September 22, 2017: Univision and Telemundo to Host Telethons for Mexico and Puerto Rico Disaster Survivors, New York Fashion Week More Diverse Than Ever, GE's Droneweek to Air on Viceland

1. UNIVISION AND TELEMUNDO TO HOST TELETHONS FOR MEXICO AND PUERTO RICO DISASTER SURVIVORS: Univision and Telemundo will host separate telethons to raise funds for survivors of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean and the earthquake in Mexico. Billboard: “With a seven-hour special, Univision will begin its live broadcast titled ‘Unidos Por Los Nuestros’ (‘United for Us’) on Saturday, September 23 from 7 p.m. ET from multiple locations including Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Mexico City and Puerto Rico. ‘As we witness the unimaginable devastation caused by hurricanes and earthquakes in recent weeks, Univision and our employees have the mission to mobilize and unite our communities and audiences to show solidarity and help bring resources to as many people in dire need of assistance,’ said Randy Falco, president and CEO of Univision Communications. Telemundo will also broadcast a four-hour special live from Miami, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Houston and Los Angeles on Sunday, September 24 from 7pm to 11pm ET, hosted by Mario Kreutzberger, ‘Don Francisco.’ Both telethons will feature celebrities to help raise awareness and collect funds to benefit the American Red Cross. http://bit.ly/2ythOdc

2. NEW YORK FASHION WEEK MORE DIVERSE THAN EVER: The latest season of New York Fashion Week reached a new high for representation on the runway. Findings from the Fashion Spots diversity report showed that racial diversity in runway shows was at an all-time high, and there were improvement in representation for transgender, plus-size, non-binary, and over-50 models. Fashionista: "For the Spring 2018 season, The Fashion Spot reports that 36.9 percent of those on the runway were models of color, an increase from 31.5 percent during the Fall 2017 season (for comparison, for Spring 2015, that number was only 20.9 percent). What's more, the spring shows marked the first time that every runway show included at least two models of color (up from last season's record-breaking one model of color on every runway). The Fashion Spot also reports that for the first time, there were 31 transgender or non-binary models that appeared on the runway. Perhaps it's telling that model Teddy Quinlivan, a staple at the New York shows, chose this season to reveal her transgender identity publicly. With labels like Christian Siriano and Chromat prioritizing body diversity in their shows, that category experienced a major improvement as well. A record 90 plus-size models appeared across 12 runways (the Fall 2017 runways featured only 26 plus-size models). The category in the report that experienced the least drastic change was "aged" (or over-50) models, of whom there were 10 for the Spring 2018 season, as compared with six for Fall 2017." http://bit.ly/2fFLyfs

3. GE'S DRONEWEEK TO AIR ON VICELAND: GE's Droneweek—the company's weeklong presentation of live drone footage to show off its technology—has found a new home at the channel Viceland. Initially launching in 2015, the GE event was first broadcast on Periscope and Facebook Live. Adweek: "This year, GE’s weeklong Droneweek will air on Viceland, featuring GE’s energy themes: wind, solar, hydro, decentralization and sustainable cities. From Oct. 9 to 13 between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. The prime-time block of co-created programming will include GE’s original content, Viceland shows related to GE’s energy themes and an expert panel that will discuss the featured topic of the night. 'In our DNA is a history of invention,' said GE CMO Linda Boff. 'We’ve been around for 125 years, so we need to continue to change perspectives to stay relevant. Drone footage, and Droneweek, is a helpful tool for that.' ... Viceland airs content with minimal ad interruptions and often opts for native interstitials between programs instead of traditional ad breaks. The Droneweek partnership with GE lets viewers see long- and short-form content relating to drones and energy all in one block of programming. GE’s five nights of original Droneweek programming, which Vice co-produced, allows viewers to experience five areas of progress, research and utility that help power the world: a wind farm in British Columbia, the world’s largest solar park in Dubai, a hydroelectric power plant inside a mountain in Switzerland, remote islands in Indonesia that act as mobile power plants and the “intelligent streets” of San Diego." http://bit.ly/2ygA0WL

* LOCAL NEWS *

CHICAGO:  The sixth edition of the International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art, which took place September 13-17, had a record attendance of 40,000 visitors. 

River North event venue Savage Smyth has added a private rooftop ice skating rink. The 1,500-square-foot synthetic ice rink will be open for the winter season.

LOS ANGELES:  The 2017 Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Gala, taking place October 4 at the Beverly Hilton, will honor Los Angeles Rams owner E. Stanley Kroenke, as well as as Kristen and Gordon Gray, founders of the Charlotte and Gwyneth Gray Foundation to Cure Batten Disease. Boyz II Men will perform.

James Corden will host the Peterson Automotive Museum's 23rd annual gala on October 14. The evening will honor Charles Gordon-Lennox, the Duke of Richmond, Lennox, Aubigny, and Gordon.

DC Entertainment will receive the Visionary Award at the 2017 G.L.S.E.N. Respect Awards on October 20 at the Beverly Wilshire. G.L.S.E.N. is a nonprofit creating safe and inclusive schools for L.G.B.T. youth. 

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  BLT Steak has opened at the Iberostar Berkeley Hotel. The steakhouse seats more than 150 inside and on a patio. The venue also has a backyard dining area for small groups and large parties. 

NEW YORK:  MoMa PS1’s second annual “Back to School” benefit will take place September 28. The event, which benefits the museum’s annual exhibition fund, will feature more than 20 artist projects inspired by the museum’s building. 

The inaugural Anime NYC convention will take place November 17-19 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Produced by LeftField Media, the event will have exclusive anime screenings, guests from major animation and manga publishers, live performances from Tokyo-based musicians, and Japanese cuisine. 

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

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  Visit Orlando is extending Magical Dining Month through October 12. The program was scheduled to end October 1, but many participating restaurants have agreed to extend the availability of the $35 three-course meals due to Hurricane Irma. 

SAN FRANCISCO:  The AC Hotel San Francisco Airport/Oyster Point Waterfront has appointed Jenay Peters director of sales.

TORONTO:  The 20th edition of the Power Plant's annual fund-raising gala Power Ball will take place May 30, 2018. 

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  The Atlantic and the Aspen Institute’s Washington Ideas event will take place September 26-28 at venues including Sidney Harman Hall and Rosa Mexicano. Speakers will include Nancy Pelosi, Steven Mnuchin, and Madeline Albright. 

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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.

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

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