| 1. HOW RENT THE RUNWAY CATERED TO TIRED SXSW ATTENDEES: For many South by Southwest attendees, there is little opportunity to take breaks and decompress from the festival chaos. This is why Rent the Runway activated a pop-up that invited guests to change their outfits and get their hair and makeup done. The pop-up also allowed the retail clothing rental company to debut a new partnership with West Elm. Adweek: "'As someone who’s been at SXSW for so many years, truthfully, these are the things that we think about like, what do I want when I’m going to a space?' said Gabby Cohen, S.V.P. of brand communications and business development at Rent the Runway. 'I’ve been running around for hours and it’s humid out. I want someone to fix my hair and frankly, I want to sit down for five minutes.' By offering attendees services that allow them to relax in the space—guests could also have their birth chart read by an astrologist and munch on snacks—the brand wanted to be a 'one-stop shop' for tired festivalgoers." 2. STUDY FINDS ONE IN FOUR WOMEN HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY HARASSED AT TECH CONFERENCES: Ensono, an IT service management company, recently conducted a study that found female representation at tech conferences is still lacking—and that one in four women who’ve attended a tech conference said they experienced sexual harassment. The company conducted a survey of 500 women across the U.S. and the U.K. Fast Company: “Nearly half (49 percent) of women reported being unclear about the existence of a code of conduct at conferences they attend. More than a third (38 percent) of those who had seen a code of conduct at a conference said they have experienced sexual harassment. Forty-one percent of women report having an experience at a tech conference that makes them less likely to attend a future event.” 3. NEW YORK'S CHRYSLER BUILDING MIGHT TURN INTO HOTEL UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP: New York's iconic Chrysler Building might change from an old office building into a hotel under new ownership. Aby Rosen’s RFR Holding LLC and Austrian real estate firm Signa Holding GmbH recently agreed to purchase the skyscraper for $151 million, which is fewer than the $800 million the Abu Dhabi Investment Council paid in 2008 for a 90 percent stake. Bloomberg: "Rosen said in an email Tuesday that he would consider converting the tower into a hotel. Scott Rechler’s RXR Realty, which lost the bidding with an offer of about $150 million, had looked at turning the tower into a mixed-use property that would have included a hotel, according to the person, who wasn’t authorized to speak because the matter is private. ... The Chrysler Building, completed in 1930 in Art Deco style, would probably require millions of dollars in improvements, no matter what the new owners do with it. Keeping it as an office building would be a risky proposition at a time when New York tenants have been favoring new, amenity-packed skyscrapers at Hudson Yards on the far west side and the World Trade Center downtown. It could cost between $150 million and $250 million to make the necessary upgrades, the person said." 4. MILWAUKEE WILL HOST 2020 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION: The Democratic National Committee has chosen Milwaukee as host city for the 2020 Democratic National Convention. Milwaukee beat out Miami Beach and Houston to host the convention. CNN: “According to one Democratic source familiar with the process, Houston made a strong pitch and the logistics of the event would have worked, but it wasn't picked because of a dispute between Mayor Sylvester Turner and Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, the fire fighters union in the Texas city. The same aide said logistics were the primary issue for Miami Beach. … The Democratic National Convention is slated to take place from July 13 to July 16, 2020, almost two weeks earlier than the 2016 convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Democrats moved the convention up out of anticipation of a crowded and contentious primary.” 5. GRAMMYS PLAN TO HAVE NEW PRESIDENT BY SPRING: The Recording Academy's search for a new leader to replace president and C.E.O. Neil Portnow is expected to be completed this spring. The selection committee is moving into its second round of interviews with the finalists this week. Billboard: "The week of February 25, the selection committee, which is composed of 12 members of the Recording Academy’s board of trustees, interviewed the top candidates. Sources say there were around six to eight finalists, including at least one current member of the board. That number of first round candidates was winnowed down from the initial applicant pool by executive search firm Korn Ferry, which screened candidates who applied for the job, as well as recruited executives it felt could be a good match.A smaller pool will move into the second round and then, after more cuts, at least one more round of interviews is expected. The remaining finalists will be presented to a special meeting of the board that will take place before the annual spring board of trustees meeting begins May 21. The voting for Portnow’s successor will take place at the special meeting. Portnow’s successor is expected to be named in the spring, depending upon how the negotiations go." | 