September 27, 2016: First Clinton-Trump Debate Is the Most Tweeted Ever, Uber Is Interested in Flying Transportation, Politico Founder Launches Snapchat Channel to Focus on Presidential Campaign

1. FIRST CLINTON-TRUMP DEBATE IS THE MOST TWEETED EVER: The first presidential debate between Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump was the “most tweeted debate ever,” according to the social platform. CNNMoney: “That's according to Twitter, which crunched the numbers immediately following the debate. The raw number of tweets is not available, but Twitter said it exceeded the 10.3 million messages sent about 2012's first presidential debate. Social media use has grown in the past four years. Recent polls also showed heightened interest in the debates this year. Television ratings for the debate will be released on Tuesday. Analysts anticipate a total of 80 to 100 million TV viewers. Various live streams of the face-off on YouTube and Facebook drew several million additional viewers on Monday. … Facebook said the ‘top social moment’ of the debate was when Trump said his strongest asset is his ‘temperament.’ The comment was met by laughs in the debate hall and snarky replies on social media. Twitter served as a giant spin room before, during and after Monday's debate.” http://cnnmon.ie/2d5HRNI

2. UBER IS INTERESTED IN FLYING TRANSPORTATION: Ride-sharing on demand company Uber is a popular business travel option, and the company is researching ways to enhance its customer experience in the various cities where it operates. At the Nantucket Project conference over the weekend, Uber’s head of products Jeff Holden said the company is researching a form of flying transportation. Recode: “The technology is called VTOL—which stands for vertical takeoff and landing. Simply put, VTOL is an aircraft that can hover, take off and land vertically, which would also describe a helicopter. But, unlike the typical helicopter, these planes have multiple rotors, could have fixed wings and perhaps eventually would use batteries and be more silent. In time, like cars, such aircraft would be autonomous. Holden said in the interview that such technology could be in use within a decade, which is an aggressive prediction, given the issues around the complexity of movement in the air above densely populated areas. (Also, you know, the possibility of these VTOL vehicles crashing into each other.) Holden, who previously worked at Amazon and Groupon, has been deeply involved in Uber’s recent rollout of self-driving cars in Pittsburgh. He noted that the company accelerated the development of that technology after it was first mentioned by CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick only a few years ago. VTOL is certainly a step further in ambition, but it’s a pretty slick concept to imagine, and the actual development of such vehicles is far along.” http://on.recode.net/2cNJM8h

3. POLITICO FOUNDER LAUNCHES SNAPCHAT CHANNEL TO FOCUS ON PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: Jim VandeHei—one of the founders of political news organization Politico—has launched a Snapchat channel called We The People, which will cover the presidential campaign through the inauguration in January. VandeHei worked with NowThis, a company that makes short videos for social networks, to launch the channel on Sunday. The New York Times: "Mr. VandeHei will provide editorial guidance for the channel, while NowThis, which already has its own Snapchat channel, will create the content. The channel also underscores a bigger shift in the media industry. Over the last few years, Facebook has had little competition when it comes to wooing both established publishers and newer media companies that want access to the platform’s vast user base and sophisticated targeting capabilities. Increasingly, however, publishers are viewing Snapchat as another viable distribution channel. Many, including BuzzFeed, The Wall Street Journal and Cosmopolitan magazine, have flocked to Snapchat Discover, where they can publish videos, graphics and text within the mobile app. … Mr. VandeHei’s Snapchat channel is different from other Discover channels in that it will focus on one topic for an extended period of time. 'The channels that we’ve launched to date have been around broader subject matters,' said Nick Bell, vice president of content for Snapchat. 'This is very specific and very pointed.'" http://nyti.ms/2cG4LMG

* LOCAL NEWS *

COAST TO COAST:  Yahoo will host the live stream of Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholders meeting for the second year in a row on May 6, 2017. The live stream will be available on Yahoo Finance across all devices.

AUSTIN:  Café Blue has announced it will open a second location downtown at 2nd and Trinity this fall. The restaurant offers international coastal cuisine and has an extensive wine list.

CHICAGO:  Conference Solutions, a provider of automated one-to-one and pre-scheduled meetings products, has named Alven Diaz chief technology officer.

InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile has appointed Ronald Hoogerbrugge as general manager.

DENVER:  Destination Hotels and Commune Hotels & Resorts have merged to create Two Roads Hospitality. Jamie Sabatier and Niki Leondakis will lead the company as C.E.O. of Two Roads Hospitality and C.E.O. of Hotels & Resorts, respectively.

LAS VEGAS:  Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant in Downtown Summerlin will celebrate its one-year anniversary with an all-day event on October 6.

LOS ANGELES:  The third annual EastSide Food Festival will take place Sunday at Mack Sennett Studios. The event, which benefits People Assisting The Homeless, will feature more than 35 local vendors.

