October 26, 2016: New Millennial-Minded Hotel Brand Won't Mention Trump Name, U.S. Grand Prix Brings in Record Attendance, MLB Sponsorships May Bring in $400 Million This Year


1. NEW MILLENNIAL-MINDED HOTEL BRAND WON'T MENTION TRUMP NAME: Scion, a new brand from Trump Hotels that targets younger clients, will not carry the Trump name because of numerous negative associations with the Republican presidential nominee. Bloomberg: "The new brand is planned for use at city and resort locations, Trump Hotels said when Scion was announced Sept. 28. The new hotels are intended to appeal 'to a new and different type of guest in more locations around the globe,' Trump Hotels said. The Scion flag won’t replace the Trump brand, according to Trump Hotels. It was announced more than a week before the Washington Post published a 2005 video of Trump bragging about grabbing and kissing women. Trump Hotels said it will continue to expand its namesake properties, which include its new Washington hotel. The grand opening of that property, located five blocks from the White House, is scheduled for Wednesday. Trump Hotels are luxury properties, a tier above where Scion is aimed. Scattered evidence suggests travelers are choosing to check in elsewhere. It’s hard to measure the impact on Trump Hotels of his most inflammatory comments or the allegations of unwelcome sexual advances. The Trump Organization doesn’t disclose occupancy rates. … Trump Hotels is hardly the first lodging company to introduce a new brand aimed at younger customers who may be turned off by older names that can be seen as stodgy. Marriott International Inc. started Moxy, Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has Canopy, and Starwood, acquired by Marriott last month, added the Aloft brand. The hotel operators are dealing with competition from travel alternatives such as the home-sharing company Airbnb Inc. In fact, competition from new hotels may be a problem for Scion, said Piers Schmidt, founder of London-based consulting firm Luxury Branding. The new brand diffuses the very things that draw customers to Trump: the image of a billionaire full of brashness and bling, he said." http://bloom.bg/2f9Bv3C

2. U.S. GRAND PRIX BRINGS IN RECORD ATTENDANCE: This year’s Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, which took place last weekend, saw an attendance increase for the first time since the event debuted in 2012. The three-day racing event sold 269,899 passes. Austin Business Journal: “That's not 269,889 individuals, but 269,889 total passes through the admissions gates during the three-day event. 2015's rain-soaked Grand Prix had three-day attendance of 224,011, but only 101,667 attended the race on Sunday. This year, COTA officials did not disclose Sunday-only attendance as they have in prior years, and have not yet responded to a request for that number. The ‘main event’ for many attendees was the night before the Grand Prix, when pop megastar Taylor Swift took the stage at COTA for her only concert of 2016. Rolling Stone estimated that 80,000 people attended the concert after Saturday's qualifying time trails, which could have boosted attendance that day. Another potential contributor to the race's increased attendance could be lowered ticket prices. Three-day passes started this year at $150, down from $169 in 2015. Overall F1 ticket prices were cut by 11.5 percent while parking passes were cut more than 35 percent.” http://bit.ly/2f6Y4Xj

3. MLB SPONSORSHIPS MAY BRING IN $400 MILLION THIS YEAR: In the midst of the World Series, industry sources have reported that Major League Baseball sponsorships from brands such as Bank of America, T-Mobile, and Chevrolet may bring in as much as $400 million for the league this year. Forbes: "The league saw considerable growth over last year when league sponsorships over the life of the contracts totaled $225-$250 million. The league reached renewals with strong corporations in the financial, automotive, telecommunications, and home care sectors. Bank of America, MasterCard, Chevrolet,T-Mobile, and Scotts, all long-time partners, renewed deals with the league since last year. New deals included Evan Williams, New Relic, Papa John’s, and TuneIn. The league continues to use new teams, markets, and young stars as key selling aspects on the business side. With the intense national interest in a Chicago Cubs vs. Cleveland Indians World Series, that will continue. … Major League Baseball continues to focus closely on building interest with youth through its Play Ball initiative that Rob Manfred touted on his first day as commissioner. Business partners are maintaining a partnership in those efforts as baseball looks to make lifelong fans out of kids that play any form of baseball or softball in their formative years. According to Garden, that has played well with sponsors who see baseball as gaining a younger demographic in which to target." http://bit.ly/2eOq3WV

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  Brooks Brothers on Newbury Street will host an in-store event benefiting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation on November 2. The event will have cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and fashion illustrations by Brooke Hagel.

