October 29, 2015: SXSW Faces Backlash Over Decision to Cancel Panels, Adele Seeking Mega Tour Sponsorship From Apple, Hotel Deal Could See Hyatt Acquire Starwood

1. SXSW FACES BACKLASH OVER DECISION TO CANCEL PANELS: Following backlash over a decision to cancel panels focusing on online harassment in the the tech industry, South by Southwest Interactive is considering alternatives, including hosting an all-day event dedicated to the issue. BuzzFeed and Vox Media are among the companies threatening to boycott the festival over the cancellations. Re/code: “A chief concern for holding such an event would be managing security. In an update today on the SXSW website, SXSW Interactive Director Hugh Forrest wrote that the festival was ‘working with local law enforcement to assess the various threats received regarding these sessions.’” http://on.recode.net/1PTXZQp

2. ADELE SEEKING MEGA TOUR SPONSORSHIP FROM APPLE: As the singer Adele plans a new tour in support of her new album, 25, she’s looking for a massive sponsorship from Apple. New York Post: “The singer’s powerhouse negotiators at WME are so confident of the success of her upcoming album and as-yet-unconfirmed world tour that they’ve pitched Apple on a jaw-dropping $30 million tour sponsorship, The Post has learned. That’s as much as 10 times the usual sponsorship deal. … Despite the early success and expected bonanza awaiting Adele, not everyone’s happy with the hard-ball negotiating tactics. ‘Her team needs to be more realistic about an artist who doesn’t have much of a history of working with corporate partners,’ one person familiar with the talks said.” http://bit.ly/1k9jSyR

3. HOTEL DEAL COULD SEE HYATT ACQUIRE STARWOOD: Hyatt Hotels Corporation is looking to acquire Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, according to news reports, saying that a decision could come by the end of the calendar year. The New York Times: “A combination of Hyatt and Starwood could help the two chains better compete with their larger peers Marriott International and Hilton Worldwide and give them a shot at earnings growth by compressing overlapping costs. … For Hyatt, acquiring Starwood would improve its global exposure. The majority of Starwood’s rooms are outside North America, while almost all Hyatt’s properties are in the United States.” http://nyti.ms/20cvzWl

4. FOX PICKS UP MISS UNIVERSE AND MISS USA PAGEANTS: After former pageant owner Donald Trump’s falling out with NBC, the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants under new owner WME-IMG have found a new broadcasting partner in Fox. The Hollywood Reporter: “The Miss Universe pageant will air live on Fox on Dec. 20 from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, with the Miss USA pageant slated for sometime next year. Both telecasts had aired on NBC for the past 11 years, but over the summer the network cut ties with organization owner Donald Trump and backed out of broadcasting Miss USA just weeks before it was scheduled to air.” http://bit.ly/1M2qwBL

* LOCAL NEWS *

ATLANTA:  Legoland Discovery Center Atlanta will host its Thanksgiving Food Drive, which benefits the Atlanta Community Food Bank, November 12-13.

AUSTIN:  California-based pizza chain Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza will open in Lakeline Commons in December. The 2,600-square-foot space will seat 75 inside and 25 on its outdoor patio. Austin Business Journal: http://bit.ly/1Hcc8RN

BOSTON:  Tavern Road, a globally influenced restaurant available for event rental, has a new menu, new interior design, and now serves lunch.

CHICAGO:  After a bride and groom lost $12,000 by paying for fraudulent catering, local vendors including Revel Global Events offered discounted or donated services to the couple. DNAinfo: http://dnain.fo/1kae8ok

HOUSTON:  The Unicef Audrey Hepburn Society Ball will take place November 6 at the Hilton Americas Hotel. Faith Hill will perform, and Barbara Bush will receive the Margaret Alkek Williams Humanitarian Award.

LAS VEGAS:  Devious Maids star Roselyn Sanchez will co-host the 16th annual Latin Grammys with Mexican actress and model Jacqueline Bracamontes on November 19. The event will be broadcast on Univision live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

House of Blues will honor Carlos Santana's 100,000th ticket sale at the music hall's residency on November 3 with the unveiling of a commemorative display, which will be installed after the ceremony.

Maine-based seafood restaurant Luke's Lobster will open November 12 at Fashion Show's new outdoor plaza.

LOS ANGELES:  The International Medical Corps Annual Gala will take place at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on November 12.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  The 20th annual I Have a Dream Foundation Gala will take place at Turnberry Isle on November 19. The foundation works with children from low-income communities to prepare them for higher education and guarantees their academic tuition at a Florida state university or at an accredited trade school.

NEW YORK:  The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation will host its annual “A Magical Evening” Gala on November 19 at Cipriani Wall Street.  The evening, which will be hosted by Meredith Vieira and honor George H.W. Bush, marks the foundation’s 25th anniversary.

The clothing retailer Nautica's first pop-up shop will open November 12 at 135 Fifth Avenue.

The fourth NYCxDESIGN, an annual citywide celebration of design, will be held May 3-May 17. Last year’s edition featured 564 unique events at 228 locations.

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House has named Christina Migliorelli as its new director of sales and events. The Midtown restaurant has several spaces for private events, including a wine cellar that holds 150 for receptions.

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

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  "Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon" will be a new attraction at Universal Studios Florida that's scheduled to open in 2017.

PHILADELPHIA:  The inaugural Philadelphia Cheesesteak Festival's co-organizer has addressed the negative feedback attendees have given the event—which took place last Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field—and says the issues will be corrected next year. Attendees formed a Facebook protest group citing fraud and demanding refunds after experiencing long waits for parking and getting inside, few samples, and poor planning. Philly.com: http://bit.ly/1ij1an2

SAN FRANCISCO:  Hotel development firm Stonebridge Realty Advisors and architect Michael Stanton have submitted a project to turn a one-story parking garage in SoMa into a six-story hotel. San Francisco Business Times: http://bit.ly/1RBZ5P9

TORONTO:  The Grandstone Budapest Hotel Halloween Party will take place Saturday at the Grandstone Hotel. Inspired by Wes Anderson's Oscar-winning film, the event encourages attendees to dress as their favorite Wes Anderson character and will offer desserts from Mendl's Patisserie, live music, and a concierge-theme backdrop for photos.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Winternational, the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center’s annual embassy showcase, will take place December 9. More than 30 embassies are expected to exhibit, educating attendees about their culture and offering travel and tourism information. It will be the event’s fourth edition; last year more than 1,000 people attended.

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, Anna Sekula, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.

Feed the Sheet: [email protected]

Subscribe: www.bizbash.com/bizbashdaily

Advertise with BizBash: [email protected]