1. FEMALE DJS FIGHT FOR MORE OPPORTUNITIES AT EDM FESTIVALS: This year’s Electric Daisy Carnival, Las Vegas, featured a lineup that was just 3.5 percent female, a number consistent with EDM music festivals across the globe. Forbes: “Now several women are working to balance those festival turntables. Discwoman, a New York-based platform and party-thrower, represents and showcases female-identified DJ talent in the electronic music community through regular club nights. Since its first event at Brooklyn’s Bossa Nova Civic Club in 2014, Discwoman has thrown events with all-female lineups in Boston, Philadelphia, Montreal, Detroit, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.” http://onforb.es/1JQKWON
2. HOW ONE GROUP TRIED TO TAKE OVER SCIENCE FICTION AWARDS: The Hugo Awards, which honor science fiction and fantasy writing, became the outlet for white, male authors to express their dissatisfaction with the growing diversity within the genre. Wired: “Early this year, that shift sparked a backlash: a campaign, organized by three white, male authors, that resulted in a final Hugo ballot dominated by mostly white, mostly male nominees. While the leaders of this two-pronged movement—one faction calls itself the Sad Puppies and the other the Rabid Puppies—broke no rules, many sci-fi writers and fans felt they had played dirty, taking advantage of a loophole in an arcane voting process that enables a relatively few number of voters to dominate. Motivated by Puppygate, meanwhile, a record 11,300-plus people bought memberships to the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention in Spokane, Washington, where the Hugo winners were announced Saturday night. Just before 8 PM, in a vast auditorium packed with ‘trufans’ dressed in wizard garb, corsets, chain mail and the like, one question was on most everybody’s minds: Would the Puppies prevail?” http://wrd.cm/1MGRu1E
3. WINE TRAIN APOLOGIZES TO BOOK CLUB MEMBERS BOOTED FROM RIDE: The popular Napa Valley Wine Train apologized Monday after its staff kicked off a book club of mostly African-American women from the attraction this weekend. Initially the company said the women were warned about being too loud, but critics have questioned whether their treatment was racially motivated. San Francisco Chronicle: “Getting kicked off, [book club member Lisa] Johnson said, was the most humiliating part of the ordeal. The group—which included an 83-year-old grandmother and a woman who uses a cane—was forced to do a ‘walk of shame’ past other passengers while disembarking in St. Helena, Johnson said. … Social media outrage followed the incident, prompting the hashtag #LaughingWhileBlack and inspiring hundreds of people to take their aggression out on the Napa Valley Wine Train’s Yelp page.” http://bit.ly/1NFTPdK
* LOCAL NEWS *
ATLANTA: Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank has announced Mercedes-Benz as the naming-rights partner for the new stadium slated to open in 2017. The 83,000-seat Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host Falcons games and games for Atlanta United, a new Major League Soccer team. ESPN: http://es.pn/1PN20UQ
BOSTON: The Boston Book Festival has announced the names of 170 presenters who will appear at the event in Copley Square October 23-24. The list includes novelist Emily St. John Mandel, critic James Wood, and New York Times writer John Markoff. Boston.com: http://bit.ly/1fC42tQ
CHICAGO: Caitlyn Jenner will speak at the Chicago House Speaker series luncheon on November 12 at the Hilton Chicago.
The Vig will open in Old Town this fall. With decor inspired by the 1930s and 1940s, the so-called “sports parlor” will host private events including craft-beer dinners, bourbon tastings, and sports-viewing parties. A semiprivate area will hold 45 guests standing or seat 30.
Paramount Events will return as the exclusive caterer for Chicago Gourmet. The food festival will be held September 26-27.
LAS VEGAS: The Clark County Association of Health Underwriters will hold its eighth annual Charity Golf Tournament at Siena Golf Club September 24 to benefit the Foundation for Positively Kids.
LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles Philharmonic Association board chair Diane Paul and executive director Gail Samuel announced a 10-year contract with Sodexo Leisure in culinary partnership with the Lucques Group to provide exclusive food and restaurant services throughout the Hollywood Bowl, starting in the 2016 summer season.
Le Dîner en Blanc will take place on Thursday. More than 2,500 people are expected to attend the event, which will be held at a new location that will be revealed at the last minute.
Local event listings from the new Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA: Local Miami chefs along with chef Rocco DiSpirito are collaborating on the menu for James Beard Foundation Taste America event, scheduled for September 18 at the Forge.
NEW ORLEANS: Reflecting on the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the City of New Orleans and New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau will host a panel discussion called “A Convention Destination Once Again" today at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel.
NEW YORK: The first Billboard Hot 100 Music Festival drew more than 40,000 people to Jones Beach Theater over the weekend. Billboard: http://bit.ly/1hXlmLL
The Gramercy Neighborhood Association’s third annual Taste of Gramercy Neighborhood food festival is scheduled for September 26 on Irving Place.
Local event listings from the new Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork
ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA: Insomniac has announced the lineup for the fifth annual Electric Daisy Festival, Orlando, which will take place November 6-7 at Tinker Field. DJs slated to perform include Calvin Harris, DJ Snake, and Tiesto. Press release: http://prn.to/1JQBAmg
PARIS: Nina Ricci has named Marion Arbellot-Repaire its new communications director. Arbellot-Repaire will be in charge of the fashion label's public relations, events, and digital communication.
SALT LAKE CITY: KSL: “Emerald Expositions, organizers of the annual Outdoor Retailer winter and summer markets, agreed to extend its contract with Salt Lake City through 2018, Salt Lake County, the Governor's Office of Economic Development and Visit Salt Lake announced Monday. The markets comprise the two largest annual conventions in the state, with each multi-day event attracting more than 20,000 delegates and generating millions of dollars in direct spending for Salt Lake City and Utah.” http://bit.ly/1NRjmi0
SAN FRANCISCO: Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation’s 23rd annual Celebrity Pool Toss will take place October 7 at Phoenix Hotel. The event invites attendees to toss local celebrities into a pool to raise money for the improvement of the neighborhood.
TORONTO: The Canadian National Exhibition is taking place through September 7. With more than a million visitors expected to attend, the fair is known for debuting new food creations. Some of this year’s offerings will include poutine balls and frosted-flake-battered chicken on a stick.
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The chef and owner of popular DC lounge Rose’s Luxury, Aaron Silverman, plans to open a fine-dining restaurant next year in Barracks Row called Pineapple and Pearls. Washington City Paper: http://bit.ly/1PNETK3
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With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, Anna Sekula, and Ian Zelaya in New York.
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August 25, 2015: Female DJs Fight for More Opportunities at EDM Festivals, How One Group Tried to Take Over Science Fiction Awards, Wine Train Apologizes to Book Club Members Booted from Ride
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