1. SUPER BOWL LV MOVED FROM LOS ANGELES TO TAMPA: Super Bowl LV in 2021 has been moved from Los Angeles to Tampa due to delays in construction of a new stadium in Inglewood. Los Angeles will now host Super Bowl LVI in 2022. ESPN: "The Buccaneers' Raymond James Stadium will now host Super Bowl LV, which was originally scheduled to be played at the $2.6 billion facility in Inglewood, California, that will be shared by the Rams and Chargers. 'The Tampa Bay area has enjoyed great success over the years hosting Super Bowls and we look forward to working with our local leaders in the coming months to meet the requirements for hosting Super Bowl LV in 2021,' Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer said in a statement. 'Today's announcement offers us the opportunity to showcase Tampa Bay's unique ability to come together as a host for world-class events.' It would be the fifth Super Bowl to be played in Tampa. The decision came down during Tuesday's owners meetings in Chicago, which took place days after the Rams and Chargers announced that record rainfall in Los Angeles had pushed the opening of the new stadium back a year. It will now open in the summer of 2020, and the league ultimately felt it was too risky to host a Super Bowl so close to the target date. NFL rules dictate a team cannot host a Super Bowl in a stadium's inaugural season. A waiver, which must be approved by NFL owners, can negate that, but the league instead came to a compromise. Record-setting rain this winter coincided with the mass excavation period of construction, causing significant delays in which developers basically lost the better part of two months in January and February." http://es.pn/2rQXC0W
2. AMAZON LAUNCHES ETSY COMPETITOR FOR WEDDINGS: Amazon has made a big jump into the wedding industry with its new wedding shop, which will sell handcrafted items including decor, accessories, and invitations. TechCrunch: "The shop is an offshoot from the retailer’s less than two-year old Etsy competitor, Handmade at Amazon, which aims to offer the same sort of original, artisan-designed products people have come to expect from the rival crafts marketplace. It’s not surprising to see Amazon doubling down on the $300 billion wedding industry—an area of its business where it’s invested in the past, including with last year’s revamp of its online wedding registry, which now includes gift ideas, gift-giver tracking, an 180-day return policy, and support for adding products from other retailers’ websites. With Handmade’s new Wedding shop, Amazon is aiming for customers who are in search of more personalized, one-of-kind items—the kind of things they made have otherwise turned to Etsy for, if shopping online. … With the new Wedding Shop, Amazon is breaking out a particular segment of the weddings industry and giving its own destination on its site. The new storefront features venue and reception décor (like signs, table decorations, candles, confetti, etc.), invitations and other paper products, handmade jewelry, bridal and groom fashion accessories (hair accessories, hats, veils, sashes, handbags, garters, ties, cufflinks, etc.), and gifts and mementos for the wedding party." http://tcrn.ch/2qcXqJ2
3. HOW BRANDS AND TOURISM BUREAUS ARE PROMOTING U.S. TRAVEL AFTER TRUMP BAN: In the wake of President Donald Trump's travel bans, brands and city tourism bureaus including Orbitz, Hyatt, San Francisco, and New York have introduced travel-related campaigns focused on inclusion and diversity. Adweek: "While the marketing isn’t overtly political, it’s clearly responding to the current environment in which the presidential administration talks tough on travel bans for majority-Muslim countries, trade protectionism, immigration raids and a border wall. It’s also a survival strategy, trying to counteract the so-called Trump Slump, which travel analysts estimate will translate to 4.3 million fewer foreign visitors (from Western Europe, Canada, Australia, Mexico and elsewhere) and $7.4 billion in lost revenue in the U.S. this year alone, according to Tourism Economics. Marketers may be walking a fine line and risking an epic fail (à la Pepsi), but they’re tackling the social and bottom-line issue head-on. For instance, Hyatt recently debuted a spot called 'For a World of Understanding,' featuring a woman in a hijab reaching out to a suspicious fellow commuter, and Royal Jordanian gave some insight into what it’s like to board a plane as an Arab, giving new meaning to the phrase 'fear of flying.' A Turkish Airlines ad with Morgan Freeman encouraged people to find 'delight in our differences,' and Airbnb debuted 'Accept,' featuring an array of its ethnically diverse hosts and employees. San Francisco has directed its marketing at Europeans to spark interest in the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love, and NYC & Company has premiered 'Welcoming the World,' with execs saying they are 'doubling down on our welcome message' on behalf of New York, the top destination of overseas travelers. (The city stands to lose $900 million this year, officials said, from a drop of 300,000 foreign travelers.)" http://bit.ly/2rKp8hw
* LOCAL NEWS *
CHICAGO: The Kinzie Hotel in River North has appointed Jill Farley director of sales and marketing.
