December 10, 2018: What Is The Future of Art Basel Miami Beach?, Wedding of Indian Heiress Draws Beyoncé and Hillary Clinton, What to Expect From Bud Light's First Super Bowl Music Festival

1. WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH?: The 17th edition of Art Basel Miami Beach ended on Sunday, offering a slew of celebrity-filled events across the greater Miami area. This year, though, many of the glamorous events seemed to have insubstantial connections to the actual art shown and purchased, and the festival continues to rapidly grow amidst a cooling of luxury real-estate values. The New York Times: "Yet behind the glittering facade, signs were evident of structural cracks—particularly within Miami Beach, which is joined at the hip to Art Basel. It was deeply jarring when Basel’s Swiss-based owner, MCH Group, announced last month that it was drastically reducing its international holdings in regional fairs, consolidating its focus on its 'very sound position' in core fairs in Basel, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong. Following reports of a $100 million loss, it canceled Grand Basel in Miami Beach, a luxury car showcase slated this February for the same Convention Center—one currently receiving a taxpayer-funded $620 million revamp at Basel’s explicit request. The real talk among moneyed collectors was the impact of a skidding stock market coupled with a dramatic cooling of luxury real-estate values around South Florida. While the inaugural Faena Festival was unspooling around Miami Beach’s art-themed Faena House condo building, another story was unfolding inside the three-year-old Faena House itself. The shift in market outlook had produced what The Wall Street Journal called an 'exodus' of high-end condo owners (including the gallerist Larry Gagosian), who were selling off their units there, many for millions of dollars less than their purchase prices. Local realtors have been loudly forecasting that Miami real-estate prices were poised to hit new heights, buoyed by Basel’s annual presence. Their high-net-worth clients seemed to be betting otherwise. A similar warning was contained within an otherwise glowing new analysis commissioned by the Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and conducted by the consulting firm TDC. 'Evolving Arts Ecosystems: A Study of Miami' took a broad look at the undeniable 'explosion' of cultural activity over the past decade in the wake of Art Basel’s arrival, much of it spurred by the $165 million in grants that Knight has given since 2005 to local arts organizations, ranging from institutions like the Pérez Art Museum Miami to scrappy artist-run spots like Swampspace and the Bas Fisher Invitational. (Letter16 Press, a nonprofit publisher of photography books co-founded by this reporter, is also a past Knight grant recipient.) Attendance records at museums have shattered even the most optimistic projections; arts-related jobs continue to sprout; a once-endemic 'brain drain' has been, if not reversed, at least stabilized." https://nyti.ms/2L7r7q5

2. WEDDING OF INDIAN HEIRESS DRAWS BEYONCé AND HILLARY CLINTON: While her actual wedding hasn't taken place yet, Isha Ambani, daughter of India's richest tycoon, Mukesh Ambani, has already had the likes of Beyoncé and Hillary Clinton attend the pre-wedding festivities. Beyoncé performed at a private concert for the wedding, which is slated to be one of the most luxurious in India this year. CNN: "The most lavish Indian wedding of the year is underway in the northwestern state of Rajasthan, as 27-year-old Isha Ambani—daughter of the country's wealthiest man—prepares to tie the knot with businessman Anand Piramal. The pair won't officially wed until a Wednesday ceremony at the bride's family residence in Mumbai. But celebrations kicked off over the weekend at Udaipur's City Palace, a grand 16th-century complex overlooking Lake Pichola. The bride's father Mukesh Ambani, chair of the multinational conglomerate Reliance Industries, is worth more than $47 billion, according to Forbes. And the family appears to have spared no expense putting on a show for Bollywood A-listers, business magnates, politicians, and sports stars. The guest list included advertising tycoon Martin Sorrell, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, and the businesswoman and author Arianna Huffington. Hillary Clinton, a long-time friend of the Ambani family, was also in attendance. Guests were able to download a custom app to help stay abreast of the schedule, which is expected to include feasts, rituals, and entertainment events. Chief among these was the 'sangeet,' a night of music and dance traditionally hosted by the bride's family. Descending on the exclusive Oberoi Udaivilas Hotel on Saturday night, a star-studded crowd witnessed performances from various musicians and Bollywood icons. ... The marriage marks the latest high-profile ceremony in this year's winter wedding season, which usually runs from November to February (a period considered, in Hindu astrology, to be the most auspicious time to wed). Actress Priyanka Chopra and American singer Nick Jonas—both of whom were in attendance at the weekend's festivities in Udaipur—tied the knot last week in their own extravagant ceremony just over 100 miles away in Jodhpur." https://cnn.it/2SGv3Rl

3. WHAT TO EXPECT FROM BUD LIGHT'S FIRST SUPER BOWL MUSIC FESTIVAL: Bud Light never fails to make an impression with its ads at the Super Bowl, but for Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, the beer brand is launching its first-ever music festival around the championship, which will feature high-profile artists and rappers that hail from the city. Adweek: "'Music and sports are two things that Bud Light has been involved with for so many years and when we thought of how we can even elevate further what we do already for the Super Bowl, adding a music element and then particularly at this scale, started to seem like a no-brainer,' Shana Barry, director of Bud Light experiential, said. Post Malone, an artist who is very familiar with the Bud Light brand, will headline the event. ... Since Post Malone just worked with Bud Light on the tour in Nashville, it felt like a great fit to select him to head up the brand’s first Super Bowl music festival. Bud Light started working with Post Malone early on in his career, when he was opening up for X Ambassadors at MSG in the summer of 2017. ... The festival itself will span three days (the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday leading up to Super Bowl Sunday). Thursday will serve as a celebration of the city of Atlanta, with performances by musicians who are from the area, including Ludacris, Lil Jon, Migos, and more. Friday night Aerosmith and Post Malone will take the stage, and Saturday will wrap up with performances by Bruno Mars and Cardi B. Bud Light noted that the festival wouldn’t be possible without some of the brand’s key partners. State Farm, EA Sports, Ticketmaster, Stubhub, and On Location Experiences are all working with the brand to bring the festival to life." https://bit.ly/2C27Vau

* LOCAL NEWS *

CHICAGO:  ComplexCon will take place in Chicago for the first time July 20-21, 2019, at McCormick Place.

DETROIT:  The North American International Auto Show has signed a seven-year contract with Cobo Center, which will now be the show’s venue through 2026. 

LAS VEGAS:  MediaVillage and Jack Myers KnowledgeExchange will host the Advancing Diversity Inclusive Talent Job Fair on January 9 at C.E.S.

LOS ANGELES:  Radisson Hotel Group is slated to open its fourth U.S. location of Radisson Blu in Anaheim in mid-2020. The 12-story hotel will have 326 rooms, two boardrooms, a full-service restaurant and lounge, and an outdoor restaurant, bar, and pool on the roof.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Jackson Health Foundation and Bal Harbour Shops will host the second annual Ice Cream We Love event on January 12-13. The event, which will feature ice cream brands from across the country, will benefit patients at Holtz Children’s Hospital

NEW YORK:  Art Beyond the Glass, a multi-city fund-raising event series that features cocktails and artwork from local bartenders, will have its inaugural New York edition on January 20 at Town Stages. The event will raise funds for Sokoloff Arts. 

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

TORONTO:  The 2019 Canadian International Auto Show will take place February 15-24 at Metro Toronto Convention Centre. 

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

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