Call Sheet #248: Peace Summit Plans, Tampa's G.O.P. Convention Preparations, Learning From Disney

BIZBASH CALL SHEET — #248 — Monday, 04.23.12

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Compiled today by Anna Sekula and Chad Kaydo in New York.
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THIS WEEK'S CALENDAR

MONDAY: U.S. Travel Association's International Pow Wow continues in Los Angeles (through Wednesday), Green Meeting Industry Council's Sustainable Meetings Conference continues in Montreal (through Wednesday), World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates begins in Chicago (through Wednesday), CinemaCon begins in Las Vegas (through Thursday)
WEDNESDAY: UGrammys on the Hill in Washington, DigitalNow conference begins in Lake Buena Vista, Florida (through Saturday)
FRIDAY: White House Correspondents' Association Dinner pre-parties in Washington
SATURDAY: White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington

* INCOMING *

1. NOBEL CONFERENCE PREVIEW: The World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates starts today and runs through Wednesday in Chicago—the first North American city to host the prestigious gathering. Bill Clinton will speak at tonight's opening-night dinner at the Field Museum, which will draw around 700 guests. Today and tomorrow, panel discussions and award presentations will take place at the University of Illinois at Chicago's UIC Forum; Wednesday's events will be held at Chicago Symphony Orchestra Hall. The summit's theme is "Speak Up, Speak Out for Freedom and Rights," and panelists will include Mikhail Gorbachev, Jimmy Carter, and the Dalai Lama. Sean Penn will get the 2012 Peace Summit Award during the conference. http://bit.ly/zPmI6l

2. RACING WOES: After forging ahead with this year's Bahrain Grand Prix amid protests, Formula One may face an uphill battle with reinstating a positive brand identity. Despite the fact there was little in the way of disruption at the actual race in the Middle East Kingdom, photo and video coverage showed few attendees in the stands. The Guardian: "Formula One, and Bahrain, must start the recovery process from what has been a public relations disaster for both parties. Sunday might have been better than [Formula One president and C.E.O. Bernie] Ecclestone could have hoped for, but the sport has shipped enormous collateral damage.” http://bit.ly/Jlgzjf

3. FENWAY FANFARE: Less controversial was the pre-game ceremonies held to mark the Boston ballpark's 100th anniversary. The event saw John Williams conducting the Boston Pops in his new composition, "Fanfare for Fenway," and a flyover by two F16s and two P-51 Mustangs from the World War II era. Former players Jim Rice, Pumpsie Green, and Bill "Spaceman" Lee also took part. Some 37,000 fans found grape juice drinks beneath their seats, and at the end of the ceremony, the Red Sox attempted to set the world record for the largest toast in a single venue. MLB.com: http://atmlb.com/I0Wmio

4. PREPPING FOR PROTESTS: As Tampa gears up to host the Republican National Convention, local officials have been making plans for how to handle activists that come to town. The proposed "Clean Zone" from the mayor's office has been criticized and suggested changes include redefining the area for demonstrators. Tampa Bay Online: http://bit.ly/I57Ylq

Meanwhile, according to the Tampa Bay Times, strip clubs in the area are readying their sites for the convention's expected influx of visitors. "You've got a bunch of people coming to Tampa Bay. They're not in meetings 24 hours a day. What do you think they're going to be doing at night? You can only eat so many steak dinners. You can only look at so many sunsets," said Paul Allen, publisher of the Night Moves, an adult business trade magazine. http://bit.ly/HYzj5u

5. TIPS FROM DISNEY: In the past three years, the Disney Institute, a consulting division of the Walt Disney Company, has seen more revenue as companies seek advice and look to imitate the brand's signature customer service model. The institute was even tapped by the N.F.L.'s senior vice president for events, Frank Supovitz, to help train staff in crowd control for this year's Super Bowl. The New York Times: http://nyti.ms/JgvpGM

6. WHAT GOES VIRAL: BuzzFeed founder and C.E.O. Jonah Peretti talked to Charlie Rose last week about what type of content people share online. Peretti told Rose: “Brands are also seeing the value of branded content and social content...Now brands are jumping in saying, ‘I don’t want to just interrupt people with my television commercial; I want to make something that people see and share with their friends.'" Adweek: "Peretti appeared adamant that viral content has to make an emotional impact with readers in order to become the catalyst for a shared experience across social media ... humor, entertainment and scoops do just that." http://bit.ly/HZrz4Q

Watch the interview: http://bit.ly/HYhn9c

7. FASHION TALKS: Vogue helped launch "Fashion's Night Out" and now the British edition has organized its own consumer-driven event. The first Vogue Festival, held this past weekend at the Royal Geographical Society in London, included talks from big names like Burberry's Christopher Bailey, Tom Ford, and design duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Chicago Tribune: http://trib.in/HZBjMq

8. TARGET'S OPEN FORUM: The mass retailer is hoping to build a meeting center inside the Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, giving employees another area for informal discussions. The plans include large windows and open fencing that will allow the public a view of the spaces. Downtown Journal: http://bit.ly/I5Kr21

++ 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

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON: Taste of the North End is May 4 at Steriti Memorial Ice Rinkwith a silent auction and bites from 35 area restaurants.

