1. 'THREE BILLBOARDS' AND #TIMESUP DOMINATE BAFTA AWARDS: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri took home five awards, including best film, at Sunday's Bafta Awards, which was the latest awards show to address the Time's Up movement. Vanity Fair: "New host Joanna Lumley emceed the event, opening it by pointing to the resonance of the Suffragettes. 'A century ago, the Suffragettes laid the ground work for the kind of dogged resistance and powerful protest that has carried forward today with the Time’s Up movement, and with it the determination to eradicate the inequality and abuse of women the world over,' Lumley said. Beyond that, though, Lumley steered the evening away from the political, preferring to stick with her signature 'daarlings'—even though Time’s Up dominated the ceremony, inspiring actresses to wear black, and actors, for the most part, to wear Time’s Up pins across their lapels. The winning speeches predominately referenced and framed themselves within the movement, taking time to call out injustice and discrimination—some with more success than others. And in a similar spirit to the Golden Globes, some actors opted to bring political guests in lieu of family members or partners. ... After the awards, guests were chauffeured by Audi to the Grosvenor House Hotel for the night’s official dinner. Each table featured designs from the five films that were up for best picture; one, for instance, reimagined Three Billboards, replete with three red billboards growing out of its center." http://bit.ly/2Fh4tbG
2. RESTAURANT INDUSTRY HARASSMENT LEADS JAMES BEARD AWARDS TO INTRODUCE NEW CRITERIA: The James Beard Foundation's semifinal list of 400 chefs, restaurateurs, and restaurants doesn't include those recently accused of sexual harassment—but does include more women and diverse nominees. The New York Times: The foundation for the first time has advised the people who nominate and vote for the winners to add a new set of criteria. In addition to what’s on the plate and how a dining room executes service, contenders must also possess 'the values of respect, transparency, diversity, sustainability and equality.' The foundation’s language is brief and somewhat vague. But as a result, this year’s list of semifinalists, announced on Thursday morning, looks noticeably different from past lists. This year, 40 percent of the nominees are women, up from 27 percent last year. This year’s list is also more egalitarian and culturally diverse (though the foundation was not able to provide any statistics on racial diversity). Barbecue pits, noodle shops and fried chicken stands rub shoulders with high-style restaurants like Vespertine in Los Angeles and Cote, a New York Korean barbecue restaurant with the DNA of an expensive steakhouse. Some restaurants that topped critics’ lists in 2017 are noticeably absent, omitted by the foundation for either proven or perceived violations of the new code. ... A committee of 18 food writers, editors and producers is charged with sifting through 23,000 nominations—from regional judges, restaurants and the public—to create the semifinal list. In a sometimes contentious meeting in Honolulu last month, they grappled with how best to apply the foundation’s new standards for personal and corporate behavior. Because members signed nondisclosure agreements, they would not publicly discuss why certain restaurants did or did not make the list." http://nyti.ms/2EEa0Z7
3. WINTER OLYMPICS SEES ABUNDANCE OF EMPTY SEATS: Short-track speed skating has been one of the few events to see a full crowd at the Pyeongchang Olympics, which has frequently seen empty seats at most events. But the lack of attendance doesn't stop the Games from making billions. Los Angeles Times: "Organizers say they have sold more than 90% of available seats; they have blamed transportation snafus and frigid weather, among other things, for scaring away some ticket-holders, with a spokeswoman saying: 'We can't control the people who don't show up.' But as Pyeongchang struggles with lackluster attendance—at times using volunteers to fill space—sports business experts ask an important question: For an Olympic movement that generates billions of dollars from television and corporate sponsorships, does attendance really matter? 'It would be nice to have all these cowbells clanging as skiers go down the hill,' said Scott Minto, director of the sports business management program at San Diego State. 'But from a business sense, these Games could be on the moon and people would still tune in.' This issue isn't new to host cities. Ticket sales lagged in the run-up to the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. There were partially empty venues at the 2014 Sochi Games and at Turin, Italy, in 2006. ... But Europeans cities have shied away from bidding for the Games, concerned about the cost. At the same time, the IOC has sought to strengthen its brand in different parts of the world. The idea of spreading the Olympics this way makes sense, even if it requires wooing cultures that have no historical affinity to cross-country or bobsled, said David Carter, executive director of the USC Sports Business Institute. Besides, unlike the host city organizers, the IOC doesn't really need ticket revenue, not with NBC paying $7.65 billion to extend its broadcast rights through 2032 and a corporate sponsorship portfolio that generates an estimated hundreds of millions more." http://lat.ms/2BFlpZR
* LOCAL NEWS *
CHICAGO: The first-ever I Heart Halal, a Halal lifestyle expo, will take place April 13-15 at Navy Pier. The event will showcase Halal food, fashion, beauty, health, travel, banking, and fitness products.
LOS ANGELES: The first round of Oscars presenters has been announced, and includes Chadwick Boseman, Laura Dern, Greta Gerwig, and Tiffany Haddish.
The L.A. Games Conference will take place May 9 in Hollywood.
For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles
NEW YORK: The Glass House, a National Trust Historic Site in New Canaan, Connecticut, will host its annual summer party June 9.
For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork
TORONTO: The Canadian Latte Art Competition will take place February 26-27 at the Enercare Centre. The event will be held during the Restaurant Canada Show.
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Anxiety and Depression Association of America’s annual conference will take place April 5-8 at Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.
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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, and Ian Zelaya in New York.
BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.
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