January 16, 2017: Oscars Switch Up Nomination Announcement Format, Ringling Bros. Circus to Close in May, Women’s March Brings Business to Bus Ride Start-Up

1. OSCARS SWITCH UP NOMINATION ANNOUNCEMENT FORMAT: The Oscar nominations announcement on January 24 will forego a live presentation in front of press and publicists and opt for an in-house, live-streamed event produced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Hollywood Reporter: “Instead of inviting the press and publicists to the Samuel Goldwyn Theater to witness Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs, along with a couple of Academy members, read out the list of nominees live, the Academy has decided to produce its own in-house announcement presentation, which will be offered via a live stream on the web at Oscar.com, Oscars.org and on the Academy's digital platforms. The announcement also will air on ABC's Good Morning America and be available as a satellite feed to other broadcasters. The announcement still will take place during the predawn hours and is set to begin at 5:18 a.m. Pacific time. Boone Isaacs will be joined by several past Oscar winners and nominees, including Jennifer Hudson, Brie Larson, Emmanuel Lubezki, Jason Reitman and Ken Watanabe, who are expected to lend a personal touch, reflecting on their own experiences as nominees as they unveil the latest slate of noms in all 24 categories. One Academy insider described the move as part of an online push to attract a global audience. But it also will have the added side benefit of saving Academy executives from having to answer any media questions about the nominations.” http://bit.ly/2jetb1v

2. RINGLING BROS. CIRCUS TO CLOSE IN MAY: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will close in May after 146 years of shows. Associated Press: “The iconic American spectacle was felled by a variety of factors, company executives say. Declining attendance combined with high operating costs, along with changing public tastes and prolonged battles with animal rights groups all contributed to its demise. ‘There isn't any one thing,’ said Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment. ‘This has been a very difficult decision for me and for the entire family.’ The company broke the news to circus employees Saturday night after shows in Orlando and Miami. … Attendance has been dropping for 10 years, said Juliette Feld, but when the elephants left, there was a "dramatic drop" in ticket sales. Paradoxically, while many said they didn't want big animals to perform in circuses, many others refused to attend a circus without them. The Felds say their existing animals—lions, tigers, camels, donkeys, alpacas, kangaroos and llamas—will go to suitable homes. Juliette Feld says the company will continue operating the Center for Elephant Conservation. Some 500 people perform and work on both touring shows. A handful will be placed in positions with the company's other, profitable shows - it owns Monster Jam, Disney on Ice and Marvel Live, among other things—but most will be out of a job. Juliette Feld said the company will help employees with job placement and resumes. In some cases where a circus employee lives on the tour rail car (the circus travels by train), the company will also help with housing relocation.” http://apne.ws/2iXVgZY

3. WOMEN’S MARCH BRINGS BUSINESS TO BUS-RIDE START-UP: Bus sharing start-up Skedaddle saw a huge boost in bookings a few days after Donald Trump's election. But the people booking private bus rides weren’t doing it for the inauguration—they were booking for the Women’s March on Washington, which takes place Saturday. The New York Times: “The company said that on Friday and Saturday, it will transport more than 11,000 people to the Women’s March, or about 5 percent of the 200,000 people expected to attend. That is the largest ever two-day period of business for the 19-person company. The spike in bookings makes Skedaddle one of the unlikely beneficiaries of the presidential inauguration. Across Washington, hotels and restaurants are set to be packed over the weekend, and other companies are also trumpeting what they expect to be a rise in their business. Airbnb, the online room rental service, said on Friday that it has more than 15,100 guests booked in Washington for inauguration weekend. And Uber said it has been working to ensure that its ride-hailing services work smoothly in the city during inauguration week. Other bus start-ups are also tapping into the inauguration demand. Skedaddle’s main rival is Rally, which was started in 2010 to transport people to the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, a political gathering hosted by the comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Rally, which provided bus transportation to specific events but now lets people make their own routes, said it is bringing 50,000 people to the Women’s March, as well as buses of Trump supporters to the inauguration.” http://nyti.ms/2jnYsBD

* LOCAL NEWS *

CHICAGO:  The Chicago Flower & Garden Show, presented by Mariano’s, will take place March 18-26 at Navy Pier. The event will feature more than 20 life-size gardens, as well as daily seminars, a marketplace, and D.I.Y. workshops. 

LAS VEGAS:  Darnell Properties development company broke ground on two new buildings in the Marnell Airport Center at Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport and within the Foreign Trade Zone. The expansion will feature two buildings, offering more than 133,000 square feet of new light office/industrial space to the master planned airport development. 

LOS ANGELES:  The fourth annual Digital Entertainment World will take place February 1-2 at the Marina Del Rey Marriott. The event will feature keynotes, panels, tech demos, exhibits, and more focused on topics including content marketing, eSports, over-the-top content, and virtual reality. 

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Pérez Art Museum Miami will host its third annual Art of the Party fund-raiser on April 1. Presented by Valentino, the event will honor artist Lorna Simpson and feature three guest experiences—the Chef’s Table seated dinner, the Supper Club dinner lounge, and the Remix after-party—conceptualized by Lee Brian Schrager. Starr Catering Group and chef Michael Schwartz will curate the food and drinks served. 

NEW YORK:  Bklyn Designs will kick off the first weekend of NYCxDesign on May 5-7 at the Brooklyn Expo Center. The design show is presented by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and co-produced by Novita Communications.

Caffe Lena, a historic Saratoga Springs music venue that once hosted Bob Dylan, has reopened after undergoing renovations. Billboard: http://bit.ly/2jmoTYB

The Big Apple Circus is slated to sell its assets at an auction at Debevoise & Plimpton L.L.P. on February 7. Managed by Stampler Auctions, the auction will sell assets including performance equipment and intellectual property. 

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

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  Disney's new Festival of the Arts is underway Fridays to Mondays through February 20 at Epcot. The event combines visual, culinary, and performing arts from around the world. 

PHOENIX/SCOTTSDALE:  Firesky Resort & Spa in Scottsdale will be rebranded as the Scott Resort & Spa and begin renovations in May. The $1.5 million project, managed by Classic Hotels & Resorts, will include renovations to the resort’s 204 rooms and 14,000 square feet of meeting and event space. 

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Mandarin Oriental has partnered with Americana shop the Great Republic to host an inauguration-theme pop-up shop from Tuesday through Sunday. 

YOUR NEWS: What are you doing? Tell us: [email protected]. 

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

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