May 27, 2016: Contest Winners Will Spend Night in Eiffel Tower, Cities Compete to Host X Games, National Spelling Bee Ends in Tie

1. CONTEST WINNERS WILL SPEND NIGHT IN EIFFEL TOWER: Vacation rental home company HomeAway will build an apartment inside the Eiffel Tower and offer contest winners the opportunity to spend the night in the iconic landmark. Adweek: “HomeAway created the "Eiffel Tower All Yours" campaign as part of the brand's sponsorship of the UEFA EURO 2016 tournament, which will be held this summer in 10 locations across France, including Paris. The temporary apartment, created in partnership with French interior designer Benoit Leleu, holds up to six people for one night and includes dinner and breakfast inside the apartment and airfare courtesy of Expedia. … Football fans in town for the tournament can stay the night and watch the soccer matches from a high-tech TV viewing room inside the Eiffel Tower while taking in the breathtaking Parisian skyline during halftime.” http://bit.ly/1sAPWzY

2. CITIES COMPETE TO HOST X GAMES: ESPN is moving its X Games sports event from Austin, Texas, in 2017, and South Florida’s Broward County announced it would compete to host the games. Other cities bidding for the event are Minneapolis and Providence, Rhode Island. South Florida Business Journal: “Historically, the event attracts an estimated 25,000 spectators during each of its four days. The region would also host hundreds of athletes competing in the X Games' skateboarding, BMX and Moto X competitions. The summer event would occupy indoor and outdoor venues for live competitions and other events planned. ESPN will evaluate Broward's venues, services and other qualities to make its decision on whether it will bring the event to South Florida.” http://bit.ly/1UhyUQu

3. NATIONAL SPELLING BEE ENDS IN TIE: The Scripps National Spelling Bee ended in a tie for the third consecutive year after no winner prevailed after 39 rounds that included such difficult words as “Feldenkrais” and “gesellschaft.” Chicago Tribune: “The Bee's director, Paige Kimble, said even though new rules were put in place to decrease the likelihood of a tie, she knew all along that a deadlock was quite possible. … The Scripps Bee is inherently nerve-racking, but the contest organizers do all they can to pump up the pressure. Finalists sit on an elevated, neon-lit stage facing ESPN cameras swooping overhead in two directions and an ESPN GameDay-style host set in the back. Two movie-size screens flank the stage, one showing photos of each student, the other showing live footage of them spelling their words and their parents reacting to the result. Dozens of credentialed reporters from around the world sit along five long rows of tables right behind a set of four judges.” http://trib.in/1XW5sT0

* LOCAL NEWS *

CHICAGO:  LondonHouse Chicago, an Oxford Hotels & Resorts property, is now open at the corner of North Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. The 452-room hotel offers 25,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and a tri-level rooftop venue.

The 15th annual Taste of River North will take place July 22-24.

LAS VEGAS:  Craft beer restaurant Pub 365 is slated to open inside Tuscany Suites & Casino this summer. The pub will offer 365 rotating craft beers and 40 draft handles, and include a 1,052-square-foot private dining room.

LOS ANGELES:  On May 25, the B. Riley & Co. seventh annual “Big Fighters, Big Cause” Charity Boxing Night returned to the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland for night of boxing presented by Golden Boy Promotions to benefit the Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation.

On May 15, more than 500 attendees gathered at Montage Laguna Beach for Laguna Beach Taste of the Nation to benefit No Kid Hungry.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Festidian, a block party in Coconut Grove, will take place August 20. The event raises money for Castaways Against Cancer.

NEW YORK:  Sylvana Ward Durrett, the Met Gala producer and Vogue's director of special projects, is leaving the magazine to start her own business. She will continue to produce the gala. Page Six: http://pge.sx/1qKD09n

Hyatt Times Square New York has appointed Vincent de Croock as director of sales, marketing, and events.

The Time Nyack is now open in Nyack. The hotel features 133 guest rooms, seven suites, and the 150-seat BV's Grill.

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

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  Mesa21 Mexican restaurant will open on Lake Ivanhoe in the fall. Orlando Weekly: http://bit.ly/1Z2MV5R

Nick Oltarsh is serving as guest chef at Slate until a replacement is found for executive chef Dominic Rice, who is moving to New York. Oltarsh has worked at Eleven Madison Park and Gramercy Tavern in New York, and One Midtown Kitchen in Atlanta.

TORONTO:  Dutch food bar Noorden is officially open on Yonge Street.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  A competition to design new national memorials announced its semifinalists Thursday, with plans to continue the "Memorials for the Future" competition throughout the summer. Washington Business Journal: “The top finalists will be announced June 8 at the National Archives, at an evening panel discussion that will be streamed live online. They will each receive a $15,000 stipend to pursue their research and design, and the winning team will be announced at a final exhibition Sept. 8.” http://bit.ly/1P37Wgv

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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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