August 8, 2017
The following is a press release from Fantastic Fest:
Where Lifestyle Cultures Blend
August 8, 2017
The following is a press release from Fantastic Fest:
June 7, 2017
The following is a press release from Hyatt Place Austin/Round Rock:
Hyatt Place Austin/Round Rock, the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Round Rock, Texas, is officially open. The 138-room hotel features the Hyatt Place brand’s intuitive design, casual atmosphere and practical amenities, such as free Wi-Fi and 24-hour food offerings. The hotel is owned by Sundance Hotel LLC and managed by Cincinnati, Ohio-based Winegardner & Hammons Hotel Group, LLC.
Hyatt Place Austin/Round Rock is located at 420 Sundance Parkway, within the La Frontera E-Commerce Park, just one mile from Dell headquarters and adjacent to Emerson Process Management training center. The hotel is just 15 miles north of Austin, Texas. Often touted as the “sports capital” of Texas, Round Rock features Dell Diamond Park, home of the Round Rock Express, a Triple A Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team and an affiliate of the Texas Rangers,and many amateur sports facilities including the Round Rock Sports Center.
“As Round Rock continues to grow and thrive economically, we are excited to add to the momentum by welcoming the first Hyatt Place hotel to the area,” said Hyatt Place Austin/Round Rock General Manager Mindi Marshall. “With our smartly designed social spaces and guestrooms with separate work and sleep areas, our multitasking guests can easily accomplish what they need to do while on the road. Plus, our free hot breakfast is just the thing our guests need to take on the day.”
Hyatt Place Austin/Round Rock offers:
“Round Rock is a vibrant city, filled with friendly people, great neighborhoods, and an ever expanding list of global businesses and things to do or see,” said Brian Perkins, COO, Winegardner & Hammons Hotel Group, LLC. “Our hotel is central to all of them and we are confident that Hyatt Place Austin/Round Rock will exceed guest expectations and provide them with everything they need while visiting our area.”
HYATT PLACE AUSTIN/ROUND ROCK LEADERSHIP
Hyatt Place Austin/Round Rock is under the leadership of General Manager Mindi Marshall and Director of Sales Sarah Macke. In her role, Marshall is directly responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the hotel, including overseeing the hotel’s associates and ensuring guests encounter the thoughtful service for which the Hyatt Place brand is known. Macke is responsible for providing sales service and support to travelers and meeting planners frequenting the Round Rock area.
The Chainsmokers at the 2017 MTV Woodies
The Chainsmokers won the top prize (Woodie of the Year) at the 2017 edition of the MTV Woodies, an award show that honors emerging artists whose music appeals to college-age people. MTV aired the show live on March 16 from the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas. (Click here to watch the full episode.)
The show featured performances from Rick Ross, Desiigner, D.R.A.M., Lil Yachty, Jidenna, Khalid and Starley. Presenters included the Chainsmokers, A$AP Ferg, Young M.A and Bibi Bourelly.
Prior to the one-hour live telecast, Terrence J hosted MTV’s emerging artist “Woodies” music festival beginning at 8 p.m. ET with performances by D.R.A.M., Lil Yachty, Young M.A, Bibi Bourelly, MUNA and PVRIS. Festival performances were also available on a livestream at the official MTV Woodies website.
Fans voted for each award in early March 2017, by taking a screenshot of their favorite artist on Snapchat. This was the first year that voting for the MTV Woodies took place exclusively on Snapchat.
Here is the complete list of winners and nominees for the 2017 MTV Woodies:
*** = winner
MTV Woodies x Rick Ross: Video
Apply for Press Credentials: Here
New York, NY (March 6, 2017) – MTV today announced four categories and nominees for the 2017 edition of the “MTV Woodies.” Voting, which will take place exclusively on Snapchat, in an MTV awards show first, opens today with best “Cover Woodie” before continuing with a new category each day through Thursday, March 9. Winners will be revealed at the 13th annual “MTV Woodies,” hosted by multiplatinum, rap legend, Rick Ross and airing LIVE on Thursday, March 16 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT from Austin, Texas during South by Southwest Music Festival.
Fans will be able to vote for each award by taking a screenshot of their favorite artist on Snapchat. The nominees for the “2017 MTV Woodies” are:
Woodie of the Year
Big Sean
The Chainsmokers***
Chance the Rapper
Childish Gambino
Solange
Twenty One Pilots
Cover Woodie
Chance the Rapper – “Ultralight Beam” (Kanye West)
Ed Sheeran – Touch (Little Mix)***
Elle King – Jealous/Can’t Feel My Face (Nick Jonas/The Weeknd)
James Bay – Hymn for the Weekend (Coldplay)
MØ – Love on the Brain (Rihanna)
Panic! At the Disco – Starboy (The Weeknd)
Songwriter of the Year
Bibi Bourelly
Diana Gordon
Jack Antonoff
PARTYNEXTDOOR***
Starrah
Swae Lee
Woodie to Watch
Gallant
Dua Lipa
D.R.A.M.
