Pictured: AREA15's The Spine, a central corridor with a revolving series of art installations and brand activations.
We're rounding up the biggest venue news of the week—in one convenient place. Got a tip? Get in touch!
In Case You Missed It
We’d previously brought you a list of the 25 most anticipated event venues in the United States—and now, we're looking north. Don't miss our recent list of the year’s 18 most anticipated event venues across Canada.
In other venues-related news, we took a look at why boutique hotels will be top of mind for event pros this year and learned about The Vertical Theatre, a pop-up, free-standing structure that just may be the answer to hosting safe live concerts and other events.
Here are six more things you should know this week...
1. New York is paving the way for the return of live theater.
In the entertainment and live theater industry, there are few spots suffering more than New York City, where Broadway has been shuttered for almost a year. It's an issue that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo addressed head-on this week when he outlined details on the new "NY PopsUp" initiative, a series of 300 free performances that will run for 100 days, starting Feb. 20 and leading to the Tribeca Film Festival in June. The locations won't be disclosed beforehand to prevent crowds, but the idea is to take over transit stations, parking lots, parks, street corners and other spots around the city.
Cuomo reportedly hopes the pop-ups may lead to the reopening of Broadway theaters and other entertainment venues in the city; to do so, the state would likely impose a cap on audience sizes and require enhanced air ventilation systems, and each attendee would need to provide a negative COVID-19 test before entering, Cuomo explained in a press conference on Monday.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has also announced "Open Culture NYC," a permitting program that would allow outdoor performances in city streets. Gothamist reports, "Starting on March 1, venues and institutions can begin applying for a permit to hold 'socially distanced performances at over 100 street locations throughout all five boroughs.' The application fee is $20, and permits must be submitted at least 15 days before the event itself. State regulations currently allow a maximum capacity of 50 people."
2. The country's 30 NFL stadiums may all become vaccination sites.
The live event and hospitality industries have already volunteered their skills and venues to help with COVID-19 vaccine rollout—and now sports teams are jumping on board, too. While some stadiums, including Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and Citi Field in New York, are already being used for mass vaccination, NFL commissioner Roger Goodall has volunteered the country's 30 NFL stadiums, too.
"The NFL will make its stadiums available for mass vaccinations of the general public in coordination with local, state and federal health officials," wrote Goodall in a letter to President Biden on Feb. 5. "This is currently being done at seven NFL stadiums today. We can expand our efforts to stadiums across the nation more effectively because many of our clubs have offered their facilities previously as COVID testing centers as well as election sites over the past several months." Biden has since said he plans to take Goodall up on the offer.
3. NYU focuses on the future of hospitality.
Good news for people trying to break into the hotel, travel and tourism industries: The NYU School of Professional Studies' Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality is launching a new Hospitality Innovation Hub, which offers students, start-ups, established industry partners and investors a place to collaborate and innovate in the wake of COVID-19.
Highlights include the Experiential Learning Lab, a flexible classroom and event space where students will master best practices, as well as a Prototyping Space and a Co-Working Lounge. A few Tisch Center programs will also use the hub as their launchpad, including the Incubator Program, a three-month-long mentoring program designed for early-stage start-ups in the hospitality, travel or event fields.
4. Hotels continue investing in remote work.
While many hotels have begun offering daily or hourly bookings specifically designed for remote work during COVID-19, some are taking it a step further. Freehand Hotels—a collection of boutique properties in Chicago, Miami, New York and Los Angeles—this week announced a new membership program. For a fixed, monthly membership price of $2,499, participants get unlimited access to rooms at all Freehand Hotels, along with perks like discounted food and beverage, a subscription to fitness app JETSWEAT and access to a dedicated member concierge.
“Over the past several months, we’ve seen a shift in travel behaviors, showing greater demand for extended-stay offers and a desire for as much flexibility as possible during a time of uncertainty,” explained Alastair Thomann, chief executive officer of Freehand Hotels and Generator, in a statement. “The Freehand Club has been born out of listening to what our community was asking for: exceptional value, quality experiences and flexibility to make Freehand locations their home away from home.” 
The 395-room Freehand New York opened in 2018.Photo: Adrian Gaut
5. Accor takes another step towards going contactless.
Hotel brands continue taking steps to provide a safe experience for guests during COVID-19. The latest initiative comes from Accor, which last week announced a global roll-out of a digital key system, allowing for a contactless experience and also reducing the amount of plastic used for traditional key cards. Upon arrival, guests will receive a digital room key via an app and then be able to access their guest rooms, meeting rooms and more by scanning their own smartphones. The rollout will start with all new Accor hotels opening in 2021.
"We always strive to adopt technology which can improve the overall guest experience," said Floor Bleeker, Accor's chief technology officer, in a statement. "Guests increasingly seek contact-light travel and hotel experiences. Therefore, the easy-to-operate and highly practical application will provide a streamlined process for our guests."
6. Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson is temporarily stepping back due to cancer treatment.
Sorenson, who was initially diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019, is temporarily delegating his duties to two senior executives as he undergoes a new round of treatment at Johns Hopkins University Hospital. He'll remain Marriott International's president and CEO, but day-to-day responsibilities will fall to longtime executives Stephanie Linnartz (group president of consumer operations, technology and emerging businesses) and Tony Capuano (group president of global development, design and operations services).
