BEDMINSTER, N.J. (AP) — Henrik Stenson’s decision that cost him the European Ryder Cup captaincy paid large and immediate dividends Sunday when he won the LIV Golf Invitational at Bedminster and picked up more than $4 million for three days’ work.
Staked to a three-shot lead going into the third and final round at Trump National, Stenson opened with a 20-foot birdie putt and never led anyone closer than two shots the rest of the way.
He closed with a 2-under 69 for a two-shot victory over Matthew Wolf (64) and Dustin Johnson, who birdied the last hole for a 68.
Stenson, five years removed from beating a field of more than 20 players, picked up $4 million for winning and an additional $375,000 for his team finishing second.
The big payoff — not including a signing bonus reported to be about $50 million — comes less than two weeks after he 46-year-old Swede decided to join the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series.
Stenson had pledged full support to the European tour when he became Ryder Cup captain and March, and the tour stripped him of the job four months later when he changed his mind.
“I guess we can agree I played like a captain,” Stenson said on the LIV Golf telecast.
He finished at 11-under 202.
Asked by the LIV-paid broadcaster if he felt validated by the win, Stenson chose not to engage and replied, “It’s been a good first week.”
“It’s been a busy 10 days. I’m extremely proud I managed to focus as well as I did,” he said.
Stenson won the Hero World Challenge in December 2019 in the Bahamas, the holiday event hosted by Tiger Woods with a 20-man field. Before that, he won the Wyndham Championship in 2017. And while he felt pressure in the final hour, it didn’t always look like it.
Stenson poured in an 8-foot birdie putt on the 14th that gave him a three-shot lead with four holes remaining, two of them par 5s. But he took four to get down from left of the green on the par-5 15th. Two holes later, Stenson made a 10-foot putt for par to take a two-shot lead down the par 5 closing hole.
“The putt on 17 was massive to keep the cushion coming up the last,” Stenson said.
Johnson now has finished eight, fourth and tied or second in the three LIV Golf Invitationals. His team, “4 Aces,” has won the last two times, paying $750,000 to each player. In three events since Johnson reportedly received a $150 million signing fee, the two-time major champion has made over $5.2 million on the course.
Carlos Ortiz of Mexico (68) finished fourth, while Patrick Reed (69) was fifth.
Phil Mickelson shot an even-par 71, only the second time in nine rounds of LIV Golf that Mickelson has shot par or better. He finished 35th.
The LIV Golf Invitational is off for a month during the FedEx Cup playoffs on the PGA Tour, returning over Labor Day weekend about an hour west of Boston, and then two weeks later plays in the Chicago suburbs.
___
More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Among the events that received funding in the first round was the Middle-Earth Halfling Marathon, staged at Hobbiton Movie Set. Photo / Supplied
A total of 34 events across the Waikato, Rotorua, Taupō and Ruapehu regions will receive nearly $3 million in funding from the Government’s Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund.
The fund was set up by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to support and provide new domestic visitation opportunities for the events and tourism sectors which have been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Regional tourism organisations from across the country have been appointed as facilitators of the fund.
Last year’s round of funding supported 15 events in the region with $1.6m while the latest allocation gives $1.3m to 19 events.
The events receiving funding support are a mixture of new and existing ones from diverse interest areas including business, sport, fitness, trail running, cars, music, and culture.
In total, the 34 events are predicted to attract over 300,000 people, with two-thirds being visitors from outside each host region. Some events have three-year funding agreements while others have received a one-year investment to boost their development.
Among the events that received funding in the first round was the Middle-Earth Halfling Marathon, staged at Hobbiton Movie Set at the end of April this year.
This inaugural event drew in 2500 people including 1000 competitors, some of whom dressed in costume. They ran or walked one of two distances around the picturesque village of Hobbiton, either the halfling (21.1km) or the eleventy-first (11.1km).
Middle-Earth Halfling Marathon event director Matt Reilly, of The Events Agency, says the Thermal Explorer funding enabled the event to get off the ground.
