April 7, 2015: More Conference Centers Fill Meetings Niche, Baseball Plans Ladies' Nights to Attract Female Fans, Peabody Awards Revamp Format to Boost Image

1. MORE CONFERENCE CENTERS FILL MEETINGS NICHE: Stand-alone conference centers are filling a niche for small meetings, with companies such as Convene, the Hub, and Summit Executive Center competing with hotels for business. The New York Times: “The stand-alone centers began to win business after the recession, when ‘there was a predisposition to be in a place you wouldn’t be criticized for,’ said Steven Carvell, associate dean for academic affairs at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. But as companies continue to embrace a new frugality, even with the economy in recovery, nonresidential urban conference centers in office buildings are gaining visibility.” http://nyti.ms/1O2EMd1

2. BASEBALL PLANS LADIES' NIGHTS TO ATTRACT FEMALE FANS: Baseball season began this weekend, and Major League Baseball clubs across the country are coming up with new marketing promotions to bring female fans to the ballpark. Adweek: “The Braves, for instance, will offer a Girls Night Out on May 1. For $45, fans get a seat in the outfield plus a feather boa and an Alex and Ani silver bracelet with a Braves charm (that normally sells for $32). There will also be a pregame party with music by an '80s cover band. The ticket buy includes an automatic donation to the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research. … [But] clubs better make sure they don't patronize women. The hapless Houston Astros were torched on social media last season after they advertised an event where ladies could ‘learn about baseball.’” http://bit.ly/1PbegQ4

3. PEABODY AWARDS REVAMP FORMAT TO BOOST IMAGE: The Peabody Awards, which honor excellence in electronic media, have always had a prestigious image. But this year, for the 74th annual awards in May, planners are instituting several changes to raise their profile. Hollywood Reporter: “Forget about weekday luncheons—winners now will collect their prizes in front of 1,000 industry professionals at ‘a stylish, Sunday-night event, complete with red carpet’ at Cipriani Wall Street. … Additionally, for the first time, honorees will be revealed over a two-week period beginning on April 14, with entertainment winners announced live on ABC's Good Morning America on April 16.” http://bit.ly/1HLn4H9

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  The Anime Convention came to Boston this weekend, and many of the 25,000 guests attended in costume. Looks ranged from steampunk attire to a Costume America costume. Boston Globe: http://bit.ly/1Jfnarq

CHICAGO:  Bascule, a wine bar and bistro, is now open on Taylor Street. Crain’s Chicago Business: "It opens at 3 p.m. daily ... offering a smart choice for late lunches and casual afternoon meetings fortified with charcuterie and cheese platters.” The venue also has a curtained-off space that seats about six guests. http://bit.ly/1FaErhx

LAS VEGAS:  Elvis Presley’s Graceland will celebrate the April 23 grand opening of its new permanent exhibition, theater showroom, and wedding chapel in Las Vegas at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. The festivities will kick off with a wedding ceremony, which will be broadcast live on NBC’s Today show.

LOS ANGELES:  Variety: “Barbra Held has been named to a newly created position as VP of event production for the Television Academy. Held will be responsible for the planning and execution of all live events produced by the TV Academy, including the Television Academy Hall of Fame and Television Academy Honors. She will also be involved in pre-planning for the Emmy Awards and Governors Ball and oversee the technical operations of the new theater and media center being built at the Academy’s North Hollywood campus.” http://bit.ly/1yRGN2A

The Los Angeles Convention Center will host WonderCon March 25-27, 2016. Previously held in the Bay Area and then Anaheim, WonderCon is the sister show to Comic-Con International, and drew about 60,000 attendees in 2014.

Page Jeter will leave Rogers & Cowan this week for a new role on the brand communications team at PMK-BNC, where she’ll start later in the month.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Soho Bay, a Japanese restaurant with eight locations throughout Brazil, opens today in Miami Beach. More than 500 people attended an opening event including the Honorable Consul General of Brazil in Miami, Ambassador Hélio Vitor Ramos Filho, and the Honorable Shinji Nagashima, Consul General of Japan in Miami.

NEW YORK:  Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has joined the lineup of the Women in the World Summit at Lincoln Center on April 23. Organizers say she will discuss women's and girls’ advancement around the world.

Rachel Dratch will host the seventh annual Shorty Awards, which honor the best of social media. The show is April 20 at the New York Times Center and will also be broadcast via live stream at ShortyAwards.com.

Mondrian SoHo hotel has changed management and is now known as Nomo Soho, an abbreviation for “nostalgic" and “modern.” The 263-room luxury boutique was purchased by a partnership between Buddha Bar founder Gerard Guez and the real estate group ASRR Capital in early March and will be part of Preferred Hotel & Resorts’ “Lifestyle” collection.

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

ORLANDO:  Orlando Interactive Experience, or OrlandoiX, is a new digital festival scheduled for October. The event will include a speaker series, gaming arena, start-up summit, and digital expo that will showcase advancements in entertainment technology, interactive media, and digital arts.

TORONTO:  Lucky Bastard TO is now open in Little Italy. The lounge is available for buyout and holds 100 for receptions.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Earl C. Hargrove, founder of the event production company Hargrove, died on Monday. He was 86. In a statement, Tim McGill and Carla Hargrove-McGill said: “We are very proud of our father and the company he created. We will honor that legacy by continuing to do what he loved to do: providing our clients and friends with environments in which to entertain and tell their stories.”

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

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

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