October 28, 2014: Taylor Swift to Promote New York Tourism, Corporate Holiday Party Planning Basics, Madison Square Garden Company Could Spin Off Event Business

1. TAYLOR SWIFT TO PROMOTE NEW YORK TOURISM: Singer Taylor Swift made two big commitments to New York on Monday: Signing on as headliner of ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” live from Times Square, and as the city’s latest tourism ambassador. The news also serves to promote her latest album, which leads with the song, “Welcome to New York.” Time: “She’s by no means a logical choice, if we’re basing logic on street cred alone. There are countless entertainers with strong ties to the city who might have better appeased New Yorkers (see Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, whose New York-themed anthem is among the most beloved in years). But that’s just it: NYC & Co. is not looking to appease the people who already live here. They’re looking to draw the people who don’t — 55 million each year, to be precise.” http://ti.me/1FQoy3v

2. CORPORATE HOLIDAY PARTY PLANNING BASICS: The Huffington Post offers tips for planning office holiday parties, from the pros and cons to serving alcohol, whether attendance should be mandatory, and setting a budget that matches the company’s economic performance. http://huff.to/130mlU3

3. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN COMPANY COULD SPIN OFF EVENT BUSINESS: The Madison Square Garden Company—which manages Radio City Music Hall and the New York Knicks, among other entities—is considering separating its sports teams from its entertainment and venue business. Financial Times: “The live entertainment company would be a premier live event and venue management company with expertise in areas such as productions and other entertainment content, marketing, sales, and event operations,” said President and C.E.O. Tad Smith. “The sports and media company would be a leading company that fields championship caliber sports teams and has the rights to distribute sports content on multiple media platforms.” http://on.ft.com/1rRMpGr

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  Actress Amy Poehler will speak about her new book, Yes, Please, at the Back Bay Events Center on Wednesday.

CHICAGO:  La Storia Ristorante will open in the Gold Coast later this year. The 4,000-square-foot Italian restaurant will seat 120 guests, and will offer private dining. During the warmer months, a garden courtyard and a sidewalk café will accommodate more guests.

LOS ANGELES:  Silverlake Conservatory of Music announced Monday that its founder, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and bandmate Anthony Kiedis, will host a benefit for the Los Angeles-based music school on November 1 in Beverly Hills.

Caruso Affiliated announced Monday a newly appointed vice president of restaurant operations, Jonathan Husby.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Coinciding with the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, VanDutch USA is hosting events at its U.S. headquarters in Fort Lauderdale to display its boats as well as debut its line of VanDutch Rosé wine and the VanDutch E Gocycle Bike.

NEW YORK:  ABC's Robin Roberts will host the first WebMD Health Hero Awards November 6 at the Times Center. The evening will honor Carson Daly, Michael J. Fox, Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz, Dr. Frank Papay, Zarin Idnat Rahman, and Martha Stewart.

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

TORONTO:  The Pumpkin Parade will take place at Sorauren Park on November 1. The event will feature nearly 2,000 pumpkins on display.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  The Washington Capitals and City Tap House are hosting a fund-raiser November 9 to benefit Foundation 4 Heroes, a nonprofit that supports children battling diseases to discover the "superheroes" inside them. Capitals players will attend, and a silent auction will include hockey paraphernalia and Fender guitars signed by Alice Cooper, Dierks Bentley, and Steve Lukather.

Park Hyatt Washington has appointed Sophie Slesinger as the cheese specialist for the Blue Duck Tavern and Blue Duck Lounge.

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With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, and Anna Sekula in New York.

BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.

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