“The support gave us the seed funding necessary for us to be able to confidently move forward with developing what proved to be a successful event even in its first year and will only grow in the years to come.
“We’re already out there inviting runners and their supporters to mark their calendars for next year’s Middle-Earth Halfling Marathon.”
Other events that secured funding include New Zealand’s Fitness Festival and hunting and outdoor expo Sika Show, both set to take place at Mystery Creek in October, the Waitomo Trail Run in November and the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival in February and March next year.
The Thermal Explorer Event Investment Panel that facilitates the fund is made up of eight members and Hamilton & Waikato Tourism is the lead entity.
Hamilton & Waikato Tourism chief executive Nicola Greenwell says the regions and event organisers are “immensely excited” about the opportunities made possible through the funding.
“The support allows the funded events to be developed, positioned and marketed to be or become an iconic or anchor event for the host region, growing exponentially each event, attracting out-of-region visitation, encouraging economic benefit and boosting capability in our events sector.”
Greenwell says the focus will now be on developing events sector capability across the Thermal Explorer regions.
“The ongoing upskilling of our events sector will best position the events being staged in our regions to be extraordinarily successful and sought after – not only by our local communities but also visitors to each of our regions.
“We’ve already held some well-attended capability-building workshops and webinars and we are expanding these along with other development initiatives.”
Pride in London is returning to the capital for the first time since 2019, celebrating 50 years since the very first march took place in 1972.
More than one million people are expected to descend on the capital for the parade, which begins from 12pm on Saturday (2 July).
According to the organisers, 30,000 people have registered to join the march from more than 600 LGBT+ community groups.
The parade is an “opportunity for expression of celebration, joy and triumph but also the voice to rightly express the continued fight for those injustices and inequalities that exist among us,” Pride in London said.
Those marching today will be calling on the UK government to ban conversion therapy for all LGBT+ people, reform the Gender Recognition Act, and provide equal protection for LGBT+ communities against hate crime.
They are also calling for an end to “hostile environment towards minority migrants”, and for the establishment of a national Aids memorial to remember those who died during the HIV and Aids epidemic.
The Independent is the official publishing partner of Pride in London 2022.
The cast of Netflix teenage comedy-drama Heartstopper have been photographed taking part in the Pride in London parade.
The cast of Heartstopper (L-R) Kit Connor, Joe Locke, Tobie Donovan and Sebastian Croft attend Pride in London
(Getty Images)
The popular show’s stars, Joe Locke, Kit Connor, Tobie Donovan, Sebastian Croft, Kizzy Edgell, and Corinna Brown took pictures while smiling and sitting on one another’s backs, draped in LGBT+ flags.
The cast of Heartstopper (L-R) Joe Locke, Jenny Walser, Kit Connor, Sebastian Croft, Tobie Donovan, Corinna Brown and Kizzy Edgell attend Pride in London 2022
(Getty Images)
Heartstopper is a British coming-of-age series that follows a budding romance between Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), as they navigate coming out in high school.
The Independent’s Voices team attends Pride in London
The Independent’s very own Voices team is at Pride in London.
Victoria Richards and Harriet Williamson are marching alongside other LGBT+ campaigners and activists, waving The Independent’s Pride flags as well as the Ukraine flag.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has made an appearance at Pride in London, ahead of the parade.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaking to the media before the Pride in London parade
(PA)
He said: “We’re back after the last two and a half years or so. This year is the 50th anniversary of Pride, celebrating this community, celebrating the progress made, but also continuing to campaign and never be complacent.
“We saw this time last week an attack in Oslo just hours before that parade, where two people lost their lives and more than 20 were injured.
“So, we’ve got to be conscious of the fact that there’s still a danger to this community of discrimination, bias and violence. But allies like me are really important to support this community.”
“I’m quite clear, we’re marching today for an open, inclusive accepting world. We’re marching today for those in Oslo, for those who haven’t made the progress we’ve made.
