March 27, 2017: How Indio Is Preparing for Thousands of Music Festival Attendees, Oscars Museum to Enter Final Construction Phase, How Chase Bank Is Using Facebook Live as an Event Sponsorship Strategy

1. HOW INDIO IS PREPARING FOR THOUSANDS OF MUSIC FESTIVAL ATTENDEES: As many as 62,000 festivalgoers are slated to attend the Coachella and Stage Coach music festivals in Indio, California, this year. City officials have prepared by expanding the crowd capacity, making changes to ridesharing, and more. The Desert Sun: "Community Services Manager Jim Curtis has been Indio's point man for festival operations for nearly two decades, and jokes he 'better have it down by now.' But big changes are coming this year, after the City Council approved an expansion for both Goldenvoice festivals last year, allowing Coachella's attendance cap to rise from 99,000 to 125,000 people and Stagecoach's from 75,000 to 85,000 people. The campgrounds are expected to be filled with more campers than ever, he said, which should be helpful to combat some of the increase in traffic and possibility for unsafe driving that comes with a greater number of people. Ridesharing is also being streamlined to prevent delays at the end of the night. While last year, customers would have to wait in the Uber lot for their specific driver to show up, this year the system will be converted to one of first-come, first-served. This way, when a person orders a ride, they need only wait in line for the next available vehicle, similar to how a traditional taxi service works. But while getting home on festival weekends might be quicker, delays are expected for commuters in the weeks leading up to and following the events. Because of the festival expansion, organizers created a new production row north of Avenue 50, on land Goldenvoice is leasing throughout the festival set-up and tear-down process. To make it safe for workers to cross back and forth from the polo grounds to the production row, city staff is installing a temporary traffic light on Avenue 50 west of Monroe Street that will be in use during the week through April and the first few days of May." http://desert.sn/2nrZL3C

2. OSCARS MUSEUM TO ENTER FINAL CONSTRUCTION PHASE: The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is slated to open in Los Angeles in 2019, is about to begin its final phase of construction—which will involve building a giant sphere. The Hollywood Reporter: "On June 1, MATT Construction, which specializes in complex projects and which won a bid on March 22, will begin overseeing the construction of a spherical building designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano—the signature architectural component of the new museum—while the firm of Morley + Taslimi, which began the project last year, will move to a supporting role. In March 2016, Morley + Taslimi began demolishing the department store's rear wing in order to create space for the 'the sphere,' a large globe-like structure, held aloft by plinths, which will house a 1,000-seat theater (to be called the David Geffen Theatre) and, above it, a glass-surrounded but not fully enclosed event space covered by a glass dome (which will be known as the Dolby Terrace). The firm also excavated beneath the remaining part of the existing building—most of which was built in 1939, but the rear wing of which was added in 1946—in order to earthquake-reinforce it, create new underground spaces and renovate the existing floors, which will house the museum's galleries. On June 1, MATT Construction will begin overseeing the creation of the sphere itself and also an education center and 288-seat theater in the basement (which will be called the Tedd Mann Theatre). MATT will be supported in the homestretch by Morley + Taslimi, which will continue to handle the project's concrete work, and by a German contractor that specializes in glasswork, which will construct the sphere's temperature-controlled glass dome, as well as a floor-to-ceiling 'curtain wall of glass' for the back side of the former May Co. building that will make the sphere visible from inside." http://bit.ly/2okwRQS

3. HOW CHASE BANK IS USING FACEBOOK LIVE AS AN EVENT SPONSORSHIP STRATEGY: Since Facebook is Chase's biggest social platform, the brand is planning to jumpstart its live-streaming efforts by broadcasting from events it sponsors, including Eric Clapton's North American tour. Adweek: "'Using Facebook Live to give millions of fans a taste of the live music experience with a legend like Eric Clapton is something we’re excited about,' explained Frank Nakano, head of sports and entertainment for JPMorgan Chase. Similar to other live broadcasts, Chase is relying on Facebook’s push notifications to drive users to watch the footage. As soon as a stream begins, Facebook will ping people that follow Chase’s account with a message encouraging them to tune in. Clapton’s social team also plans to share the video to his Facebook page—which has 9.4 million fans—to drive views. After the livestream, the video will live on Chase’s Facebook page, and the brand’s team also plans to create and push out additional content around the concerts. ... Meanwhile, Chase’s upcoming livestreams are the latest example of the bank using social media to amplify event sponsorships and spotlight talent. In September, Chase and Grey Goose ran Twitter ads around the U.S. Open that focused on promoting Andy Roddick’s livestreamed commentary via Periscope." http://bit.ly/2nMHkId

* LOCAL NEWS *

CHICAGO:  This year's Chicago Blues Festival will take place June 9-11 at Millennium Park.

LOS ANGELES:  The Orphaned Starfish Foundation's Party for a Purpose will take place May 3 at 1 Oak.

For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

NEW YORK:  New York magazine's New York Weddings Event will take place Tuesday at 180 Maiden Lane. The event will showcase wedding venues and planners, caterers, dresses, accessories, and more.

For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

SAN FRANCISCO:  The 12th annual Uncorked! San Francisco Wine Festival will take place May 13 at Ghirardelli Square.

TORONTO:  The Next Einstein competition, which invites people to submit ideas to make the world a better place, will launch with the "Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Albert Einstein" event, taking place Tuesday at the Mars Discovery District. The event aims to break the Guinness World Record.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Hand-roll sushi restaurant Hando-Medo is slated to open in Logan Circle this summer. The venue will have three sushi bars that each seat 25, and an outdoor patio that seats 12. Washington City Paper: http://bit.ly/2oeonKO

YOUR NEWS: What are you doing? Tell us: [email protected]. 

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With contributions from Alesandra Dubin and Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and 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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