July 9, 2014: Cleveland to Host 2016 Republican National Convention, Stadium Debuts Self-Serve Beer Stations, See the View From the World’s Tallest Waterslide

1. CLEVELAND TO HOST 2016 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION: The 2016 Republican National Convention will take place in Cleveland, a choice announced on Fox News Tuesday. Although the selection still needs final approval from the R.N.C.’s national committee, the site selection committee cited a number of factors that elevated it over the other finalist, Dallas. Cleveland Plain Dealer: “Republican officials said the committee's choice was unanimous, crediting Cleveland boosters' enthusiasm in attracting the convention, as well as the city's convention facilities and flexibility on potential dates. … Cleveland's convention pitch was rooted in political geography and in a downtown renaissance that leaders said occurred after the city, which last hosted a presidential convention in 1936, lost its bid for the GOP's 2008 convention. Since that audition, Cleveland has added more hotel rooms and a new convention center.” http://bit.ly/1xRqovS

2. STADIUM DEBUTS SELF-SERVE BEER STATIONS: Target Field in Minneapolis, home to this year’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game, is debuting a new amenity: self-serve beer stations. After a cashier checks an ID, fans purchase a card loaded with cash. The Score: “Then, the card is scanned at a machine, and the user chooses which beer and how much of it they want to pour. You're allowed up to 48 ounces of beer every 15 minutes at a cost of between 38 to 40 cents an ounce.” http://bit.ly/1jdAeVF

3. SEE THE VIEW FROM THE WORLD’S TALLEST WATERSLIDE: A 17-story waterslide—the tallest in the world—is about to make its debut at Kansas City's Schlitterbahn water park. Park staffers had been testing the safety with heavy sand bags but recently have started letting people go down the slide, which features a 50-foot drop. Check out the video footage at Gawker: “The slide doesn't have an official opening date, and park representatives have said they'll keep pushing it back until they're confident it's ready. Safety netting has already been added to the length of the slide to protect riders as they descend at a a reported 65 MPH.” http://bit.ly/VJqSql

* LOCAL NEWS *

ATLANTA:  Taste of Atlanta is scheduled for October 24-26 at Tech Square in Midtown. Tickets will go on sale Friday.

BOSTON:  San Francisco-based pop and rock band the Tubes will play at the Verve—Crowne Plaza Natick on July 19. The concert is part of the hotel’s “Violet Jam” series.

Juniper, a 100-seat restaurant from the owners of Sweet Basil, opens today in Wellesley. The restaurant serves Greek-Mediterranean fare with some Israeli influence.

CHICAGO:  The Square Roots Festival comes to Lincoln Square July 11-13. The event includes regional craft brews paired with dishes from local restaurants and artisans; there will also be music, dancing, and family-friendly activities.

LAS VEGAS:  The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has unveiled two new advertising campaigns reinforcing the city’s capability for hosting cost-effective meetings and events.

The World Series of Poker set many records this year, including 82,360 entries in 65 events and the largest prize pool in the event's history: $225,584,873.

LOS ANGELES:  The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board has announced the summer lineup for DineL.A.’s Restaurant Week, slated for July 14-27.

Marriott's dual-brand hotels at L.A. Live—a 174-room Courtyard and a 219-suite Residence Inn—have opened.

The Los Angeles Times's the Taste has announced new details for its fifth annual festival: Nancy Silverton, John Sedlar, Julian Cox, Michael Cimarusti, and Thomas Keller will host the five events taking place during the Labor Day weekend festivities at Paramount Pictures Studios.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Dade Paper will host School Night Out for Education, a benefit dinner on September 10 at the Marriott Harbor Beach Fort Lauderdale Resort & Spa. The evening will include a cocktail reception, a silent auction, dinner, and entertainment from Private Stock Band.

NEW ORLEANS:  Katie Calabrese has been named director of trade shows and conferences of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

NEW YORK:  Russell Simmons and Danny Simmons will host the 15th annual Art for Life benefit July 26 at Fairview Farms in Water Mill.

The Woolworth Building has started 30-, 60-, and 90-minute guided tours of the lobby’s artwork in celebration of the building's 100th anniversary.

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

ORLANDO:  The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel has named Gino Marasco director of sales.

PHOENIX:  AV Concepts has appointed Malcolm Tinkham to vice president of client solutions.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Chef Jose Garces has opened Rural Society, an Argentine steak house at the Loews Madison Hotel. Designed by AvroKo, the restaurant features a wood-fired parrilla grill and pizza oven with a chef's counter in the center of the room; private dining is available.

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, and Anna Sekula 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]