May 30, 2014: Advertisers Clamor for "Event Television," National Spelling Bee Ends in Rare Tie, Meet Tech’s Go-To Event Planner

1. ADVERTISERS CLAMOR FOR "EVENT TELEVISION": Two television specials—Fashion Rocks and Movies Rock—are planned to air later this year on CBS as part of an effort to create “event television” that attracts viewers in real time as well as sponsoring brands. The New York  Times: “Their return dovetails with a programming trend that is gaining momentum: a desire among networks to give viewers more ‘event television,’ shows deemed worth watching—and discussing on social media—in real time, making it likelier that commercials will be seen. … They epitomize the urge among network executives for—as they expressed frequently during upfront presentations this month—‘eventizing’ their schedules.” http://nyti.ms/TZAkoR

2. NATIONAL SPELLING BEE ENDS IN RARE TIE: The Scripps National Spelling Bee competition ended with co-champions for the first time since 1962 after organizers ran out of words to test them with. CNN: “In the bee's final round, [Sriram] Hathwar, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Painted Post, New York, correctly spelled the word "stichomythia"—dialogue especially of altercation delivered by two actors. [Ansun] Sujoe, a 13-year-old seventh-grader from Fort Worth, Texas, correctly spelled the word "feuilleton"—part of a European newspaper.” http://cnn.it/1pDibXS

3. MEET TECH’S GO-TO EVENT PLANNER: San Francisco-based event planner Rebecca Miller has made a name for herself by catering to Silicon Valley’s tech set, planning events such as a launch party for Uber that included toy Matchbox cars spray-painted black. San Francisco Chronicle: “Drawing on her circle of friends and acquaintances, and word of mouth, her client list includes the high society set of today's world: the young tech set, including the nonprofit Fwd.us, Mark Zuckerberg's immigration-reform group; Jessica Lessin, founder of the paywalled tech website the Information; and billionaire investor Shervin Pishevar of Sherpa Global.” http://bit.ly/1kQpY3U

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  The Boston Harbor Hotel’s “Summer in the City” entertainment series launches June 12. The series offers live music and entertainment on the waterfront every weeknight and outdoor movies on Friday nights.

CHICAGO:  The 46th annual Father’s Day Classic Car Show will take place at Oakrbook Center on June 15. The event features more than 100 antique, classic, vintage, and specialty cars, and admission is free.

LAS VEGAS:  The Backstreet Boys will host official post-concert parties following the group's sold-out concert series “In A World Like This…” on May 30-31 at Chateau Nightclub & Rooftop.

LOS ANGELES:  Beach Nation, a beach-style café, has opened in West Hollywood. The venue has nearly 3,000 square feet of outdoor dining space, including a sand pit with Adirondack chairs, chaise lounges, and white marble café tables.

BET Experience Fan Fest events will include the Celebrity Basketball Game sponsored by Sprite, SneakerCon, Slam Dunk contest, and Youth Basketball Clinics, set to take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center June 28-29.

MPI Southern California Chapter will host a golf tournament and wellness day with American Golf on June 2 at Los Coyotes Country Club in Buena Park.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Wyndham Grand Jupiter, a 179-room hotel north of Palm Beach, is slated to open in September. Located on the Intracoastal Waterway, the hotel will have 15,000 square feet of flexible event space including a 5,000-square-foot ballroom, a rooftop pool, and a full-service restaurant.

NEW YORK:  The Trevor Project will honor Arianna Huffington with its Trevor Hero Award at TrevorLive New York on June 16 at the Marriott Marquis.

Coney Island’s annual mermaid parade will feature Mayor Bill de Blasio’s children Chiara and Dante as Queen Mermaid and King Neptune at the June 21 event.

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

ORLANDO:  Disney will debut its first ticketed special event at Animal Kingdom on June 7 and continuing every Saturday through August 9. Harambe Nights will include a 55-minute celebrity-narrated theatrical production based on the movie The Lion King, a post-show street party, and a buffet dinner.

TORONTO:  On June 4, the Residences of Royal Connaght will open with an Art Deco-style bash planned by Kim Graham & Associates. The night will include food, music, and fashion inspired by the past century.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Noelia Italian Kitchen, a 6,000-square-foot restaurant in the former Finemondo space, is being remodeled with plans to open June 7. The venue will have a 1,400-square-foot dance floor.

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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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