1. DALLAS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WANTS N.R.A. TO MOVE CONVENTION: Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway has suggested the National Rifle Association move its annual convention in May to a new city. The Dallas Morning News: “Caraway said that the NRA event, scheduled for May 3-6 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, is inappropriate for Dallas after the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., last week. The NRA's meeting will include firearms displays and exhibits, and the group's national elected officials will participate in leadership meetings. According to the website, ammunition sales are permitted, but on-site firearm sales are not. In a written statement, Caraway said that it's ‘time to put the heat on the NRA.’ He followed up his written comments with a news conference outside City Hall in which he decried high-powered civilian-owned weapons and gun violence in Dallas, referencing both the 1963 Kennedy assassination and the July 7, 2016, ambush on police. Caraway said asking the NRA to reconsider was ‘a tough call’ but would put the city's residents first. He said the NRA's political positions would lead to demonstrations that Dallas would be forced to handle and that the organization needs to ‘come to the table’ and be part of a solution. … Caraway largely sidestepped questions about what the city of Dallas could actually do about a legal event that already has a contract with the convention center. Instead, he said, other council members should take positions and that the city's attorneys could look into it. It appears unlikely to go far. The city's ban of the Exxxotica event, which is still in its own legal fight, was based on its sexually oriented business ordinance. The NRA's meeting would appear more difficult to challenge.” http://bit.ly/2ENWtl0
2. CELEBRITIES DONATE TO GUN CONTROL MARCH: George and Amal Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, and Steven Spielberg all announced they would each donate $500,000 to the "March for our Lives" rally in Washington, a gun control march planned after a shooting a Florida high school last week left 17 students and teachers dead. Reuters: "Clooney and his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, were the first to make the financial pledge and also said they will march alongside the students behind the rally on March 24. Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, where a 19-year-old former student is accused of going on a rampage with a semiautomatic AR-15-style assault rifle on Feb. 14, are assisting in planning the march. 'Our family will be there on March 24 to stand side by side with this incredible generation of young people from all over the country, and in the name of our children Ella and Alexander, we’re donating 500,000 dollars to help pay for this groundbreaking event. Our children’s lives depend on it,' Clooney said in a statement. ... The March for Our Lives event is one of several rallies being organized by students across the country in support of stronger gun laws, challenging politicians they say have failed to protect them. Busloads of Florida students headed to the state capital Tallahassee on Tuesday to call for a ban on assault rifles." http://reut.rs/2Gzggl5
3. HOW ROBOTS ARE PROVIDING SERVICE AT THE WINTER OLYMPICS: Robots of all shapes and sizes are helping visitors with directions, giving them water bottles, and offering weather reports at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. And they're also a way for South Korea to show off its technological advancements. NPR: "Most of the robots we've seen in Pyeongchang and Gangneung, the two areas where the Winter Games are being held, weren't made to look human. Instead, they present a wide range of looks—and autonomy. Some of these bots were made to look like a white tiger (Soohorang, the Olympic mascot), with an informational screen embedded in its belly. Others mimic colorful aquarium fish, avoiding the uncanny valley of fishiness with their blinking lights and exposed wiring. Several other models attend to duties that are often people-powered, from vacuuming busy hallways to painting murals. Two of the most sophisticated robots regularly operate in crowded spaces. One, the Airstar, greets travelers at Seoul's Incheon International Airport, answering questions and offering to guide people through—and as NPR's Elise Hu learned, they can successfully point you to another human, even if they don't always understand what you're saying. ... Just because they're mechanical, don't assume these robots work all hours. They're deployed on carefully managed schedules—the snack bots take long breaks, clocking in to navigate around media workspaces for about 15 minutes every hour—usually only between noon and 5 p.m. There's no sign that the robots negotiated for those hours – nor is there any hint of any artificial intelligence they might have lurking behind their cameras and sensors. TARS, they're not." http://n.pr/2HyVN14
* LOCAL NEWS *
COAST TO COAST: United By Blue and Luke’s Lobster will co-host cleanups in New York, Philadelphia, and Maine, where volunteers will pull trash from coastal waterways. Snews: http://bit.ly/2oegvvj
ATLANTA: The 82nd Atlanta Dogwood Festival will take place April 13-15 at Piedmont Park. The event will showcase fine art from 260 artists from across the U.S.
LOS ANGELES: The Californian, a celebration that combines horse racing, music, art, and food with an auto show, will take place May 5 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia.
For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA: Pig Beach NYC will take place Thursday at Nautilus South Beach. The event will offer dishes from Brooklyn-based barbecue restaurant Pig Beach.
NEW YORK: The 44th annual Macy’s Flower Show will run March 25-April 6 at Macy’s Herald Square. The event’s theme is “Once Upon A Springtime.”
For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork
TORONTO: The inaugural A Tavola, an Italian food festival, is slated to take place at Ontario Place this summer. BlogTO: http://bit.ly/2EBuBNp
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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, and Ian Zelaya in New York.
BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.
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