Call Sheet #242: Tumblr's Plan for Brands, Jeers for BAM Sponsor, Is Heathrow Ready for the Olympics?

BIZBASH CALL SHEET — #242 — Friday, 04.13.12

++ Sponsored by Event Leadership Institute ++

Compiled today by Beth Kormanik and Chad Kaydo in New York.
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* THIS WEEKEND'S CALENDAR *

New York Auto Show continues through Sunday;
SATURDAY: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place in Cleveland

* INCOMING *

1. AIRPORT ANXIETY: Is Heathrow ready for this summer's Olympics? Government leaders are warning of overcrowding in the terminals and long lines at immigration. While special arrangements have been made for V.I.P.'s and athletes, tourists may bear the worst of the problems, which could create an image problem for the city. The Telegraph: http://tgr.ph/HzYIGc

2. TUMBLR'S BRAND PLAN: While many social media sites are still looking for a plan for profitability, Tumblr is shunning ads in favor of strategies such as paid "highlighted posts" that it expects to be popular among brands. C.E.O. David Karp: "We can make these features better for everybody, more useful and friendly to brands who have different considerations than users … to design features that allow that brand to promote themselves and the unique features they do have." Ad Age: http://bit.ly/I5OPwc

3. WHAT WENT WRONG AT INDIANA FAIR: The Indiana State Fair stage that collapsed last summer, killing seven people at a Sugarland concert, did not meet state building codes for bad weather, according to a new report on the tragedy. It also found that the fair lacked formal protocols for decisions to delay concerts or an emergency plan, yet the fair's commission announced its president and executive director will keep their jobs. Indianapolis Star: http://indy.st/Ix6Cjw

4. SECURITY EXPERTS WANTED: The Secret Service is looking for a "major event planner" for security needs at the NATO Summit in Chicago May 20-21, according to a just-issued RFP. The firm will assist the secret service in protecting up to 80 heads of state by handling physical security equipment such as mobile vehicle barriers, anti-scale fencing, crowd control barricades and more. Government Security News: http://bit.ly/HQueJw

5. CHINA'S GROUNDSCRAPER: Instead of building up, the InterContinental Shimao Shanghai Wonderland is taking shape underground. The 19-story luxury hotel, built in an abandoned quarry 30 miles from Shanghai, "will be grafted onto the side of the quarry with 16 floors descending down and three floors resting above the crater. Just as the top levels of a skyscraper are often filled with elegant restaurants and the most luxurious of rooms, the bottom two floors of the groundscraper will include an underwater restaurant, an athletic complex for water sports and 10-meter deep aquarium. The quarry's surrounding cliffs will be used for extreme sports like bungee jumping and rock climbing." http://smrt.io/HuO1lb

6. SELLING THE TITANIC: The luxury ocean liner sunk 100 years ago, but it's the disaster that keeps on giving to advertisers. The New York Times: "Their interest in feeding the public's apparently ceaseless interest in the doomed ship has brought an outpouring of new apps, books, collectibles, DVDs, films, magazines, maps, newspaper reprints, television programs, trinkets and video games—all atop the mountains of merchandise and media that have been sold in the last century." http://nyti.ms/HBMs73

7. LAST CALL AT THE RITZ: Fans of the famed Hemingway Bar at the Paris hotel gathered Wednesday for a "last pour" before the property closes for a two-year renovation. "Nothing will change. It will stay exactly like it is now," legendary bartender Colin Field told the crowd, according to Women's Wear Daily. "It's only an au revoir." http://bit.ly/IJFTgX

++ A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR: EVENT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE ++

The Event Leadership Institute is proud to provide the most progressive training and education for   event planners in the industry, through on-demand video classes, biweekly webinars, white papers as well as interviews with industry leaders. www.eventleadershipinstitute.com

* THE WEEK IN EVENTS *

Here's a look at 10 highlights from our event coverage this week, including Nokia's concert in Times Square, Diesel's Chicago dinner party, the White House Easter Egg Roll, Christie's Green Auction, and WrestleMania in Miami: http://bit.ly/HOhYgE

* ABOUT LAST NIGHT: BAM GALA *

From editor in chief Chad Kaydo: The Brooklyn Academy of Music celebrated its 150th anniversary Thursday in a tent erected by Stamford Tents over a parking lot across the street from its Fort Greene headquarters. After dinner from Great Performances—including a filet mignon entree modeled after a dish served at BAM's centennial gala—everyone headed to the opera house for a performance from Dr. John, the New Orleans blues pianist currently in residency there.

That's when everything went off the rails briefly, during some fairly run-of-the-mill words from BAM leaders. As president Karen Brooks Hopkins thanked sponsor JPMorgan Chase, some members of the audience booed—presumably concert goers who bought tickets for the show but not the gala—and one man screamed, "We paid for our tickets!" A gentleman from Chase good-naturedly endured heckles during his brief remarks, the crowd endured (quietly) a short BAM promotional video, and the good mood was restored when Dr. John and his band marched down the center aisle hall to the stage.

