December 18, 2017: London Cheese Festival Draws Fyre Fest Comparisons After Running Out of Cheese, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Set Royal Wedding Date, A Controversial Christmas Display Has Returned to Florida

1. LONDON CHEESE FESTIVAL DRAWS FYRE FEST COMPARISONS AFTER RUNNING OUT OF CHEESE: A festival in London that promised an unlimited amount of cheese tastings for attendees is drawing Fyre Festival-level comparisons. The event ran out of cheese and organizers refuse to refund attendees. The Guardian: "The Giant Cheese Board, advertised as an unlimited cheese fest, promised to take revellers to 'cheesey heaven' at Studio 338, south-east London, this weekend. However, the cheese connoisseurs in attendance claimed they were left short-changed as the event reportedly experienced myriad failures. As well as unlimited cheese, the promoters had promised free mulled wine, giant mice to help guests navigate the Cheese Board and a fireplace to snuggle by. But many people who paid more than £30 took to Twitter and Instagram to claim the wine was cold, the rodent chaperones fell short of expectations and that the fireplace was projected on a screen in the car park marquee. ... The event was even compared to the notorious Fyre Festival in the Bahamas, at which ticket-holders were promised 'a cultural moment created from a blend of music, art and food' co-organised by Ja Rule and attended by Instagram influencers, but which turned out to be a shambolic mess in a 'tent city'. The organisers responded on Facebook. They said the cheese was not store bought and did not run out, the cheesy music was exactly as promised, the wine was “mostly hot” and that the comedy and karaoke events, which some festival-goers had claimed did not occur, were in the Speakcheesy room, as stated on a map supplied to attendees." http://bit.ly/2BFS0iE

2. PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE SET ROYAL WEDDING DATE: The next royal wedding, between Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle, will take place May 19. USA Today: "'Today's announcement follows earlier confirmation of the month of the wedding and its location at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle,' Kensington Palace noted in its announcement Friday morning. Windsor, a 900-year-old castle located about 30 minutes west of London, is the queen's favored weekend residence and one of the major royal tourist destinations in the U.K. It has been described as being a 'very special place' to Harry and Meghan, who have visited regularly during their year-and-a-half relationship. 'Prince Harry and Ms. Markle are delighted that the beautiful grounds of Windsor Castle will be where they begin their lives together as a married couple,' Kensington Palace press secretary Jason Knauf said Nov. 28, when they announced it as their wedding venue, one day after going public with the engagement. St. George's, a chapel essentially in name only, is a 14th-century cathedral that can accommodate up to 800 guests. Often the site of royal baptisms and burials, it hosted the intimate 2005 prayer ceremony that marked the two-part wedding of Harry's father, Prince Charles, to his second wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, now the Duchess of Cornwall. It holds a little less than half the capacity of Westminster Abbey, the traditional royal wedding venue that hosted the nuptials of Harry's older brother, Prince William and Duchess Kate in April 2011." https://usat.ly/2jdx4EZ

3. A CONTROVERSIAL CHRISTMAS DISPLAY HAS RETURNED TO FLORIDA: Until recently, Mark Hyatt's massive Christmas lights display attracted a slew of tourists to his neighborhood in Plantation, Florida, which is located in the greater Miami area. But complaints from neighbors led the city to try and shut down the display, which uses upward of 200,000 bulbs. This year, however, the event has returned. Los Angeles Times: "The Plantation attraction — one of South Florida’s most controversial — is in full swing, drawing groans from neighbors and cheers from visitors. In the past, Hyatt has estimated using about 200,000 bulbs at his home, but this time, he doesn’t offer a tally.The display features lit gingerbread men, toy soldiers, reindeer, a Ferris wheel that gives stuffed animals an endless ride. There’s an inflatable hot cocoa cup — even a live Santa posing for photos with children on his lap. People snapped selfies with choir singers.The return of 'Hyatt Extreme Christmas,' as the family calls it, marks its first time back in full swing since the city of Plantation unsuccessfully sued to shut it down. The city, which spent nearly a half-million dollars in taxpayer money to fight the display, failed to persuade a judge that the scores of visitors who choked the street were a threat to public safety. Last Christmas, after Mark and Kathy Hyatt defeated Plantation in court, the display went up but the gates were closed to the public because Hyatt said he hadn’t had enough time to prepare." http://lat.ms/2jbLaGN


* INDUSTRY NEWS *

Experiential marketing agency George P. Johnson announced the sudden resignation of president Denise Wong in an internal email to employees. Adweek: http://bit.ly/2B8lUMR

BCD Meetings & Events has acquired Grass Roots Meetings & Events from Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc. 

* LOCAL NEWS *

DALLAS/FORT WORTH:  VisitDallas has partnered with Southwest Airlines to launch the Customer Service Master Class, an event for hospitality workers, on March 9 at the Southwest Airlines Training and Operational Support building. 

LAS VEGAS:  The World Travel Awards have named Las Vegas the world’s leading meetings and conference destination. This is the fifth consecutive year the city has been recognized in this category.

Red Lotus Asian Kitchen, an Asian-inspired restaurant concept, will open at Tropicana Las Vegas in early 2018. 

LOS ANGELES:  David Chang’s first L.A. restaurant will be called Majordomo. Eater: http://bit.ly/2BsL08G

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  The Beach Polo World Cup will take place January 4-7 at W South Beach. 

NEW YORK:  The 31st annual MatzoBall, a Christmas Eve party for Jewish singles, will take place December 24 at Capitale. 

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

TORONTO:  The inaugural Bowmanville Butter Tart Festival will take place March 3. BlogTO: http://bit.ly/2Aq5XNV

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 Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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