February 26, 2019: SXSW Launching New Series Featuring Democratic Presidential Candidates, Oscar Ratings Up For First Time in Years, White House Announces Easter Egg Roll Date

1. SXSW LAUNCHING NEW SERIES FEATURING DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES: South by Southwest is building buzz for the 2020 presidential election by launching a new conversation series called Conversations About America's Future. The two-day event, held in partnership with the Texas Tribune, will feature talks with democratic presidential candidates including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, and former U.S. housing secretary Julian Castro. The Hollywood Reporter: "The event will feature speakers across the political spectrum. Also on the lineup are former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, former Denver Gov. John Hickenlooper, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Additional speakers are expected to be announced. 'There is no better place to have these important conversations about the future of our country and the many issues facing it than SXSW,' said SXSW chief programming officer Hugh Forrest. 'Our audience is made up of a young and diverse group of people, who are savvy, smart early adopters from the creative industries and beyond. I couldn't think of a better group to have participate in helping solve these complex problems.'" https://bit.ly/2BVFQkq

2. OSCAR RATINGS UP FOR FIRST TIME IN YEARS: After hitting an all-time ratings low in 2018, the Oscars finally saw an increase in ratings for the 2019 ABC telecast, which drew 29.6 million viewers. Deadline: “After four years of pretty stark declines in the sets of eyeballs watching the more than three-hour ceremony, the 3.1 million viewers that last night’s Oscars gained over last year’s show now slots the hostless show as the second least watched ever. Yet, up 12 percent in viewers and 13 percent in the key demo over the 2018 Jimmy Kimmel fronted show, the 2019 Oscars are the most watched non-sports show on all of TV since the 32.9 million who tuned in for the 2017 Oscars. The final ratings rose 16 percent from the non-adjusted fast affiliates of earlier this morning, which were up 3 percent from the same stats of the 2018 Oscars.” https://bit.ly/2Ti4mGy

3. WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES EASTER EGG ROLL DATE: First Lady Melania Trump on Monday announced the White House Easter Egg Roll will take place April 22. The 141st annual event is free and open to the public for families with kids 13 and under, and takes place on the South Lawn. The Hill: "An online lottery for tickets will open on Thursday at 10 a.m. and run through March 4. A statement on the Easter Egg Roll’s website said the Trumps are 'honored to continue the traditions of the past while weaving new traditions into the fabric of our nation.' President Trump made headlines last year for his remarks at the Easter Egg Roll when he referred to the White House as being in 'tippy-top shape.'" https://bit.ly/2T0fLLz

* LOCAL NEWS *

AUSTIN:  Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants will kick off its Kimpton Off the Record concert series at South by Southwest on March 16. The event will feature Moon Taxi, performing at Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt. 

DALLAS/FORT WORTH:  The seventh annual Jmblya music festival will take place May 3 at Fair Park in Dallas and May 4 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Travis Scott and Lil Wayne will headline the festival. 

LAS VEGAS:  Tropicana Las Vegas will debut Trago Lounge, a bar and lounge concept, in March. The 3,500-square-foot venue will seat 100 guests and offer a full-service menu, emphasizing scotch, whiskey, and tequila. 

LOS ANGELES:  Lowell Farms: A Cannabis Cafe, West Hollywood’s first cannabis restaurant, is slated to open this summer. Read more at Eater. 

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

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  At this weekend's South Beach Food & Wine Festival, Food Network personality and chef Guy Fieri announced plans to open Chicken Guy, a fast-casual restaurant, at Aventura Mall this spring. It's the second location of the concept, which is a collaboration with restaurateur, Robert Earl.

The Little Lighthouse Foundation’s 10th annual Hearts & Stars Gala: Vintage Vegas will take place March 23 at Jungle Plaza in the Miami Design District. 

NEW YORK:  Destination DC is planning a pop-up event March 8 at Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall to promote travel to the nation's capital this spring and summer. D.C.-theme activities at the pop-up will include a ball pit modeled after the reflecting pool on the National Mall, portraits with historical figures, a street mural, and an interactive Lincoln Memorial.

Rogue Media Group’s second annual Inclusive Leadership Summit hosted by MetLife will take place April 3. The event’s theme is “Talent. Culture. Marketplace.”

The Whitney Biennial, a survey of contemporary American Art, will run May 17-September 22. The Whitney curators Jane Panetta and Rujeko Hockley, who are co-organizing the event, announced 75 artists who are participating and noted that they focused on emerging artists; only five artists at one time have previously appeared in a Whitney Biennial.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  To celebrate International Women’s Day, Lapop and Gregorys Coffee will host a free, women-led panel about leadership in the hospitality industry on March 7 at Lapop. Featured panelists include Shamim Popal, co-owner and chef at the Popal Group; Shizu Okusa, co-founder of Jrink; and Lavanya Ramanathan, features reporter at the Washington Post. 

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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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