April 15, 2015: Ikea Launches Virtual Wedding Service, How to Book Barbie at Your Event, Campaign Invites Supreme Court to Same-Sex Weddings

1. IKEA LAUNCHES VIRTUAL WEDDING SERVICE: Couples can now get married at Ikea—sort of—through a new service from the retailer called Wedding Online. Cosmopolitan: “You're given a choice of a handful of romantic digital locations, including a city rooftop, a fairytale forest, a fun circus tent, a quiet beach, and an intimate dock (with, of course, links to buy the decor you see). The site will then invite your friends via Facebook and transpose their heads onto the bodies of avatars in suits and gowns so no one even needs to get dressed up. The URL won't be published but will be made public to invitees, in case you want to share the event in the future with anyone who wasn't there.” http://bit.ly/1FQYRBU

2. HOW TO BOOK BARBIE AT YOUR EVENT: Art Basel, the Golden Globes, and Paris Fashion Week are among the many big-time events that Barbie has attended—and later posted about to her social media followers. In a story about the classic doll’s very modern Instagram account—she has more than 700,000 followers—her handler reveals some secrets for booking Barbie at an event. Racked: "'For big events,' [creative and photography lead Zlatan] Zukanovic adds, 'we go through the same channels that a celebrity would go through. I can’t tell you how many publicists we’ve met—we make sure to find them during the event, before, whenever. You have the same kind of conversations you would have if this were a celebrity, you get the same kind of credentials. It's really fascinating.'" http://bit.ly/1OdJClK

3. CAMPAIGN INVITES SUPREME COURT TO SAME-SEX WEDDINGS: A campaign called Tie the Knot is asking same-sex couples to send save-the-date announcements to the Supreme Court as justices consider four marriage equality cases. Mashable: “When the Supreme Court begins oral arguments for the cases, scheduled for the end of April, the organization's site will provide a ‘builder’ for couples to submit their wedding details. Those will be transformed into a paper invitation and will be hand-delivered to the Supreme Court, likely in early June. Participants will keep a digital record of their save-the-dates.” http://on.mash.to/1FFHU89

4. MTV MOVIE AWARDS RATINGS DOWN: Hollywood Reporter: “The 2015 MTV Movie Awards trended downward for the second year in a row on Sunday night — this time losing nearly half of last year's already mediocre audience. The Amy Schumer-hosted telecast pulled a scant 1.55 million viewers, down from 2014's 2.8 million.” http://bit.ly/1H4gOeW


* INDUSTRY NEWS *

Leaders from across the meeting and event industry will mark the first North American Meetings Industry Day on Thursday. The occasion will spotlight the value derived from business meetings, conferences, conventions, incentive travel, trade shows, and exhibitions. The Meetings Mean Business coalition members, in addition to industry leaders across Canada and Mexico, all plan to host events. Digital conversations will take place @MeetingsMeanBiz on Twitter and use the hashtags #MMBusiness with #NAMID15.

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  The Phantom Gourmet BBQ & Music Festival will take place at the Rochester Fairgrounds June 26-28. The event will feature award-winning pitmasters, country music, carnival entertainment, and wine and beer gardens.

CHICAGO:  The AC Hotel Chicago Downtown will open in May. The 226-room hotel will offer 3,000 square feet of meeting space, complimentary Wi-Fi, and an indoor pool.

HONOLULU:  The fifth annual Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival, presented by First Hawaiian Bank and MasterCard, will take place August 29-September 13 with events on the islands of Hawai‘i, Maui, and O‘ahu. More than 10,000 attendees are expected to attend.

LAS VEGAS:  Wolfgang Puck will create a hospitality menu for V.I.P.s attending the inaugural Rock in Rio USA, coming to Las Vegas in May. It is meant to celebrate the cultures of the three themed streets within the festival’s so-called City of Rock: the United States, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Board of Directors approved the selection of Cordell Corporation as its owner’s representative for the upcoming Las Vegas Global Business District. The firm will oversee the predesign, design and construction phases of the project.

The Billboard Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 17.

LOS ANGELES:  Toca Madera, a new organic Mexican concept from EveryDay Life, has opened in West Hollywood. The the 4,500-square-foot restaurant and lounge seats 120 and includes a retractable roof and interior patio.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  The Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival runs April 24-May 3. The opening-night film, Boulevard, will screen at Colony Theatre and an after-party will be held at Skydeck Miami.

NEW YORK:  PopUp Dinner Brooklyn presented by Acura is scheduled for June 13 at a secret location in Prospect Park. Hand Made Events is planning the event.

The Wren restaurant and bar and Old Forester are hosting an interactive cocktail event on April 20. Guests at the ticketed event will learn how to craft three Old Forester cocktails as well as taste Old Forester’s small batch Birthday Bourbon.

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

ORLANDO:  Whisper Creek Farm: the Kitchen and the Brewery are now open at JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes. The Kitchen's menu items are made with seasonal ingredients from the 7,000-square-foot Whisper Creek Farm on resort property, as well as fresh eggs from the farm's new chicken coop. The restaurant seats 100 people indoors and 50 on a terrace, and the space is also available for group functions. The Brewery will produce 28 gallons of beer weekly and is available for smaller events.

SAN FRANCISCO:  Apple will hold its 2015 Worldwide Developers Conference at the Moscone Convention Center June 8-12.

Inman Connect, a conference that draws real estate and tech professionals, will take place at Hilton San Francisco Union Square August 4-7.

TORONTO:  "Be Bold: Meetings That Matter," a gathering for industry professionals, will take place on May 11 at Daniels Spectrum. The evening will showcase social-enterprise businesses that will serve the event industry.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day will take place Saturday on the National Mall, with performances from No Doubt, Mary J. Blige, and more and speakers including United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. FishbowlDC runs down the celebrities who are slated to attend: http://bit.ly/1asLI3Z

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

JOB BOARD: Post a job or find a job: http://jobs.bizbash.com

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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