May 4, 2015: Why Live-Stream Apps Are Nightmare for Sports Events, Madison Square Garden to Go Vegan for Morrissey Concert, How Baltimore Event Planners Scrambled to Move Events After Unrest

1. WHY LIVE-STREAM APPS ARE NIGHTMARE FOR SPORTS EVENTS: The marquee boxing match on Saturday between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao featured another, stealth opponent: live-streaming apps that circumvented pay-per-view rules. Variety: “HBO and Showtime, which partnered on what will likely be the most popular boxing pay-per-view event ever, took a one-two punch of their own Saturday. First, they watched multiple pay-TV distributors experience technical problems transmitting the fight, which probably cut into their sales total. But what made matters even worse is that countless people who did pay for the fight used their smartphones to re-transmit the fight to users of Periscope and, to a lesser extent, rival app Meerkat. Each stream reached hundreds or thousands of non-paying fans with a picture quality that was shaky and pixilated, yet still quite adequate.” http://bit.ly/1KESdOh

2. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN TO GO VEGAN FOR MORRISSEY CONCERT: Fans attending the June 27 Morrissey concert at Madison Square Garden will only be able to order vegan concessions in deference to a request from the rocker, who famously named an album Meat Is Murder. New York Post: “Not only is it possible for venues to provide a 100 percent meat-free menu — as is done now at every concert venue in which I perform, including Madison Square Garden, where I have a show at the end of June — it’s also a moral duty,” Morrissey wrote in a recent open letter. http://bit.ly/1QSYqKM

3. HOW BALTIMORE EVENT PLANNERS SCRAMBLED TO MOVE EVENTS AFTER UNREST: Citizen protests and a citywide curfew contributed to the decisions to move weddings, galas, and other events that had been scheduled to take place in Baltimore in recent weeks. Planners had to scramble to relocate event. Baltimore Sun: “For Alexa McCulloch and Lindsey Stone of Union3 Event Productions, trying to relocate the Storybook Gala to Baltimore County with less than one week's notice was the party planners' equivalent of ‘Extreme Makeover: Event Edition.’ … In less than 48 hours, McCulloch and Stone got out of their agreement with the hotel and secured a space at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. They found a caterer who could prepare 620 dinners on short notice. And they began the hard work of using carpeting, lighting, flowers and other decorative touches to refashion a cinder block structure into a magical space.” http://bsun.md/1ER6xT5

* LOCAL NEWS *

COAST TO COAST:  Trinidad & Tobago Convention Bureau will host its first North American Road Show this week with stops in Atlanta, Washington, and New York. Representatives will meet with more than 60 meeting planners in each market to increase conference bid opportunities for the destination.

CHICAGO:  More than 3,500 athletes are expected to compete in the 47th annual Special Olympics Chicago Spring Games, which begin today. The opening ceremonies will take place at Soldier Field. Associated Press: http://bit.ly/1DZAzzY

LOS ANGELES:  Tour de Venice—a benefit with pop-up boutiques from Venice Beach artisans, retailers, salons, and others—takes place May 16 at Hotel Erwin.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  The eMerge Americas Technology Conference runs today through Wednesday at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

NEW YORK:  All visitors to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center will now have access to free wireless service of as much as 256K of bandwidth. Customers who need greater connectivity may purchase separate data plans.

The Taste Asia Food Fest will take place June 26-27 in Times Square and include a live dumpling making and eating contest. A ticketed luncheon and V.I.P. banquet will be held on June 28 at the James Beard House and feature classic Asian dishes from chef Zizhao Luo, winner of the 2011 International Chinese Culinary Competition.

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

TORONTO:  Drake Devonshire Inn hosted its grand opening Friday following a soft opening in September.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Washingtonian magazine will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an event October 28 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts for more than 850 guests. The magazine also is planning a commemorative issue and will donate $50,000 to five local nonprofit associations.

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

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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.

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