December 7, 2017: Planners Share Tips For Reducing Holiday Entertaining Stress; This Festival Will Highlight Female, Transgender, and Nonbinary Musicians; Oscar Board Approves New Rules for Members Amid Hollywood’s Sexual Harassment Scandal

1. PLANNERS SHARE TIPS FOR REDUCING HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING STRESS: With holiday-event planning season in full swing, planner Bronson van Wyck and Goop lifestyle expert Brittany Pattner recently shared tips on how to reduce stress when entertaining. Washington Post: “Be realistic. Too often, hosts bite off more than they can chew and spend the evening playing catch-up. So go easy on yourself. If a three-course dinner feels out of reach, plan something low-maintenance, such as a champagne brunch before your local holiday parade or a low-key after-party. That way, you can ride the adrenaline of a big event without having to carry it all yourself. Van Wyck’s holiday get-together is more of a late-night blowout. Usually held the Saturday before Christmas, he doesn’t get going until 9:30 p.m. so that it feels less like an obligation and more like a destination for people. ‘It’s loud music, strong drinks, low lighting,’ he says. ‘It’s a proper party. At this time of year, people want to take the edge off.’ …  Set the mood, simply. Forget spending a fortune on extravagant decorations, and keep your focus to lighting and music. Simple string lights can transform a dull space, making it glow with warmth and charm. A little background music does wonders to put guests at ease, so make an inviting playlist and position your speakers so that the sounds fill the room. This way, you’ll have control over the mood, whether you need to turn it up or tone it down. For a festive touch, Pattner scatters white faux gourds and pumpkins and clusters of cream-colored taper candles around the room. 'They’re neutral and elegant,' she says, and, unlike fresh flowers, she doesn’t have to worry about them dying. http://wapo.st/2B88pwb

2. THIS FESTIVAL WILL HIGHLIGHT FEMALE, TRANSGENDER, AND NONBINARY MUSICIANS: Moogfest, a music, ideas, and technology conference based in Durham, North Carolina, received numerous complaints this year about its lack of female and L.G.B.T.Q. artists. The festival has responded by starting to release its 2018 lineup for the May festival, which already includes female, transgender, and nonbinary performers. The New York Times: "In a preliminary celebration this week, Moogfest is partnering with Tom Tom magazine (tagline: 'Drummers. Music. Feminism') to present 'Always On,' a 50-hour marathon featuring 50 female, nonbinary and transgender musicians in 35 cities and 17 countries taking turns live-streaming their sets. The event starts on Wednesday at 12 p.m. EST and ends on Friday at 2 p.m. EST. The artists run the gamut from Madame Gandhi, who used to play drums with M.I.A., to Nicola Kuperus of the Detroit cold-wave duo Adult.; from Au Revoir Simone’s Annie Hart to D.J. Haram from the Discwoman collective; and from the rapper and poet Moor Mother to the electronic-music pioneer Suzanne Ciani. 'It’s pure and celebratory in trying to highlight these incredible artists all over the globe,' the Moogfest director of programming Lorna-Rose Simpson said in a phone interview. 'Through technology, we can allow musicians who maybe don’t get represented enough — some of them are a little unknown, some of them are very well known—to be equal on this platform, where everyone gets one hour to perform.' Moogfest started in 2004 in New York City as a one-day tribute to the synthesizer trailblazer Robert Moog (who died the following year at 71). The festival relocated to Asheville, N.C., in 2010, and to Durham in 2016, moves that were accompanied by an expansion in size and scope. Evenings are dedicated to performances under the 'Future Sound' umbrella; many of the musicians also participate in the daytime programming ('Future Thought'), which is made up of panels, workshops, installations and lectures." http://nyti.ms/2BETeHp

3. OSCAR BOARD APPROVES NEW RULES FOR MEMBERS AMID HOLLYWOOD€'S SEXUAL HARASSMENT SCANDAL: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has approved a new "Standards of Conduct" for members as a response to the growing sexual harassment scandal in Hollywood. The Hollywood Reporter: "'There is no place in the Academy for people who abuse their status, power or influence in a manner that violates recognized standards of decency,' the text setting out the new code of conduct emphasizes. It also asserts, 'If any member is found by the Board of Governors to have violated these standards or to have compromised the integrity of the Academy by their actions, the Board of Governors may take any disciplinary action permitted by the Academy’s Bylaws, including suspension or expulsion.' The Standards of Conduct were drafted by a 'specially formed task force' led by governor David Rubin, approved by the full board at a meeting on Tuesday and emailed by Academy CEO Dawn Hudson to members Wednesday night. ... This development comes just under eight weeks after Harvey Weinstein's Oct. 14 expulsion from the Academy following a barrage of allegations of sexual abuse, harassment and assault. Weinstein became only the second person ever expelled from the organization, and the first for reasons related to sexual abuse. At the time, many noted that others accused of sexual assault — including Roman Polanski (who pled guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and fled the country), Bill Cosby and Stephen Collins — still are members of the organization. Since then, similar allegations have been made against several other Academy members, most notably two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey. Their futures in the Academy remain to be determined." http://bit.ly/2AYio6Z

* INDUSTRY NEWS *

Freeman has launched its Design Insights Panel, which consists of more than 7,500 members providing insights on the preferences and behaviors of affluent, design-centric consumers across a variety of industries. The company’s new research and measurement capability stems from its recent acquisition of the “Inside Dwell” panel, which also included nine years of longitudinal data.

Tent designer and manufacturer Aztec Tents has launched an e-commerce website to meet the needs of the event industry. TentPros.com, which is built on the Shopify e-commerce platform, aims to improve and streamline the online purchasing and rental experience.

* LOCAL NEWS *

CHICAGO:  The 28th annual St. Nicholas Ball, which took place December 1 at the Hilton Chicago, raised a record-breaking $1.7 million for Catholic Charities. 

LOS ANGELES:  Another wildfire erupted in Bel-Air on Wednesday, adding to the fires that have been raging in the region since Monday. Around 200,000 people have been evacuated, and numerous venues have closed. Associated Press: http://bit.ly/2zUFNlW

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  NadaWave, the official after-party of NADA Miami, is Friday at the Fan Club at the Gale Hotel. A portion of bar sales will be donated to the Emergency Fund for Cultural Workers in Puerto Rico.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade raised more than $1.3 million at its 11th annual “Wild About Kids” Gala, which took place November 11 at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami. 

NEW YORK:  Monarch Rooftop & Indoor Lounge’s annual Gingerbread House & Cookie Decorating Contest will take place Saturday. Proceeds from raffle tickets will go to volunteer organization New York Cares. 

The 17th annual No Pants Subway Ride will take place January 7. The event is staged by Improv Everywhere. 

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

PHILADELPHIA:  Fitler Club, a private lifestyle club from hospitality veteran David Gustadt, is slated to open in Center City Philadelphia in 2019. The club will include hotel rooms, co-working spaces, a fitness center and pool, restaurants and bars, and more than 10,000 square feet of event space, which will include a 4,600-square-foot ballroom. 

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  SommCon, a conference for sommelier-level education and training of wine professionals and enthusiasts, has announced plans for SommCon Washington, D.C., which will take place July 22-24, 2018, at Westin Georgetown. 

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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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