“We’re also marching today for love. I’m quite clear, here in this great city we should be a beacon of inclusiveness, of openness, but also a place where you can be free to be who you want to be and free to love who you want to love.”
Khan added that the Metropolitan Police have been “sensitive” over concerns about uniformed officers taking part in the parade.
“I think it’s really important that anybody who’s from the LGBT community should be able to take part in this parade,” he said.
“Clearly, the community does have concerns around policing, we saw with the Stephen Port investigation the concerns that arose from the inquest and from the families of the four men who lost their lives.
“I think the police have been sensitive to the issues raised by the community and there will be uniformed officers in and around Pride to make sure we’re all safe, to make sure this parade is a success.
“But, clearly, those taking part in the parade from the police service won’t be wearing the uniforms.”
Mohammed Nazir, 24, from Bangladesh, who is with campaign group Rainbows Across Borders, said he wanted to dedicate this year’s pride to those forced to still hide their sexuality.
(PA)
He told the PA news agency: “Pride is about self-affirmation, dignity and equality. It is a way to meet some other LGBTQ people. Pride is a movement where we’re still fighting for our rights.”
He added: “It’s all of the people’s hard work and dedication that we are now not scared to express our true identity, but still there are so many countries where people are not able to express their true identity because of the country’s law, because of the government’s rule, or because of the cultures and disbelief.
“So, this Pride I would like to dedicate to those people who are still hiding their sexuality and I would like to send them a message that we didn’t choose to be gay, this is how we were born, and we should pride ourselves because being gay is a glitter, and if you hide your sexuality day by day you feel stress and you always feel a lack of confidence and lots of mental issues, and when you come out it will help you … be who you are.”
Berlin mosque becomes ‘first’ in Germany to fly rainbow flag for Pride
A mosque in Berlin has said that it is the first German mosque to fly the rainbow flag in support of LGBT+ communities, as Pride begins.
The Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque, which claims to be the only “liberal” mosque in the country, unfurled the symbolic flag in front of a small audience on Friday (1 July).
Berlin’s culture senator Klaus Lederer and state chairman Kai Wegner were present for the ceremony, where attendees wore badges with the slogan: “Love is halal.”
Celebrity Gogglebox stars in tears watching Big Boys coming out scene for Pride special
The stars of Celebrity Gogglebox were left in tears after watching the coming out scene from Big Boys.
Friday (1 July) night’s episode of the Channel 4 series was a Pride special and saw a group of LGBTQ+ celebrities and their loved ones tune into the week’s biggest shows.
Over a million expected in London for first Pride march since pandemic began
More than a million people are expected to descend on the capital for Pride in London on Saturday.
It will be the first time the event has been held since the outbreak of the pandemic and is the 50th anniversary of the UK’s first ever Pride parade.
The event, which organisers are calling the “biggest and most inclusive event in history”, will also feature a line-up of artists performing across four stages around Central London.
Welcome to the World Refugee Day 2022 Live Blog, where we’ll be bringing you stories and events from around the world celebrating refugees and the countries and communities that have taken them in.
Every World Refugee Day, 20 June, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, joins millions of others around the world in honoring those who have fled conflict, violence and persecution in search of safety. With the number of forcibly displaced people around the world now standing at more than 100 million, the theme of this year’s event – the right to seek safety – is more critical than ever.
Today and every day, we believe that everyone has the right to seek safety – whoever they are, wherever they come from, and whenever they are forced to flee.
By keeping our doors and hearts open to refugees, we can offer them a chance to use their energy and talents in meaningful ways that ultimately benefit us all.
Check back here throughout the day for updates.
Geneva, Switzerland/New York, USA
The right to seek asylum is not up for negotiation. Watch UNHCR’s moving World Refugee Day video to hear from refugees first-hand what it’s like to be forced to leave everything behind in search of safety.
— UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) June 19, 2022
Warsaw, Poland
Poland is hosting more than 1.1 million refugees from Ukraine, and among them is Vic, a student from Nigeria who was studying in Ukraine when the conflict began. Now living in Warsaw, Vic led a dance session for people of all ages as part of a World Refugee Day event organised by UNHCR and local NGO Strefa WolnoSlowa.
Refugees and UNHCR staff celebrated World Refugee Day in South Sudan with a football match at the training ground of national soccer team “The Bright Stars”. A UNHCR team featuring UN staff and displaced players from Sudan and Ethiopia faced off against a refugee team from Rwanda, Sudan and Burundi. With the teams tied at one all after normal time, the match was decided on penalties with the UNHCR team claiming victory after the winning goal was scored by a refugee midfeilder from Sudan. Here’s the team claiming the silverware…
Almost 15,000 jobs and more than 150 events supported by the scheme, including Wimbledon, The BRIT Awards and Virgin Radio’s Big Thank You Tour
UK live events sector is worth more than £70 billion annually to the economy and is bouncing back from the pandemic with a vibrant summer programme of events
Nearly three million people are expected to have attended events supported by the Government’s Live Events Reinsurance Scheme by the end of the summer.
The scheme, which closes in September, has paved the way for a busy summer events season, giving event organisers the confidence to invest in future events – safe in the knowledge they can insure against the most severe coronavirus-related risk, providing job security and boosting the economy.
The Government acted as a reinsurer and guaranteed to make sure insurers offered products to event companies. Prominent insurers in the Lloyd’s Market including Munich Re, Beazley, Arch, Dale Underwriting Partners, Hiscox and Ark are carriers of the scheme.
The scheme has already provided well over £100 million worth of cover – supporting more than £400 million of investment and protecting almost 15,000 jobs, keeping the economy moving and driving growth across the country.
Events supported across the UK include national set-piece events such as Wimbledon, The BRIT Awards, Birmingham’s Spring Fair and the London Art Fair. It has also supported important community events such as the Shaftesbury Book Fair, the Cardiff Half Marathon and the Gloucester Quays Christmas Outdoor Ice Rink.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said:
The UK is a rich cultural hub and puts on some of the best arts, sporting and music events across the globe.
Our Live Events Reinsurance Scheme backed these events, enabling them to take place in the midst of uncertainty caused by the pandemic – helping to support nearly 15,000 jobs and over £400m of investment.
Arts Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:
This summer the public can look forward to a packed schedule of live events in sport, culture and business thanks to Government support for the live events sector and the incredible resilience and ingenuity of the people who work in it.
While it is right that the Live Events Reinsurance Scheme is being wound down as we bounce back from the pandemic, I am proud of the role it played in getting the live events sector back on its feet.
Virgin Radio UK content director, Mike Cass said:
The Virgin Radio UK Big Thank You Tour was one big rock star thank you to our key workers for everything they have done for us all during the pandemic.
The Live Events Reinsurance Scheme meant we could reschedule the tour for when it was safe to go ahead and ensure our key worker heroes were properly thanked by the best names in the business with three evenings of great music.
Patrick Davison, underwriting director, Lloyd’s Market Association, said:
Event cancellation due to covid was an uninsurable risk everywhere in the world. No one would touch it. But in co-operation with the LMA and Her Majesty’s Government – without whose support the scheme could not have been possible – specialist underwriters at Lloyd’s were prepared to innovate in support of the UK events industry, to get the country back on an even keel. I am proud of their willingness to risk their own capital to build confidence in the events sector and help restore the economy.
There are strong signs the vital events sector is bouncing back, with a full programme of concerts, music festivals, sporting competitions and other events throughout the summer. This is thanks to a number of successful Government policies such as the Events Research Programme and world-leading levels of support committed through the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.
The Live Events Reinsurance Scheme has supported events across the country and in all four nations of the UK. In the West Midlands, events totalling £13 million in spend have been covered, including the National Running Show and MACH 2022 at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre. More than £3 million has been spent towards events in the North West, including Virgin Radio’s Big Thank You Tour and the Federation of Small Businesses Awards.
