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Call Sheet #41: Audi's Aggressive Display, Bill Dispute Leads to Fire, Comedy's Impact on Ads

BIZBASH CALL SHEET — #41 — Monday, 06.20.11

Compiled today by Chad Kaydo in New York
Feed the Sheet: [email protected]
Subscribe: http://info.bizbash.com/callsheet.html

* INCOMING *

1. AUDI'S AGGRESSIVE DISPLAY: Audi will spend more than $14.3 million on an indoor test track at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September to outshine BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Bloomberg: "Audi’s curvy temporary exhibition hall for Frankfurt measures 100 meters (328 feet) long, 70 meters wide and 12 meters high. Integrated into the building is a 400-meter long track that loops into the interior and is partially visible from outside the building. About 30 models will be on display, and visitors can ride in about a dozen vehicles, including race cars, that will circle the hall."
http://bloom.bg/jBaLFS

2. HATE THE BILL, BURN THE VENUE: Here's one way to dispute an event cost: "The bridegroom at an exclusive country house wedding is suspected of starting a devastating fire which tore through a landmark castle yesterday after a dispute over the bill. An entire wing of Peckforton Castle in Cheshire was gutted, forcing 70 wedding-goers to be evacuated as more than 100 firefighters tackled the flames." The Mail (via Gawker):
http://bit.ly/j5quLP

3. PARIS AIR SHOW: The world's oldest and largest marketing event for the aviation industry opens today with a record 2,100 exhibitors from 80 countries, "but most have reduced their presences by up to 30 per cent compared with the last show in 2009," says The National. "The chiefs of Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics and Boeing Defense, Space & Security are all skipping the air show this year amid an industry-wide belt tightening."
http://bit.ly/md7ksq

4. FUNNY BUSINESS: AdWeek looks at the how online comedy videos are affecting the advertising, and how comedy actors and writers are getting into the branded content business. “More and more brands started coming to us,” says Patrick Starzan, vice president of marketing at Funny or Die, which was co-founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and Chris Henchy. “We make about 20 to 30 videos a month, and branded videos became an extension of this.”
http://bit.ly/j5Seul

Also in AdWeek's special report: a Q&A with Vice magazine co-founder Gavin McInnes, now creative director of a small agency that produces "gonzo comedy clips (think Jackass meets Banksy) that happen to be branded." His outlook:

"The whole business plan here is, look, people hate ads. I have a million funny ideas for sketches, but I don’t want to spend tens of thousands of dollars shooting them. You have a brand you want to get to people’s jaded eyeballs. Let’s let the supply meet the demand. The only problem is you can’t meddle with my joke too much or you kill the whole model."
http://bit.ly/lkNOOJ

5. DAYTIME EMMY HIGHLIGHTS: If you missed the awards broadcast from Las Vegas on Sunday—where Penn & Teller engaged in some knife play—here's The Hollywood Reporter's list of the 10 best and worst moments:
http://bit.ly/mT6G98

* LOCAL NEWS *

CHICAGO: Ernst & Young's 25th annual Midwest Entrepreneur of the Year Awards gala is June 22 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers

LOS ANGELES: Havaianas will open a pop-up shop for the month of July. Located in Space 15Twenty at 1520 North Cahuenga Boulevard, the “Havaianas Mercado” is situated inside the Urban Outfitters rotating designer concept boutique. The 1,000-square-foot store is inspired by a traditional Brazilian marketplace and will sell customized flip-flops.

Los Angeles magazine’s 50th anniversary party Wednesday night brought 600 guests, who spilled out onto Wilshire Boulevard at its offices in front of Lacma. Mayoral candidates Jan Perry, Zev Yaroslovsky, and Wendy Greuel presented publisher Erika Anderson and editor in chief Mary Melton with a proclamation. A five-foot-long cake, depicting the city’s landscape, was created by Montage of Beverly Hills executive pastry chef Richard Ruskell.

NEW YORK: "Project Runway" is staging its first public fashion show Friday morning at the Esplanade Plaza at Battery Park City.

David Bowen's event firm, Bowen & Company (which currently produces the James Beard Awards), is launching a wedding and private event division at an invite-only party at the Andaz 5th Avenue Tuesday.

Great Performances will host its annual Farm to Table dinner series benefiting the Sylvia Center and the Columbia Land Conservancy July 16 in the fields of Katchkie Farm, and August 4 in the Hudson Square Courtyard. The dinners are prepared with produce from Katchkie Farm, the 60-acre organic farm owned by Great Performances, bolstered by cheese, meats, and fish from local purveyors, and paired with New York State wines.

The Times looks at the Core Club, the private club for "fat-cat hedge fund guys" and other new-money types (its 1,500 members pay $50,000 initiation and $15,000 annual fees):
http://nyti.ms/k3tHQC

ORLANDO: On Saturday Universal Orlando Resort marked the one-year anniversary of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction. Here's a video:
http://bit.ly/lyt2R5

Rosen College has added an event management certificate program. The Central Florida Future:
http://bit.ly/iHbOqo

WASHINGTON: The D.C. chapter of the International Special Events Society staged a tabletop design competition with a holiday theme June 15. The Attendees' Choice Award went to the Halloween Wedding table by Avista Events and Amaryllis; Best Use of Innovative Products: Earth Day by Rentals to Remember, Intrigue Design and Decor, Two Hands Studio; Highest Level of Difficulty: Cherry Blossom Festival, Springtime Celebration in D.C. by Ultimate Events; Best Interpretation of Theme: Chinese New Year by Sublime Creations; Most Original Design Ideas: St. Patrick's Day by Multiflor. Sponsors: Hyatt, Swank Audio Visuals, NYX Entertainment, Photography by Alexander, Event Rebels.

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

With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, Carla Warrilow in Toronto, and Erica Petri, Anna Sekula, and Courtney Thompson in New York.

BizBash Call Sheet is the must-read daily digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.
Feed the Sheet: [email protected]
Subscribe: http://info.bizbash.com/callsheet.html