July 8, 2013: Paula Deen Plans Return, Why Cities Cancelled July Fourth Parades, Virgin Atlantic's First-Class Stunt

1. WHY PAYING FOR PARADES IS DIFFICULT: Citizens love—and expect—a parade on the Fourth of July, but with municipal budgets tightening, cities are turning to other sources of funding or, like Atlanta, dropping them altogether. Washington Post: "Usually, that’s meant corporate sponsors—like the convenience store chain Wawa, which signed a multiyear deal to underwrite Philadelphia’s concert and fireworks show. But even private companies are asking more questions about the value of that visibility, if they can’t really engage people with their products." http://wapo.st/183C9Gq

2. PAULA DEEN PLANS RETURN: Former Food Network star Paula Deen announced via Twitter that she still plans to attend Washington's Metro Cooking and Entertaining Show. Washington Post: "Organizers said last week that they’d happily keep her on their roster (“we are taking her apology at her word. ... this is a nation of forgiveness and second chances”)—and Deen today said she’s still planning on taking her show on the road with them." http://wapo.st/11YXLPB

3. AMERICA'S CUP TRIPPED OVER RULES: Bickering over the rules at the 34th America's Cup regatta put the event on hold and subjected the high-end race with sponsors such as Oracle, Louis Vuitton, and Prada to criticisms. Reuters: "The economic benefits for the city of San Francisco are now expected to be much less than the $1.4 billion originally projected, and local residents who had opposed the event from the start now worry that the city could be on the hook for millions in expenses." http://reut.rs/12lN0m0

4. VIRGIN ATLANTIC'S FIRST-CLASS STUNT: In an effort to show consumers what it's like to fly Virgin Atlantic, Young & Rubicam placed a luxury bench in a park near the Flatiron Building. Guests who sat on the bench were served champagne and upper-class cuisine by flight attendants all while listening to a string-quartet.  AdWeek: "A period costume drama was performed, complete with noble steed (representing in-flight movies), and a flashmob of shiny-suited "aliens" acted out a video game." http://bit.ly/19YB57s

* LOCAL NEWS *

AUSTIN:  The 2013 Texas Tribune Festival is September 27-29 and will include speakers and discussion on topics such as immigration, criminal justice, and education. New to the program this year are walking tours of Austin landmarks.

BOSTON:  Harborfest: 32nd Annual Chowderfest was Sunday at the Boston City Hall Plaza where guests were served more than 2,000 gallons of New England clam chowder.

LAS VEGAS:  Golden Rainbow, which serves men, women, and children living with H.I.V. and AIDS in southern Nevada, raised more than $152,000 and drew a crowd of 1,424 attendees to its 27th annual “Ribbon of Life” fund-raiser at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts June 30.

LOS ANGELES:  Patina, located inside Walt DIsney Concert Hall, has started a "Summer Sommelier Series" with wine tastings and a summer menu of dishes such as butter-poached Maine lobster and tomato gazpacho.

Local event listings from Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  In addition to its annual restaurant dining deals, Miami Spice 2013, August 1-September 30, will have events, such as the Iron Fork competition with the Miami New Times, and promotions with sponsors such as MasterCard, Bacardi, and Norwegian Cruise Line.

New to this year's Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, October 31-November 4, is the mega-yacht venue SeaFair, a 228-foot custom yacht housing an art exhibit, fine jewelry, a restaurant and bar, the AIM Pavilion, and V.I.P. lounges. Located dockside at the Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel and Marina, SeaFair is designed to provide a club-like environment where guests can meet to relax or conduct business.

NEW YORK:  Lightbox, a new interactive event space, will host a V.I.P. launch event July 23. The space features two bars, 3-D projectors, a prep kitchen, multimedia walls, and a lighting system designed by Nuit Blanche New York.

Maura Buckley is stepping down as director of sales, charters, and events at NY Water Taxi. Kieran Carley will take over.

The Hamptons Happening is July 27 and will benefit the Samuel Waxman Cancer Foundation. Chef Todd English and fashion patron Ruth Finley will be honored.

Local event listings from Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

ORLANDO:  Smiling Bison will open a Bennett Road restaurant August 1. The eatery will serve handcrafted sausages along with craft beer and wine. DailyCity: http://bit.ly/1214usq

TORONTO:  The 25th annual Fringe Festival kicked off yesterday and will feature more than 155 productions at more than 25 venues across Toronto for the next 12 days. The festival will feature musicals, comedies, improv performances, and more.

WASHINGTON:  The General Services Administration has named its Governmentwide Travel Advisory Committee, including representatives from Marriott Hotels, the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Asian American Hotels Owners Association. http://1.usa.gov/1aRTm60

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With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Haley Holton, Beth Kormanik, Lauren Matthews, and Anna Sekula in New York.

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