March 11, 2016: Why SXSW's Brand Takeover Doesn't Decrease Festival Quality, Turner Sports, Snapchat Partner for Live Sporting Events, L.A. Considers Temporary Olympic Facilities for 2024 Bid

1. WHY SXSW'S BRAND TAKEOVER DOESN'T DECREASE FESTIVAL QUALITY: As South by Southwest becomes more mainstream because of the ever-growing presence of major marketers, brands, and speakers—including President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama—the question of whether the festival is worth attending continues to pop up. Festival organizers say that the brand influx hasn't diminished the quality of the festival. Adweek: "Even as the festival has grown dramatically, causing problems of scale not only for the actual events and panels SXSW puts on but for the city of Austin, the networking possibilities are endless and incredibly valuable, experts say. … The brand takeover of the festival is 'reflective of the current environment we live in and the current landscape we live in where brands have a lot of money,' said Hugh Forrest, director of SXSW Interactive. 'And many brands have their own in-house accelerators. They're funding startups, and so again, these are people that can make things happen for the careers of the people attending SXSW. And that's what the event has always been about. It's been about making connections that can take your career to the next level.'" http://bit.ly/21lax5B

2. TURNER SPORTS, SNAPCHAT PARTNER FOR LIVE SPORTING EVENTS: Turner Sports has inked a two-year deal with Snapchat to bring users of the video messaging service “Live Stories” surrounding sporting events like March Madness basketball, professional golf, and college baseball. Wall Street Journal: “Snapchat will feature 14 Live Stories throughout the March Madness tournament, which will air on Turner properties as well as on CBS. The Snapchat stories will collect videos and photos from fans at the games as well as behind-the-scenes content created by Turner’s social media team. … Under the new agreement, Live Stories will also be created for other events for which Turner holds the rights, such as the College World Series and PGA Championship.” http://on.wsj.com/1QHyxgs

3. L.A. CONSIDERS TEMPORARY OLYMPIC FACILITIES FOR 2024 BID: While the International Olympic Committee won’t choose a host city for the 2024 Olympics until 2017, candidate Los Angeles has already posed plans for temporary facilities to join its pitched arenas and stadiums. Plans include an elevated track over the football field at the Coliseum, a temporary pool at the Los Angeles Football Club’s planned soccer stadium, and converting Figueroa Street into a promenade for pedestrians and bicyclists. Los Angeles Times: “Even with the Rams planning to build an NFL stadium in Inglewood, track and field would be held at the Coliseum, where there would not be enough room for a 400-meter track in the narrow space between the field and the stands. Organizers could solve that problem by erecting a raised floor inside the stadium — a platform on columns that would extend outward over the first 13 or so rows of seats. … With the bid's downtown cluster centered around Staples Center and Exposition Park, the committee is looking for a way to connect the two neighborhoods. That could be done by shutting off Figueroa Street to automobile traffic for the 17 days of the competition. Food trucks, displays and technology exhibits would line the promenade.” http://lat.ms/228k8iE

* LOCAL NEWS *

DALLAS:  Brand experience provider Freeman has named Jeff Singsaas senior vice president of global business operations and Adam Charles as senior vice president of FreemanXP.

CHICAGO:  The Four Seasons Hotel Chicago hosts its first “BeHealthful Spring Awakening” retreat April 1-3. The “urban wellness weekend” will offer healthy cooking classes, yoga, meditation, and beauty treatments. Press release: bit.ly/1QGvkOf

CLEVELAND:  Rick Turner has joined Los Angeles-based event agency Extraordinary Events as lead account executive for its new office in Cleveland.

LAS VEGAS:  Jabbawockeez has debuted its new show, Jreamz, inside the recently renovated Jabbawockeez Theater at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino.

Le Dîner en Blanc is slated to make a Las Vegas appearance on April 17.

Encore Event Technologies will begin providing products and services for MGM Resorts International through a new partnership.

LOS ANGELES:  Time Out Los Angeles will host its inaugural dessert tasting event, Treat Yo' Self, on March 20 at LA River Studios. The event will feature bites from Wanderlust Creamery, Cake Monkey, and Créme Caramel, as well as a complimentary braid bar by Hairroin Salon.

French bistro Avec Nous is now open adjacent to L’Ermitage Beverly Hills.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  The inaugural Fractal Beach music festival takes place today-Sunday at Virginia Key Beach Park. Along with local, national, and international music acts, the event will feature yoga, local food vendors, live painting, and large-scale art installations.

NEW YORK:  The 15th annual Architectural Digest Design Show will take place March 17-20 at Piers 92 and 94. The event will feature more than 400 design brands.

Cinema Village's inaugural International Horror Film Festival is slated for October 21-27 and will honor the late Wes Craven. The festival will have Q&A sessions, special events, and an award ceremony. Entertainment Weekly: http://bit.ly/1TPkLwg

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

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  The Global Pet Expo will take place March 16-18 at the Orange County Convention Center.

PHILADELPHIA:  The City Calendar, an crowd-curated daily event listing site founded in Boston, is slated to launch in Philadelphia. The events will mostly be free or low budget and geared toward millennials. Philadelphia Business Journal: http://bit.ly/1nAONpb

SAN FRANCISCO:  The 15th San Francisco Documentary Festival will take place June 2-16 at the Roxie Theatre, Vogue Theatre, and Castro Theatre.

TORONTO:  The Canadian Screen Awards will take place Sunday at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts.
 

Music and arts festival North by Northeast will add a new two-day event to its programming. CP24: bit.ly/1R9jVn8

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  The 2016 DC Jazz Festival will take place June 17-19 at Yards Park.

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 in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, Anna Sekula, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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

Feed the Sheet: [email protected]

Subscribe: www.bizbash.com/bizbashdaily

Advertise with BizBash: [email protected]