July 28, 2015: Boston Drops Bid for Summer Olympics, New York to Rebuild La Guardia Airport, Getting to Know the New White House Social Secretary


1. BOSTON DROPS BID FOR SUMMER OLYMPICS: Opponents of Boston’s bid for the 2024 Olympic Games won their battle Monday as the U.S. Olympic Committee dropped plans to pursue the global sporting event. Boston Globe: “In choosing Boston as the US bid city in January, the United States Olympic Committee hoped to create a new Olympic legacy in a place that had none. In one way, that happened: The abandoned Boston bid will stand in history alongside Denver’s decision to give back the 1976 Winter Games as a low point for the Olympic movement in America. … Boston 2024’s implosion is all the more frustrating for local Olympic backers because many experts thought a US bid would be a favorite to win the 2024 vote, given the better rapport between the USOC and IOC and the long interval since the last Summer Games in the United States. The USOC could substitute Los Angeles in a hastily prepared 2024 bid, or seek to regroup and pursue the next available Winter Games, in 2026, or hold off for the 2028 Summer Olympics.” http://bit.ly/1IoIecl

2. NEW YORK TO REBUILD LA GUARDIA AIRPORT: One of America’s most unloved airports, La Guardia Airport in New York will be completely rebuilt in a $4 billion project estimated to finish in 2021. Vice President Joseph Biden and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo made the announcement Monday at a luncheon for the Association for a Better New York. The New York Times: “La Guardia is not just one of the most delay-plagued airports in the country, but one of the busiest of its size in the world. It was built when air travel was a luxury and still a bit of a novelty. Its outmoded setup, combined with the density of the airspace in the New York metropolitan area, leave it at the bottom of the rankings for on-time performance year after year. … The governor said the project would create 8,000 construction jobs and additional permanent jobs in the expanded airport, which would have more stores, restaurants and possibly even a conference center and a hotel.” http://nyti.ms/1IDcYwN

3. GETTING TO KNOW THE NEW WHITE HOUSE SOCIAL SECRETARY: Deesha Dyer, the new White House social secretary, took an unusual path to the office of the country’s chief event planner, taking a White House internship at age 30. She shares how her staff of six get inspired and advice she has received from her predecessors. Marie Claire: “The day-to-day is spent thinking of creative ways to host events and then executing those events flawlessly,” Dyer says. “The hours can get crazy sometimes, particularly around visits from foreign dignitaries and the holiday season. Lunches are either at my desk, on someone off-site. It is all fun and exciting, and, yes, the BlackBerry sleeps right next to me. The cool thing about our office is that events change from a conference call, or meeting with week to week. We have the Kids' State Dinner, which is about healthy eating and moving, and then it's the China State Dinner, which is more formal.” http://bit.ly/1LSCxKU

* LOCAL NEWS *

ATLANTA:  The Taste of Atlanta kickoff party will take place September 25 at Tech Square in Midtown. The theme is "Bucket List Bash: Food to Try Before You Die."

AUSTIN:  The Brass House, a downtown jazz and blues club, is searching for last-minute investors to help cover $25,000 in overdue rent. Austin Business Journal: http://bit.ly/1fB9AFt

BOSTON:  Filigree Suppers, the traveling dinner series that pairs meals with American design, will host a pop-up at Row 34 on August 9. The event will have a “Navigation” theme with nautical decor; dinner will have four courses, each named after famous explorers.

CHICAGO:  Hilton Worldwide has opened Embassy Suites by Hilton Chicago-Naperville. The 168-room hotel offers 13,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space and can host events for 1,000 guests.

Toyota has announced it will launch a new interactive festival activation and social media campaign to benefit VH1 Save the Music, debuting at Lollapalooza on Friday.

LAS VEGAS:  Rio Spa & Salon will host its sixth annual hair cut-a-thon to benefit Locks of Love on August 12.

LOS ANGELES:  On August 1, Hurley is slated to host its second annual Legacy Show, which combines surf and skate culture, street wear, photography, low riders, and art. The event is open to the public and attracted more than 5,000 attendees last year.

Local event listings from the new Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Golden Fig, a “farmhouse fare” restaurant, has opened in Brickell in the former OTC space. Executive chef Tomas Prado previously worked at the Bazaar by Jose Andres, DB Bistro Moderne, and My Ceviche. Eater: http://bit.ly/1SK1I10

NEW YORK:  Steve Jobs, the new biopic about the Apple co-founder written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Danny Boyle, will screen as the centerpiece selection at the New York Film Festival on October 3. The Hollywood Reporter: http://bit.ly/1D3kEpM

Trump SoHo New York announced its appointment of Brian Honan as its new director of sales and marketing.

Local event listings from the new Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  The owners of Pinot Palette plan to expand the paint-and-sip concept with two or three more locations in the region. Orlando Business Journal: http://bit.ly/1MsBtMS

SAN FRANCISCO:  Nearly 26,000 people participated in the San Francisco Marathon on Sunday. SFGate: http://bit.ly/1D38MEn

TORONTO:  The fourth JFL42 Festival will be held in Toronto September 24-October 3. Headliners at the comedy festival will include Craig Ferguson and Miranda Sings.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Tudor Place has appointed Mark Hudson of the Vermont Historical Society as the museum's next executive director. He is scheduled to begin October 5.

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With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, Anna Sekula, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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