April 27, 2015: the Evolution of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, ESPY Awards Move to ABC, What a Drop in Chicago’s Trade Show Business Means for Hotels

1. THE EVOLUTION OF THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ ASSOCIATION DINNER: By now, most people have accepted that the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, which was held Saturday, is less about the reporters and more about marketing the media brands they work for at events throughout the weekend. Washington Post: “The annual affair has become, for better and worse, Washington’s Super Bowl, Oscars and Davos, a weekend of free booze, celebrity rubbernecking and corporate promotion. Some years are more interesting than others, but it now exists as its own empty-calorie entity, a bucket-list experience open to anyone with enough power, fame or money to wrangle a ticket. … After complaining for years about the glut of Hollywood stars who took seats previously reserved for White House reporters, this year was light on celebrities and heavy on advertisers and other corporate bigwigs.” http://wapo.st/1JJcC3D

2. ESPY AWARDS MOVE TO ABC: The ESPYs, sports network ESPN’s annual award show, is moving to sister network ABC to reach a bigger audience. Two pre-award shows will remain on ESPN while the live event, which takes place July 15 in Los Angeles, will air on ABC. Adweek: “Moving to ABC gives the awards—which recognize major sports achievements of the last year—a broader audience that is not uniquely sports-centric. The ESPYs have transcended the sports world in recent years, attracting celebrities from TV, film and music.” http://bit.ly/1PsPnhP

3. WHAT A DROP IN CHICAGO’S TRADE SHOW BUSINESS MEANS FOR HOTELS: Chicago has booked fewer citywide conventions—events that fill 3,000 or more room nights—leaving hotels in a potentially vulnerable position. One strategy that tourism leaders are pursuing is offering incentives to lure smaller groups to the city. Crain’s Chicago Business: “Those in the business blame two behaviors for the drop in bookings. Many organizations rotate their annual conventions among host cities, and competitors are drawing business away with lucrative incentive packages. On top of that, Choose Chicago has focused on securing conventions just a year out, rather than for a series of years, recognizing that many associations and companies are wary of making long-term commitments after the Great Recession. Among big annual trade shows skipping Chicago next year are the International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Expo, which will be in Orlando, Fla., and the American Bar Association, which will hold its annual meeting in San Francisco.” http://bit.ly/1djG4mO

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  The Joe Andruzzi Foundation will host its second annual UpBeat Comedy Night on May 7 at Raffael’s Walpole.

CHICAGO:  The Ndigo Gala, featuring Dianne Reeves and Gregory Porter, will take place at the Chicago Symphony Center on June 21.

LAS VEGAS:  The Suncoast Hotel and Casino, an off-Strip resort in Las Vegas, recently completed renovations to its 388 guest rooms. In November, the property opened the Game, a sports bar.

Sugar Ray Leonard and B. Riley & Company will present the sixth annual “Big Fighters, Big Cause” charity boxing night on May 13 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland with Bill Bellamy as the evening’s M.C.

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce will host its 14th annual gala and award celebration, which this year is called the Sapphire Gala, on June 13 at 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach. More than 500 guests are expected to attend.

NEW YORK:  The eighth annual Streets Eats, a tasting event, is slated for May 19 at the Astor Center. Participating chefs and mixologists include Wylie Dufresne and Leah Cohen.

Yahoo will host an after-party following the Costume Institute Gala at the Top of the Standard. Women’s Wear Daily: http://bit.ly/1JK8RuI

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

ORLANDO:  Larry Rinker has been appointed director of instruction at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Orlando, Grande Lakes, which is home to an 18-hole Greg Norman-designed course and is the annual host of the PNC Father/Son Challenge.

PHILADELPHIA:  Philadelphia’s host committee for the 2016 Democratic National Convention has named Tiffany Newmuis as the director of diversity and community engagement. Philadelphia Tribune: http://bit.ly/1Iepbp7

TORONTO:  Nest, a 13,000-square-foot nightclub, will open in May in Little Italy. The club will hold 560 guests in its main room and 300 in a second room.

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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, and Anna Sekula in New York.

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