More cruise lines are scheduled to depart from Boston in the coming months and a projected 350,000 passengers are projected to pass through the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal this year. Boston.com: http://bo.st/JpPn39

CHICAGO: On Tuesday evening, the Guess store at 605 North Michigan Avenue will host a 30th anniversary cocktail party with Marie Claire.

Arielle Cohen, Magnolia Bakery's new director of event sales, was in Chicago last week to chat about the company's new event offerings: cupcake decorating stations, cupcakes with company logos, tin and gift baskets, and dessert tables.

The Field Museum will host "Field Trip: Extreme Mammals Extravaganza" June 2. The family-friendly benefit offers a tour of the Extreme Mammals exhibition and includes live entertainment, a buffet dinner, and a scavenger hunt. http://bit.ly/JFErd7

The Oakbrook Center location of Seasons 52 announced Jason Klever as its new executive chef partner.

LAS VEGAS: Taylor Hicks will have an eight-week engagement headlining at Bally’s Las Vegas this summer, beginning June 26.

Silverton Casino Hotel is partnering with Red Dragon Events & Promotions for a weekend-long food festival to be held April 28-29.

Robert Breedlove is the new chief financial officer at Xpert Exposition Services, a Vegas-based national exposition company specializing in trade shows, corporate events, and exhibit installation.

LOS ANGELES: The 27th anniversary of Sports Spectacular benefiting the Medical Genetics Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center will honor David Beckham and the New York Giants May 20 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. Snoop Dogg, John Salley, Jim Hill, and Michael Strahan will host.

"L.A. Startup Demo Day" will showcase the latest batch of startups in town May 10 at the Fairmont Miramar. Companies will have five minutes to present their product, and a panel of expert judges will provide feedback.

MIAMI: The weekend's rainy weather forced organizers of Saturday's Unity Festival in Miramar, an event scheduled to have performances by a variety of world musicians, to cancel. Miami Herald: http://bit.ly/IJZiwz

NEW YORK: Honest Tea is mounting a promotion in Times Square, dubbed the "Great Recycle." The April 30 event, which will involve a 30-foot-tall recycling bin, is part of a larger campaign that the company plans to take to other cities to reinforce its anti-waste values. The New York Times: http://nyti.ms/I7cT4x

ISES New York Metro announced its honorees for the Big Apple Awards June 27 at Powerhouse at the American Museum of Natural History. Hall of Legends honorees are David Beahm, founder of David Beahm Design, and Harriette Rose Katz, founder and president of Gourmet Advisory Services. CORE honorees are Diffa and the Times Square Alliance.

The Electric Daisy Carnival will make its New York debut May 18-20 at MetLife Stadium. After drawing over 230,000 to Las Vegas for its 15th annual last year, the New York edition sold out within hours. Press release: http://on.mktw.net/HOpBSb

ORLANDO: The I-Ride Trolley Service on International Drive has a new fleet of 15 trolleys equipped with G.P.S. tracking to provide vehicle arrival information and live maps. The company is also adding QR codes to each of the 105 trolley stops that can be scanned for access to online visitor information and trolley schedules.

“CSI: The Experience” is now open on International Drive. The interactive exhibit based on the popular television series places guests in the role of crime scene investigators as they solve one of three mysteries. It is housed in a 22,000-square-foot facility operated by EMS Exhibits that will include event space and additional exhibits in the future.

TORONTO: Fashion Cares announced that TV personality Jeanne Beker, John Demsey of M.A.C. AIDS Fund, and Frank Giustra of Fiore Financial Corporation will be honourary chairs at its 25th annual gala this September. The gala will be at the Sony Centre and include a dinner, retrospective, a live show with Elton John.

WASHINGTON: The Washington Business Journal: "Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group is taking over management of LaSalle Hotel Properties' 193-room boutique hotel, the Donovan House. Zentan, a sushi and Asian restaurant from Susur Lee, will remain the hotel's restaurant, and the hotel's popular rooftop pool and lounge will also remain."

“The Curbside Cookoff: Trucko De Mayo” is May 5 at the RFK Stadium Festival Grounds. The gathering of more than 35 mobile vendors is sponsored by the D.C. Food Truck Association and comes at a crucial moment for food trucks. The Washington Post: "The D.C. Council is considering a bill that will revamp the way food trucks are taxed and is expected to tackle later this year the long-overdue overhaul of vending regulations." http://wapo.st/I14yMz

Providence Hospital's annual gala is scheduled for May 5 at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center.

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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