As the risk posed to events by Covid-19 has been significantly reduced thanks to the success of the Government’s vaccination programme, the reinsurance scheme is scheduled to end as planned on 30 September in line with the Government’s Living with Covid plan.
Ends
Notes to editors:
Testimonials:
Sally Bolton, Chief Executive, All England Tennis Club, said:
The AELTC welcomes the support of the Live Events Reinsurance Scheme in relation to The Championships 2022.
Mike Seaman, CEO Raccoon Events, Organiser of the National Running Show, said:
The pandemic was a difficult time for us as exhibition organisers. The reinsurance scheme gave us the confidence to delay any decision about postponing our event until the situation had improved markedly. We are a small business and could not have done this without the backing of the government and the net result was that we brought 20,000 people together, promoting exercise, improving mental health and stimulating trade, all as a result of the reinsurance scheme.
global Virtual Events market size is projected to reach US$ 366450 million by 2028, from US$ 115610 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 17.3% during 2022-2028.
Pune, May 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Virtual Events Market 2022 research report represents a detailed overview of the current market situation and forecast till 2028. The study is perhaps a perfect mixture of qualitative and quantitative information highlighting key market developments, challenges, and competition the industry face alongside gap analysis and new opportunities available and trend within the Virtual Events Market. Further, this report gives Virtual Events Market size, recent trends, growth, share, development status, market dynamics, cost structure, and competitive landscape. The research report also includes the present market and its growth potential in the given period of forecast. An exhaustive and professional study of the global Virtual Events market report has been completed by industry professionals and presented in the most particular manner to present only the details that matter the most. The report mainly focuses on the most dynamic information about the global market.
Moreover, the research report gives detailed data about the major factors influencing the growth of the Virtual Events market at the national and local level forecast of the market size, in terms of value, market share by region, and segment, regional market positions, segment and country opportunities for growth, Key company profiles, SWOT, product portfolio and growth strategies.
About Virtual Events:
Virtual events are online exhibitions that include breakout sessions, video conferencing, web conferencing, collaboration tools, communication, and social networking. Virtual events can be enabled on smartphones, desktops, laptops, and tablets. They can be used to announce the launch of new products, provide additional information to people, and obtain new vendors. The exhibit below represents the differences between physical events and virtual events.
This report gives a detailed description of all the factors influencing the growth of these market players as well as profiles of their companies, their product portfolios, marketing strategies, technology integrations, and more information about these market players. Some of the major players are as follows:
The Major Key Players Listed in the Virtual Events Market Report are:
Global Virtual Events Market: Drivers and Restrains
The research report has incorporated the analysis of different factors that augment the market’s growth. It constitutes trends, restraints, and drivers that transform the market in either a positive or negative manner. This section also provides the scope of different segments and applications that can potentially influence the market in the future. The detailed information is based on current trends and historic milestones. This section also provides an analysis of the volume of production in the global market and of each type.
A thorough evaluation of the restrains included in the report portrays the contrast to drivers and gives room for strategic planning. Factors that overshadow the market growth are pivotal as they can be understood to devise different bends for getting hold of the lucrative opportunities that are present in the ever-growing market. Additionally, insights into market expert’s opinions have been taken to understand the market better.
On the whole, the report proves to be an effective tool that players can use to gain a competitive edge over their competitors and ensure lasting success in the global Virtual Events market. All of the findings, data, and information provided in the report are validated and revalidated with the help of trustworthy sources. The analysts who have authored the report took a unique and industry-best research and analysis approach for an in-depth study of the global Virtual Events market.
Global Virtual Events Market Segmentation:
The research report includes specific segments by region (country), company, Type, and Application. This study provides information about the sales and revenue during the historic and forecasted period. Understanding the segments helps in identifying the importance of different factors that aid the market growth.
