1. WHEN PARTIES OVERSHADOW THE MAIN EVENT: Unofficial parties held during the World Economic Forum, South by Southwest, Art Basel Miami Beach—any event that draws connected and powerful guests—have begun to overshadow the official conference agendas. And that may not be a bad thing. The New York Times: :As life has become faster and more informal, the old ways of doing business — hundreds of men in suits shuffling endlessly between windowless bilateral meeting rooms and inconveniently situated hotels — have started to look increasingly silly even to the men in suits themselves. There’s something stilted about such meetings. After all, most of them don’t have any particular agenda: They’re mainly valuable as a way to check in, catch up, hang out. All of which is done much more naturally in the context of a party than it is wandering awkwardly around the conference center, trying to read name tags from a dozen paces.” http://nyti.ms/1F5By7G
2. STUBHUB TO EXPAND BUSINESS BEYOND TICKET SALES: The online ticket platform StubHub will work with the company BandPage to sell fans concert merchandise and experiences like backstage passes or recording studio meet and greets. Los Angeles Times: “The pact comes at a time when musicians increasingly rely on the live events business and T-shirt sales as revenue from CDs and downloads continues to fall. The two companies are hoping fans will want to take advantage of the online offers ahead of the show instead of waiting to stand in the long merch lines at the venue.” http://lat.ms/1RcoOzi
3. BRAZILIAN OFFICIAL DIVES INTO POLLUTED BAY IN OLYMPIC STUNT: A Brazilian state environmental secretary jumped into a polluted bay in a televised stunt meant to calm fears ahead of the 2016 Olympics. Associated Press: “The government has been criticized for failing to make good on pledges to clean up the bay and other Olympic waterways. The cleanup had been touted as a legacy that would endure long past the 2016 games. But with evidence mounting that little progress has been made, officials from Rio's governor to the mayor have acknowledged there's no way the water will be clean ahead of the Olympics. Athletes repeatedly have warned that contact with the water could potentially harm the Olympians' health.” http://usat.ly/1Kh0as8
* LOCAL NEWS *
BOSTON: Garrett Harker and Andrew Holden of Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks announced plans to open Branch Line, a rotisserie eatery, in Watertown’s historic Arsenal on the Charles complex this fall.
CHICAGO: Patrick Buchen is the new manager of the Illinois State Fair. He will oversee the state fairs in Springfield and DuQuoin.
DALLAS: Chris Cavanaugh is the new chief marketing officer for Freeman. Cavanaugh previously served as executive vice president for brand strategy and business insights for FreemanXP, a brand experience agency within Freeman.
HOUSTON: Catch the Moment has launched a new social event division, CTM Events. It has a separate website, ctmevents.com.
LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission together with the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation will host the second annual Dodgers All-Access event at Dodger Stadium on June 11.
Local event listings from Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA: Tri-Rail’s 10th annual “Senior Idol,” presented by Baptist Eye Surgery Center, is May 17 at Parker Playhouse. The competition, a benefit for Broward Meals on Wheels, will feature 12 singers ages 65 and older.
NEW YORK: The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation will host the Gala in the Great Hall on May 19 in the Great Hall of the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. Guests will get to preview the Peopling of America Center, a major expansion of the museum.
The One Hundred Black Men Inc. of New York will host its eighth annual golf outing on August 3 at the Forest Hill Field Club in Bloomfield, New Jersey.
Sheraton JFK Airport Hotel has finished a renovation that updated its 150 guest rooms, restaurant, lobby, and club lounge.
Local event listings from Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork
SAN FRANCISCO: Davidson Hotels & Resorts has appointed Carmen Cruz as general manager of Hotel Zephyr Fisherman’s Wharf, currently the site of the Radisson Fisherman’s Wharf. She will oversee the multimillion-dollar renovation of the hotel.
TORONTO: The Ryerson Image Centre will host a spring exhibitions reception May 7 at the center as part of the Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival.
The Niagara New Vintage Festival is June 13-21 and includes events such as the sixth annual TD Tailgate party June 20.
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Hulk Hogan will serve as grand marshal for the 26th Susan G. Komen D.C. Race for the Cure on Saturday.
YOUR NEWS: What are you doing? Tell us: [email protected].
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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, and Anna Sekula in New York.
BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.
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