1. TWITTER FOREGOES ANNUAL DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE FOR LOCAL EVENTS: Twitter has announced it won't hold Flight, its annual mobile developer conference, this year. The company has announced plans to focus on smaller regional events. Recode: "Sources say that the conference was planned, at least tentatively, but then abandoned. Company spokesperson Will Stickney confirmed Flight isn’t happening, and said Twitter plans to focus on smaller developer events instead. Canceling Flight—or rather, never scheduling it—is notable given how important these kinds of developers conferences are to other big tech companies like Facebook, Apple and Google. They are usually as much a show for the media and investors as they are for developers, an excuse to show off tools and features the company is building. Apple announced a new watch at its developer conference this fall. Facebook launched a messaging bot platform at its event in April, and Google used its conference to talk about its virtual reality plans. Flight has been a stage for Twitter in the past, too, though on a smaller scale. Two years ago Twitter used Flight to announce its full developer suite, Fabric. Last year, CEO Jack Dorsey used the event to apologize to developers for a relationship he described as 'a little bit complicated.'" http://on.recode.net/2d80UKb
2. CUBAN JAZZ FESTIVAL EXPANDS INVOLVEMENT OF AMERICAN COMPANIES: The International Jazz Festival in Cuba, which is slated for December, is no stranger to having American acts in the lineup. Now, the festival—which will take place in both Havana and Santiago de Cuba for the first time—has welcomed American companies for behind-the-scenes assistance. Billboard: "The presence of Americans is hardly new at the annual festival, formally known as the Festival International Jazz Plaza. In fact, the festival served as the most fertile and consistent point of exchange for Cuban and American musicians for three decades. Over years of U.S.-Cuban political estrangement, the festival was the door to Havana for artists including Dizzy Gillespie and Max Roach, as well as for U.S. jazz lovers. What is new for 2016—marking two years since President Obama and Raul Castro announced the return of diplomatic relations between the two countries—is an increased American presence behind the scenes. Notably, Blue Note Entertainment group will sponsor the festival for the first time. International Music Network's Scott Southard, who has been one of the pioneers in presenting Cuban musicians in the United States, signed on as international booker for the festival. Southard is working in collaboration with Daniel Florestano of Barcelona’s Montuno Productions, managers of Buena Vista Social Club and other Cuban acts. As always, the festival is overseen by Cuba's Ministry of Culture and the Cuban Music Institute, as well as the National Center for Popular Music." http://bit.ly/2dldeW6
3. NEVADA APPROVES DEAL FOR POSSIBLE LAS VEGAS FOOTBALL STADIUM: The Nevada Senate has passed a bill to raise room taxes in Las Vegas’ Clark County to fund a domed stadium and convention center that may be used for Raiders games, if the football team moves from Oakland to Las Vegas. Las Vegas Review-Journal: “Senators approved Senate Bill 1 on a vote of 16-5, clearing the 14-vote threshold needed to pass a tax increase. The bill now moves to the Assembly. SB1 raises lodging taxes mostly paid by tourists to help pay for a $1.9 billion domed stadium backed by the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman Sheldon Adelson. The 65,000-seat stadium, to be built at a yet to be determined site, is the proposed future home of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders and UNLV football teams. Mark Davis, owner of the Raiders, has said he will seek to bring the team to Las Vegas if the stadium is built. The bill would boost the room tax rate by 0.88 of a percentage point to finance $750 million in general obligation bonds over 30 years. Adelson has pledged $650 million; the Raiders have committed $500 million. A separate provision would add another 0.5 percentage point increase to fund $400 million of a $1.4 billion upgrade to the Las Vegas Convention Center. Both the Senate and Assembly recessed by sunset Tuesday in observance of Yom Kippur. The Assembly must still vote on a separate bill authorizing the Clark County Commission to raise the sales tax for more police officers. Both chambers will reconvene Thursday. But it was the stadium that sparked the most debate from the public and lawmakers, many of whom questioned why public dollars were being used to fund a project with wealthy backers. Critics also said Nevada, facing a potential $400 million budget shortfall in the next budget cycle, has more pressing needs for its tax dollars, such as education and human services.” http://bit.ly/2e5OjbU
* LOCAL NEWS *
COAST TO COAST: Martha Stewart is launching a chain of cafés called Martha Stewart's Café. Eater: http://bit.ly/2dK6n9o
ATLANTA: Arts and crafts event Festival on Ponce Fall 2016 will take place at Olmsted Linear Park in Druid Hills Saturday and Sunday.
