May 31, 2017: How Organizers Will Pull Off Manchester Benefit Concert in Less Than a Week, More Hotels Are Promoting Local Experiences Thanks to Airbnb, Samsung Adds Live Sporting Events and Concerts to New VR Programming

1. HOW ORGANIZERS WILL PULL OFF MANCHESTER BENEFIT CONCERT IN LESS THAN A WEEK: Less than two weeks after a terrorist attack at Ariana Grande’s Manchester Arena concert, the pop star and other headliners will return to the city on Sunday to play a "One Love" benefit concert for the victims. Variety: "The benefit show, which also features such acts as Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Take That, Niall Horan, Coldplay, Pharrell Williams, and Miley Cyrus, will raise money for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund with all of the participating artists donating their time for free—and even dipping into their own pockets to cover travel and expenses—along with promoters Festival Republic, SJM Concerts, and Live Nation, as well as Grande’s agency, CAA. To pull off an event of this scale in so few days—a week after the May 22 attack on the Manchester Arena came word that a show was being organized—is a feat even in the calmest of times. Melvin Benn of Festival Republic, among the core group of organizers, credits Grande herself and manager Scooter Braun, who recruited the talent, with pulling off the seemingly impossible. ... That’s not to say that 'One Love' didn’t come with its own set of challenges, chief among them: an available venue. As it turns out, Manchester United star Michael Carrick was willing to move an event scheduled for that day so that the concert could be held at the soccer stadium. Helping with production costs, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino led the charge with Ticketmaster following in its offer that all tickets be available without booking and postage fees. 'We announced at 4 p.m. GMT on May 30 in order to make sure the maximum amount of money can be raised,' adds Benn, whose company  produces some of the UK’s biggest festivals including Reading, Leeds, and the V Festival." http://bit.ly/2sdqlxV

2. MORE HOTELS ARE PROMOTING LOCAL EXPERIENCES THANKS TO AIRBNB: Facing pressure from Airbnb, more hotels are offering visitors experiences organized by locals. The New York Times: “he latest to join the trend are Marriott International, which recently took a stake in PlacePass, the tour- and activity-booking start-up, and Royal Caribbean Cruises, which just introduced GoBe, a seller—online and through an app—of land-based tours and activities. The experiences can be as varied as the grand and the unexpected. On PlacePass, guests can book a private tour of ‘Downton Abbey” filming locations, pasta-making lessons with a local celebrity chef or family-friendly outings. The new moves by these established companies reflect the increasing draw of home-sharing sites like Airbnb, which promise travelers the chance to live like a local, said Fiona O’Donnell, the director of travel and leisure research at Mintel, a market research firm, in Chicago. … The start-up Hello Scout offers concierge service and activities booking via its website and text message for independent boutique hotels in six cities, including New York, San Francisco and Seattle. Hotel guests use it to text local experts to book events, or find restaurants or other hangouts. Travelers pay a fee for the bookings, and the service is free to the hotels. There are also start-ups that connect travelers with locals for dining-in experiences, like BonAppetour, where guests can book lunch or dinner at the home of a chef in Rome or go to a Parisian dinner party in a 19th-century apartment near the Champs-Élysées.” http://nyti.ms/2rh8iHc

3. SAMSUNG ADDS LIVE SPORTING EVENTS AND CONCERTS TO NEW VR PROGRAMMING: Those with a Samsung Gear VR headset will soon be able to watch mixed-martial arts, extreme sports, and concerts in 360-degree video. The electronics company has partnered with U.F.C., the X Games, and Live Nation to its new programming called VR Live Pass. Engadget: "The first events will be available from June through the Samsung VR app, with near-global access provided you have a headset handy and a stable internet connection. The first broadcast will be a UFC clash between José Aldo and Max Holloway. The featherweight bout will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 3rd, and mark the first time a UFC fight has been live-streamed in VR. Samsung will then shift to the X Games in Minneapolis for some live BMX and skateboard coverage starting on July 13th. With the likes of Jimmy Wilkins, Chad Kerley and Jagger Eaton, you can expect some, like, totally gnarly backflips and 5-O grinds. Finally, the Gear VR pass will cover a live music concert with a yet-to-be-announced artist in August. To earn a mainstream following, VR needs content, and lots of it. Spherical video is cheaper to produce than "true," computer-generated virtual reality, which is why there's so much of it in the Gear VR store (and other virtual reality platforms) right now." http://engt.co/2saKsg3

* LOCAL NEWS *

COAST TO COAST:  Move for Minds, a nationwide initiative benefiting the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, will take place at Equinox locations in Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orange County, San Francisco, and Washington on June 4. The event will offer attendees a custom brain-body workout, a healthy marketplace, and a panel discussion. 

LOS ANGELES:  The second edition of Festival of Disruption, an immersive art, music, and film festival curated by David Lynch, will take place October 14-15 at the Theatre at Ace Hotel. The event will include performances by Bon Iver, an art exhibit by Lynch, DJ sets by Moby and Shepard Fairy, a Polaroid photo booth, and more. 

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Tara Solomon, principal of Tara, Ink., will be the first woman to receive the Excellence in Tourism Award at the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce’s 95th annual gala on June 3. The event will take place at Loews Miami Beach Hotel. 

NEW YORK:  Westfield World Trade Center has partnered with the Tribeca Film Festival to launch Tribeca Drive-In: Dinner and a Movie on Oculus Plaza, a free outdoor film series programmed by festival curators that will screen 10 films on select Friday and Saturday evenings from June 2-October 7. While screenings will take place at the plaza, a reserved access section with limited seating will offer dinner provided by Eataly, and beer and wine from Beer Table and Pure Liquid. Films include Rent, Annie, West Side Story, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. 

The William Vale, a multi-use event venue and hotel in Williamsburg, has appointed Susan Choi-Grant director of sales and marketing. 

Terra Glamping will debut Terra Glamping Events, a luxury pop-up event rental and production service, in June. Catering to New York, the Hamptons, the Catskills, and surrounding areas, the service will offer indoor and outdoor glamping-inspired experiences by providing furnished sleeping, lounge, and dining tents, along with chefs, spa treatments, yoga kits, mixologists, and more. The service is available for events ranging from festivals and corporate gatherings to product launches and weddings. 

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

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  Famed chef and television personality José Andrés will open at restaurant at Disney Springs in 2018. Jaleo will be the "biggest and most spectacular location yet" for Andrés' ThinkFoodGroup, according to a release. The restaurant will serve a variety of Spanish specialties and tapas items.

TORONTO:  Canada Fashion Group has tapped Glenn Young to oversee corporate partnerships for its upcoming fashion weeks, including Toronto Men’s Fashion Week and Toronto Women’s Fashion Week. 

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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, Rayna Katz, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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