January 11, 2019: Is C.E.S. The Next Big Auto Show?, Miami Is Ready to Host 2020 Democratic Convention, Trump Cancels Trip to World Economic Forum

1. IS C.E.S. THE NEXT BIG AUTO SHOW?: Major automotive brands and ride-sharing companies like Hyundai, Lyft, Uber, Kia, Toyota, and Nissan are experimenting with technologies like walking cars, self-driving cars, and flying taxis—and the ideas are all front and center at C.E.S. The auto industry as a whole is going through major changes, making C.E.S. the ideal convention to showcase what's in store. CNBC: "With its glossy black finish, five-person cabin, and six huge fan pods, the Bell Nexus looks like it belongs on the set of a science fiction film, rather than the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. But it's just one of the many unusual displays at this year's Consumer Electronics Show focused on the world of transportation rather than the TVs, smartphones, and digital appliances traditionally found at C.E.S. ... Not everyone thinks the solution requires turning to drones like the Nexus, but the exhibits this year show the role that digital technology—everything from laser sensors to electric drive systems—will play in the not-too-distant future." https://cnb.cx/2D2mYBp

2. MIAMI IS READY TO HOST THE 2020 DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION: Miami wants the Democratic National Committee to know that it's willing to host the Democratic National Convention. On Thursday, commissioners unanimously gave city administration permission to work out a deal for the city to host the event in 2020. Miami-Dade has bid to host the 2020 convention, slated for July 13-16, in a joint effort by the county, the city, and Miami Beach, the latter of which is leading the bid. The decision will be made early this year. Miami Herald: "Beach Mayor Dan Gelber addressed Miami commissioners before Thursday’s vote, saying the selection committee is currently in negotiations with all three cities vying for the convention. Miami is competing with Milwaukee and Houston. The committee will hash out preliminary details with all three cities as a sort of audition before making the final call. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez has said all three are serious contenders. Miami political leaders are confident about their chances." https://hrld.us/2M5JDjh

3. TRUMP CANCELS TRIP TO WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM: President Donald Trump canceled his planned trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, blaming Democrats for their refusal to fund his request to build a wall at the southern border of the United States—a standoff which has caused a partial government shutdown for three weeks. Before Trump tweeted he wouldn’t be attending the economic conference, he told reporters on Thursday he still planned to go. The New York Times: “It was not immediately clear what made him change his mind when he posted his change of plans on Twitter. The forum, an annual gathering of the world’s political and financial elite, is typically an event American presidents avoid. Mr. Trump was the first president to attend the forum, in 2018, since Bill Clinton attended in 2000. … The White House had not disclosed a specific agenda for Mr. Trump during the forum in Davos, which begins on January 22. But officials have said it might have been a setting for high-level trade discussions between the United States and China.” https://nyti.ms/2AByIcf

* LOCAL NEWS *

ATLANTIC CITY:  Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa will invest more than $11 million in the construction of a sports book and bar venue, slated to open this summer. 

CHICAGO:  Wellness company Meeting Healthy will host its Health & Wellness Forum February 7-9 at the Hotel at Midtown. 

LAS VEGAS:  The fourth annual Mass Gathering Medicine Summit, produced by the American Academy of Event Medicine, will take place March 15-16 at SLS Las Vegas. 

LOS ANGELES:  Steven Tyler’s second annual Grammy Awards Viewing Party will take place February 10 at Raleigh Studios. The event is presented by Live Nation and benefits Janie’s Fund, a philanthropic initiative created by Tyler and family services nonprofit Youth Villages to help girls that have suffered abuse and neglect. 

Jennie Hoffman is the new director of sales and marketing for the Montage Beverly Hills. She has previously worked for Pyramid Hotel Group, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Marriott International.

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

NEW YORK:  The DiMenna Children’s History Museum at the New-York Historical Society will host its annual Family Benefit Party, celebrating the exhibition “Harry Potter: A History of Magic,” on January 13. 

Vinexpo New York, a conference for wine and spirits professionals, will take place March 4-5 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. 

The New York Times: "El Museo del Barrio in Harlem, the country’s oldest museum devoted to Latino art, announced on Thursday that it was rescinding a decision to honor a princess from Germany at its upcoming 50th anniversary gala. Longtime admirers of the museum had criticized the choice to honor Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, a 58-year-old socialite who lives in a 500-room palace in Regensburg, Germany, and is known for her connections to archconservatives who complained that Pope Francis is too liberal. They include Roman Catholic officials and Stephen K. Bannon, the chief executive of Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign, who has forged relationships with far-right political parties in Germany and France." 

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

SAN FRANCISCO:  Bei San Francisco, formerly the Holiday Inn San Francisco-Civic Center, reopens today after a $30 million renovation. The 396-room hotel has 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space. 

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Blue Duck Tavern at Park Hyatt Washington, D.C. will open its outdoor Fire Garden space this month. The space offers fire pits and blankets, and seating is first come, first serve. 

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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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