1. DALLAS TO HOST 2018 N.F.L. DRAFT: The Cowboys will host the N.F.L. Draft at AT&T Stadium next year. The Dallas Morning News: " The three-day event is scheduled for April 26-28 and is projected to pump in the neighborhood of $100 million into the North Texas economy. It marks the first time in league history the draft will be staged at an NFL stadium, a path that opened up months ago once Texas legislators failed to implement a much-debated bathroom bill. The Cowboys intend to convert AT&T Stadium into an indoor/outdoor venue for the event that will flow into the plazas and parking lots and take on the feel of a spring festival. The draft is free to the public. ... Commissioner Roger Goodell thanked Chicago and Philadelphia for breathing new life and excitement into the event after declaring Wednesday that North Texas was next in line. 'They have set a new standard for the draft, created a new experience for our fans that we think will be extraordinary,' Goodell said. 'We are confident that Dallas will raise that bar even further.' That bar would likely have been raised in another NFL city if a proposal that would have required that people use the bathroom that corresponds with the sex on their birth certificate would have become law in Texas. NFL officials never commented publicly about how the bill could impact the site of the draft. But in the wake of Super Bowl LI in Houston, when asked if the event would return to Texas if the bathroom bill passed, a league spokesman said, 'If a proposal that is discriminatory or inconsistent with our values were to become law there, that would certainly be a factor considered when thinking about awarding future events.'" http://bit.ly/2yqTawJ
2. SALT LAKE CITY EXPECTED TO MAKE FUTURE WINTER OLYMPICS BID: Salt Lake City is expected to make a bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2026 or 2030, after an official Olympic/Paralympic Exploratory Committee was formed on Monday. The city last hosted the Games in 2002. The Salt Lake Tribune: "Over the next few months, the exploratory committee will examine whether the state should submit Salt Lake City’s name as a potential bidder. Jeff Robbins said the committee will dive into budgets, marketing, potential revenue streams and the overall impact on the state. Since the 2002 Olympics, Utah has maintained its Olympic legacy, continuing to host annual world cup and world championship events in winter sports in the Salt Lake Valley and Park City at several of the same venues used 15 years ago. 'The venues are in good shape,' he said. 'We need a little bit of sprucing up and a little bit of refurbishing, but they’re being utilized. For us, we’re so far ahead of the competition, both from a financial standpoint but also because our venues are built. We probably can use all of the same venues, or certainly most of them, with much less cost than another city would have.' The USOC said Friday that it was interested in bidding for an upcoming Winter Olympics. Late last month, the International Olympic Committee launched its bid process for the 2026 Winter Games, but it’s possible the IOC also may pick a host city for the 2030 Winter Games at the same time, as it did in awarding the 2024 Summer Games to Paris and 2028 Summer Olympics to Los Angeles." http://bit.ly/2gufwGP
3. L.A. FILM FESTIVAL WILL MOVE TO AWARDS SEASON IN 2018: The 24th edition of the L.A. Film Festival, presented by Film Independent, will move from its usual June date to late September next year. The festival is switching dates to boost its profile and contribute to the fall awards-season buzz. Los Angeles Times: "'Everyone wants the film festival taking place in the heart of the film business to be strong, myself included, and this move is one big step in that direction,' said Jennifer Cochis, director of the L.A. Film Festival, in an email. 'Repositioning the festival will allow it to be of better service to audiences, filmmakers, and the industry,' Cochis added. 'The summer is an increasingly challenging time for artist-driven films, and when we looked at the calendar to see what other window we could occupy, we all felt the fall was where we belonged.' Within the world of film festivals, the two essential factors are geographic location and position on the calendar. Festival organizers fight hard for high-profile premieres and the splashy red carpets that can go with them. And while that’s not the only metric of a festival’s success, it is the most apparent for audiences and media alike. The L.A. Film Festival is produced by Film Independent, the L.A.-based nonprofit arts organization that among its other programs produces the Spirit Awards. Whether any movies decide to play at the festival in relation to awards-season aspirations is another possible piece of the puzzle regarding the change in dates. The move puts the LAFF in more direct competition with the local AFI Fest. This year’s upcoming AFI Fest will take place from Nov. 9-16 and will presumably be in essentially the same spot on the calendar next year." http://lat.ms/2x59Aab
* INDUSTRY NEWS *
Essence, the lifestyle brand for African-American women, has announced the formation of its new live events and experiential department. Candace Purdie-Montgomery has been promoted to executive director, and Jovanca Maitland will be director. The department will focus on growing events such as the Essence Festival in New Orleans; the Black Women in Hollywood and Black Women in Music television specials; and the brand's New York Fashion Week theme-event, Street Style.
* LOCAL NEWS *
COAST TO COAST: Event service company Arena Americas has launched Well Dressed Tables in Milwaukee and Chicago. The tabletop division of Arena Americas will focus on designing special event equipment rentals such as tables and chairs, linens, kitchen and catering equipment, and dance floors.
CHICAGO: The Museum of Broadcast Communications will host “Saturday Night Live: The Experience” exhibit from October 21 through 2018. The 12,000-square-foot exhibit chronicles the history of Saturday Night Live and includes a full-scale replica of the show’s Studio 8H in Rockefeller in New York. The exhibit is a collaboration with the museum and Universal Brand Development, SNL, Broadway Video, and Premier Exhibitions.
LAS VEGAS: The 2018 Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show will take place March 26-28 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
International event design, production, and destination management company Toca Events has opened an office in Las Vegas.
LOS ANGELES: The Earl and Countess Spencer will host the inaugural Whole Child International fund-raising gala on October 26 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA: Snoop Dogg will perform at the InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Nightclub presented by E11even Miami on November 4, immediately following the InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball. The evening also will feature a fashion show by Saks Fifth Avenue Brickell City Centre and an open bar.
NEW YORK: The Maritime Foundation will host a benefit for the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park at floating oyster bar Grand Banks on October 25. The event will benefit Friends of Virgin Islands National Park's hurricane relief fund.
For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork
ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA: Topgolf will open its Orlando location on Friday. The 65,000-square-foot entertainment complex has more than 100 hitting bays and multiple spaces for private events.
TORONTO: NYC & Company and Tourism Toronto have formed an official partnership to boost tourism between the two cities. To celebrate the partnership, Air Canada has launched a sale from New York to Toronto as low as $87 one-way and from Toronto to New York as low as $155 CAD one-way, for travel through February 15, 2018.
The Canadian Opera Company’s annual Centre Stage Competition—a live audition showcase featuring talent from across Canada—will take place November 1.
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The 59th annual Washington International Horse Show will take place October 24-29 at the Capital One Arena.
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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, Rayna Katz, and Ian Zelaya in New York.
BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.
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