June 22, 2015: Big Names Skipping This Year’s Comic-Con, Rethinking Presidential Debates, How to Change When Your Conference Becomes Popular

1. BIG NAMES SKIPPING THIS YEAR’S COMIC-CON: Marvel, Sony, and Paramount will skip this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego in July. Variety: “Sony and Paramount just didn’t have the fanboy material to promote, said sources, while Marvel, which last missed the confab in 2011, already unveiled its new wave of Avengers at a special fan event in October. Plus, cost of sending a number of movies to Comic-Con can also set back a studio a few hundred thousand dollars, so ‘why force the issue?,’ one exec asks.” http://bit.ly/1SvAI74

2. RETHINKING PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES: To provide meaningful debate that engages voters, the tired presidential debate format needs to change, according to a report from the bipartisan Annenberg Working Group on Presidential Campaign Debate Reform. It also suggests solutions. Adweek: “But while in recent campaigns the debate process has incorporated more open formats, and moved from the traditional timed answers and strict structures, in general it has changed very little since 1992, when the single moderator and town hall formats were adopted,” the report says. “Very few ‘television programs’ have succeeded with a format that is more than two decades old.” http://bit.ly/1Lpb9DH

3. HOW TO CHANGE WHEN YOUR CONFERENCE BECOMES POPULAR: Dealing with the growth of a successful event is a challenge many planners would love to have. But there are specific issues to deal with to ensure an event stays popular, from venue choice to how to measure success. Entrepreneur: “If your conference is truly about the industry rather than your product, then there’s no reason any of your attendees should come alone. Invest in programs that incentivize incremental registrations from each attending company. Whether that’s volume discount pricing or exclusive sessions for teams, build the viral triggers for referrals into your model.” http://entm.ag/1BttqMX

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  Rina’s Pizzeria and Cafe is now open in the North End. The venue serves pizza, Italian pork roast, and meatballs. http://bit.ly/1GwR3mH

CHICAGO:  Boka Restaurant Group and B. Hospitality Company will open Armour & Swift in September. At 1000 West Fulton Market, the steak house will offer an unusual amenity for a restaurant: an in-house concierge desk.

LOS ANGELES:  Ringo Starr will celebrate his birthday on July 7 with a "Peace & Love" salute in front of the Capitol Records Tower. The celebration is open to the public and Starr encourages people to share #PeaceandLove on social media outlets.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Libertine, a new bar downtown, opened Friday. The space, designed by Thrilwall Design, is intended to evoke a sense of glamorous decay and features a DJ booth fashioned from a repurposed baby grand piano.

NEW YORK:  Cambria Hotel & Suites New York-Chelsea, which opened this spring, is planning a grand-opening celebration on July 14. The property, from Choice Hotels, has meeting space on its lower level and a rooftop lounge.

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

SAN FRANCISCO:  Five luxury hotels including the InterContinental Mark Hopkins and Stanford Court have partnered with the event space the Masonic to create the Nob Hill Connection. The partnership will offer meeting planners 100,000 square feet of meeting space and accommodations for more than 1,000 people in the historic neighborhood.

TORONTO:  Gusto 54’s new catering division has released its menu; items include pasta, pressed juices, and breakfast frittatas.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  The seventh annual NewsBash for Breast Cancer, a benefit hosted by the area’s top anchorwomen, drew 250 guests to its June 16 event at the Warner Building. Design Cuisine catered the event, which formerly was known as NewsBabes.

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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, Anna Sekula, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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