1. INSIDE THE COMPETITION BETWEEN ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCIES AND HOTEL BRANDS: With summer travel season almost in full swing, online travel agencies are spending more on ads to compete with hotel brands for online bookings—and the travel agencies are winning, as they control more than half of online bookings. Advertising Age: "Hotels are fighting back, but their adversaries have a unique advantage: They can plow huge amounts of their revenue back into ad spending because they don't have the burden of caring for properties. Online travel agencies are 'basically marketing companies,' said Douglas Quinby, senior VP-research at Phocuswright, a travel and hospitality research firm. 'It's about data and technology, and they are just getting better and better at it.' Expedia, whose brands include Trivago, Orbitz, Hotels.com and Hotwire, grew its overall U.S. ad spending by 16.6% last year to $1.6 billion, becoming the nation's 25th-largest advertiser, ahead of ad powers like Unilever, McDonald's and PepsiCo, according to Ad Age's 200 Leading National Advertisers 2017 report. Priceline Group also cracked the top 100. Now ranked 96, it boosted spending 10.3% to $461 million to promote brands that include Kayak and fast-rising Booking.com, whose new 'Nothing Is More Important' campaign touts hassle-free planning. ... Travel sites are making their mark with campaigns like that of TripAdvisor, which is putting its owl mascot to work in a $70 million TV push. HotelTonight is hitting New York City hard with an outdoor campaign that targets locals, including those who need a room for an impromptu tryst. And Trivago ads are so omnipresent that the company created a stir online when it replaced its spokesman with Australian actress Gabrielle Miller. She began popping up in U.S. ads this year after appearing for the brand in other markets since late 2015. She's been 'flooded with marriage proposals since her ad first went to air,' the Daily Mail reported. 'Trivago guy' Tim Williams prompted similar curiosities and widespread media coverage, including when AskMen.com called him as 'so creepy, it's kind of hot.'" http://bit.ly/2tjWF5f
2. TORONTO HOTEL TO DROP TRUMP NAME: The Trump International Hotel & Tower in Toronto, which once hosted numerous Toronto International Film Festival parties, will lose the president’s name. The Hollywood Reporter: “The U.S. president's name is on Trump International Hotel & Tower in Toronto via a licensing deal, even as Trump has never owned any part of the 65-story hotel and condo development. But the new owner of the Trump Tower in Toronto on Tuesday announced a deal with the Trump Organization that will see the family name and brand removed from the property as soon as Aug. 1. ‘Collectively, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Eric Danziger and their team have been exceptional partners and we hope to have the pleasure of working with the Trump Organization again in the future,’ Jay Wolf, president of JCF Capital, said Tuesday in a statement. … The Trump International Hotel & Tower, long a TIFF favorite of studios and distributors for junkets and parties, saw a dip in festival business and a call for a boycott after Trump launched his eventually successful run for the U.S. presidency. In 2015, the America restaurant on the 31st floor of the Trump-branded hotel hosted TIFF events like the Final Girls afterparty, attended by Nina Dobrev and Malin Akerman, and a L'Oreal festival kickoff party hosted by Karlie Kloss.” http://bit.ly/2sYdmAO
3. FACEBOOK TO LIVE STREAM CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SOCCER EVENTS: Facebook has partnered with Fox Sports to live stream games from the Champions League, Europe’s biggest soccer tournament. Bloomberg: “Starting in September, the social network will show live Champions League matches in the U.S. through a partnership with Fox Sports. The deal with the sports division of 21st Century Fox Inc. includes double-headers during the group stage, four Round of 16 games and four quarterfinal matches. Neither company would disclose the financial terms of their agreement. The games are part of the Facebook’s strategy to entice advertisers to spend more money at a higher rate. It hasn’t sold advertising against the Champions League matches, but it could start by the time they begin. Sports is particularly attractive because live, unscripted events draw large numbers of viewers who want to talk about the game on social media. Twitter Inc., which has aggressively pursued the rights to stream games of all kinds, has committed to live video programming 24 hours a day. Facebook has been more deliberate. Soccer is already the most-followed sport on the social network. Last year 3.7 million users tuned in to watch a Wayne Rooney-sponsored charity match between Everton and Manchester United. As for the European professional tournament, 34 million people had 98 million interactions on Facebook related to the Champions League final in which Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid beat Juventus of Italy.” https://bloom.bg/2sdtxxb
* LOCAL NEWS *
COAST TO COAST: Event management software company CadmiumCD has appointed Sandy Brown sales manager for Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other West Coast markets, and DeWayne Jackson sales manager for Dallas, Houston, and corporate and South Central markets.
The Jamaica Tourist Board will host a variety of festivals and parties this summer including Coney Island Reggae on the Boardwalk July 2, August 6, and September 3; Music on the Main—Reggae Night in West Bend, Wisconsin, on July 20; the seventh annual Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, New York, on July 23; and the fourth annual South Carolina Reggae Jerk Festival on August 27 at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens in Charleston.
LOS ANGELES: K.C.E.T. public television and independent satellite network Link TV have partnered to launch the inaugural Earth Focus Environmental Film Festival. The film festival, which is sponsored by Deadline and grassroots nonprofit Green Wish, will take place July 29 at Egyptian Theatre.
For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA: Pérez Art Museum Miami will host a Fourth of July celebration for members. The event will have art-making activities, special exhibition tours, and waterfront access to nearby fireworks displays.
NEW YORK: Online retailer Revolve will host its third annual monthlong social and marketing activation, Revolve in the Hamptons, starting July 3. The V.I.P. events will take place each weekend in July at two private estates, and will host 52 influencers, models, and bloggers. For the first time, Revolve will host Club Revolve, a series of late-night after-parties that will be held at secret locations and feature live performances. Nightclub 1 Oak will partner with Revolve for the July 8 and July 15 events.
One-piece swim brand Andie will host a garden party at a private residence in East Hampton on July 8.
The second annual edition of Tefaf New York Fall, an international art fair focusing on art and jewelry from antiques through the early 20th century, will take place October 28-November 1. Tefaf is a nonprofit foundation that aims to guide private and institutional collectors in a global art marketplace
For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork
PHILADELPHIA: Bar Amis, the latest restaurant concept from Vetri Family of Restaurants, has opened at the Navy Yard in the former Lo Spiedo space. Helmed by executive chef Brad Spence, the restaurant has a family-recipe-driven menu with variations on Roman dishes. The two-story restaurant seats 75 at an outdoor terrace and as many as 25 in a private dining space.
SAN FRANCISCO: San Francisco Proper Hotel, the flagship hotel from Proper Hospitality, is slated to open in August. The hotel will have 131 rooms and suites, four indoor-outdoor restaurants that will be available for buyouts, a 3,400-square-foot rooftop, a 14-seat boardroom, and a meeting room that will hold 75 for receptions.
TORONTO: The 16th annual Grace International Jerk Food and Music Festival will take place August 11-13 at Etobicoke’s Centennial Park.
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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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