Call Sheet #235: Maritz Buys Experient, Start-Ups Lure Student Marketers, Neil Patrick Harris to Host Tonys

BIZBASH CALL SHEET — #235 — Wednesday, 04.04.12

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Compiled today by Chad Kaydo in New York.
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* INCOMING *

1. MARITZ BUYS EXPERIENT: Event, meeting, and incentive company Martitz Travel announced Tuesday it has acquired Experient. The deal expands Maritz’s reach into the association and government sectors. In 2011, the two companies represented more than $2 billion in industry volume spend and nearly 3 million travelers served. Experient C.E.O. Jeff Price will step down, and Experient will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Maritz. Here’s the release and a video statement from Maritz Travel president David Peckinpaugh: http://bit.ly/HOsmCu

2. CAMPUS MARKETERS: The Wall Street Journal: “The coolest college clique to join this year isn’t a sorority or the lacrosse team. Students from the University of Southern California to Dartmouth College are lining up to become on-campus volunteer marketers for technology start-ups. Students are slipping into lecture halls to write brand names and company URLs on professors’ white boards, making cold pitches to strangers on college-town streets, creating Facebook pages, producing videos and lobbying school newspapers to plug the businesses of entrepreneurs in New York City and Silicon Valley.” They’re not doing it for cash, but for their resumes. http://on.wsj.com/Hd5pwS

3. TONYS HOST BACK: Neil Patrick Harris will return to the Broadway theater awards June 10 at the Beacon Theatre in New York. This will be the third run, after hosting in 2009 and 2011. Executive producers are Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment. Reactions:

* Deadline New York’s Mike Fleming: “I’m already wondering what will happen late this year when AMPAS starts looking around again for an Oscar host.” http://bit.ly/HkZC1Z
* Entertainment Weekly: “NPH’s opening and closing songs have been the best thing about two recent Tonys telecasts.” http://bit.ly/Hm2taP

4. ADS IN WEIRD PLACES: Adweek: “Spending on ambient advertising, which includes often mundane, sometimes odd out-of-home media like pizza boxes and movie tickets, grew an estimated 6 percent in 2011 to $630 million, per PQ Media. Creatives scrambling to cut through the clutter have gotten increasingly inventive.” A roundup of recent examples includes bowling balls decorated as decapitated human heads, LED bicycle spokes, and benches that leave imprints on sitters’ thighs. http://bit.ly/HV7DeH

5. NEW C.E.O. FOR CLASSIC: Classic Party Rentals named a new president and C.E.O., Jeff Black. Black comes to Classic from Aramark Uniform Services, where he worked for 17 years, most recently as vice president of customer care and general manager of Aramark Japan. He will be based in L.A. Pedro Mata, who led for the past two years, is “retiring to pursue personal interests,” according to a PR rep.

6. AD CUTBACKS: A study by the Association of National Advertisers found brands are asking agencies to lower spending, cutting costs in areas such as training, conference attendance, and travel. Ad Age: http://bit.ly/HcGPfk

7. GAME BACK ON: Unilever is reviving last year’s virtual game the Magnum Pleasure Hunt. The successor to the consumer promotion, which landed a top spot in Twitter trending topics the day it launched, will include local events, such as “a real-world augmented-reality version of the Pleasure Hunt game in the streets of Amsterdam on April 22.” Ad Age: http://bit.ly/HI852F

8. SOCIAL PHOTOS: The W Times Square is hosting the first exhibit of Instagram photos, launching May 1. A contest to find photographers encourages users of the app to use the hashtag #wdesign.

++ A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR: EVENT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE ++

The  Event Leadership Institute is proud to provide the most progressive training and education for event planners in the industry, through on-demand video classes, biweekly webinars, white papers as well as interviews with industry leaders. www.eventleadershipinstitute.com

* VIDEO BREAK *

Adweek has “10 Great TV Spots Directed by Wes Anderson.” The “Royal Tanenbaums” director’s new movie, “Moonrise Kingdom,” will open the Cannes Film Festival next month. Here are his commercials for the likes of Hyundai, Sony Mobile, and Ikea: http://bit.ly/Hd5OQn

* ABOUT LAST NIGHT: ISES SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT *

From senior editor Beth Kormanik: The ISES New York Metro Chapter gathered 200 event professionals for its Sustainability Summit yesterday at the Rubin Museum of Art. Under chairwoman Jill Taub Drury, the event brought green resources, tips, and trends to the industry through workshops and an interactive marketplace. “We believe sustainability is not a cause but a mandate,” she said.

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON: David and Sybil Yurman will attend the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Hot Pink kickoff party tonight at the David Yurman store in Copley Place.

CHICAGO: Stimulus Social Club hosts its third anniversary event tonight at Nellcote. The $20 cover charge includes two drinks and appetizers. Local radio and media personalities are expected.

Quest Drape opened its first office in Chicago. The drape rental company now has eight locations including Miami, Orlando, Washington, and Las Vegas.

Drumbar is scheduled to open in June on the rooftop of the Raffaelo Hotel. The 4,000-square-foot, speakeasy-style lounge will have a marble bar, arched windows, a garden terrace, and a deck. A second deck with grills and seating will host private events.

The Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center will host its spring luncheon April 24 at the Four Seasons Hotel with speaker Sherry Lansing, the former film exec and founder of the Sherry Lansing Foundation.

