January 31, 2018: Minneapolis Activists Protest Against Economic Injustice and Police Shootings Amid Super Bowl Festivities, How Organizers Will Combat the Coldest Winter Olympics In 24 Years, Oscar Board to Introduce New Awards Season Policy for Campaign

1. MINNEAPOLIS ACTIVISTS PROTEST AGAINST ECONOMIC INJUSTICE AND POLICE SHOOTINGS AMID SUPER BOWL FESTIVITIES: In the week leading up to the Super Bowl, not everyone is taking part in the celebrations in Minneapolis. Activists have gathered to protest against economic injustice—including the displacement of the city's homeless people—and police shootings of black people, which have led to player protests at N.F.L. games. Associated Press: "Activists say the Super Bowl represents the pinnacle of corporate greed with its expensive ticket prices, lavish parties and exclusive dinners. They note that as wealthy football fans are celebrating, dozens of homeless people are displaced because their shelter was inside the secure area around U.S. Bank Stadium. 'There is a full section of our community that sees the Super Bowl not as a party, but as a problem,' said Jess Sundin, an organizer for a coalition of community groups who are speaking out against racism and corporate greed. The Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee says it’s focused on putting on a safe and successful festival where all are welcome and everyone is respected. Super Bowl Live, one of the main attractions surrounding the game, is free and open to the public. The host committee has also used this opportunity to give out about $5 million in community grants—most to help children living in poverty and kids of color. But local activists say the event makes the city inaccessible to most. Planned actions this week include a march and rally outside U.S. Bank Stadium before Sunday’s game to protest corporate greed and racism. The Minneapolis chapter of Black Lives Matter also plans rallies to demand renter’s rights, living wages and the renewal of a program to protect young immigrants from deportation." http://bit.ly/2ns3cX5

2. HOW ORGANIZERS WILL COMBAT THE COLDEST WINTER OLYMPICS IN 24 YEARS: The upcoming Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, may be the coldest on record since the 1994 Games in Lillehammer, Norway. To make attendees more comfortable, organizers will hand out heating pads and blankets during events. TIME: "This year’s Olympic events will be held in venues across several locations in northeastern South Korea, including the mountainous region of PyeongChang, the coastal area of Gangneung and the town Jeongseon. But Olympic organizers are particularly worried about the opening ceremony, which will kick off the Olympic games on Feb. 9 in PyeongChang. Located at a higher latitude than the other Olympic venue sites, PyeongChang draws cold so severe that six people who attended a concert in the city’s Olympic stadium last month reported getting hypothermia, according to the Associated Press. About 35,000 spectators are expected to fill the same stadium for the Olympic opening ceremony, AP reports, where the wind chill is predicted to be about 7 degrees Fahrenheit. ... The $58 million PyeongChang Olympic Stadium where the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies will take place was built without a roof as part of time-saving measures and does not have central heating because it’s too expensive, Reuters reports, citing an internal document from the Olympic organizing committee. The Winter Olympics will use the main stadium only for the opening and closing ceremonies, and none of the competitive events will take place there. Olympic organizers have come up with several ways to try to keep people in the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium warm. Each spectator will receive heating pads, a blanket and a raincoat, according to the AP. Although there won’t be central heating, officials plan to put up polycarbonate walls along the highest points of the stadium to block winds and provide portable gas heaters between rows. People can also buy hot drinks and food in the stadium." http://ti.me/2DPFAT6

3. OSCAR BOARD TO INTRODUCE NEW AWARDS SEASON POLICY FOR CAMPAIGNS: After the 90th Oscars on March 4, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will launch a new awards season policy for publicists who work on awards campaigns. Distributors and filmmakers will no longer be allowed to mail screeners of films, screening invites, and other promotional materials directly to Academy members. The Hollywood Reporter: “Instead, starting in the summer, the Academy will require that these sorts of items be sent via third-party mailing houses that the Academy will select and furnish with the correct contact information for those of its members who opt to receive such material. The Academy has always closely guarded its membership list, and awards consultants have always sought to reach Academy members. For as long as there have been screeners, some awards consultants have made a business out of cobbling together lists of Academy members' addresses (which often contain incomplete or outdated information); they, in turn, charge others to use their lists. The Academy long has turned a blind eye to such practices, but now has decided to take control of the situation. With the Academy overseeing outreach, its members—whose numbers have skyrocketed in recent years as the organization has become more diverse and international—will no longer be badgered each year by multiple parties to confirm or update their contact information; and awards consultants will be able to rest assured that their mailings are reaching their desired audience.” http://bit.ly/2FunFli

* LOCAL NEWS *

COAST TO COAST:  Urban Expositions/Clarion Events will launch the Healthy Food Expo, a group of trade shows and conferences serving the healthy food component of the restaurant and foodservice industry. The first 2018 shows will take place August 18-21 alongside the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo and Coffee Fest at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and September 6-8 alongside the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The event will launch in New York March 3-5, 2019, and will be co-located with the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.  

AUSTIN:  The Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards will take place February 24 at the Paramount Theatre. The inductees will be Buddy Holly, Mickey Newbury, Liz Rose, and Ray Wylie Hubbard. 

CHICAGO:  Taco, bourbon, and beer concept Big Star will open its second full-service location, Big Star Wrigleyville, at Hotel Zachary this spring. The two-story, 9,000-square-foot restaurant, which is helmed by One Off Hospitality Group, will seat 383 guests in the main dining room and bar. The venue also will have an 87-seat patio overlooking Wrigley Field. 

LAS VEGAS:  Children’s Heart Foundation will hold its 15th annual Walk With the Heart of a Child on February 24, during Fashion Show. 

Hakkasan Group has appointed Jacques Sorci vice president culinary global. 

LOS ANGELES:  Adweek has announced the extension of its Brandweek franchise as a first-of-its-kind brand summit, to be held September 23-25 at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Palm Springs.

Rodney Miller has been named chief financial officer at WorldStage.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Kimpton Angler’s South Beach will debut its new tower addition this spring. The new tower will have 85 new guest suites, bringing the hotel’s total number of rooms to 132. 

NEW YORK:  The Museum of Chinese in America’s Lunar New Year Night Market will take place February 1. The event will offer food from vendors including Mr Bing, Nom Wah, Red Egg, and Little Tong Noodle Shop. 

The 15th annual Woman’s Day Red Dress Awards will take place February 6 in the Appel Room at 10 Columbus Circle. The event, which will honor those who have made contributions to heart health awareness, will feature a performance by Blondie. 

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

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  The fifth annual Trash 2 Trends, a recycled fashion show, will take place Saturday at SeaWorld’s Ports of Call. The event will showcase outfits created by 35 designers and artists with materials that would normally head to a landfill or recycling facility. The event raises funds for Keep Orlando Beautiful, a nonprofit focused on litter prevention, waste reduction, and recycling efforts. 

TORONTO:  The fourth annual WinterStations, an international design competition that brings temporary public installations to the Beaches, will take place February 19-April 1. 

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  The National Museum of Women in the Arts will host its annual black-tie gala April 20. The event will honor photographer Annie Leibovitz with the museum’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in the Arts. 

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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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