1. GRETCHEN CARLSON DEFENDS MISS AMERICA ORGANIZATION AGAINST BULLYING ACCUSATIONS: Miss America chairman Gretchen Carlson is defending herself and the organization against claims that they bullied 2018 pageant winner Cara Mund. Variety: "Carlson, the former Fox News anchor and 1989 Miss America winner, became chairman of Miss America Organization last year after the prior regime, led by former WMA titan Sam Haskell, was ushered out amid scandal about email correspondence that disparaged past Miss America winners and critics. But Carlson stands accused of being part of an effort to diminish Mund’s role during the final months of her reign. The next Miss America is set to be crowned September 9 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in a ceremony to air live from 9-11 p.m. ET on ABC. Miss America Organization C.E.O. Regina Hopper was also harshly criticized by Mund, who maintains Hopper frequently even called her by the wrong name at times. Mund, who hails from North Dakota, said she was told some media interview requests were 'too big' for her to do and were handed to Carlson instead. Mund aired her complaint in a lengthy letter to her 'Miss America sisters' airing her complaints about the new leadership. 'Our chair and C.E.O. have systematically silenced me, reduced me, marginalized me, and essentially erased me in my role as Miss America in subtle and not-so-subtle ways on a daily basis,' Mund wrote. 'After a while, the patterns have clearly emerged, and the sheer accumulation of the disrespect, passive-aggressive behavior, belittlement, and outright exclusion has taken a serious toll.' ... In a lengthy statement distributed Sunday evening via social media, Carlson said flatly: 'I have never bullied or silenced (Mund).' Carlson said she was 'surprised and saddened beyond words' by Mund’s accusations." https://bit.ly/2vYjc86
2. WHY BRANDS ARE OPENING EXPERIENTIAL STORES: Last week, Lexus opened a 16,500-square-foot venue in Manhattan that lets visitors immerse themselves in the brand without actually test-driving a car. The brand is the latest in a group that has opened experiential stores in an effort to attract consumers they wouldn't normally attract—in Lexus's case, those who wouldn't spend time in a car dealership. Advertising Age: "Lexus is far from the first big brand to try to arrange public 'hangouts' with a younger, affluent audience. In 2016, Samsung opened a 55,000-square-foot, three-floor location on Washington Street in Manhattan's Meatpacking District as a 'cultural playground' for downtown kids to see such bands as the XX perform on its underground stage. That year, PepsiCo Inc. opened the Kola House, its 'experimental' bar and workspace, in the same neighborhood. So did Cadillac: Cadillac House, a coffee shop and showroom for art installations from the likes of Visionaire and Daniel Arsham, is located just north of Tribeca. The goal behind such ventures is to attract people who wouldn't ordinarily spend their free time at a car dealership—or in an ordinary cell-phone store. They're meant to show off brand values in a non-threatening atmosphere that is as close as possible to actually being cool. It's an arguably impossible feat for any corporation when 'cool,' by casual definition, is the opposite of corporate. But the automakers are trying: They typically don't show a single new car in these spaces, except during special events. The implication is that trying to sell you something would be decidedly uncool. 'We have tried to tell people what you're supposed to feel from the Cadillac brand, but what we hadn't quite fully established was an environment that you could walk into,' Cadillac brand director Melody Lee said at the time. 'That's why we opened Cadillac House.' Both Cadillac and Lexus have declined to specify how much they spent on their conceptual event spaces. And success in this case is a difficult thing to measure." https://bit.ly/2N5dzvD
3. 14 INJURED AFTER STORM TOPPLES ENTRANCE STRUCTURE AT BACKSTREET BOYS CONCERT: Fourteen people were sent to the hospital on Saturday after a storm toppled an outdoor event entrance structure ahead of a Backstreet Boys and 98 Degrees concert in Oklahoma. The concert was postponed. Page Six: "The scheduled outdoor show at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, between Oklahoma City and Dallas along Interstate 35, was ultimately postponed. Earlier, nearby lightning prompted officials around 5 p.m. to start evacuating attendees, the company said in a statement released on Twitter. 'All patrons in the area were asked to move and to seek shelter from the storm,' the statement read. 'However, about 150 patrons who were standing in line for the Backstreet Boys concert did not heed staff’s warnings.' The incoming storm hit the area about a half-hour later, the company said, bringing with it severe rain and strong winds which 'knocked over the concert entrance trusses.' Fourteen people were injured and received care onsite before going to nearby hospitals, according to the statement. Two individuals have since been released, the company said, adding that officers from the Lighthorse Police and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, as well as Love County emergency responders, responded to the scene. 'We know that fans often suffer through inclement weather for their favorite acts, but this was an unusual event and our thoughts are with those who were injured during this storm,' the statement said." https://pge.sx/2MBspwD
* LOCAL NEWS *
BOSTON: Friends of Boston’s Homeless will hold its 27th annual golf tournament September 17 at Bass Rocks Golf Club in Gloucester.
CHICAGO: Uncommon Ground’s 10th annual Vegetarian Harvest Dinner will take place August 22 on the brewery’s rooftop farm.
DALLAS/FORT WORTH: The Dallas Marriott Las Colinas has completed the first phase of a multimillion-dollar renovation that includes all guest rooms. The second phase, expected to wrap up in the fall, will update public and meeting spaces, the restaurant, the bar/lounge, and the Greatroom lobby.
LOS ANGELES: Hyatt Regency Los Angeles International Airport announced that Gino Caliendo has been appointed general manager of the 580-room hotel.
Stand Up To Cancer will host its sixth biennial televised fund-raising special on September 7 from the Barker Hangar. Guests will include Reese Witherspoon, Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Trevor Noah, and more.
For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA: The third annual Doral Food and Wine Festival will take place November 10-11 at Doral Central Park.
NEW YORK: The Special Olympics New York Leadership Council hosted its 12th annual Summer Soiree at the Marquee New York on August 8. The event raised more than $125,000.
For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The 15th annual D.C. Shorts Film Festival and Screenplay Competition will take place September 6-16. The festival will screen 125 films in venues around the city, with the primary venue being the Landmark E Street Cinema.
YOUR NEWS: What are you doing? Tell us: [email protected].
JOB BOARD: Post a job or find a job: http://jobs.bizbash.com
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.
Feed the Sheet: [email protected]
Subscribe: www.bizbash.com/bizbashdaily
Advertise with BizBash: [email protected]
More in New York
Most Popular