In honor of baseball’s opening day, Caffe Bacci has a menu of ballpark specials today through Friday. A 12-person minimum order is required, and items include Chicago-style hot dogs, a burger bar, and a nacho bar.

LAS VEGAS: The first North Las Vegas City Walk event of the year happened Monday. The Chamber of Commerce’s quarterly event focuses on small business owners. KTNV: http://bit.ly/HcGRUK

Hat designer Philip Treacy will debut his spring and summer 2012 collection and provide custom fittings for guests inside Bags Belts & Baubles at Wynn Las Vegas on May 6.

LOS ANGELES/SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: On Monday, Marriott International Inc. awarded the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live with both Global Event Management Team of the Year 2011 and Global Sales Team of the Year 2011.

M.P.I.’s Orange County chapter will host its annual education conference and exposition at the Hilton Anaheim on May 10.

This month, Hotel Amarano in Burbank will complete an $10 million expansion, which includes the luxe 2,300-square-foot Chairman’s Suite.

MIAMI: With a sold-out crowd of 78,363 fans, WrestleMania XXVIII became Sun Life Stadium’s largest attended event, breaking the mark of 77,912 for the BCS National Championship in 2005. It was also the highest-grossing entertainment event at Sun Life Stadium at $8.9 million, eclipsing U2 on June 29, 2011 at $7.5 million. Miami Herald: http://bit.ly/Hewq3H

The owner of the flashy new Miami Marlins Ballpark “plans to leave no base unturned in pursuing event dollars during the 284 days not taken up by baseball, from renting out the Marlins locker room for corporate board meetings to turning the entire stadium into a downtown convention center for auto exhibitions, home expos and trade shows.” Miami Herald: http://bit.ly/H72HVS

Queen Lounge, a new cocktail and gastro-lounge at 841 Washington Avenue, will host its official grand opening April 5. The 4,000-square-foot venue is will serve a menu of handcrafted cocktails and small plates.

Following accusations of mismanagement, Marriott International Inc. was sued for $75 million by the owner of Eden Roc Renaissance Hotel in Miami Beach. BusinessWeek: “Marriott flooded the hotel with discount bookings for years... As a result, the hotel generated a ‘mere fraction’ of the $30 million in profit projected for 2011 and the $35 million forecast for 2012.” http://buswk.co/HQ8Fwy

The City of Coral Gables is hosting its first annual Gables Earth Fest, with more than 40 planet-friendly exhibitors and vendors showcasing products and services that offer the community alternatives to live a more sustainable life. The event is April 22 in front of Coral Gables City Hall.

NEW YORK: ExtraExtra, an experiential production company with clients that include HP, Absolut Vodka, and Lanvin, is looking for freelance and full-time producers and production coordinators. Interested parties should email [email protected].

The American Society of Magazine Editors will present its National Magazine Awards May 3 at the Marriott Marquis, a move from last year’s venue, 583 Park Avenue.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Equality Now will host a benefit at the Asia Society April 19. Meryl Streep, Laura Linney, Rosie Perez, and Eliza Dushku are among the expected performers.

This year’s Amfar Inspiration gala at the New York Public Library will honor Marc Jacobs president Robert Duffy and singer Fergie and include an Olympics-inspired men’s fashion show. WWD: http://bit.ly/HiV5Su

More on Amfar’s Inspiration gala series: our interviews with vice president and director of development Gregory Boroff and producer Josh Wood, two of our 2012 Event Innovators: http://bizba.sh/AhCL1x

Macy’s July 4 fireworks will be held on the Hudson River for the fourth consecutive year, which prompted local politicians to stage rally at Brooklyn Bridge Park. “New York’s Fourth of July fireworks should be a citywide celebration. Where they are now, New Jersey gets to enjoy them, but Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx are left out of the party. That’s completely unacceptable,” said Democratic State Senator Daniel Squadron. New York Daily News: http://nydn.us/HdQMKd

ORLANDO: Universal Orlando will open two new entertainment experiences on May 8. Universal’s Superstar Parade will perform on the streets of Universal Studios, with floats, technology, and hundreds of performers. Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories will show highlights from nearly 200 films on screens within Universal Studios lagoon, with narration by Morgan Freeman and synchronized music, fountains, and pyrotechnics.

The Sentinel looks at NPE 2012, a giant plastics trade show now at the Orange County Convention Center, making its central Florida debut after four decades in Chicago’s McCormick Place. http://bit.ly/HTmNVP

PALM SPRINGS: Larry Abel and Raymond McCallister of L.A.- and New York-based event production group Abel McCallister Designs are bringing a new retail concept to the Uptown Design District with the opening of Raymond | Lawrence. The grand-opening celebration April 19 will benefit AIDS Assistance Program.

TORONTO: Coors Light launched its new iced-tea beer at a party last night at the Sound Academy.

New food-truck company Gourmet Bitches launched Monday with an event at the Boiler House. The food truck is available to cater events and the menu includes healthy options using international flavours. http://bit.ly/Hce91c

WASHINGTON: This year’s Folger Gala is April 18, celebrating the Folger Shakespeare Library’s 80th anniversary. Roxanne Roberts of The Washington Post will host.

YOUR NEWS: What are you doing? Tell us: [email protected]. 



With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, Carla Warrilow in Toronto, and Anna Sekula, Beth Kormanik, and Rose Chevalier in New York.

BizBash Call Sheet is the must-read daily digest of event industry news from BizBash.com. 

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