July 17, 2018: Comic Conventions Grapple With Cosplayer Harassment, Wimbledon Cleaning Staff Say They Eat Discarded Food Because of Low Pay, Why More Airlines Are Launching Luxury Airport Lounges

1. COMIC CONVENTIONS GRAPPLE WITH COSPLAYER HARASSMENT: Pop culture conventions, including San Diego's Comic-Con International, attract droves of professional cosplayers, which are people who dress up as fictional characters. But in recent years, many cosplayers have been subject to sexual harassment at conventions. The Mercury News: “Conventions for fans of pop culture have long been central to the world of cosplay, giving fans of any slice of the geek and nerd universe a chance to dress up as characters from movies and television, manga and anime, video games, and anything else a fun and fertile imagination might dream up. But for years there’s been a dark side to what should be only happiness and light. Countless women, and some men too, have stories of being grabbed and groped, photographs taken up skirts or down cleavage, and crude, inappropriate comments of all kinds. So prevalent has this become over time that the phrase ‘creeping at a con’ was coined to describe it. About five years ago, though, things started to change. The slogan ‘Cosplay is not consent’ started to spread, and groups such as Geeks For CONsent formed to push for stronger policies to protect convention goers. … In 2014, Geeks For CONsent decided to push for stronger protective measures at San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic-Con, two of the biggest in the world. ‘They were the unfortunate recipient of the first wave of public awareness,’ Keyhan said of the San Diego event. A petition was launched asking San Diego Comic-Con to strengthen its code of conduct policy, increase anti-harassment signage and information, and train volunteers to handle complaints, which the convention operators declined to do. ‘Luckily, the geek community is sort of social-justice activist anyway, and they didn’t accept that,’ she says. A guerrilla public relations campaign during San Diego Comic-Con that summer of 2014 kept the pressure on, and soon after New York Comic-Con convened a panel that led to the establishment of strong anti-harassment guidelines that included detailed descriptions of unacceptable behavior and a way to report harassment within the NYCC app that included GPS to help convention volunteers quickly find targets of harassment.” https://bayareane.ws/2urlQm2

2. WIMBLEDON CLEANING STAFF SAY THEY EAT DISCARDED FOOD BECAUSE OF LOW PAY: The cleaning staff of Wimbledon, which ended Sunday, said the All England Lawn Tennis Club pays them so little that they can't afford lunch or dinner and have to eat food from bins. Staff also noted they have to stay in corridors during their breaks because of a lack of breaks and inadequate break times during the tournament. The Guardian: "Some housekeepers, who are employed by LSS, a subsidiary of Compass, claim that AELTC provides insufficient money on their accreditation for food during their daily shifts, which regularly last 15 hours. Compass employs about 1,800 people at Wimbledon. It operates in 50 countries and also supplies catering services to venues as diverse as oil rigs and school canteens. Last week the Guardian revealed how Wimbledon catering workers are paid the day rate for working night shifts, and earn well below the London living wage. A housekeeper who has worked at Wimbledon for three years said: 'In the last article about FMC, a subsidiary of Compass, the AELTC statement suggested that they meet with companies to discuss pay. The indication we’ve got seems to be the opposite. The AELTC themselves decide certain aspects such as who gets how much money on their accreditation to buy food. Cleaning staff who regularly work 15 hours a day receive £11.50 [for food] and get a one-hour break a day. This is utterly insufficient and insulting especially while many staff working shorter hours and much less taxing jobs are receiving up to £30.' Housekeepers usually start the day at 8 a.m. They will be given an hour-long lunch break some time between midday and 3 p.m., during which they can spend the money accredited to them by AELTC. They are given no dinner and no break until they finish at about 10 p.m." https://bit.ly/2LhKI9m

3. WHY MORE AIRLINES ARE LAUNCHING LUXURY AIRPORT LOUNGES: In an effort to attract more travelers looking for an upscale venue to spend their layovers in, more airlines are investing in luxury airport lounges. American and United are two of the latest to debut their own lounges. The New York Times: “Like the difference between first-class and economy seats, the luxury lounges offered by many major airlines are yet another way in which air travel is separating the haves from the have-nots. Entry usually requires the purchase of a business- or first-class ticket, and some V.I.P. lounges charge thousands of dollars per visit by individuals or small groups of travelers. There are some exceptions for holders of certain credit cards, and occasionally a traveler can make a one-time visit for a relatively low fee. But regardless of the cost, lounge access has become paramount for business travelers, especially those on overnight flights from the Northeastern United States to Europe, experts say. They want to shower and eat fresh food in the lounge, and then sleep on their flight, so when they arrive in Europe they can head directly to their meeting. … To Michael Holtz, owner of SmartFlyer, another upscale travel agency, a lounge can extend a luxury hotel experience. Guests staying in certain high-end suites at the Rosewood London, for example, qualify for free access to the V.I.P. private terminal at London’s Heathrow Airport. Qatar Airways’ Al Safwa first-class lounge at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, offers 12 private bedrooms.” https://nyti.ms/2L07CD2

* LOCAL NEWS *

LOS ANGELES:  The Original Farmers Market will host the 10th annual Taste of Farmers Market event, dubbed “Celebrating a World of Flavor,” on July 24. Proceeds will benefit the First-In Fire Foundation.

Mr. C Beverly Hills will host its fifth annual Veuve Clicquot Champagne and Oysters Summer Soirée on July 26.

This year’s Manhattan Beach Open volleyball tournament will take place August 16-19 at Manhattan Beach Pier. Sponsors include Wilson and Kona Brewing Company. 

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Isla Bella Beach Resort will open in Knights Key in Marathon in early 2019. The 199-room resort will have four food and beverage concepts and more than 24,000 square feet of meeting and event space. 

Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa has appointed Diane D’Amico director of sales and marketing. 

Sea Level Restaurant & Ocean Bar has appointed Javier Jaramillo executive chef.

NEW YORK:  Madison Avenue Open will take place July 30 at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale. The day will include a pre-tournament putting contest and an auction, with all proceeds benefiting the Association of Independent Commercial Producers Foundation.

Kelly Clarkson will headline the U.S. Open opening night ceremony at Arthur Ashe Stadium on August 27.

Restaurateurs Michael Chernow and Jay Wainwright have opened the sixth location of Seamore’s at Brookfield Place New York. The sustainable seafood restaurant is designed by Home Studios and offers seafood-centric wood-fired pizzas, new meat-centric dishes, and an airstream cocktail bar on the outdoor patio. 

The Fragrance Foundation will host the Creatives, a cocktail and panel discussion event, on October 23, featuring Atelier Cologne founders Sylvie Ganter and Christophe Cervasel with moderator Ann Gottlieb.

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

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  Ace Cafe Orlando has debuted a 1,054-square-foot space for temporary pop-ups. The first tenant is South Orlando-based Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company, founded by former professional motocross competitor Carey Hart.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Michelle Earl has been named dual property senior sales manager for Hampton Inn Washington D.C. NoMa Union Station and Homewood Suites by Hilton Washington D.C. NoMa Union Station. 

The Society of Government Meeting Professionals (S.G.M.P.) has elected three trustees, each serving two-year terms, to the Gilmer Institute of Learning. Bobbi Barkley, senior sales manager of the DoubleTree/Hilton Seattle Airport, was named a scholarship and certification trustee; Anita Yearwood, special events manager for the Institute for Contemporary Art, Virginia Commonwealth University, was named an education and programming trustee; and Cheryl Wierenga, senior sales manager for the Red Lion Hotel on the River Portland, was named a fund-raising trustee. 

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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Ian Zelaya, and Kristine Liao in New York.

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