1. MORE BUSINESS LEADERS DROP OUT OF SAUDI INVESTMENT CONFERENCE: Since Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, backed out of an upcoming investment conference in Saudi Arabia, more high-profile business leaders, including International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde, have followed suit. As of now, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is still slated to attend. CNN: "The Saudi event, known as 'Davos in the desert,' has suffered an exodus of global business leaders, including the C.E.O.s of JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Uber, in the past week as questions have mounted over the fate of Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent critic of the Saudi government. The IMF said in a statement late Tuesday that Managing Director Christine Lagarde's trip to the Middle East for the conference next week 'is being deferred.' It's an abrupt change of position from Lagarde, who said as recently as Saturday that she still planned to speak at the event in Riyadh despite being horrified by reports about Khashoggi's disappearance. BNP Paribas (BNPQY), France's largest bank by assets, said Wednesday that Chairman Jean Lemierre will no longer attend. Société Générale (SCGLY) C.E.O. Fréderic Oudéa also dropped out Wednesday. Both were listed as speakers as recently as last week. Khashoggi, a former Saudi royal court insider who contributed to The Washington Post, hasn't been seen since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2." https://cnn.it/2Aedce7
2. COUPLES IN INDIA ARE INVITING TOURISTS TO WEDDINGS THROUGH NEW STARTUP: Couples in India are selling tourists tickets to their weddings through a new startup called Join My Wedding, which is part of a new wave of wedding tourism. CNBC: "When Surabhi Chauhan, a Delhi-based fund manager, got married last November, roughly 400 guests attended her wedding. Two names on the guest list were people she had never met before: Carly Stevens and Tim Gower. The Australian travel bloggers paid around $200 for a two-day invitation to attend Chauhan’s wedding through a start-up called Join My Wedding. 'The concept was pretty new,' Chauhan told CNBC in an interview, explaining that she came across the start-up while booking her wedding venue. 'We were also getting to know people from other countries. We were very much excited and open about it, given the fact that it was new.' She and her husband were introduced to Stevens and Gower by one of the start-up’s co-founders, Orsi Parkanyi, she said. Here’s how Join My Wedding works: Indian couples list details about their weddings on the website, and international travelers can buy tickets to the nuptials they want to attend. Most of the contributions from the tickets go to the couples, but the start-up takes a cut. ... Many travel agencies and tour operators are capitalizing on this developing trend by creating custom tour packages for international travelers to attend Indian wedding ceremonies during their visit. Indian weddings are known for their opulence, customs, and traditions that are celebrated over several days—millions of couples get married in the country every year, where there’s a growing population and a rising middle class. Experts consider the Indian wedding industry, which is said to be worth about $40 billion and growing around 20 percent a year, to be recession-proof." https://cnb.cx/2CkFCEu
3. ROME FILM FESTIVAL EMBRACES NETFLIX DESPITE PROTESTS: The 13th edition of the Rome Film Festival is welcoming Netflix films, despite protests from local Italian exhibitors over the top prize win for Alfonso Cuaron’s Netflix film Roma at the Venice Film Festival. Movie theater owners are upset that Italy’s biggest film festival gave exposure to a film that will mainly be seen on TVs, laptops, and smart devices. The Hollywood Reporter: “But Rome, like Venice, is having none of this Netflix bashing. ‘Netflix is a disrupter. It's like being against the car if you have a horse,’ says Rome festival director Antonio Monda. ‘I think the theater owners should deal and cope with that.’ This issue is complicated by the fact that Italian film festivals are partially funded by public money, meaning taxpayers are contributing to a Netflix promotional vehicle. It doesn't help that the streamer has no full-time staffers in the country. While exhibitors battle lackluster ticket sales and online piracy, they see Netflix as reaping all the benefits of Italy's festival circuit but giving nothing back. So far, their protests have not led to major concessions akin to those in France, where Cannes bowed to local industry pressure and banned Netflix fare from competition. But concessions are coming, argues Francesco Rutelli, president of ANICA, Italy's national association for the audiovisual industry.” https://bit.ly/2yFZZZv
* LOCAL NEWS *
CHICAGO: Hyde Park Art Center’s annual gala will take place November 16. The event will honor artists Barbara Kasten, philanthropists and arts supporters Biff Ruttenberg and Buzz Ruttenberg, and the David C. and Sarajean Ruttenberg Foundation.
LOS ANGELES: The WestEdge Design Fair will take place October 18-21 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.
George P. Johnson has appointed John Romero vice president, account director. Romero will be based in the experiential marketing agency’s Los Angeles office.
For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA: Phil Collins’ fourth annual Dreaming on the Beach Gala will take place November 15 at the Fillmore Miami Beach.
NEW YORK: Restaurant incubator Pilotworks, which shuttered last week, still owes local vendors thousands of dollars. Members are owed anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000, and no one is able to reach anyone at the company. Eater: https://bit.ly/2NIgNEI
Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park will open for its 17th season October 27 and run through March 3, 2019. The village will have more than 170 holiday vendors curated by Urbanspace; a new après skate-style space with a cocktail bar and Champagne Bollinger bar; and 12 new and returning restaurant concepts.
Jews, Politics, and the 2018 Midterm Elections will take place October 25 at the Center for Jewish History, as part of the History Matters Series. The panel will be moderated by The New York Times journalist Clyde Haberman and will feature Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Jeff Jacoby, Julian Zelizer, and Halie Soifer.
Architecture and design firm Reddymade has been named the winner of the 2019 Times Square Valentine Heart Competition. The installation will be on display February 1-28.
For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork
NORWALK, CONNECTICUT: Event management software company Aventri has acquired ITN International, an event solutions provider powered by N.F.C., mobile, and cloud-based technology.
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Light Horse in Alexandria has opened Dining Bar, a first-floor dining room. The 1,600-square-foot space seats as many as 34 guests in the main dining area and 22 at a bar.
The fifth annual Loudoun Men Are Cooking: Presents a Taste of Loudoun fund-raiser and tasting event will take place November 3 at the National Conference Center’s West Belmont Place.
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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, and Ian Zelaya in New York.
BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.
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