By Type:
Online Exhibitions
Web Conferencing
Others
By Application:
Education
Healthcare
Finance and Banking
Others
Geographic Segment Covered in the Report:
The Virtual Events report provides information about the market area, which is further subdivided into sub-regions and countries/regions. In addition to the market share in each country and sub-region, this chapter of this report also contains information on profit opportunities. This chapter of the report mentions the market share and growth rate of each region, country and sub-region during the estimated period.
North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific
South America
Middle East and Africa
The study Objectives of this report are:
To study and analyze the global Virtual Events market size (value and volume) by company, key regions/countries, products and application, history data and forecast.
To understand the structure of the Virtual Events market by identifying its various sub-segments.
To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).
Focuses on the key global Virtual Events manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in the next few years.
To analyze the Virtual Events with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.
To project the value and volume of Virtual Events submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).
To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.
To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.
This Virtual Events Market Research/Analysis Report Contains Answers to the following Questions
What developments are going on in that technology? Which trends are causing these developments?
Who are the global key players in this Virtual Events market? What are their company profiles, their product information, and contact information?
What was the global market status of the Virtual Events market?
What is the current market status of the Virtual Events industry? What’s market competition in this industry, both company, and country-wise? What’s the market analysis of the Virtual Events market by taking applications and types in consideration?
What will be the estimation of cost and profit?
What is the economic impact on the Virtual Events industry? What are global macroeconomic environment analysis results? What are global macroeconomic environment development trends?
What are the market dynamics of the Virtual Events market? What are the challenges and opportunities?
Detailed TOC of Global Virtual Events Market Report 2022
1 Report Business Overview
1.1 Study Scope 1.2 Market Analysis by Type 1.2.1 Global Virtual Events Market Size Growth Rate by Type, 2017 VS 2021 VS 2028 1.2.2 Online Exhibitions 1.2.3 Web Conferencing 1.2.4 Others 1.3 Market by Application 1.3.1 Global Virtual Events Market Size Growth Rate by Application, 2017 VS 2021 VS 2028 1.3.2 Education 1.3.3 Healthcare 1.3.4 Finance and Banking 1.3.5 Others 1.4 Study Objectives 1.5 Years Considered
2 Global Growth Trends
2.1 Global Virtual Events Market Perspective (2017-2028) 2.2 Virtual Events Growth Trends by Region 2.2.1 Virtual Events Market Size by Region: 2017 VS 2021 VS 2028 2.2.2 Virtual Events Historic Market Size by Region (2017-2022) 2.2.3 Virtual Events Forecasted Market Size by Region (2023-2028) 2.3 Virtual Events Market Dynamics 2.3.1 Virtual Events Industry Trends 2.3.2 Virtual Events Market Drivers 2.3.3 Virtual Events Market Challenges 2.3.4 Virtual Events Market Restraints
Market Reports World is the Credible Source for Gaining the Market Reports that will provide you with the Lead Your Business Needs. The market is changing rapidly with the ongoing expansion of the industry. Advancement in technology has provided today’s businesses with multifaceted advantages resulting in daily economic shifts. Thus, it is very important for a company to comprehend the patterns of the market movements in order to strategize better. An efficient strategy offers the companies a head start in planning and an edge over the competitors.
Tracie Rodburg remembers looking out at the masses attending the 2019 NFL Draft in Nashville. The NFL’s SVP for sponsor management, Rodburg stood alongside her counterparts from Caesars Entertainment, who were at the time preparing to host the 2020 draft.
Nashville boasted over 600,000 attendees across three days, reporting over $132 million in direct spending—more than Dallas and Philadelphia had managed over the previous two years, combined. Putting on the most viewed NFL Draft to that point, Music City would be a tough act to follow.
But Las Vegas is not a town that often finds itself outdone, as the Caesars representatives made clear. “They were looking out on the crowd and saying, ‘Oh, we got this,’” Rodburg said.
Three years later, it’s finally Vegas’ turn to put on a show. While COVID-19 diverted the NFL Draft’s decades-long march from hotel conference room event to multi-day football festival, as many as 1 million attendees are expected this week. Rob Gronkowski will be one of them.
