March 6, 2014: Which Brand Won Big at the Sochi Olympics? What Attendees Want From Trade Show Booths, How Gay Weddings Are Different


1. RED BULL'S AMBUSH TACTICS AT SOCHI: According to InsidetheGames, at the recent Sochi Olympics Red Bull got more attention than official sponsors of the international sports competition. "The energy drink giant topped a 21-strong list of global firms ordered according to their perceived association with the Winter Games in Russia, which was calculated by media tracking company Global Language Monitor using its Brand Affiliation Index (BAI) ... The media company, which has been analysing the situation since before the Games, points out that 'not all ambush marketers plan to steal the Olympic glow from their competitors, a cost estimated to be up to $1 billion (£598 million/€728 million), fully loaded, over a four-year Olympiad.'" http://bit.ly/MQ7ymb

2. HOW TO STAND OUT AT TRADE SHOWS: When a trade show booth is one among many, how can a company catch the attention of attendees? CMSWire offers some tips, including what not to do: "Of course, you want to capture data on prospective clients. But make it more than that. We've all done it: Someone walks by our stand, and we scan their badge without even striking a conversation, or perhaps without making eye contact. 'I’ve experienced people doing this, and saying they will follow up,' [Luan] Wise said. 'But I was there. I had taken time out of the office, so why couldn’t we start the conversation immediately? Have the right people available on the stand to have a meaningful conversation.'" http://bit.ly/MNhpci

3. WHAT GAY COUPLES WANT: As more states legalize same-sex marriage, industry experts are weighing in on how gay weddings differ from those for heterosexual couples. In an interview with the Fashion Spot, Soho House New York's event and banquet manager, Jason Mitchell Kahn, said that gay couples focus less on the wedding cake and more on the wording of the invitations. He also pointed out how gay weddings are setting trends. "I think the rise of gay weddings is affecting the entire industry. I’ve literally had straight brides say to me, 'I want a gay wedding because they’re more fun.' What’s happened is that gay couples have been forced to think outside the box to change the wedding traditions that don’t fit and invent new ones." http://bit.ly/1ccoaAE

4. 'VANITY FAIR'S OSCAR PARTY BY THE NUMBERS: Vanity Fair offered a breakdown of the different elements that made up its Oscar party this year. The famously exclusive bash had 596 bottles of Champagne Henriot, 1,284 bottles of Voss water, a chandelier composed of 450 LED spheres from Brooklyn's Vivid RGB Lighting, and 1,424 burgers served by the In-N-Out Burger truck. See all the numbers here: http://vnty.fr/1gS1vHa

* LOCAL NEWS *

CHICAGO:  Soho House Chicago will open in August. The hotel and private club will have 40 guest rooms, two restaurants, a bar, a spa, a screening room, and a fitness center.

LAS VEGAS:  The Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show announced the lineup for its keynote sessions will include Gail Goodman, C.E.O. of Constant Contact. The expo is scheduled for March 24-26 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Imagine Exhibitions Gallery will host a preview party for the new "Da Vinci the Exhibition" on March 11. The exhibit at the Venetian opens to the public March 12 and is designed as a hands-on exploration of the Italian Renaissance man's life and work, showcasing more than 65 inventions and machines.

LOS ANGELES:  The 25th annual Glaad Media Awards is April 12 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel; the New York ceremony is slated for May 3 at the Waldorf Astoria.

Local event listings from Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

NEW YORK:  Two weeks before the Season 4 premiere of Game of Thrones, HBO will host a screening at the Barclays Center. Dubbed the Epic Fan Experience, the March 20 event will include costumes and props from the show's traveling exhibition as well as photo ops with the Iron Throne. Rolling Stone: http://rol.st/OZc0kk

The 55,000-square-foot Salvation Army shelter in Chinatown will become an Ace Hotel. The New York Post: "The new, 180-room Ace Hotel, which will take at least 18 months to open, is especially valuable because it backs onto a private street that is closed to cars: Freeman Alley, which now houses Freemans, a popular restaurant. Ace Hotel will likely put an entrance there and an additional restaurant, sources tell The Post." http://bit.ly/1i5CvwY

Commemorating its fifth anniversary in New York, the Luckyrice Festival will gather the most popular parts of the culinary carnival—including street food from Night Market, Asian fine-dining concepts from Grand Feast, and cocktails from Cocktail Feast—for the Feast tasting event at the Mandarin Oriental New York. The Luckyrice New York Feast will take place May 2.

On March 10 Coney Island's Luna Park will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Thunderbolt Roller Coaster.

Local event listings from Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  In advance of Ultra Music Fest, Questlove will perform a concert at Resorts World Bimini on March 22. Bimini SuperFast cruise ship provides transportation to the island from PortMiami.

TORONTO:  World MasterCard Fashion Week is March 17-21 at David Pecaut Square.

WASHINGTON:  The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington announced dates for its Launchology Series, discussions on starting and sustaining new restaurants. The series begins March 11, and all panels will be moderated by Washington Post food writer Tim Carman and held at the Howard Theatre.

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

JOB BOARD: Post a job or find a job: http://jobs.bizbash.com

With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Jill Menze, and Anna Sekula in New York.

BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.

Feed the Sheet: [email protected]

Subscribe: www.bizbash.com/bizbashdaily

Advertise with BizBash: [email protected]