July 12, 2017: How Women at Warped Tour Are Fighting Back Against Sexual Assault, Why More Hotels Are Focusing on Human Hospitality Over Technology, Inside American Express’s Effort to Create More Fashion Events for Members

1. HOW WOMEN AT WARPED TOUR ARE FIGHTING BACK AGAINST SEXUAL ASSAULT: As sexual harassment at music festivals and concerts is a global issue, a punk rock group has launched a program to teach women how to combat assault at these live events. Popsugar: "Feminist punk band War on Women (pictured above) is pushing back. For the 2017 Vans Warped Tour, the annual US-wide alternative music festival, the group co-created an initiative called Safer Scenes to teach bystander intervention tactics meant to combat sexual violence at shows. Strategies such as distracting a perpetrator or calmly going to get help let members of the public safely intervene in a potentially troubling situation instead of doing nothing.  Kira-Lynn Ferderber, a Canadian rapper and educator, has been involved in bystander intervention training for nearly 15 years. She was invited to join Warped Tour by Shawna Potter, War on Women's frontwoman, and runs the Safer Scenes tent with a few volunteers at every show. While most incidents of sexual violence are committed by someone known to the victim, Ferderber says music festivals are unique because harassers are usually strangers. Large crowds, unfamiliar settings, and drugs and alcohol can let people feel like they can get away with something, she says. 'My approach is not to end festivals or say they're too dangerous, or to say 'don't go,' 'girls stay home,'' she tells POPSUGAR on the War on Women's tour bus at the Camden, NJ, stop of the tour. 'It's about engaging all the other people who are at a festival who are not about to commit sexual violence and aren't in immediate danger.' Outside the US, initiatives like Girls Against in the UK, Good Night Out, an international campaign, and Noise Against Sexual Assault in Toronto, Canada, are also working to end sexual violence at festivals, shows, or even at the pub." http://bit.ly/2vbG4ya

2. WHY MORE HOTELS ARE FOCUSING ON HUMAN HOSPITALITY OVER TECHNOLOGY: While many hotels are making the guest experience more tech-friendly, hotels also are training their workers to improve hospitality skills and learn more about local tourist attractions. The New York Times: “‘Technology cannot hug a repeat guest,’ said George Aquino, the vice president and managing director of AHC+Hospitality, formerly the Amway Hotel Corporation, based in Grand Rapids, Mich. That is the reason his company, which manages several hotels, has been running a training program for some of its managers and other staff members to improve their hospitality skills, connect with local business leaders and learn more about local tourist offerings. Similar programs are sprouting in other cities, involving not just hotels but also restaurants and even cities themselves, which see the personal touch as giving them a competitive edge. For business travelers, in particular, talking to someone knowledgeable about a city can lead to a good restaurant. And it can also help expand business leads. … Some cities and regions have developed their own programs aimed at increasing the number of conventions and ensuring that visitors have a positive experience. Among them is the Destination Champions program developed by the marketing organization Discover the Palm Beaches to increase convention activity in Palm Beach County, Fla. The program encourages local business leaders to promote the county as a convention destination whenever they are traveling on business. Other places developed programs for specific time periods, then continued them. Detroit created ‘The World Is Coming to Detroit’ when the city was the host of Super Bowl XL in 2006, then used a version of the program for several years. According to Michael O’Callaghan, the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau, the program began as a hospitality training program for the bureau’s 800 members but eventually became a seminar series that has recently focused on social media and other topics.” http://nyti.ms/2u4v4G6

3. INSIDE AMERICAN EXPRESS€�S EFFORT TO CREATE MORE FASHION EVENTS FOR MEMBERS: American Express has recently been hosting more fashion “experiences” for members, with help from notable fashion tastemakers. Fashionista: “‘The 'experience' thing is something that American Express has tried to emphasize to distinguish itself from a lot of the cards.’ explains Liz Weston, Personal Finance Columnist and CFP at NerdWallet. ‘They're trying to find ways to engage and get those high-spending, high income people using their cards—and using them consistently.’  But the level of experience has to be especially memorable—specifically ‘high-end experiences or experiences that others can't easily access that make you a cut above,’ she adds. So the inclusion of fashion kind of makes total sense considering it's an industry (or clique, let's be honest) full of invitation-only runway shows and FOMO-inducing parties with extremely tight (or impossible) guest lists. But now Amex Platinum Card members have VIP access to their own VIP fashion events, but for a price on top of the $550 annual fee. For example, Amex partnered with Harper's Bazaar for a globe-trotting book tour to celebrate the book Harper's BAZAAR: 150 Years: The Greatest Moments. Platinum Card members could purchase one of a limited number of tickets ($200 each) to join intimate Hollywood and fashion celebrity-filled events hosted by Editor-in-Chief Glenda Bailey. The series kicked off in April with two fêtes in New York, including one at The Carlyle, where members rubbed shoulders with Tom Ford, Gucci's Alessandro Michele, Reese Witherspoon and Celine Dion. The celebration continued through June via very chic Q&As in London with Victoria Beckham, Milan with Giorgio Armani and Paris with Christian Louboutin. To ensure the experiences have that authentic exclusivity and distinctiveness that fashion people know so well, Amex enlisted industry insiders—and financial services outsiders—for their expertise, fresh perspective and ultimate cool factor. Dubbed ‘The Platinum Collective,’ the board of advisors includes jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher, Rebecca Minkoff, Thom Browne CEO Rodrigo Bazan, Saturdays NYC Co-Founder Morgan Collett, Glossier Founder Emily Weiss, and The Terminal Presents Founder and MADE Co-Founder Jenné Lombardo.” http://bit.ly/2uO8nTT

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  The 14th annual International Sand Sculpting Festival will take place July 21-23 at Revere Beach. 

CHICAGO:  Chicago Dancers United, which aims to mobilizes the city’s dance community by raising funds through dance, will host a gala reception on August 19 at Hilton Chicago. The event will be held before the 26th annual Dance for Life Chicago performance at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. 

LAS VEGAS:  The American Gaming Association’s Global Gaming Expo will take place October 2-5 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. 

LOS ANGELES:  Brooklyn-based music venue Baby’s All Right is slated to open a Los Angeles outpost in a Chinatown warehouse in 2018. Curbed: http://bit.ly/2v9YO0W

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Etaru, a restaurant featuring contemporary Japanese Robatayaki cuisine, will open its first location in South Florida later this summer in an oceanfront setting at the Related Group’s Hyde Beach Club in Hallandale Beach. A second location will open in early 2018 at the Related Group’s luxury rental Icon Las Olas in Fort Lauderdale.

NEW YORK:  The Madison Square Garden Company and the Prudential Center have formed a booking and marketing partnership that will bring together Madison Square Garden’s services and the Prudential Center location in an effort to draw more live events to New Jersey. 

Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts will present the 14th annual Ambassador to the Upper East Side Award to Ann Pyne at a dinner on September 25 at the Metropolitan Club. 

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

SAN FRANCISCO:  Brett Neller has been named director of finance for the 404-room W San Francisco. He previously worked as the director of finance for the Ritz-Carlton New York, Westchester. 

TORONTO:  The inaugural Elevate Toronto technology festival will take place September 12-14. BlogTO: http://bit.ly/2sMDYE5

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C. has appointed Michael Deltette director of catering sales. 

YOUR NEWS: What are you doing? Tell us: [email protected]. 

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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, Rayna Katz, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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

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