AUSTIN: The Sound On Sound music festival will take place November 4-6 at Sherwood Forest. The festival, which benefits the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, has headliners including Beach House, Big Boi, Phantogram, and Young Thug.
BOSTON: The Boston Book Festival is slated for Friday and Saturday at Copley Square. The event is sponsored by The Boston Globe.
CHICAGO: The dual-branded Hampton Inn by Hilton Chicago Downtown West Loop and Homewood Suites by Hilton Chicago Downtown West Loop is now open. The 336-room hotel has 6,200 square feet of meeting and event space.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA: On Tuesday, Charlotte Marriott City Center hosted the grand-opening event for the brand's first-ever M Beta hotel. The hotel serves as an “idea incubator,” where guests are invited to test the newest tech, food, fitness, and design innovations first-hand and give feedback in real-time. The feedback will ultimately shape the future of Marriott hotels.
LAS VEGAS: Restoration Hardware will open its newest design gallery, RH Las Vegas, the Gallery at Tivoli Village on October 28. The four-level, 60,000-square-foot gallery will feature home furnishing art installations, a garden terrace, and a rooftop park and conservatory.
LOS ANGELES: The Peggy Albrecht Friendly House's 27th annual awards luncheon will take place October 29 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Hosted by Pat O'Brien, the event will honor Katey Sagal with the "Woman of the Year Award" and Linell and Robert Shapiro with the "Humanitarian Award."
For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA: Lolo’s Surf Cantina. a Mexican restaurant with fare inspired by Baja California, will open in December at the Stanton South Beach hotel. The new eatery will be managed by chef and partner Richard Ampudia and Plan Do See, a Japan-based global hospitality brand. Lolo’s Surf Cantina is named after Ampudia’s grandmother.
NEW YORK: The fourth annual Brooklyn Greenway Half & 5K will take place Sunday at the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway.
New York's global design celebration NYCxDESIGN 2017 will take place May 3-24.
Real Hospitality Group plans to open several new hotels in the New York metropolitan area before the end of the year. They include the 185-room Aloft Long Island City, the 150-room Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan Midtown West, and the 70-room Hotel RL Brooklyn Bed-Stuy, which are all slated to open in November. The 150-room Hyatt House Manhattan Chelsea will open in December, and the 120-room Fairfield Inn and Suites North Bergen will open in a month to be announced.
The champagne bar at Sir Harry's at the Waldorf Astoria is supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month throughout October. One dollar per every glass of champagne or champagne cocktail purchased will be donated to the Pink Agenda, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation's sister organization.
For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO: AEG will manage a 105,000-square-foot, 6,000-seat entertainment venue slated to open in the District Live! development in 2019.
SAN FRANCISCO: Tech media startup Blavity will host its inaugural AfroTech conference November 11-12. The conference—which is focused on people of color working in digital media, tech, and startups—will have panelists from BuzzFeed, Pinterest, and Slack.
TORONTO: Eastbound Brewing Company, an 80-seat, 3,500-square-foot brewpub in Riverside, is slated to open in early 2017. BlogTO: http://bit.ly/2dXUDjL
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The 99.5 Jingle Ball 2016, presented by Capital One, will take place December 12 at Verizon Center. Performers will include Meghan Trainor, the Chainsmokers, G-Eazy, Fifth Harmony, Diplo, Ellie Goulding, DNCE, Alessia Cara, Tove Lo, Daya, and Niall Horan.
YOUR NEWS: What are you doing? Tell us: [email protected].
JOB BOARD: Post a job or find a job: http://jobs.bizbash.com
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.
BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.
Feed the Sheet: [email protected]
Subscribe: www.bizbash.com/bizbashdaily
Advertise with BizBash: [email protected]
More in Las Vegas
Most Popular