Huckleberry Café in Santa Monica and Playa Provisions in Playa del Rey are offering new catering options for groups.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  The Miami Marriott Dadeland has undergone a redesign of several areas; it now has an open lobby concept and newly designed guest rooms aptly named the "Design" guest rooms. Working with the firm S5 Interior Design and Architecture, the 24-story, 302-room hotel now has large murals in each guest room with photographs by Miami-based artist Alejandro Borgese. The hotel has more than 38,000 square feet of meeting space and 28 meeting rooms. In addition, neighboring hotel Courtyard Miami Dadeland, which is also in the Marriott family, has renovated of all of its guest rooms, lobby areas, and the front desk.

Grown, an organic fast-food restaurant, has signed on to be one of the eateries at the Hard Rock Stadium for the 2016-17 season. Grown's concept offers farm-to-fork cuisine with the convenience of fast-food dining.

MONTREAL:  Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has partnered with Carbonleo to invest $250 million towards building a Four Seasons hotel and private residences, which will be connected directly to retail conglomerate Ogilvy and Holt Renfrew on De la Montagne Street. The 163-room hotel will have 18 exclusive private residences and a 6,000-square-foot ballroom with a large terrace. 

NEW ORLEANS:  Windsor Court Hotel reopened its Polo Club Lounge, following two months of $300,000 renovations. The lounge will has a refreshed menu and 930 square feet of additional space for expanded seating options and a live entertainment area.

NEW YORK:  Keep a Child Alive has announced that its 13th annual Black Ball, which takes place October 19 at the Manhattan Center's Hammerstein Ballroom, will feature performances from Chance the Rapper and Salt N Pepa. The event will also be live streamed on Tidal for the first time.

On October 6, Upstairs on Rivington will open at Hotel on Rivington on the Lower East Side. Upstairs on Rivington has two parts: a front lounge that overlooks Rivington Street and a rear lounge above Cafe Medi. Each room seats 35 or holds 120 people for receptions, and the two lounge rooms can be connected via a private hallway. A light snack menu is curated by Vincent Chirico, and various cocktails will be served.

Nickelodeon Universe is joining the slate of offerings for kids and families at American Dream, the 8.5-acre entertainment and shopping complex set to open in 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Nickelodeon Universe will have rides and attractions based on Nickelodeon properties. The complex, which is being developed by Triple Five Group of Companies, will also include DreamWorks Water Park, Amusement Park; Big Snow Indoor Ski & Snow Park; a 1,500 seat live performing arts theater; a 285-foot-tall observation wheel; luxury in-theater dining cinemas at Cinemex; a 70,000-square-foot Sea Life Aquarium & Lego Discovery Center; an ice rink; an 18-hole miniature golf course; the Collections, a 460,000-square-foot luxury and fashion area; and the Dining Terrace, an array of 15 full-service restaurants.

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

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  SeaWorld Orlando will add virtual reality to its Kraken roller coaster next summer. Orlando Sentinel: http://bit.ly/2d1mjWO

PHILADELPHIA:  The Radisson Hotel in Camp Hill, previously known as the Penn Harris Hotel and Conference Center, has completed $4 million in renovations that include the reopening of two of the hotel's dining areas: Heirloom and Bridges Lounge.  

SAN FRANCISCO:  Hyatt Regency San Francisco has completed its multimillion dollar renovation. Changes include room and suite redesigns, a revitalized kitchen and bar, and a free-standing, double-sided wall created with more than 5,000 recycled beer bottles depicting the Bay Area from space.

The 37th annual San Rafael Parade of Lights and Winter Wonderland will take place November 25 in downtown San Rafael. The event, which will feature a holiday marketplace, a snow-sledding hill, and a tree lighting ceremony, is produced by Steven Restivo Event Services.

ST. LOUIS:  St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, has opened following a $40 million transformation. The 539-room hotel, which is a national historic landmark, is in what was once the largest and most ornate railway terminal in the United States. Built in 1894 and converted to a hotel in 1985, the property has 100,000 square feet of meeting space and three eateries: Station Grille, an upscale American restaurant; Grand Hall, a bar; and the Market, which houses a 1920s-theme Starbucks designed with an ornate drinking fountain and fireplace dating to the building's origins.

TORONTO:  PickOntario and the Toronto Botanical Garden will host the North Toronto Floral Market at the CF Shops at Don Mills on Saturday and Sunday, as well as October 14-16.

The "An Evening with Johnnie Walker" tasting experience—which invites Canadians to host as many as 15 guests for a tasting guided by a brand ambassador—will expand its program offer from 30 to 50 kilometers outside of downtown Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver. The tastings are slated to begin October 11 in Edmonton.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Apple has proposed a flagship store and events center at the Carnegie Library in Mount Vernon Square. Washington Post: http://wapo.st/2d07j9j

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

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With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin and Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Carla Hay, Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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