1. TWO TOP HOLLYWOOD P.R. FIRMS TO MERGE: PMK-BNC and Rogers & Cowan, two of Hollywood’s biggest public relations firm, will merge into one company. The companies, both of which are based in Los Angeles and New York, will have a client list of 30 major brands and more than 500 artists. Los Angeles Times: “The new entity, which does not yet have a name, represents a wide variety of talent, including actors Robert Redford, Glenn Close, and Denzel Washington, filmmakers Jerry Bruckheimer and Robert Zemeckis, and musicians Katy Perry and Sean Combs. It will also work with brands including Audi, Hasbro, McDonald’s, Masterpiece Theater, Microsoft, and Verizon. The new mega-firm, which will employ more than 350 marketing and communications professionals, will be led by Rogers & Cowan chief executive Mark Owens and PMK-BNC C.E.O. and chairman Cindi Berger.” 2. OPEN-AIR EVENTS LOOK TO BALANCE SECURITY AND ATMOSPHERE AFTER GILROY SHOOTING: In the wake of the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting, which left three attendees dead, open-air events across the U.S. are aiming to up security while maintaining a welcoming atmosphere. According to experts, attendees of family-friendly events like county fairs will probably see heightened security for the remainder of the summer, but not a dramatic shift in safety precautions. Associated Press: “Experts praised the Gilroy Police Department’s precautionary efforts and quick response, noting that law enforcement there had taken many critical steps. ‘If somebody’s that determined to do something that terrible, it’s going to be hard to stop them,’ said Soraya Sutherlin, managing partner of Los Angeles-based Emergency Management Safety Partners. Sutherlin said event planners should clearly label exits, with signs pointing people toward an evacuation route, and design a way for visitors to report suspicious activity either in person, over the phone, or through an app.” 3. HOW MASTERCARD IS BRINGING THREE DISTINGUISHED INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANTS TO NEW YORK: Mastercard is recreating three distinguished international restaurants in New York as part of the financial services company’s latest version of its ‘Priceless’ campaign. The brand tapped creative agency and production studio Spring to recreate Lyaness in London, the Rock in Zanzibar, and Terazushi in Japan. The pop-ups feature window projections and props that nod to each restaurant’s environment and setting. Advertising Age: “The journey to the Rock begins outside the restaurant with a gangway flanked by tropical plants. Within, diners are directed to chairs covered in hand-sewn textiles from Tanzania, and some of the waiters serving them speak Swahili. A half-dozen windows each show a slightly different scene, as the view wraps around the building. … Mastercard calls the installation a ‘restaurant residency.’ The space is dedicated to Priceless indefinitely, and when a restaurant and its owner heads back home, another restaurant will rotate in to replace it. The Rock and owner Nigel Firman, for example, will be in New York for 45 days.” | 