LAS VEGAS: The sixth annual Health, Healing & Happiness conference, presented by Belandia.com and sponsored by Natural Awakenings Magazine and Whole Foods Market, will take place June 9-11 at Tuscany Suites & Casino. The event will host an inaugural vegan gala dinner with dishes created by Chef Mayra.
LOS ANGELES: Burger and fried-chicken restaurant Plan Check Kitchen and Bar has partnered with vegan food website Thug Kitchen to launch a monthlong collaborative menu that will feature plant-based twists on comfort food dishes. The Thug Kitchen dishes will be available at all four Plan Check locations from June 2-30, and a portion of proceeds will go to Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition.
For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA: The fourth season of Miami Music Festival, an intensive training program for the next generation of classical musicians, has announced the lineup for the 2017 season, which runs June 6-July 30 at various venues. The festival, which will host 250 students from more than 25 countries, will include more than 70 public events including the Independence Day Celebration on July 4 and the Miami Wagner Institute on July 22.
NASHVILLE: Kimpton Aertson Hotel will open in Midtown on June 14. The 180-room boutique hotel will feature Henley, an American brasserie helmed by chef RJ Cooper, and more than 6,500 square feet of meeting and event space. Event spaces include the Patterson Ballroom on the eighth floor and a 17th-floor event space with a private outdoor terrace that will hold as many as 150 guests for receptions.
NEW YORK: The 48th annual NYC Pride March, which takes place June 25, will be broadcast live for the first time on WABC-TV. NBC News: http://nbcnews.to/2rNHRsx
The American Association of Independent Music's sixth annual Libera Awards, presented by SoundExchange, will take place June 8 at Playstation Theater. Presenters will include Dar Williams, Talib Kweli, and Ani DiFranco.
More than 15 food trucks from the New York Food Truck Association will be at the 149th Belmont Stakes Food Truck Village from June 8-10 in Elmont. Food trucks will include Phil's Steaks, Korilla BBQ, and Empanada Sonata.
Midnight Summer Swing will take place June 27-July 15 at Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center. The outdoor live music and dance festival will offer 15 events for guests focused on genres including salsa, ballroom, and disco.
For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork
ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA: A new driving range and entertainment complex is being developed in Lake Nona. The 57,000-square-foot Drive Shack will have a restaurant, lounge, hitting bays, and meeting spaces. Orlando Business Journal: http://bit.ly/2rd3gOG
SAN FRANCISCO: Tech-centric hotel Stanford Court has launched a $16 million property-wide renovation, which will include upgrades to its meeting spaces. The hotel partnered with hospitality and commercial interior design firm EDG for the renovation, which is slated to be completed in spring 2018.
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Nominations for the 59th Emmy Awards, presented by the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, will be announced May 25. The organization will host regional watch parties at Maggiano's Little Italy in Washington, Iron Rooster in Baltimore, Lunch/Supper in Richmond, and Brick Anchor Brew House in Norfolk. Nominations also will be live streamed on the organization’s website. The awards gala will take place June 24 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center.
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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, Rayna Katz, and Ian Zelaya in New York.
BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.
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