March 30, 2017: Oscars to Keep Accounting Firm Despite Best Picture Mistake, Inside This Year's Party-Filled Baselword, Oakland Stadium Doesn't Want Raiders Back in 2019

1. OSCARS TO KEEP ACCOUNTING FIRM DESPITE BEST PICTURE MISTAKE: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will keep the services of accounting firm PwC for next year's ceremony, despite the Oscars Best Picture mixup that took place in February. The Academy will introduce new safeguards to avoid a repeat fiasco. The Hollywood Reporter: "In an email to Academy members Wednesday morning, Boone Isaacs summed up the discussions that the Academy has been having with PwC since Oscar night. 'Heading into our 84th year working with PwC, a partnership that is important to the Academy, we've been unsparing in our assessment that the mistake made by representatives of the firm was unacceptable.'  She went on to say that the Academy has been reviewing all aspects of its relationship with PwC, and after PwC presented revised protocols and controls, 'the board has decided to continue working with PwC.' Not all board members felt an apology was sufficient, with some growing heated about the indefensible nature of the blunder that has caused their organization so much embarrassment. Academy CEO Dawn Hudson informed the board that she had become aware, before the 2017 show, that Cullinan had used his smartphone and social media while working on past Oscars ceremonies, and had explicitly instructed him not to do so this year; he disobeyed her, ostensibly causing him to be distracted while performing his duties near the end of the ceremony. … Under the new protocols: PwC's U.S. Chairman Tim Ryan will take on a greater oversight role: PwC partner Rick Rosas, who was responsible for handing out the winning envelopes from 2002 to 2013, will return to that job, and another PwC employee, to be named in coming months, will join him. In addition, a third balloting leader privy to the results will be seated in the control room to ensure a more rapid response to mistakes in the future; the accountants will take part in the rehearsals; and all accountants will have to hand over their electronic devices before going anywhere near the Oscars stage. Moving forward, the Academy will regularly review PwC's procedures and protocols to ensure that something like the La La Land/Moonlight debacle never occurs again." http://bit.ly/2oigt3O

2. INSIDE THIS YEAR'S PARTY-FILLED BASELWORD: The watch industry's 100th annual Baselword in Basel, Switzerland, is known for its lavish parties and brand activations. Despite a decline in Swiss watch exports, this year is no different, with experiences including a virtual-reality promotion for Samsung's Gear smartwatches. The New York Times: "Baselworld, for those who don’t know a tourbillon from a perpetual calendar, is the watch industry’s equivalent of the Olympics—eight days of fierce competition mixed with globally themed pageantry. More than 100,000 nattily-attired watch lovers, retailers and journalists (yes, even the journalists dress up) representing more than 100 countries stroll a shopping mall-size exhibition hall to check out the latest glimmering wares from hundreds of brands in lavishly appointed booths (that is, 'booths,' since some could double as upscale boutique hotels outfitted with Ginza-worthy lounges). Baselworld, in other words, is an extraterrestrial setting where a $3,000 timepiece actually passes for entry-level and recession seems like a concern for beings from another planet. Typically, that is. ... In a year when a number of familiar brands including Girard-Perregaux, Bremont, Ulysse Nardin and Shinola made other plans, many brands that did turn out emphasized bang for the buck, which is a big change from years past. Zenith, for instance, which is undergoing a makeover by Jean-Claude Biver, the president of the LVMH watch division and one of the industry’s noted turnaround artists, trumpeted 'aggressive' price cuts in its product presentations. Swashbuckling Hublot flew in Depeche Mode, currently in the midst of what seems the 14th comeback of its 37-year history, as a surprise guest to pound out hits like 'Personal Jesus' at a lavish dinner with Ferrari (proceeds from the latest Big Bang Unico Depeche Mode, a brawny watch with menacing black studs, benefit charity: water, which promotes clean water in the developing world)." http://nyti.ms/2obCXpY