The lesson: There's a risk in mixing a gala with a ticketed public event, and not everyone is open to corporate sponsor plugs.

* LOCAL NEWS *

COAST TO COAST: Social Media Week announced some of this year's returning cities: Berlin, Bogota, Chicago, Glasglow, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Sao Paolo, and its second-largest city, London. The full lineup will be revealed May 2.

CHICAGO: Cinema/Chicago and the Chicago International Film Festival will honor Kelsey Grammer with the Career Achievement Award at the Hugo Television Awards ceremony Thursday at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel.

LAS VEGAS: The National Bulk Vendors Association drew 270 registered vendors and suppliers to its convention and trade show. Vending Times: http://bit.ly/HxHTpj

The U.S. Travel Association partnered with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce to hold the first rally Thursday morning at Cashman Center as part of the tourism industry's national bus tour to raise awareness about the importance of travel and tourism to the economy.

LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Film Festival, in conjunction with presenting media sponsor The Los Angeles Times and host partner L.A. Live, announced the North American premiere of Woody Allen's To Rome With Love as the opening-night film for this year's event, which runs June 14-24.

Today is Jennifer Cooke's last day as director of PR for the Beverly Wilshire. She'll relocate to New York in early Mary for a new position with Rosewood Hotels handling the Carlyle in New York and Tucker's Point in Bermuda. 

Otis College of Art and Design will present its 30th annual scholarship benefit and fashion show May 5 at the Beverly Hilton. It will include more than 70 professional models in 175-plus fashion and costume looks from the fashion-design department, and it bills itself as L.A.'s largest annual runway show.

AOO Live and Lisa Sapiro Unique Promotions and Special Events will co-produce a major fund-raiser for Cedars-Sinai honoring Dr. P.K. and Kimberly Shah May 10 at the Palladium. Ryan Seacrest will host, and Michael Buble will headline.

Chefs Nyesha Arrington of Wilshire and Chris Crary of Whist will host a gathering of local Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, and Top Chef Just Desserts contestants for a backyard pig roast at Wilshire Restaurant April 22 to benefit Share our Strength's Taste of the Nation Los Angeles.

"Transmission L.A.: AV Club," a 17-day art and culture festival curated by Mike D of the Beastie Boys, will kick off with an event Thursday at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. Santigold will perform. Roy Choi will run an outdoor pop-up restaurant, bringing a different menu—brand new to his repertoire—each day of the festival. 

Hilton Garden Inn Hollywood took over the historic Hollywood Heights Hotel and will have its grand opening April 26.

MIAMI: Make-a-Wish Southern Florida's annual Garden Party will be Sunday at Al and Nancy Malnik's oceanfront estate, where it is expected to attract more than 200.

NEW YORK: Flavie Bagnol, named on Monday to the New York Observer's list of the "most poachable players in tech," has left her position as vice president of communications for the Thrillist Media Group.

Developer Hidrock Realty bought a vacant lot near the World Trade Center with plans to build a 300-room hotel there. The firm wants to open a 28-story hotel there in 2015. http://nyp.st/HA11mX

The Hollywood Reporter's Media Power Party Wednesday at the Four Seasons Restaurant in New York celebrated the industry's 35 top power players in broadcast, cable and the Web including Katie Couric, Steve Kroft, Roger Ailes, and Les Moonves. http://bit.ly/HLHwLs

Kristin Chenoweth and Jim Parsons will announce the Tony nominations format the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center May 1. The awards are June 10.

The New York Auto Show debuted the Buzz Index, a real-time radar for what's trending at the show, which is accessible via Twitter and interactive screens throughout the event.

ORLANDO: Starwood Hotels and Resorts has selected Nancy O'Brien as its sales executive of the year. O'Brien is the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel's area director of Midwest sales, handling the association and corporate markets for mid- to large-size conventions from that region. O'Brien previously won the award in 2007.

TORONTO: The annual POGO Gala for the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario is Saturday at the Liberty Grand.

Toronto Fashion Incubator has announced the four finalists for its annual New Labels competition. Sid Neigum, Patrick Larrivee, Diego Fuchs and Heidi Augiar, and Genevieve Pearson and Stanley Capobianco will show their collection at the T.F.I. gala on May 3 at the Royal Ontario Museum for the chance to win $25,000.

The Toronto Underground Market is pairing up with Food Truck Eats to cohost the Toronto Street Food Project at Evergreen Brickworks. Tickets have already sold out for the May 5 event.

The Green Living Show begins today at the Direct Energy Centre. New this year, guests can get makeup touchups at the Green Beauty Bar and test drive the latest electric and hybrid vehicles. The show ends Sunday.

WASHINGTON: Sight lines at venues across the city could drastically change if a move to change the 130-foot building height restrictions passes Congress. With land scarce, proponents say the only direction for growth is up. Washington Post: http://wapo.st/HDxQkP

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



With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, Carla Warrilow in Toronto, and Anna Sekula, Beth Kormanik, and Rose Chevalier in New York.

BizBash Call Sheet is the must-read daily digest of event industry news from BizBash.com. 

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