December 18, 2015: Major Theme Parks Enhance Security Measures, Adele and Songkick Team Up to Stop Ticket Scalpers, Yahoo's Met Ball Sponsorship Receives Criticism

1. MAJOR THEME PARKS ENHANCE SECURITY MEASURES: Theme parks including Disneyland, Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal Studios have installed metal detectors at park entrances to heighten security during the holidays. The parks will also ban adults from wearing masks and discontinue toy gun sales. The security measures are an apparent response to the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino; Disney's international parks will also be enhancing their security. Variety: "The entertainment giant announced the changes quietly Thursday, saying they were not based on 'any single event,' but were intended to help security personnel and to make guests feel secure. The portable metal detectors will be positioned beyond the 'bag check' area at Disneyland and Walt Disney World parks in Florida. Security personnel will randomly select some visitors to pass through the magnetometers as part of a secondary screening…The ban on masks and costumes will apply to all guests over 14 years old. And the company will no longer sell toy guns inside its parks, or allow guests to carry toy guns with them, regardless of age." http://bit.ly/1Ns0oj4

2. ADELE AND SONGKICK TEAM UP TO STOP TICKET SCALPERS: Tickets to Adele's 2016 North America tour quickly sold out yesterday, and she seems to be winning her war against ticket sales from secondary sites. The "Hello" songstress teamed up with Sidekick, a London-based ticket management site that specializes in sales through fan clubs and artist websites to prevent scalpers from reselling tickets. The New York Times: "'By selling the highest number of tickets we were able to through our own channels, and working with Songkick and their technology, we have done everything within our power to get as many tickets as possible in the hands of the fans who have waited for years to see her live,” Jonathan Dickins, Adele’s manager, said in a news release. According to one estimate, Songkick’s efforts saved Adele’s fans more than $6.5 million in markups on secondary ticketing sites. But the process has not been entirely smooth, with some ticket buyers saying that they could see other customers’ personal information when trying to buy their own tickets …The company’s work with Adele also comes as the ticket scalping market—estimated to be worth $8 billion a year—comes under increasing scrutiny and criticism." http://nyti.ms/1QPFrRA

3. YAHOO'S MET BALL SPONSORSHIP RECEIVES CRITICISM: Yahoo's $3 million sponsorship of the Met Ball has come under fire after company investor Eric Jackson released a report saying the sponsorship was a waste, as it only amounted to a few tickets that were given to C.E.O. Marissa Mayer and a couple executives. Women's Wear Daily: "The sponsorship did result in a boost to Yahoo Style, a digital magazine that launched just a few months before the gala … But was it worth $3 million? Jackson says 'no.' 'No one from the ad agencies attended. You would think they would do it to take the best advertiser or clients, like a perk for ‘thanks for spending money with Yahoo over the year.' Instead, Jackson alleged, 'It was something Marissa wanted to do for herself because she has an interest in fashion.'” http://bit.ly/1IbbudD

* LOCAL NEWS *

ATLANTA:  Imagine Music Festival will expand to three days next year. The electronic dance music festival is slated for August 26-28, and a new venue and lineup is expected to be announced soon. Atlanta Business Chronicle: http://bit.ly/1QsulUq

BOSTON:  The Hotel Commonwealth has completed a major renovation. The refurbished venue has an additional 96 rooms, substantially more meetings and event space, and a new wing with a Fenway Park theme and ballpark views.

Franke Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana is now open at the Shops at Chestnut Hill. The restaurant has 85 seats, and features a coal-fired oven.
 

CHICAGO:  Eved, which manages events for corporate clients, has raised $14.3 million from investors. The company now plans to double its workforce.
 

DALLAS:  Uchi Restaurant Group has appointed chef Angela Hernandez as chef de cuisine at Top Knot. The Asian-Mediterranean small plates concept is slated to open early next year.
 

LAS VEGAS:  The New Year's Eve fireworks show, dubbed "America's Party," will feature 80,000 fireworks set the the music of Bruno Mars, Imagine Dragons, and Michael Jackson. Visitors can use a mobile app designed by Fireworks by Grucci to follow the countdown and listen to the score during the fireworks, which will be set off from locations including MGM Grand, Caesars Palace, and Planet Hollywood. Las Vegas Sun: http://bit.ly/1NVQoQQ
 

LOS ANGELES:  The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, announced that the Board of Trustees has elected four new members: Gabriel Brener, Mary Klaus Martin, Lari Pittman, and Adam Sender.

Kinetic Lighting announced that James Diaz is the company's new customer service representative.
 

Local event listings from the new Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Housing Works’ Design on a Dime benefit will come to Miami February 5-7 at the Moore Building. The event will be produced by Josh Wood Productions and Mark Stephen Experiential Agency.

NEW YORK:  The Hudson, a former meetings and events venue on West 44th Street, will undergo a $10 million renovation to become the 41st Broadway theater. The Ambassador Theater Group acquired the space, which will seat around 950 people. The New York Times: http://nyti.ms/1ZeogvS

The 2016 Live Ideas Festival, titled "Mena/Future: Cultural Transformations in the Middle East North Africa Region," will run February 8-April 3. The arts and culture festival will feature more than 45 events including film screenings, dance performances, panels, and visual exhibitions.
 

Local event listings from the new Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  Sugar Factory opens at I-Drive 360 today. The 8,500-square-foot restaurant and retail shop is available for buyout and seats 215 people inside and 44 on a covered patio.
 

PHILADELPHIA:  Write Touch Public Relations, a hospitality-focused public relations firm, has launched in suburban Philadelphia.
 

SAN FRANCISCO:  Little Gem opens today in Hayes Valley. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner; it also has “market plates” loaded with vegetables, grains, meat, and fish. 

TORONTO:  XO Bisous will open in early 2016. The casual eatery will serve lunchtime staples such as sandwiches and salads.
 

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton has opened in the Navy Yard. The 168-room hotel has 2,000 square feet of meeting space.
 

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

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With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, Anna Sekula, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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