3. OAKLAND STADIUM DOESN'T WANT RAIDERS BACK IN 2019: The Oakland Coliseum stadium authority might not welcome back the Raiders before the team's new Las Vegas stadium is ready in 2020. USA Today: "Contractually, the Raiders only have options to stay at the Coliseum for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. But that leaves open the question of where they will play in 2019. The answer—for now at least—is probably not in Oakland. 'I would say to you with the highest level of confidence, my opinion and recommendation and that of my board members—I don’t believe there is any appetite for a third season (in Oakland),' Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority executive director Scott McKibben told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday. … Sam Boyd Stadium, home of the UNLV football team in Las Vegas, is an option but only has about 35,000 seats. 'It is possible and has been discussed as a potential solution,' UNLV spokesman Mark Wallington told USA TODAY Sports. McKibben said Coliseum generates about $7 million per year in revenue from Raiders games, including $3.5 million in rent. But it has more than $8 million a year in Raiders-related expenses, including security, sanitation, ushers and field conversions between baseball and football events. The 51-year-old Coliseum is the only stadium left in the U.S. that houses both an NFL team and Major League Baseball team. There are roughly three field conversions per year, at a cost of about $450,000 each. Without the Raiders, that headache goes away and so do the financial losses under the current arrangement." http://usat.ly/2nhzRwe

* LOCAL NEWS *

AUSTIN:  This year's Formula 1 United States Grand Prix will take place October 20-22 at Circuit of the Americas. Justin Timberlake will headline the post-race concert on October 21.

CHICAGO:  BCD Meetings & Events has appointed Shauna Whitehead vice president of global account management and Nancy Medoff vice president of global sales.

The Simple Good, a nonprofit that provides art therapy to at-risk youth, will host a fund-raiser called "Hunt for Good: A Chicago Urban Art Hut" on June 24. The event will invite teams to solve riddles and find street art around the city.

Fairmont Chicago, Millenium Park, has appointed Kirsten Guill general manager.

LOS ANGELES:  Twitter will live stream the red carpet at the Glaad Media Awards on April 1 at the Beverly Hilton. Press release: http://prn.to/2mQz7TB

The Museum of Ice Cream will come to Los Angeles for the first time from April 22-May 29 in the Arts District. LAist: http://bit.ly/2nhUiJn

Nominations for the 75th annual Golden Globes will be announced December 11 live on NBC. The ceremony will take place January 7, 2018.

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  The sixth annual "Claws for Kids" fund-raising brunch will take place May 7 at Joe's Stone Crab. The event benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade.

NEW YORK:  FB Hospitality Group's Mexican concept Camacho's will have its grand opening tonight at Irving Place.

The 32nd annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which will take place April 7 at Barclays Center, has announced additional special guests including Dhani Harrison inducting ELO, Pat Monahan inducting Journey, Pharrell Williams inducting Nile Rodgers, and Snoop Dogg inducting Tupac Shakur. The event will air on HBO April 29.

Tribeca Games and Kill Screen have partnered to launch the inaugural Tribeca Games Festival, which will take place April 28-29 at the Tribeca Festival Hub at Spring Studios. The event will feature a conversation with game creator Hideo Kojima, a concert headlined by Mura Masa, and a crowd play event of Telltale Games' Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale series, Episode 1.

Edible's second annual Food Loves Tech will take place November 3-4 at Industry City in Brooklyn.

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

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  WWE's WrestleMania takes place today through April 4. The event includes a fan festival at the Orange County Convention Center, the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Amway Center, a golf tournament, anti-bullying rallies, and the main event—WrestleMania 33 Sunday at Camping World Stadium.

SAN DIEGO:  Destination management company AlliedPRA, Inc., has appointed Laurie Knapp executive vice president of global sales and marketing.

SAN FRANCISCO:  Hotel Zoe Fisherman's Wharf will reopen and debut its $16 million renovation and rebranding this summer. Managed by Noble House Hotels and Resorts, the 221-room boutique hotel will featured yacht-inspired furnishings, a restored meeting and event space, an outdoor courtyard with communal seating, and a redesigned lobby and bar called Bar Zoe.

TORONTO:  The Riverside Business Improvement Area's third annual Winefest will take place April 4-9. The event will include wine tastings, talks, and classes at shops and spaces along Queen Street East, prix fixe events at participating restaurants, and a Wine Tasting Expo on April 8 at Ralph Thornton Community Centre.

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With contributions from 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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