1. SANDY HOOK ORGANIZATION DROPS MEGYN KELLY AS GALA HOST: An anti-gun group founded by parents of children killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School has dropped Megyn Kelly as host of a Washington gala taking place today because of her decision to broadcast an interview with controversial conspiracy-theorist Alex Jones. Associated Press: “Kelly said Tuesday that she understands and respects the decision by Sandy Hook Promise to disinvite her as host of its Wednesday gala, but is disappointed. She said reporting on Jones’ falsehoods is what journalists are supposed to do. NBC is taking considerable heat on social media for its Father’s Day broadcast of Kelly’s interview with ‘Infowars’ host Alex Jones, who has questioned whether the killing of 26 people in 2012 at the school in Newtown, Connecticut, was a hoax. The firm JPMorgan Chase has asked that its advertisement not run on the broadcast. ‘Sandy Hook Promise cannot support the decision by Megyn or NBC to give any form of voice or platform to Alex Jones and have asked Megyn Kelly to step down as our Promise Champion Gala host,’ said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and managing director. ‘It is our hope that Megyn and NBC reconsider and not broadcast this interview.’ Hockley, whose 6-year-old son Dylan was killed at Sandy Hook, founded the group with Mark Barden, who lost his 7-year-old son Daniel. Kelly said that she found Jones’ suggestion that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax ‘as personally revolting as every other rational person does. ’It left me, and many other Americans, asking the very question that prompted this interview: How does Jones, who traffics in these outrageous conspiracy theories, have the respect of the president of the United States and a growing audience of millions?’ Trump, she said, has helped elevate Jones with his attention and letting “Infowars” in some White House events, she said.” http://apne.ws/2sopKwD
2. BONNAROO ATTENDANCE UP FROM LAST YEAR: Attendance at the Bonnaroo music festival on June 8-11 was up 43 percent from last year, with more than 65,000 festivalgoers in attendance each day. Billboard: “Headliners included Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Weeknd, as well as a high-profile opening slot Friday by U2 who performed their pivotal Joshua Tree album in its entirety. U2 is currently touring in support of the album's 30th anniversary and Bonnaroo was the Irish band’s first-ever U.S. festival appearance. This year's other headliners included Chance the Rapper, Lorde, Major Lazer, The xx and Travis Scott. The attendance rise represented a nearly 43% increase over last year when Nashville newspaper The Tennessean reported that Bonnaroo’s daily attendance hit an all-time low of 45,537, a drop of 28,156 over 2015. That decline cost Live Nation Entertainment, which acquired a majority stake in the festival in 2015, and its partners, festival co-founders A.C. Entertainment and Superfly, an estimated $9 million in ticket sales. While this year's Bonnaroo did not reach the levels it had in 2015 when attendance reached almost 73,000 (with headliners including Billy Joel, Mumford & Sons, Deadmau5, Kendrick Lamar, Florence & the Machine, Robert Plant and My Morning Jacket), its resurgence was applauded by the festival organizers who were seeing increased competition in Tennessee during the event's four-day run.” http://bit.ly/2rsPItQ
3. WHY KFC IS SENDING A CHICKEN SANDWICH TO THE STRATOSPHERE: KFC's latest marketing campaign will involve launching its tangy fried-chicken sandwich close to space in a balloon. For the stunt, the fast-food company has partnered with World View Enterprises, an Arizona-based company that hopes to send tourists into the stratosphere on balloons. The New York Times: "The company said on Tuesday that the first flight of a fully equipped high-flying balloon would take off as soon as June 21, with a payload of fast food. Perhaps you’ve seen the KFC television commercial where Colonel Sanders, (played by the actor Rob Lowe), riffs on John F. Kennedy’s 1962 'We choose to go to the moon' speech. The Zinger, a spicy fried chicken sandwich that’s hand-breaded, with mayo and lettuce, isn’t new, but until this spring it wasn’t sold in the United States. Created in 1984 for restaurants in Trinidad and Tobago, it is now sold in more than 120 countries. George Felix, KFC’s director of advertising, said the concept of the marketing campaign was the dual launch on the ground in the United States and to the stratosphere. ... World View was finishing up development of balloons it calls stratollites—a mash-up of stratosphere and satellites—and while a stratollite will not reach the 62-mile-high threshold regarded as the edge of space, it is also much cheaper than a sending a rocket to orbit. KFC signed up to take part in the demonstration flight, which will test the full complement of technologies, including solar panels to generate power and the navigational technology that will tap into prevailing winds to steer to any part of the world and then hover over a particular spot. 'It’s really a shakedown cruise,' Ms. Poynter said. If all goes according to plan, the balloon will stay aloft for at least four days. Earlier stratollite flights, testing various components, were in the air for less than a day." http://nyti.ms/2s06DaF
* INDUSTRY NEWS *
Event management agency LDJ Productions has launched "Futures," a start-up accelerator for emerging technology in the live-event industry. Futures will provide workspace at the LDJ headquarters in New York, access to clients, mentorship, and tailored workshops to participating start-ups.