On Friday, Gronkowksi will host Gronk Beach at the Encore Beach Club. Gronk held a similar event before the 2020 Super Bowl in Miami. He and organizers at Medium Rare believe there is a large market of football fans looking for extra entertainment around the draft.
“Our partners were very receptive to the thought that draft weekend has a lot of opportunity for events,” Medium Rare co-founder Joe Silberzweig said. “[The NFL is] doing a good job with some of the free events and things going on around the strip, but I’m not sure that it’s enough, especially from an entertainment perspective.” Gronk Beach’s sponsors include Pepsi and 1800 Tequila.
If this level of festivity had surrounded his 2010 draft day, Gronkowski said, “I probably wouldn’t have even played a single down in the NFL.”
Medium Rare is planning for a different crowd than the ones it entertains at Super Bowls, charging $75 for tickets this week rather than upwards of $400.
“This is a little bit more for the people, and a little bit more accessible than the Super Bowl,” Medium Rare co-founder Adam Richman said.
Elsewhere on the strip, there will be plenty of opportunities for celebrity sightings. Rich Paul has reportedly booked Tao Nightclub for a Klutch Sports Group event, and Tao Group co-CEO Jason Strauss told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that VIP service demand has been so high the company is struggling to source the high-end tables needed to host them. “In 16 years in this business, I have never had that concern,” he said. Weezer, Ice Cube, and Marshmello, meanwhile, are among the musical performers the NFL has lined up.
The draft’s April date has contributed to its growth. “Q1 is just atrociously packed,” Wasserman president, brands and properties Elizabeth Lindsey said, citing everything from the Daytona 500 to the Oscars. “I think [the Draft] actually happens in a good part of the calendar.”
A mid-spring slot also opens up more location possibilities. Each time the draft visits a new town, Lindsey said there’s a bump in interest among brands looking to reach different markets. After Vegas, the NFL will head to Kansas City in 2023 and Detroit in 2024.
This will be the first NFL Draft to take place in the Pacific time zone, meaning that the actual business of selecting players will be over in time for locals to enjoy themselves in the evening, while the NFL proves that its fans will use just about any excuse to celebrate.
“That’s what Vegas is—it’s a show,” Rodburg said. “And the draft will fit perfectly in that.”
Arizona State University will punctuate a week of Earth Day events on Tuesday with a dedication ceremony for its new, $192 million research and teaching facility, currently known only as “Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 7.”
The school has kept mum about who it will honor when it names the building, even among faculty of the interdisciplinary research effort comprising the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, who started moving into the building’s sleek offices and laboratories in January.
Diane Pataki, director of ASU’s School of Sustainability, which now falls under the expansive umbrella of the Global Futures Laboratory, is excited for the public to learn more about the innovative work being done at the university to address the climate crisis and the opportunities for students to build careers in the field.
She says the green job market just keeps growing and that ASU is leading the charge on preparing workers for employment in sustainability fields, and attracting top researchers along the way. She moved her Urban Greening Lab to ASU from the University of Utah last year.
“It’s all supposed to now be more than the sum of its parts, by linking all of these schools together,” Pataki said. “So that’s why I came here and there’s no other university that I know of, especially in the U.S., that’s made this kind of commitment to have an impact outside of academia and to serve the public good. It’s really exciting.”
The new building and laboratory initiative bring together natural scientists, social scientists and experts in humanities and business, among others, with stakeholders and decision-makers to help chart the best path forward in the midst of warnings about climate change that grow louder with each subsequent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
ASU brought in Peter Schlosser, a leading Earth scientist, to enact the vision in 2018. As the Global Futures Laboratory’s vice president and vice provost, he says the work being done by the assembled experts is happening not a moment too soon.
“We are looking for a global future in which lives thrive on a healthy planet. The mission simply is to design options for sustainability and to improve well being for all humankind, very straightforward,” Schlosser said.
