold ground against the steady trickle of ad spending from TV to digital. Still, with so many mitigating factors—the ill-conceived tape delay, the lack of viewing options for people without cable, problems plaguing the events in Rio—it's hard to plug the results into one sweeping narrative.” http://on.mash.to/2bhCRHJ

3. INSIDE A SOCIAL NETWORK THAT LETS FANS DISCUSS CONCERTS: Independent music promoter Peter Shapiro, who was responsible for last year’s Grateful Dead reunion, has launched an online social platform for concertgoers to build profiles based on concerts they’ve attended and discuss the shows with other fans. The network is aptly titled Fans.com. The New York Times: “If the format sounds familiar, it is no accident. But Mr. Shapiro’s bet with Fans.com is that other social networks are ill-suited as platforms to express the effusive passions people have for music, sports and other kinds of entertainment. ‘There is no platform for being a fan,’ he said. ‘Facebook was meant to be a connector to friends and family. But if you are a Slayer fan, you might not want to post about that, if you work at Chase Bank or if your grandma is on your Facebook page.’ The site’s core is a database of five million concerts going back decades. Users can tag individual shows they have attended, and post media and links to a feed connected to each artist or event. The site will make its public debut on Thursday with live video feeds from Lockn’, Mr. Shapiro’s four-day festival in Arrington, Va., featuring Phish, My Morning Jacket and Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead. For now, Fans.com is a rudimentary database of concert listings. But Mr. Shapiro wants to expand it into sports and other areas. He also views it as a potential marketing tool that can be used by artists and promoters to target their most engaged listeners by tracking the data that users submit about how many concerts they have attended and where.” http://nyti.ms/2c64VPE


* INDUSTRY NEWS *

Event management software Zkipster has launched new features to streamline invite and registration for a variety of events. They include the ability to create R.S.V.P. emails, upload invite lists from spreadsheets, and turn on or off other features to connect with invitations.

* LOCAL NEWS *

ATLANTA:  Solid Rock Group, an investment firm, has purchased the 128-room Courtyard Atlanta Airport West in Camp Creek Pointe. The hotel has a Courtyard Bistro & Bar, a 24-hour fitness center, an outdoor pool, a 24-hour business center, and nearly 2,000 square feet of meeting space that can seat as many as 150 people.

BAHAMAS:  Atlantis, Paradise Island resort has launched the first phase of its $20 million transformation of the Coral Towers, which will rebrand as the Corals Atlantis.

CHICAGO:  The third annual HogFight, a whole-hog competition amongst Chicago area chefs, will take place September 4 at Mahoney's Pub & Grille. Event proceeds benefit Variety—The Children's Charity of Illinois.

Hilton Chicago has appointed Saber Rejbi has pastry chef.

DENVER:  Restaurant group Punch Bowl Social, founded by entrepreneur Robert Thompson, has named celebrity chef Hugh Acheson as its culinary partner. Punch Bowl Social also recently added chefs Chris Cina and Matt Selby to its staff.

DETROIT:  WoodSpring Hotels has partnered with M2B2 to build a new WoodSpring Suites hotel in Wixom, between Grand River Avenue and Highway 96. The four-story, 122-room hotel is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2018.

LAS VEGAS:  Beerhaus will host Oktoberfest at the Park September 30-October 2. The event will feature Oktoberfest-theme games, homemade bratwurst, and live music.

The Conference Center of Las Vegas will offer site visits during Imex America, which takes place October 18-20 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.

LOS ANGELES:  The eight annual Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles, which will be held September 21-28 at Regal Cinemas L.A. Live, has announced its initial slate of programming. The political satire Swing State will be the opening-night selection, the drama The Loner is the event's chosen centerpiece film, and the closing-night movie is the 40th anniversary restored edition of The Man Who Fell to Earth.

The 19th Costume Designers Guild Awards is slated for February 21 at the Beverly Hilton.

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

NASHVILLE:  The Academy of Country Music will present the inaugural ACM Merle Haggard Spirit Award—to honor what the academy calls "uncompromising artists in the spirit of Merle Haggard"—at the 10th annual ACM Honors. The first recipient of the award is to be announced. The award show will take place August 30 at Ryman Auditorium, and will be televised on CBS on September 9. 

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  N.B.A. Development League team Sioux Falls Skyforce will hold open tryouts for the 2016-17 season on October 9 at Ransom Everglades High School. The team will also have open tryouts at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls on a date to be announced.

NEW YORK:  Prostate Cancer Foundation's annual gala will take place Saturday at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill. The gala supports the 12th annual Charles Evans PCF Pro-Am Tennis Tournament, which takes place Friday to Sunday. Dianne Reeves and the Company Men will perform at the gala.

Star Trek: Mission New York will take place September  2-4 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The fan event will include appearances by original Star Trek cast members William Shatner and Walter Koenig.

The Friends of Hudson River Park Gala 2016 will take place October 13 with cocktails at the Pier 62 Carousel, and dinner, an auction, and performances at Pier Sixty. Produced by Josh Wood Productions, the event will be hosted by Harry Connick, Jr., and honor actor Matthew Broderick. CeeLo Green will perform.

The Waldorf Astoria, which is being converted into a condominium building, is accepting reservations until February 28, 2017. The hotel's final check-out date will be March 1, 2017.

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

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  The Orlando World Center Marriott hosts Taste of the Nation on Saturday. The event includes tasting portions of signature dishes from 45 local chefs, plus wine, beer, and cocktails from more than 20 suppliers. Proceeds benefit the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, and Florida Impact.

OTTAWA, ONTARIO:  Andaz Ottawa ByWard Market is now open, making it the first Andaz brand hotel to open in Canada. The 16-story, 200-room venue has several eateries overseen by executive chef Stephen La Salle, including signature restaurant Feast & Revel that has new Canadian cuisine. The hotel also has a coffee bar and a rooftop bar called Copper Spirits & Sights.

PHILADELPHIA:  Paragon Events has promoted Drew Boslow to the position of manager of meetings and events.

SAN FRANCISCO:  Cinequest has been renamed the Cinequest Film & VR Festival to reflect the event's expansion of its virtual-reality programming, including the inaugural Cinequest Virtual Reality Awards. The next edition of the festival will take place February 28-March 12, 2017, at a Silicon Valley location to be announced. The festival's VR programming will take place March 8-12, and the complete lineup of programming will be announced January 26.

TORONTO:  Michelle Revuelta will leave her position as media relations director of Tourism Toronto on Friday. Revuelta will begin her new position as vice president of media relations at Choose Chicago on September 7.

TaiwanFest: A Cultural Tango with Hong Kong will take place Friday to Sunday at Harbourfront Centre. The event—which celebrates Taiwan and Hong Kong culture through music, arts, games, and film—is co-produced by Harbourfront Centre and the Asian Canadian Special Events Association.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Scena Theatre opens its 30th anniversary season with the Frank Kafka play Report to an Academy, which will run from September 2 to 25 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. Scena founder and artistic director Robert McNamara will star in the one-man play.

On September 8, the Washington Post is hosting panel discussion at its headquarters for the biography Trump Revealed: An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power. The panel will include several Washington Post reporters, including the book's authors Marc Fisher (who will be the moderator) and Michael Kranish. The ticketed event will be followed by a reception.

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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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