January 26, 2018: How Nightclubs Are Fighting Sexual Harassment, Grammys to Bring A.I. to Red Carpet, Casey Affleck Bows Out Of Presenting at Oscars

1. HOW NIGHTCLUBS ARE FIGHTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT: In the midst of the #MeToo movement, the nightclub industry is taking steps to fight sexual harassment on the dance floor. Noisey: “Caravane Gitane, an all-female collective that throws elaborate, one-off parties at Brooklyn venues like House of Yes and the Williamsburg Hotel, takes a more holistic approach to encouraging respectful behavior on the dancefloor. They promote their parties mainly through a private Facebook group, and they claim to tailor every aspect of their events to ensure partygoers feel as safe and as comfortable as possible. ‘We have had sold-out shows with big name artists, but because we promote to our own internal group, it’s more like we’re entertaining friends and guests,’ says Juliane Rossi, one of the partners in the collective. ‘It makes it feel like a place where you can be safe, where you can trust people.’ On top of the management’s careful promotion, all workers at Caravane Gitane’s events are expected to look out for harassing behavior and ensure attendees are safe. ‘Your entire staff needs to be a monitor,’ says Sheida Jafari, another partner. ‘That should be an inherent part of your training. Everyone is responsible.’ Organizers can also foster good behavior by creating a welcoming atmosphere before customers even enter the venue, says Jafari. … Over in the UK, the fight against nightlife sexual harassment has coalesced into a more organized movement. GoodNightOut, an non-profit initiative backed by groups including Drinkaware, Everyday Sexism, and the UK’s National Union of Students, aims to stamp out nightlife harassment. The collective has signed up around 100 clubs in the UK and Ireland, as well as establishing chapters in Chicago and Vancouver. The project educates venues on adopting best practices, using a poster campaign to educate customers about harassment and providing training to venue staff that prioritizes ‘concrete behavioral change, clear policy and a positive approach to safety,’ according to the organization’s website. Drinkaware itself has launched a national campaign with the slogan ‘It’s ok to ask,’ encouraging people to intervene when they see someone being harassed.” http://bit.ly/2DGHBF5

2. GRAMMYS TO BRING A.I. TO RED CARPET: The Recording Academy has partnered with IBM to bring the company’s artificial intelligence to the red carpet on Sunday. Adweek: “On Sunday night, IBM will deploy its AI platform to analyze videos and photos of nominees and attendees as they arrive at the ceremony in New York. In addition to identifying each person, Watson will be able to understand styles, learn about this year’s fashion trends and compare them to those of previous years. People will then curate those findings, along with a selection of the many photos and videos taken by photographers, and upload them to the Grammys website for fans to learn more about their favorite musicians along with those honored decades ago. Watson’s ability to rapidly ingest information and analyze it is one of the many capabilities that have made the AI platform famous since it first won Jeopardy in 2011. During the Grammys, IBM officials estimate it will analyze at least 100,000 photos and hours of video that will then be curated for humans to publish online during and after the event. Beyond analyzing fashion trends, Watson will also analyze lyrics for every song from this year’s nominees to identify trends in themes and emotions as well as how they compare to the last 60 years of lyrics. The tools Watson will use during the Grammys red carpet are part of a new platform called Watson Media, which IBM debuted in September during the U.S. Open, where IBM and the U.S. Tennis Association taught Watson to play tennis and analyze the biggest moments of each match before publishing content on an app and other platforms.” http://bit.ly/2DDjQhd

3. CASEY AFFLECK BOWS OUT OF PRESENTING AT OSCARS: It's usually Oscars tradition for the previous Best Actor winner to present the award for Best Actress at the following ceremony. But this year, last year's winner Casey Affleck—who had been accused of sexual misconduct when he won the award—has withdrawn from the ceremony. The Hollywood Reporter: "Affleck won his best actor Oscar in 2017 for his role in Manchester by the Sea. Oscars tradition dictates that the previous year's best actor winner presents the Oscar to the following year's best actress recipient. But that tradition isn't ironclad. At the 81st Oscars, for example, each of the acting awards was presented by a quintet of past Oscar winners, and Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd, who are producing this year's show, have been considering departing from tradition when it comes to presenting the acting awards. If Affleck were to participate in this year's ceremony, his presence could be problematic. During last year's awards season, accusations of inappropriate behavior on his part on the set of 2010's I'm Still Here resurfaced. That year, two women working on the film filed civil suits against Affleck accusing him of sexual harassment. The actor denied the charges, and the suits were settled out of court and dismissed. But amid the current #MeToo movement, some had already begun to criticize the possibility that Affleck could participate in this year's Oscar show." http://bit.ly/2Ebyx8m

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  Hasty Pudding Theatricals awarded actress Mila Kunis with its Woman of the Year Award with its annual parade and a celebratory roast, which took place Thursday at Farkas Hall. 

HOUSTON:  The Post Oak hotel will open at the Galleria in March. The hotel will have 250 guest rooms and 35,000 square feet of event space. 

LOS ANGELES:  Pop-up museum Happy Place will return this spring, running from April 26 to May 27 at L.A. Live's Event Deck. Tickets go on sale February 2.

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

NEW YORK:  The 17th annual Architectural Digest Design Show will take place March 22-25 at Piers 92 and 94. The fair will showcase accessories, art, furniture, windows, and other products from more than 400 brands. 

The fourth annual Flame Con, a L.G.B.T. comic con, will take place August 18-19 at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. 

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

PHILADELPHIA:  The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, has appointed Leonard Buckley general manager. Buckley, an industry veteran with more than 39 years of hospitality management experience, spent a majority of his career with Starwood Hotels and Resorts. 

SAN FRANCISCO:  The 26th annual Noise Pop Festival, an indie music and arts festival taking place February 19-25, has announced its alternative programming lineup. Special events will include Robert Rich’s Sleep Concert in collaboration with marijuana distributor Flow Kana. The event, which takes place February 23 at Gray Area, will feature ambient musician Robert Rich playing music from 11:30 p.m.-8 a.m. as attendees are asleep.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  The Women’s Board of the American Heart Association Greater Washington Region’s 70th annual An Affair Of the Heart Luncheon and Fashion Show fund-raiser will take place February 6 at the Marriott Marquis.

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

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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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