“We see the pressures on the Earth system from the growing population. We are looking for solutions that are economically feasible and we’re looking at whether or not we have the institutions to implement them. That’s a lot of work that is absolutely necessary,” he said. “If we are not doing that, we just will keep going down the road and rolling toward the abyss, with very dire outcomes.”
Schlosser and Pataki are optimistic that humanity can roll back from that abyss with the type of work and leadership happening at ASU. In addition to the events being curated for the public for next week, the university offers undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs in various aspects of sustainability science, including sustainable food systems, sustainable energy and sustainable economics.
“You need a lot of information and a lot of methods and a lot of partners to make sustainability happen,” Pataki said. “I think, personally, that it was ASU pushing sustainability as a concept that led to some of the popularity in these programs that we see now. But it’s going to be even bigger. We’re moving into global futures territory, which is even bigger than sustainability.”
Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22 to mark the anniversary of the modern environmental movement, according to the organization Earthday.org, which aims to “diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide.”
This year, April 22 falls on a Friday. But starting on Monday, ASU has lined up a full slate of educational events on what its leaders are doing to advance the field of sustainability research and what the public can do too.
Highlights of Earth Day activities
On Monday:
At 9 a.m., Schlosser will welcome Earth Week revelers in the ISTB7 auditorium with a panel discussion on “how we think about and approach energy in the context of building better futures at a global scale.”
At 11 a.m., a panel titled “Don’t Look Down” will discuss the need to engage diverse voices to make sure scientific and technological advances benefit everyone.
At 12:30 p.m., the judge of a competition for female entrepreneurs will guide a discussion of sustainable business practices.
From 2 p.m.-6 p.m., youth are invited to learn how to use spatial data to create the type of maps needed to address issues in global resilience. Free pizza is included.
At 4:30 p.m., a panel examines “Arizona’s Energy Journey” through recent legislation.
After the building dedication at 10 a.m., tours of the facility will be offered from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
At 2:30 p.m., a session on “The Future of Conservation” will include a “photographic journey” and input from global-thinking authors, scientists and even a surfer.
At 4:30 p.m., a presentation will highlight “Opportunities for Climate Solutions and Green Careers.”
At 6 p.m., former Vice President Al Gore will deliver a live virtual address on how threats to democracy impact climate activism.
On Wednesday:
9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Exhibits offer more information on the Global Futures Laboratory while food trucks keep visitors to sustainability booths sustained.
The ASU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is hosting a “Democracy and Climate Change Conference” all day in the Pima Ballroom at the ASU Memorial Union.
At 2:30 p.m., a panel will explore the role a $620 billion sports industry plays in the search for sustainable solutions.
At 4:30 p.m., Diné chef Brian Yazzie will host a session on cooking and food sovereignty. Register online.
On Thursday:
At 10 a.m., experts will discuss the decision-making structure for global solutions and how to decide who those decision-makers should be.
At 1:30 p.m., three Indigenous women sustainability scientists will talk oceans, languages, science and culture.
At 4:30 p.m., students in ASU’s College of Global Futures will share highlights from sustainability-related internships and projects.
At 8:30 a.m., a collaborative panel between Kings College London and ASU will discuss “Ecologies and Infrastructures of Environmental Management.”
At 10 a.m., Schlosser will lead a panel on the importance of staying hopeful in a climate-ravaged world.
At 11:30 a.m., winners of the inaugural “Climate Narratives Prize” will be announced and their work discussed.
On Saturday:
Between 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., ASU will celebrate the end of its Earth Week events — but not the end of its commitment to the Earth — by inviting volunteers to help clean up the Salt River. Those interested should register online and meet on the west side of 91st Avenue, one mile south of Broadway Road.
Joan Meiners is the Climate News and Storytelling Reporter at The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Before becoming a journalist, she completed a Ph.D. in Ecology. Follow Joan on Twitter at @beecycles or email her at joan.meiners@arizonarepublic.com.
