April 28, 2016: Paris May Use Drone Surveillance for Major Events, Why Delegates are Crowdfunding to Attend Presidential Conventions, Spotify Acquires Data Aggregator for Live Events

1. PARIS MAY USE DRONE SURVEILLANCE FOR MAJOR EVENTS: With the Union of European Football Associations Euro 2016 soccer championship in June and the Tour de France in July, Paris police are looking to heighten security with low altitude drones to monitor crowds. The Verge: “France has been under a state of emergency since the November 13th terrorist attacks in Paris, and the government is seeking to extend it through the Euro 2016 tournament, which will be held in France. The state of emergency gives French security broad powers to conduct house raids and searches without a warrant. It was extended for an additional three months in February, despite protests from civil liberties groups who say the laws have been used to unfairly target French Muslims. Police have not commented on how they plan to use the drones, but news of the tender has already raised concerns among rights groups. "Drones can certainly be useful in very specific circumstances," Maryse Artiguelong of the French Human Rights League tells Le Parisien. "But we must avoid mass surveillance systems." A law that went into effect this year requires surveillance drone operators to inform people that they are being watched.” http://bit.ly/1WpwsJF

2. WHY DELEGATES ARE CROWDFUNDING TO ATTEND PRESIDENTIAL CONVENTIONS: For delegates backing the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, attending the conventions in Philadelphia and Cleveland this summer isn’t cheap. As the cost of travel, hotel rooms, meals, and fees can amount to thousands of dollars, many delegates are using crowdsourcing platform GoFundMe to raise money. The Wall Street Journal: “Many of the delegates have been drawn to politics by this year’s nontraditional candidates, and they are unfamiliar with the convention process. Some say they are only reckoning now with the need to come up with thousands of dollars in a few months’ time. Federal Election Commission regulations prohibit delegates from accepting contributions from corporations, labor organizations, federal contractors or foreign nationals. But they can accept donations from individuals. A political campaign or party could also help cover the delegate’s expenses. … Common Cause, a nonpartisan citizen watchdog group, has launched a campaign called #NoDelegateBribes, urging all presidential candidates to ban gifts to delegates. But the call doesn’t extend to donations that cover basic travel costs to the convention, said Aaron Scherb, director of legislative affairs at Common Cause.” http://on.wsj.com/1YUaNsa

3. SPOTIFY ACQUIRES DATA AGGREGATOR FOR LIVE EVENTS: Streaming service Spotify has acquired CrowdAlbum, a platform that creates albums for an event based on the location and time of photos and videos it aggregates from social media. The service, which launched in 2013, can collect photos and videos from any event but it mostly targets concerts and music festivals. Billboard: "CrowdAlbum had touted its index of people’s interests, locations, and events that helps its partners deliver a higher-than-average return on investment to Twitter advertisers. While not disclosing the fate of CrowdAlbum as a standalone product, Spotify’s press release said 'CrowdAlbum will join a team at Spotify focused on building products for artists.'  'We're working every day to find ways to tighten the connection between artists and their fans,' said Charlie Hellman, vice president of product at Spotify, in a statement. 'The CrowdAlbum acquisition is the latest way Spotify is investing in helping artists find and engage their audiences on and off Spotify, especially around the ever important business of touring.'" http://bit.ly/1XWnvGJ

* LOCAL NEWS *

INDUSTRY NEWS:  According to Pollstar's 2016 first quarter rankings, AEG Facilities accounted for 43 percent of ticket sales in the world's top 10 arenas.

COAST TO COAST:  Teuwen Communications, a public relations, marketing, and brand strategy agency for national and international food, wine, and spirits companies, will launch its first West Coast bureau in May. The agency will focus on business opportunities in California, Oregon, and Washington.

BOSTON:  Summercamp, a new property from Lark Hotels, will open in Martha’s Vineyard in May. The property has 95 rooms and a meeting and event space called the “Rec Room.”

CHICAGO:  Diffa Chicago will host its Believe 2016 Illumination Gala on June 11 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Hotel—Magnificent Mile. The evening will include cocktails, dinner, and dancing to the Ken Arlen Evolution Orchestra.

Monika Lotter is the new director of catering and conference planning at Trump Hotel Chicago.

LOS ANGELES:  The ninth annual George Lopez Celebrity Golf Classic will take place on Monday at Toluca Lake's Lakeside Golf Club.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Universal Music Latin Entertainment will host "The After," a post-awards party celebrating the Latin music industry, tonight at Cafeina Wynwood Lounge.

NASHVILLE:  Slated to open this fall, the Westin Nashville has appointed Michael McDavid as director of entertainment, Richard Yamaguchi as director of group sales, and Jessica Burd as sales manager.

NEW YORK:  The 35th annual Sakura Matsuri cherry-blossom festival will take place Saturday and Sunday at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

The Boys' Club of New York's annual awards dinner will take place May 18 at the Mandarin Oriental.

Food Loves Tech will take place June 11-12 at the Waterfront. Partnering with the Food Team at Google, the event will feature interactive food installations and experiences, 3-D printing, and D.I.Y. food crafting.

The 23rd annual Watermill Center summer benefit and auction, titled "FADA: House of Madness," will take place July 30.

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

SAN FRANCISCO:  Dominique Crenn, chef of Atelier Crenn and Petit Crenn, has been named the World’s Best Female Chef 2016 by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

TORONTO:  The Mac and Cheese Festival will return to Ontario Place West Island June 3-5. The event will feature more than 75 food and drink vendors.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Kimpton Mason & Rook Hotel is now open on 14th Street. The 178-room hotel has 4,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including a 1,700-square-foot ballroom that seats 150 for weddings.

A promotional stunt involving a Chinese Dragon and lion dancers will take place in front of Source on Sunday, before Constellation Theatre's performance of Journey to the West. DCist: http://bit.ly/1pG1P5D

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With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin and Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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

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