July 5, 2017: Ticketmaster to Use Smartphone Data to Admit Event Attendees, Sweden to Host Man-Free Music Festival Following Spike in Sexual Assaults, Fyre Festival Founder Arrested and Charged With Fraud

1. TICKETMASTER TO USE SMARTPHONE DATA TO ADMIT EVENT ATTENDEES: Ticketmaster is aiming to reduce long lines at live events by checking in attendees with audio data from their smart phones. VentureBeat: "The ticketing giant has teamed up with Lisnr, a data-over-audio company that uses an ultrasonic sound technology it calls 'smart tones' to transmit information between devices. There are myriad use-cases for Lisnr’s  technology—for example, it recently partnered with Jaguar Land Rover to enable vehicles to communicate with mobile devices, other cars, and potentially the broader environment, where smart tone technology is enabled. This could be used to replace a key fob with a smartphone to unlock the door or to personalize seat settings, including placement and climate control. ... Lisnr’s technology will be used to power attendee verification for hundreds of millions of tickets. Though the rollout has already begun in some venues, Lisnr said it will take around four years to complete the process globally. In a nutshell, Lisnr’s smart tones constitute audio signals in the 18.75 kHz and 19.2kHZ range and are completely inaudible to more than 90 percent of the human population. As you approach the venue, you take out your phone and it broadcasts your ticketing data, which is detected by a scanner at the venue and confirms your identity, thus expediting the entry process." http://bit.ly/2tcTKLh

2. SWEDEN TO HOST MAN-FREE MUSIC FESTIVAL FOLLOWING SPIKE IN SEXUAL ASSAULTS: Sweden's largest music festival, Bråvalla, recently announced it would not be taking place in 2018 because of reports of four rapes and 23 sexual assaults at this year's event. In response, a Swedish comedian has proposed a man-free music festival. Newsweek: "Emma Knyckare, a Swedish comedy performer and radio presenter, floated the idea in a tweet at the weekend, The Local reported. 'What do you think about putting together a really cool festival where only non-men are welcome, that we'll run until ALL men have learned how to behave themselves?' she wrote. Knyckare subsequently confirmed via her Instagram account that she’d gained enough support to get plans in place for a festival in 2018. 'Sweden's first man-free rock festival will see the light next summer,' she said. 'In the coming days I'll bring together a solid group of talented organizers and project leaders to form the festival organizers, then you'll hear from everyone again when it's time to move forward.' As well as Bråvalla, the We Are STHLM young people’s festival in the Swedish capital also faced sexual assault allegations in 2014 and 2015. Sexual assault at music festivals isn’t just a Swedish problem, though. On May 8, 28 British music festivals staged an online “blackout,” replacing their websites for 24 hours with the message #saferspacesatfestivals to support a campaign raising awareness of the issue." http://bit.ly/2tLqo7x

3. FYRE FESTIVAL FOUNDER ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH FRAUD: Billy McFarland, the founder of the disastrous Bahamas music festival the Fyre Festival, was recently arrested on a wire fraud charge in New York. McFarland was later released on bail. Associated Press: "Billy McFarland was charged with scheming to defraud investors in his company, Fyre Media, and Fyre Festival that was supposed to take place on the island of Exuma over two weekends in April and May. The Fyre Festival was billed as an ultra-luxurious event with headliners including rockers Blink-182 and the hip-hop act Migos. But performers bowed out and organizers were forced to cancel the show. Acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim said McFarland presented fake documents to induce investors to put more than $1 million into his company and the failed festival. Kim said McFarland 'promised a 'life changing' music festival but in actuality delivered a disaster.' An attorney who has represented McFarland did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment. McFarland and his partner, the rapper Ja Rule, already face more than a dozen lawsuits filed by ticket buyers and investors in the festival." http://bit.ly/2tOkpiW

* LOCAL NEWS *

CHICAGO:  The Chicago Hot Dog Fest will take place August 11-13 at Stockton and LaSalle Drive. Vendors include Baked Cheese Haus, Downtown Dogs, and Taco in a Bag. 

LOS ANGELES:  The ninth annual Renegade Craft Fair will take place July 8-9 at Los Angeles State Historic Park. The fair will showcase work from more than 250 craft-makers and designers. 

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

NEW YORK:  Diffa: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDs will host Picnic By Design, its annual summer fund-raiser, September 6 at Stage 48. 

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

TORONTO:  The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition will take place July 14-16 at Nathan Phillips Square. The event will showcase art from more than 300 artists who work in a variety of mediums. 

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  District Winery—a 17,000-square-foot venue with an on-site wine production facility, multipurpose event spaces, and a full-service restaurant from chefs Michael Gordon and Benjamin Lambert—is slated to open later this summer in the Navy Yard neighborhood. The bilevel space, which will have an expansive rooftop terrace, is being created by the co-founders of Brooklyn Winery in New York.

Dîner en Blanc, a flash mob picnic that requires guests to wear only white and to bring their own tables, chairs, and dinner, will return to Washington on August 26. Organizers are adding 500 extra spots, bringing the total number of attendees to 4,000. Washingtonian: http://bit.ly/2smaPQ3

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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, Rayna Katz, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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