May 2, 2016: Snapchat to Showcase Summer Olympics, Why Vogue and Apple Partnered for the Met Gala, Disney Theme Park Introduces Weddings

1. SNAPCHAT TO SHOWCASE SUMMER OLYMPICS: Snapchat has scored a deal with NBC to show video highlights of the Rio Olympics in August. The mobile video sharing app will create daily live stories featuring content from NBC, while BuzzFeed's Discovery channel on the app will feature behind-the-scenes content from the games. Bloomberg: "'We have never allowed the distribution of any game highlights off NBC’s own platforms,' said Gary Zenkel, president of NBC Olympics. But Snapchat 'really effectively reaches a very important demographic in the United States, and is very important to our efforts to assemble the large, massive audience that will show up to watch the Olympic Games.' NBC is betting that the app’s younger audience will grow interested in athletes’ stories and triumphs through the app, then follow their on-field exploits on television or NBC’s website. That dovetails with Snapchat’s strategy of covering events like the Oscars and Super Bowl from multiple angles, combining user-submitted content with negotiated access in video stories that can sometimes be watched by more than 30 million people." http://bloom.bg/1pOC0QV

2. WHY VOGUE AND APPLE PARTNERED FOR THE MET GALA: As this year’s spring Costume Institute exhibit at the Met, “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” focuses on the interchange between the fashion and tech industries, it only made sense for Vogue and Apple to team up and produce the exhibit. The two brands are also producing tonight’s Met Gala in New York, which attracts the world’s biggest celebrities and fashion designers. Racked: “This partnership serves a number of purposes for both parties, but most notably, it helps fill in the gaps where the titanic brands are beginning to show their weaknesses. Vogue is struggling in a fashion media landscape that has become crowded and moves fast. Its digital efforts came late, and its online content doesn't match up to the elevated, polished precedent set by the magazine. Apple lost its legendary leader, Steve Jobs, in 2011 and hasn't brought to market anything truly game-changing since. New categories like self-driving cars and VR may be young and relatively untested, but Apple is, for the first time, competing on a level playing field with companies like Google and Facebook to make the next true tech-design breakthrough. These two powerhouses still have incredible caché, and the theory goes that the presence of one can bolster the other. When Apple sought to position its Watch (its first new product line since the iPad in 2010) as more than just a piece of technology, but rather an accessory and a fashionable one at that, it beelined straight for Vogue. ‘Manus x Machina’ is an extension of this: a splashy cultural event that seeks to make Apple look luxe and sexy, and Vogue connected and in touch.” http://bit.ly/1QF5WFf

3. DISNEY THEME PARK INTRODUCES WEDDINGS: For Disney fanatics who have dreamed of having a fairytale wedding near the Cinderella Castle, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom theme park is now making that a reality. The park has announced that couples can now hold wedding ceremonies in the new European-inspired East Plaza Garden. The new site will be open in the mornings for ceremonies of as many as 100 people. USA Today: “‘Brides will be able to live out a fairy tale dream like no other,’ says Korri McFann, marketing director for the division that helps couples plan their nuptials at the company's properties. It is called, appropriately enough, Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings. … McFann says that couples have been clamoring to get closer to the iconic castle and hold their weddings in the theme park. Previously the only other Magic Kingdom spot has been the train station, and that has only been available in the early morning hours before the park opened. Now, in the shadows of the castle's spires, brides and grooms will be able to indulge their wishes amid the park's elegant, romantic, and nostalgic ambiance. Disney World has been offering wedding services for many years. One of its most popular ceremony locations is its wedding pavilion, located across the lagoon from the Magic Kingdom. It offers a prime, if distant, view of Cinderella Castle. For their receptions, couples can choose among a variety of locations throughout the vast resort, although the East Plaza Garden will only be available for ceremonies.” http://usat.ly/1N6z79H

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  SoWa Open Market kicked off May 1 and will continue every Sunday through October. The market features an outdoor arts festival, beer and wine garden, and a food truck bazaar.

CHICAGO:  Chicago Shakespeare Theater's April 23 gala on Navy Pier raised $1.4 million that will benefit Chicago Shakespeare in Urban Classrooms and Communities initiatives.

True Refrigeration will sponsor and present the James Beard Awards' Best New Restaurant category. Hosted by chef and TV personality Carla Hall, the event takes place tonight at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

LOS ANGELES:  The Mobile Excellence Awards and Interactive Television Alliance will host a Digital Hollywood interactive start-up showcase competition on Wednesday at the Skirball Center.

For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

NEW YORK:  Cancer charity FCancer will host FCancer NYC on Thursday at Marquee New York. Sponsored by Canadian sportswear brand Moose Knuckles, the event benefits FCancer programs and the HPV & Anal Cancer Foundation.

CocoaDios will take place Thursday through May 21 at House of Yes in Brooklyn. The immersive theatrical experience will focus on the Mayan origins of chocolate.

The Poetry Society of America will honor former United States Poet Laureate Billy Collins and philanthropist Laura Baudo Sillerman on May 24 at the New York Botanical Garden. The event will feature crafted cocktails, live performances, a seasonal dinner, and a private exhibition viewing of Impressionism: American Gardens on Canvas.

Amfar's seventh annual Inspiration Gala New York will take place June 9 at Skylight at Moynihan Station. Produced by Josh Wood Productions and hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, the event will honor actress Naomi Campbell and Louis Vuitton Men's artistic director Kim Jones.

For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  The Saint Hotel Key West has joined Marriott International’s Autograph Collection. The 36-room property, formerly known as the Southern Cross Hotel, reopened in February 2015 following a change in ownership and a renovation.

PHILADELPHIA:  The seasonal pop-up Spruce Street Harbor Park will open on Friday. The park features floating barges, riverbank hammocks, and a crab shack from Chickie's and Pete's. Philadelphia Business Journal: http://bit.ly/24qdyVC

SAN FRANCISCO:  The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival will take place July 21-August 7 at various venues in the Bay Area.

TORONTO:  Food rescue charity Second Harvest will host Toronto Taste on June 12 at Corus Quay. Presented by the Daniels Corporation, the event will offer food and drinks from more than 90 restaurants and beverage purveyors.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  VinoFest, a food and wine event, returns for its third iteration on Saturday at Yards Park. The ticketed event will include live music from acts including Jon Batiste & Stay Human.

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 Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin and Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.

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