| 1. MGM RESORTS TO PAY VEGAS FESTIVAL SHOOTING VICTIMS UP TO $800 MILLION: MGM Resorts International will pay up to $800 million to settle lawsuits filed by victims of the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in 2017. The settlement will resolve claims that MGM was negligent in letting the shooter bring weapons and ammunition to the Mandalay Bay hotel. The New York Times: “Another lawyer for the plaintiffs, Craig Eiland, said that the settlement was expected to cover up to 4,500 people, which he said would include everything ‘from death cases all the way down to those who had P.T.S.D.’ … All of the settlement — or nearly all—will be funded by MGM’s insurers, who have agreed to pay $751 million to resolve the cases. So the most MGM will have to pay out of its own pockets, depending on the final settlement amount, would be $49 million.” 2. TRIPADVISOR ENDS SALES TO ATTRACTIONS WITH DOLPHINS AND WHALES IN CAPTIVITY: TripAdvisor will no longer sell tickets to attractions that breed dolphins and whales, including SeaWorld. The new policy is the company’s latest action for its 2016 animal welfare policy, which banned ticket sales to events where travelers physically touch captive wild animals, which includes elephant riding. The New York Times: “The policy, which includes the TripAdvisor subsidiary, Viator, comes a year after the company banned sales of tickets to performances and shows considered demeaning to animals, and it comes as concerns increase over animal tourism and animal welfare. … The new policy also focuses on improving the lives of the animals already in captivity. In order to be eligible for ticket sales on the platform, attractions must have a permanent seaside living environment.” 3. ‘MEAN GIRLS’ POP-UP RESTAURANT WILL OPEN IN SANTA MONICA: A pop-up themed around the 2004 high school comedy Mean Girls is slated to open in Santa Monica. The pop-up, which will be called Fetch, will be open on weekends in November at the former Joan’s on 3rd space. Real estate firm Festival Companies Inc., and Rixton Productions, an event production company responsible for BrunchCon, will produce the pop-up, which is not affiliated with the movie or Paramount Pictures. The Hollywood Reporter: “The food and cocktail menus are still in development, though a bar will be available with Mean Girls-theme drinks for sale, potentially including the She Asked Me How to Spell Orange Twist with vodka and other references to Swedish Fish and Toaster Strudels. … Although the pop-up is not open on Wednesdays, the suggested dress code is still pink, of course. The Mean Girls soundtrack will be played throughout the space, which will be decorated like the school cafeteria.” 4. POKEMON POP-UP BARS CANCELED OVER LEGAL ISSUES: Pop-up bars inspired by Pokémon have been canceled in cities including Austin, Detroit, Cleveland, and Montreal, after Viral Ventures, an Australian-based event company, didn’t ask permission from franchise owner Nintendo. The pop-ups are still slated to take place, however, but won’t have a Pokémon theme. Viral Ventures ran into a similar issue when launching a Lego-theme pop-up bar tour in 2018. Eater: “Viral Ventures is trying to push ahead with the pop-up, though: The Denver event has been pushed back several weeks, and attendees have reportedly been offered refunds or entry to the new event. The Pokébar website now redirects to an event called Monster Burger Bar, a ‘themed burger and trivia brunch,’ and dates for the Pokébar event in other cities have been scrubbed from the internet. Tickets in many cities, including Montreal, had not yet gone on sale before the rebrand. So, it seems that without the rights to use the name Pokémon or any of its characters, the company behind the pop-up is awkwardly trying to stage an off-brand version of the event.” 5. ADVERTISING WEEK’S PITBULL PERFORMANCE DRAWS CRITICISM: Advertising Week in New York’s closing night event featured a performance by Pitbull, which drew criticism from industry execs who said the concert—which featured the rapper surrounded by dancers wearing thongs—contradicted many of the event’s programs that addressed gender equality and sexism. Advertising Age: “The conference, in its 16th year, is meant to be a celebration of the industry and its successes. One panel was called ‘Corporations & Compassion: A Discussion on Masculinity.’ The ‘Gender Parity–It’s Complicated’ panel which revealed new research from She Runs It that shows a decline in women leaders. After all that, Pitbull’s performance seemed to undermine the entire week.”
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