August 17, 2018: Trump's Military Parade Delayed Until at Least 2019, Americans to Spend More than $1 Billion on Weddings This Saturday, Disneyland Feud With Anaheim Puts Luxury Hotel on Hold

1. TRUMP'S MILITARY PARADE DELAYED UNTIL AT LEAST 2019: The Department of Defense announced Thursday that the Veterans Day military parade proposed by Donald Trump won't happen until at least 2019. The announcement comes after a report that the parade would cost around $92 million—more than three times the initial estimate. Associated Press: "According to the officials, roughly $50 million would cover Pentagon costs for aircraft, equipment, personnel and other support for the November parade in Washington. The remainder would be borne by other agencies and largely involve security costs. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss early planning estimates that have not yet been finalized or released publicly. The estimate was first reported by CNBC. Officials said the plans had not yet been approved by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Mattis himself said late Thursday that he had seen no such estimate and questioned the media reports. The Pentagon chief told reporters traveling with him to Bogota, Colombia, that whoever leaked the number to the press was 'probably smoking something that is legal in my state but not in most'—a reference to his home state of Washington, where marijuana use is legal. ... The parade’s cost, which was confirmed by multiple officials, has become a politically charged issue, particularly after the Pentagon canceled a major military exercise planned for August with South Korea, in the wake of Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump said the drills were provocative and that dumping them would save the U.S. 'a tremendous amount of money.' The Pentagon later said the Korea drills would have cost $14 million. Lt. Col. Jamie Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said earlier Thursday that Defense Department planning for the parade 'continues and final details are still being developed. Any cost estimates are pre-decisional.' The parade was expected to include troops from all five armed services—the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard—as well as units in period uniforms representing earlier times in the nation’s history. It also was expected to involve a number of military aircraft flyovers." https://bit.ly/2wcYyAB

2. AMERICANS TO SPEND MORE THAN $1 BILLION ON WEDDINGS THIS SATURDAY: According to wedding-planning platform the Knot, close to 30,000 weddings are slated to take place on Saturday, and guests are estimated to be spending more than $1 billion on gifts and attire. Bloomberg: "In advance of this very hectic day, the multiplatform wedding-planning brand (part of XO Group Inc.) released its 2018 Guest Study on Tuesday, revealing average attendee expenses per wedding, as well as factors contributing to whether invitees accept or decline, and the thinking behind choosing an appropriate gift. Per the Knot’s membership data, 28,633 weddings are scheduled for August 18 in the U.S. 'A lot of couples picked it for the significance of the date, it’s a palindrome month—8-1-8-1-8,' says Ivy Jacobson, senior editor at the Knot. She also notes that summer and early fall months are the sweet spot for couples planning a wedding, generally because of weather concerns. An average of 136 guests per wedding will attend this weekend’s celebrations. Each of those estimated 3.9 million guests will, on average, spend $261 on the event, including the gift, attire, and accessories, adding up to a $1 billion weekend—and that’s without travel costs. In general, guests who travel spend an average of $901 for the event total, including costs for accommodations, travel, gifts, attire, and accessories; members of the wedding party spend $928. While those last two numbers are similar, Jacobson says it’s worth taking into account the extra costs involved for those in the wedding party. 'You have the additional cost of the bachelor/bachelorette party, engagement party, bridal shower on top, so the cost goes up from there,' she says. Of the 1,337 qualified responses (recruited via Facebook) for the study, 83 percent represented guests invited to attend a wedding celebration, with 17 percent serving as members of a wedding party. The demographic breakdown of responders was 89 percent female vs. 11 percent male." https://bloom.bg/2w6CmYK

3. DISNEYLAND FEUD WITH ANAHEIM PUTS LUXURY HOTEL ON HOLD: A planned luxury hotel for Disneyland has been put on hold because of an escalating feud between the resort’s shopping district and the city of Anaheim. The dispute revolves around tax subsidies that Disney was expecting to receive for operating the hotel. Los Angeles Times: “The dispute centers on a $267-million tax break that the Anaheim City Council approved in 2016 for a 700-room hotel—the fourth hotel at the Disneyland Resort and the first high-end property built in 20 years. But since the tax break was approved, Disney has changed the location of the hotel. The city now says the subsidy applies only to the project as it was proposed at the previous address. Disney says the project may not be financially viable without the tax break. 'You have given us no other choice than to put construction of the hotel on indefinite hold as the resort reevaluates the economic viability of future hotel development in Anaheim,' according to a letter dated Wednesday from David Ontko, chief counsel for Disneyland Resorts, to Anaheim City Atty. Robert Fabela. The clash highlights a growing rift between Disneyland Resort and Anaheim, which previously had approved several tax breaks and development projects to benefit the company. But that cozy relationship has since soured, with unions, some elected officials, and many residents objecting to financial favors given to a profitable, publicly held company. Asked to respond to the latest dispute, Disneyland Resort representatives said the resort’s position is made clear in Ontko’s letter. ‘Disneyland’s decision to halt development of their fourth hotel is a devastating blow to Anaheim and a direct result of the city’s increasingly hostile actions towards our local economy,’ Todd Ament, president of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement. But Anaheim mayor Tom Tait, who has opposed the subsidy for the hotel project, said Disneyland Resort has the option to build the project without a subsidy from the city.” https://lat.ms/2vRoToe

* LOCAL NEWS *

CHICAGO:  TheMart has partnered with the City of Chicago to launch the inaugural Art on theMart program on September 29. The program will consist of a curated series of digital artworks projected across 2.5 acres of theMart’s exterior. The artwork will be created by four contemporary artists, who will be announced at a later date. 

LAS VEGAS:  Aid for AIDS of Nevada's 32nd annual Black & White Party will take place at Daylight Beach Club inside Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino on September 8. Last year's event drew nearly 2,500 guests and raised more than $130,000 to benefit client service programs that help men, women, and children living with H.I.V./AIDS in Southern Nevada.

The Palazzo's new Electra Cocktail Club will host a grand-opening party on September 7.

LOS ANGELES:  Vanity Fair's fifth annual New Establishment Summit will take place October 8-10 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. There will be an opening-night event followed by two days of programming with speakers, including Bob Iger, Alanis Morissette, and Rashida Jones. 

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

MINNEAPOLIS:  Radisson Hotel Group has appointed Catherine Higgins Whiteside vice president of marketing in the Americas. 

NEW YORK:  Spotify’s RapCaviar Live will take place September 29 at the Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk. The event, held in partnership with Verizon, will be headlined by Chance the Rapper. 

Wellness in the Schools, a nonprofit that promotes healthy eating and fitness for children in New York public schools, will host its Fall Harvest Dinner on October 3 at the Standard Hotel. 

Brooklyn Music School’s St. Felix Street Centennial Gala will take place October 25 at Dumbo Loft. 

Experiential marketing agency George P. Johnson has appointed Marcos Ribeiro vice president and global executive creative director for the I.B.M. account. 

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

TORONTO:  The 13th edition of Nuit Blanche, the city’s contemporary nighttime art event, will take place September 29. This year’s event will explore the theme “You Are Here,” and exhibits will extend to Scarborough for the first time. 

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 Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, 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]