Boston-based casual American restaurant Burtons Grill & Bar has announced plans to expand by opening seven new restaurants in the next two years. The restaurant currently has 12 locations in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, South Carolina, and Virginia.

CHICAGO:  The Wrigleyville Halloween Crawl, an annual event hosted by Chicago Twenty Something Inc., has been canceled because of the Chicago Cubs World Series game at Wrigley Field on Saturday.

LOS ANGELES:  Unicef's fourth annual Masquerade Ball, presented by Unicef Next Generation, will take place Thursday at Clifton's Cafeteria.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Chef Paula DaSilva and nightlife impresario Seth Greenberg teamed up again for Artisan Beach House, which will open before the end of the year at the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami. Key staff members are chef de cuisine Tony Coddington; Jason Schaan, who will oversee special-event and banquet kitchen operations; and director of food and beverage Brian Skogen, who has the same duties for the hotel.

Dean & DeLuca, a New York-based gourmet supermarket chain, has teamed up with architect Ole Scheeren for a unique food retail concept titled Stage. The new concept will be unveiled at Design Miami, which will take place November 30-December 4. 

NEW YORK:  The New York Restoration Project—a nonprofit organization founded by Bette Midler that focuses on transforming the city's urban environment—will host its annual Halloween Party Hulaween on Friday at the Waldorf Astoria. The event, which has the theme "The Witches Ball at the Haunted Hotel," will be hosted by Kathy Griffin.

Yankee Stadium is undergoing extensive guest upgrades that are expected to debut before start of the 2017 regular season. Construction begins this week for enhancements that will include seven new social gathering spaces and additional food and beverage areas. The new spaces will include the 2,850-square-foot Sunrun Kids Clubhouse, the stadium's first children's zone; the expansion of MasterCard Batter's Eye Deck to 3,500 square feet; new left- and right-field Bullpen Landings; an AT&T Sports Lounge featuring DirecTV service; and Budweiser Party Decks.

The Adelphi Hotel in Saratoga Springs, originally built in 1877, is undergoing extensive renovations, and will reopen in the spring of 2017. Glen & Company Architecture and architect Dominick Ranieri are overseeing the renovations. Areas in the hotel that will be upgraded include the 11-foot ceilings, the grand staircase, and lobby. The lobby's bistro and marketplace will evolve into a wine bar in the evening and full-service restaurant with a private-dining wine room.

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

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  Domu, the ramen restaurant taking over the space that formerly housed Txokos at East End Market, is now doing a soft opening.

A new nighttime spectacular, "Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!" begins at Disney's Hollywood Studios November 14. The show will use projections, special effects, fireworks, music, and more. The show runs through December 31.

PHILADELPHIA:  Courtyard Philadelphia South at the Navy Yard plans to add 40 new guest rooms after an $8 million expansion that is expected to be completed by spring 2017.

TORONTO:  This year's Craft Beer Awards will take place November 4 at the Enercare Centre.

SAN FRANCISCO:  The Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda will present and host the seventh Shoot the Moon expo, which will display working pinball machines from the 1930s to present day. The expo will take place November 11-13, with a special pre-show V.I.P. event on November 10.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  The Bentzen Ball Comedy Festival will take place Thursday through Sunday at Lincoln Theatre. The lineup includes Tig Notaro, Michael Ian Black, Malcolm Gladwell, and Bridget Everett. 

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

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