1. INDEPENDENT CONCERT PROMOTER IN WASHINGTON THRIVES AMONG THE CORPORATE INDUSTRY: While the concert business continues to be dominated by business giants such as Live Nation, independent Washington-based promoter Seth Hurwitz is holding his own by developing high-quality venues and catering to the needs of artists. The New York Times: "For Mr. Hurwitz, long this city’s leading concert promoter, it was a characteristic remark: confident and aggressive, and a defiant survival strategy for one of the last major independent operators in a heavily consolidated business. The Anthem, which can hold up to 6,000 people, is set to open on Oct. 12 with a Foo Fighters concert. Part of a $2.5 billion waterfront development called the Wharf, the concert hall is the most ambitious addition to the portfolio of Mr. Hurwitz and his company, I.M.P., joining the Lincoln Theater and the renowned 9:30 Club here and the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md. But the concert business has become increasingly dominated by two giant conglomerates, Live Nation and AEG. Each has bought a string of smaller players in recent years, tightening its share of the $7 billion North American touring market. Live Nation has acquired the Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and Governors Ball festivals, and this year AEG took over the Bowery Presents in New York. In a move that can squeeze out independents like I.M.P., these companies often sign top artists to national touring contracts. The annual lineup at Merriweather, Mr. Hurwitz said, consists mostly of artists not tied to such deals; this summer, for example, OneRepublic, Chris Stapleton, Lauryn Hill and Nas were all on tours produced by Live Nation and booked at Jiffy Lube Live, Merriweather’s rival amphitheater in Bristow, Va. (Still, Merriweather didn’t do too badly, with a lineup that included Dave Matthews, Paul Simon, the XX and the Vans Warped Tour.) To compete, Mr. Hurwitz said, he must operate the best venues and cultivate artists’ loyalty by pampering them once they arrive. That may be the mantra of every promoter. But Mr. Hurwitz, who is 58 and started booking concerts as a teenager, has developed a reputation for catering to artists’ needs on the road and employing some clever branding along the way." http://nyti.ms/2ugNvZ2
2. 185 HOSPITALIZED AND 16 ARRESTED DURING FIRST THREE DAYS OF LOLLAPALOOZA: The first three days of Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago led to 16 arrests and 185 hospitalizations. NBC Chicago: "Four people were arrested Saturday for trespassing, battery and theft, according to Melissa Stratton, a spokeswoman for the City of Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications. Another 10 people received citations for fence jumping and trespassing on Saturday, Stratton said, while paramedics took 57 people to the hospital for treatment. On Friday, 56 people were taken to the hospital, while six people were ticketed and 10 others arrested, officials said. ... One of the arrests made Saturday was a suspect who allegedly stole 60 cell phones at Lollapalooza. Further details on the incident and any charges were not immediately available. Concert organizers encouraged anyone whose phone was stolen to report it on the event’s website, lolla.com/lostfound, where festivalgoers can also search the inventory of unclaimed items. Last year, 12 people were arrested over the course of the festival—the first time it was extended to four days—while 34 people were arrested over three days in 2015. An estimated 400,000 people attended Lollapalooza in 2016, making it Chicago's largest music festival." http://bit.ly/2wAbM8Y
3. SCOTTISH BREWERY ANNOUNCES U.S.-MEXICO BORDER BAR STUNT TO MAKE FUN OF TRUMP: Scotland-based brewery BrewDog recently took aim at Donald Trump—specifically his repeated promises to build a wall between Mexico and the U.S.—by announcing plans for a border-theme bar. Adweek: "This week, Scotland-based brewery and pub chain BrewDog became the latest to weigh in on this incredibly serious topic via a stunt called 'The Bar on the Edge.' According to a suspicious press release bearing the tagline “Make Beer, Not Walls,” said outpost will straddle the border between Chihuahua, Mexico and an unspecified, “top secret” town in Southern Texas. The international border will become a literal dotted line stretching across the middle of the bar and into the outdoor seating area, with Mexican beers served on the U.S. side and American beers on the Mexican side. It’s all part of the company’s plans to 'expand to the ‘farthest reaches’ of the United States' while making a convenient 'physical statement about collaboration and inclusivity' in its ultimate quest for world domination. BrewDog will promote the stunt with an event at its Columbus, Ohio taproom this weekend. 'We will request official permission from the local authorities to put it there and adhere to any red tape stuff, but I guess it would make it more difficult to build a wall if there’s a BrewDog bar in the way. We’re planning on putting the bar there anyway until someone tells us to move it,' said company co-founder James Watt. For the record, this mysterious building so far only exists as a Photoshop image." http://bit.ly/2hAFQ1N
* LOCAL NEWS *
ATLANTA: The second annual Big Huge Tiny House Event, hosted by nonprofit Tiny House Atlanta, will take place August 26-27 at Ponce City Market. The event—which will offer visitors an educational experience focused on sustainable, micro living—will have tours of four tiny houses, a speaker series, and a sustainable village in the venue’s South Lawn with stations from businesses including Habitat for Humanity Dekalb, EarthShare Georgia, and Mitsubishi Electric
LOS ANGELES: Brian Krzanich, C.E.O. of Intel, and Tom Gebhardt, C.E.O. of Panasonic Corporation of North America, will be the keynote speakers at the 2017 AutoMobility LA. The trade show will be held November 27-30.
The Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood will host its 2017 Fall Market on October 5. The daylong event will bring together local thought leaders to discuss new ideas that are revolutionizing the city’s design, architecture, arts, fashion, and culinary spheres.
Hotel: Kim Sing has opened within the newly relaunched Kim Sing Theatre in Chinatown. The micro-boutique hotel has accommodations for as many as 10 for overnight stays, and features breakaway areas for private meetings and a 2,200-square-foot private courtyard.
For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles
NEW YORK: TV producer Andy Cohen and Residence Inn are launching a scavenger hunt today that will invite people to find dog bones hidden throughout the city based on clues from Cohen and the hotel brand’s Twitter accounts. The first two fans to find bones at each location will win V.I.P. admittance to a “Bark-Fest” puppy party—an event hosted by Cohen and North Shore Animal League America—which will take place Thursday at Residence Inn Central Park. The event will kick off Residence Inn by Marriott’s monthlong Dog Days of Summer pet adoption series.
SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Rentals has promoted John Cuthbertson to manager of the solutions architect group.
For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork
SAN FRANCISCO: The 14th annual Architecture and the City Festival, presented by A.I.A. San Francisco and the Center for Architecture and Design, will take place September 1-30 throughout the city. This year’s theme is “Secret City,” which will explore how architecture and design play a role in changing the city’s urban landscape. The monthlong festival will include architectural tours, film screenings, design lectures, home shows, and more.
TORONTO: Ontario Place will host a new light exhibition this winter. BlogTO: http://bit.ly/2v687QT
WASHINGTON, D.C.: National Harbor will be unveiling a new venue, Harbor Dome: Summer Snow Globe, later this month. During its three-week introduction, starting August 18, the translucent dome will act as a winter bar and lounge, complete with live music and regular dustings of snow. Moving forward into other seasons, the space, which has a capacity of 500, can be activated in a variety of ways and themes.
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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.
BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.
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