* LOCAL NEWS *
COAST TO COAST: Kindred Resorts & Hotels, a marketing collective of independent hotels and resorts in North America focused on the group and meetings market, announced the addition of several new properties: the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside, California; the Pridwin Beach Hotel and Cottages in Shelter Island, New York; Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri; Sunrise Springs Spa Resort in Sante Fe, New Mexico; Weekapaug Inn in Weekapaug, Rhode Island; Emerson Resort & Spa in Mount Tremper, New York; and five Longwood venues located throughout New England.
BOSTON: TalkingPoint: Conversations With Podcasters at Freepoint Hotel will take place June 20. The event will include a live episode of the podcast Worst Bestsellers.
LAS VEGAS: Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas will celebrate National Martini Day on June 19 with $10 Belvedere martinis at the hotel’s indoor-outdoor patio.
LOS ANGELES: The 31st annual Long Beach Bayou Festival will take place June 24-25 at Rainbow Lagoon Park.
For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles
NEW YORK: The inaugural Josh Pond Ice Cream Week kicked off on Monday and will run through Sunday. Blueberries from the Josh Pond farm in Maine will be featured in limited-edition flavors from participating ice cream shops including Morgenstern’s, Davey’s Ice Cream, Il Laboratory del Gelato, and 10 Below.
Ravel Hotel in Long Island City is opening the Estate Tower today, nearly doubling the hotel space. The new space will include a 17,000-square-foot ballroom; a 24,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor reception area; and the Estate Garden Grill, an elevated garden restaurant.
The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre’s 19th annual Del Close Improve Comedy Marathon Press Conference will take place June 23. Talent includes Amy Poehler, Matt Walsh, Ian Roberts, Matt Besser, and Horatio Sanz.
Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation’s annual Art For Life benefit, “Midnight at the Oasis,” will take place July 15 at Fairview Farms in Bridgehampton. The foundation, which provides underserved inner-city youth with exposure to the arts, will be hosted by Russell Simmons and Danny Simmons, and feature a performance by Cynthia Erivo.
For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork
PHILADELPHIA: Normandy Farm Hotel & Conference Center has added the Bluestone Fine Art Gallery to its conference center, as part of a multimillion dollar renovation. The exhibit will highlight 20 works of contemporary art from primarily local artists. The hotel’s 2017 renovation also includes upgrades to guest rooms, the main lobby, and meeting space.
TORONTO: Night It Up!, an outdoor Asian-theme food festival, will take place July 14-16 at Markham Civic Centre. The event, organized by more than 50 youth volunteers, will raise funds for ALSDoublePlay.
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Atlantic will host a conversation about the rise of global populism in the era of President Trump with editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg, national correspondent Graeme Wood, and White House correspondent Rosie Gray on June 19 at Sixth & I. The conversation also will focus on Wood’s recent piece in The Atlantic about Richard Spencer, the leader of the alt-right movement and Wood’s former high school classmate.
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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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