March 24, 2017: Comic-Con International to Open Permanent Museum, Politics Not Expected to Affect TV Upfronts, Trump's D.C. Hotel Doesn't Violate Lease

1. COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL TO OPEN PERMANENT MUSEUM: San Diego Comic-Con International has announced it will open a permanent pop culture museum in Balboa Park. The San Diego Union-Tribune: "The San Diego Hall of Champions, a park institution since 1961, is going out of business and San Diego Comic-Con International is taking its place in a deal blessed by the city Wednesday and announced Thursday. The sports museum, a creation of the late Bob Breitbard, builder of the San Diego Sports Arena and inveterate sports memorabilia collector, will send its Breitbard Hall of Fame plaques and other local sports legends to Petco Park, return its artifacts to donors and auction what’s not passed along to the San Diego History Center. Meanwhile Comic-Con, another San Diego-born institution founded in 1970, will expand from just holding conventions to celebrating superheros, blockbuster movies and comic books. The nonprofit group will operate permanent museum to be called the Comic-Con Center for Popular Culture with rotating exhibitions—something convention enthusiasts might see as putting down roots. The new museum would likely open no earlier than 2018, since the sports museum has nine months to vacate the building, north of the Air & Space Museum. 'Balboa Park is the perfect home for this new Comic-Con center to honor the popular arts,' Mayor Kevin Faulconer said in a statement. 'As we continue to work on retaining Comic-Con in San Diego, this will be a great permanent fixture for San Diegans and visitors alike to celebrate pop culture all year long.' According to the lease agreement, the new museum 'will be a place to learn about and interact with comics and related popular art forms on a year-round basis.'" http://bit.ly/2nwxEhR

2. POLITICS NOT EXPECTED TO AFFECT TV UPFRONTS: While the current political climate has change the tone of recent major events like the Oscars, its not expected to affect the TV upfront programming. Advertising Age: " The election cycle has surely resulted in a meaningful shift in the types of content people are watching, having been credited with essentially rescuing a cable news business that was at death's doorstep. And while cable news programming, along with late-night comedy, will likely garner more attention in the minds of advertisers, overall politics aren't making media buyers reframe where marketers should place their ad dollars. … There are some clients who have been tentative with their marketing spend as they wait and see how some political decisions could have an impact on their business, said one TV ad sales executive. Cable news will likely be the biggest beneficiary of surge in interest in politics, with Fox News, CNN and MSNBC breaking ratings records even post-election. Fox News ranks as the No. 1 cable news network in primetime for nine consecutive weeks, while Sean Spicer's White House press briefings that have aired live on cable news networks have bested viewership of daytime soap operas. Outside of news, the influence of politics during the upfronts becomes less clear. Certainly, there have been more programs in recent months that have subtly, or not so subtly taken a stance on the cultural environment. Series like ABC's 'Black-ish' have outwardly weighed in on the election of Donald Trump, while specials like 'When We Rise,' about the struggles of LGBT activists, which recently aired on ABC, and Fox's 10-part miniseries 'Shots Fired,' about two racially charged shootings in a small town, certainly feel more relevant in the current environment." http://bit.ly/2ncpvQ2

3. TRUMP'S D.C. HOTEL DOESN'T VIOLATE LEASE: The General Services Administration—the agency that oversees federal government property—has ruled that the Trump International Hotel in Washington didn't violate the terms of its lease when Donald Trump became president. The New York Times: "The decision came after Democrats in Congress and several government contracting experts and ethics groups had questioned if language in the 2013 lease between the G.S.A. and Mr. Trump and three of his children prohibited an elected federal official from participating in the deal. 'No member or delegate to Congress, or elected official of the Government of the United States or the Government of the District of Columbia, shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom,' the lease says, referring to the Old Post Office building, which the Trump Organization converted into the hotel late last year. ... The ruling was criticized by ethics watchdog groups and certain House Democrats, who pointed out that with Mr. Trump in control of the federal government, he in effect controls the General Services Administration. The agency 'changed the position it held before President Trump took office,' Representatives Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Peter DeFazio, Democrat of Oregon, said in a statement. 'This decision allows profits to be reinvested back into the hotel so Donald Trump can reap the financial benefits when he leaves the White House. This is exactly what the lease provision was supposed to prevent.' The G.S.A. ruling does not put the issue away. Mr. Trump is being sued by a restaurant in Washington, the Cork Wine Bar, which says that it has lost business as a result of an illegal advantage the hotel holds from its association with Mr. Trump. (The hotel contains several restaurants.)" http://nyti.ms/2mWFhMR

* LOCAL NEWS *

ATLANTA:  This year's Atlanta Food & Wine Festival will take place June 1-4 at Loews Atlanta Hotel and nearby venues.

AUSTIN:  The sixth annual ATX Television Festival will take place June 8-11 at various venues including Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, Hotel San José, and InterContinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel. The event—which will feature panels for series including The Leftovers, Fargo, and The Americans—will host its first-ever networks president panel featuring content heads from HBO, NBC, FX, and more.

LAS VEGAS:  Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas has announced Kirvin Doak Communications will handle its public relations and social media.

LOS ANGELES:  Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills has appointed Mirko Paderno as chef de cuisine. Paderno has unveiled Northern Italian-inspired dishes at wine bar Vinoteca.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Coyo Taco has announced it will open its third location at the Royal Poinciana Plaza in Palm Beach this fall.

NEW ORLEANS:  New Orleans broke tourism records for visitors and visitor spending in 2016, with 10.45 million people visiting the city and $7.41 billion spent.

NEW YORK:  Culture For One, an organization that provides cultural experiences to city children living in foster care, will host its fifth annual benefit on April 3 at Espace.

The Tribeca Film Festival has announced the lineup for the second annual Tribeca TV program. Highlights include the world premieres of Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale and National Geographic's Genius, the season debut of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and a preview of CNN's new series Soundtracks: Songs That Defined History. 

The sixth annual Wine on Wheels will take place April 29 at City Winery. The event will offer tastings of more than 175 wines poured by 50 sommeliers. Event proceeds benefit Wheeling Forward, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering people with disabilities.

Grand Hyatt New York has debuted a multimillion dollar renovation of its conference level, which includes 12,000 square feet of meeting space and 18 breakout rooms. The renovation includes a new design from design and architecture firm Nemaworkshop.

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

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  Orange County Brewers will open in May in downtown Orlando. The 3,400-square-foot facility will have a brewery, cocktail bar, indoor and outdoor seating, and a craft pizza kitchen called Orlando Pizza and Wing Company.


TORONTO:  The inaugural BBQ Eats Festival will take place June 9-11 at Ontario Place.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center has unveiled its renovations to 6,500 square feet of event space. The upgraded space includes neutral tones and earthy textures for new furnishings, wall coverings, and carpet in the Washingtonian Ballroom, Rio meeting room, pre-function space, and public areas.

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With contributions from Alesandra Dubin and Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and 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.

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