1. SAND SCULPTURES BECOME A POPULAR WEDDING CENTERPIECE: For couples planning their wedding at a beach, intricate, customized sand sculptures have become a popular way to commemorate the ceremony. The New York Times: “Sand sculptures seem to be what ice sculptures once were, minus the melting issue; impressively designed, highly personalized and offering an unexpected wow factor. (And in case of rain, protective covering saves the sculpture from the same fate of melting ice.) For those having destination weddings held on sugary white sandy beaches, tributes made out of sand are taking center stage and becoming surprisingly popular. … Marianne van den Broek, owner of Sand Isle, does the sculptures for the hotel and others. She attributes the growing popularity of the artisanal.’ There’s a trend right now in showcasing handmade pieces while moving away from something digital or mechanical,’ she said. ‘We don’t use any power tools or machinery. People want something organic that’s reusable and kind to the environment. Each sculpture is made for that specific couple. Each is original, creative, unique and tells a story while being a compelling focal piece.’ As popularity grows, so do the ways sand is incorporated into special events. Many are hiring sand artists and sculptors to create original monuments in order to propose to their partners. Others have opted to use sculptures as their save-the-date card. Popular sculptures are the couple’s names and date of the wedding; college logos; things that are indigenous to Key West or the sea—shells, dolphins, turtles, bottle of rum; and pets. One couple had a life-size recreation of the bride’s horse, which wasn’t able to attend, but clearly was there in sand spirit.” http://nyti.ms/29Jadg8
2. WHY A SAN FRANCISCO AD AGENCY THREW ITS OWN CANNES-THEME PARTY: Some employees of the San Francisco-based advertising agency Heat San Francisco—which had success at last year’s Cannes Lions—couldn’t make this year’s festival, so they decided to host their own Cannes-theme party. Titled Heat Cannes Francisco, the event included keynotes and a lot of rosé. Adweek: “While the event was designed to keep spirits high throughout the week, Heat said it was also a great culture building exercise, especially considering the large number of new hires at the agency. Heat is also in the process of opening up a New York office, following news that Deloitte Digital would be acquiring the agency. Senior art director Sally Hastings said office events like Heat Cannes Francisco really help an agency like Heat build its culture and bring employees together especially in times of growth and change. To make the event as authentic as possible, the agency ordered some dog statues off of Amazon and had the office manager spray paint them gold as soon as they arrived, giving them that fresh Gold Lion feel. While the statues weren't as heavy, they managed to do the job. Recipients of the awards—which ranged from 'Hardest-Working Heat Employee' to 'Best Office Dog'—enjoyed posing with them on the agency's makeshift red carpet.” http://bit.ly/29nSGbc
3. LIVE NATION ENTERS AUSTRALIA’S VENUE MARKET: Live Nation has signed a 30-year lease to operate events at the famed Palais Theatre in Melbourne, Australia. The live music company will begin managing the venue in 2017, and renovations are expected to occur during the first five years of the contract. Billboard: “With the contract on the Palais, LN’s vertically-integrated Australasian empire can boast a triple-threat model combining concert promoter, ticketing (Ticketmaster) and now venue activities. Live Nation won the lease and operational rights on the much-loved venue following a ‘rigorous tender process’ which ‘met or exceeded all our objectives,’ the City of Port Phillip authority notes in a statement. Sydney-based Playbill, which operates the Hordern Pavilion and several other venues, was the other party to reach the final stage of consideration. Rival Australian concert promoters had raised concerns of the commercial impact of the concerts giant locking up an operational contract with one of Melbourne’s key venues. LN sought to assuage these concerns. ‘Since Live Nation’s integrated business model includes venue management, concert promotion and ticketing,’ the company writes in a statement, ‘extensive consideration has been given to the development of a Fair Competition and Confidentiality Policy for the hire of the Palais Theatre, which will be subject to approval by the Council.’" http://bit.ly/29xFntX
* LOCAL NEWS *
CHICAGO: The H Foundation's 16th annual Caribbean-theme Goombay Bash, which raises funds that go toward finding a cure for cancer, will take place Saturday at Navy Pier.
DALLAS/FORT WORTH: Crescent Real Estate has acquired the Rosewood Crescent and is renaming it Hotel Crescent Court. The hotel will undergo a $30 million renovation. HEI Hotels will operate the hotel's management, which includes Andrew Davidson as the newly appointed general manager.
LAS VEGAS: Simon Hospitality Group and Titan Brands will debut joint venture Standard & Pour in Henderson late summer. Offering shareable plates, the gastro lounge-style venue will seat 130.
Beginning July 28, Edge Steakhouse will celebrate its first anniversary at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino with special, multi-course tasting menus and an exclusive dinner with chef de cuisine Steve Young.
LOS ANGELES: Dwell on Design, which is under new leadership after being acquired by Informa, returned to the Los Angeles Convention Center June 24-26 for its 11th year. It showed off 2,000 modern furnishings and products from 300 exhibitors.
For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA: Social club French Tuesdays Miami will host its annual Bastille Day Celebration—French Riviera Edition at the waterfront brasserie Seaspice on Thursday. The event's sponsors include the French American Chamber of Commerce of Florida, XL Airways, Canard Duchêne, Bulldog Gin, and Jade Associates.
Miami Beach Botanical Garden hosted a culinary fund-raiser Sunday with craft beer and Venezuelan-inspired barbecue. Guests could experience five barbecue items by chef Jose Marmol of Inedit Gourmet, paired with four spirited craft-beer samples.
NEW YORK: The first-ever Museum of Ice Cream pop-up will take place July 29-August 31 at 100 Gansevoort Street in the West Village. Inspired by all things ice cream, the museum will feature a pool of sprinkles, ice cream-theme artwork, custom creations from local vendors including Black Tap and Oddfellows, and an interactive exhibit sponsored by Tinder. Eater: http://bit.ly/29nujcS
For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork
ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA: The owners of the Ravenous Pig have announced plans to move the restaurant when its lease runs out in April 2018. The new location may be a few blocks away, next to Cask & Larder—which they also own.
PHILADELPHIA: This year's Worldtown Festival, presented by local arts organization Worldtown International, will take place August 6 at the Piazza at Schmidt's Commons. The festival will have a Summer Olympics theme and screen the first day of Rio events on a 40-foot LED jumbotron. Along with music from Worldtown SoundSystem, the event will feature smoothie-making bicycles and recipe workshops courtesy of the Food Trust.
SAN DIEGO: Dual-branded Hilton Garden Inn San Diego Downtown/Bayside and Homewood Suites by Hilton San Diego Downtown/Bayside has opened at 2137 Pacific Highway. The dual-concept hotel has 364 rooms and 4,500 square feet of meeting and event space that can accommodate as many as 300.
WASHINGTON, D.C.: "The Booming Capitol Riverfront" is the subject of a ticketed networking event July 21 at the Federal Gateway building. Panelists will discuss Capitol Riverfront's office and multi-family markets, as well as the emerging neighborhood Buzzard Point.
The first annual Burj C.E.O. Awards will take place July 27 at the Mayflower Hotel. The black-tie gala will honor top C.E.O.s from various industries worldwide. Guests and speakers will include Steven Rockefeller, members of Dubai's royal family, and Emirates airline president Sir Timothy Charles Clark.
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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.
BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.
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