Rag ‘n’ Bone Man
Lil Yachty
Marshmello
Lil Uzi Vert
Khalid***
Anne-Marie
Russ
Official sponsors of the 2017 MTV Woodies broadcast included Cricket Wireless, Doritos, Pepsi, Reese’S Peanut Butter Cups and State Farm. Garrett English and Ryan Kroft were the executive producers with Vanessa Whitewolf and Andria Parides serving as producers for the 2017 MTV Woodies. Lisa Lauricella was executive in charge of music.
“Song by Song” World Premiere
“Alien: Covenent” World Premiere
“Baby Driver” World Premiere
“The Disaster Artist” Pre-Screening Reception
“T2 Trainspotting” Surprise Screening
“Life” World Premiere
Pandora at SXSW
March 13, 2017
Petcube has announced a major iOS update to its popular Petcube App, integrating Facebook Live, so people can livestream pets to their personal Facebook page. According to a Pehe same update will be coming later to Android. Petcube makes the best-selling interactive pet cameras Petcube Play and Petcube Camera and the forthcoming Petcube Bites treat cam. With the Petcube App, people can join a community of pet lovers and also play with publicly shared pets.
The San Francisco based technology company is in Austin co-hosting a “future of pet care” event called Pet Rescue Lounge, in partnership with innovative pet care brands Whistle, DogVacay and Luuup, inviting pet-loving SXSW attendees and Austinites. At the event, Petcube will be demoing the Facebook Live integration by broadcasting a live adoption of puppies and kittens in partnership with local rescue organizations, Austin Humane Society and Texas Humane Heroes. Together with its co-host partners, Petcube will be broadcasting live from different locations, including special appearances on the green carpet by famed pet celebrities Manny the Frenchie and Moshow the cat rapper. A portion of every sale with the code PETRESCUE at Petcube.com, Whistle.com, Luuup.com and DogVacay.com will be donated to Austin rescue groups.
With a commitment to reimagining pet care, Petcube continues to drive innovation in the Connected Pet space and is gearing up for the forthcoming commercial release of its interactive treat cam, Petcube Bites. Petcube Bites, now open for pre-order, will be the most advanced treat-flinging cam on the market, with 1080p HD video, night vision, video cloud recording, sound and motion alerts, two-way audio, the ability to remotely fling treats varying distances, a built-in container that will hold up to two pounds of treats, and automatic treat reorder support.
Petcube has also announced a strategic brand partnership with Wellness, the leading natural pet food brand and maker of popular Wellness dog and cat treats, to provide healthy treat samples for the Petcube Bites treat cam. The collaboration will feature Wellness treats that enhance the treating experience with the Petcube Bites cam. Owners will always have the flexibility to buy their preferred treat brands and products compatible with the Petcube Bites device.
Petcube Bites is available for pre-order on Petcube.com, Amazon, and Best Buy and will start rolling out commercially in early summer. With the opening of pre-orders for a limited time, Petcube Bites will be available at $199, or $50 off the retail price. The MSRP for Petcube Bites is $249 and Petcube Play is $199. Currently, Petcube Play is $149 through March 18, 2017, as part of a spring sale promotion. All Petcube devices come in three colors: carbon black, matte silver and rose gold.
Petcube’s camera product lineup supports on-the-go pet care and home security with the popular cloud recording service Petcube Care, which provides a 24/7 video timeline, sound and motion triggered recording and alerts, and up to 30 days of history. Owners can test drive the service with a 30-day trial that comes automatically with each device purchase.
March 8, 2017
by Carla Hay
The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference & Festivals (held every year in Austin, Texas) is arguably the best-known event in the U.S. that combines music, film, interactive and convergence programming. The 31st annual SXSW event takes place from March 10 to March 19, 2017.
New for 2017, the Interactive, Film, and Music badges will now include expanded access to more of the SXSW Conference & Festivals experience. Attendees will still receive primary entry to programming associated with their badge type but now also enjoy secondary access to most other SXSW events.
Here are some of the anticipated highlights of the festival:
Keynote speakers
The lineup of SXSW keynote speakers includes:
Meanwhile, featured speakers include actor/filmmaker Seth Rogen, New Jersey U.S. senator Cory Booker, actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin, fasion designer Marc Jacobs, Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood, Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, WWE star/actor John Cena, rocker Sammy Hagar and “Game of Thrones” executive producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff.
Music Performances
There are about 2,000 artists who perform at SXSW every year. In 2017, some of the biggest names include the Chainsmokers, Ryan Adams, the Avett Brothers, the New Pornographers, Sylvan Esso and Bilal.
Movie Premieres
SXSW has a wide variety of feature-length and short films. Here are some of the more high-profile feature films that will have their world premieres at the festival: “Atomic Blonde” (action thriller starring Charlize Theron); “Life” (sci-fi thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal); “The Disaster Artist” (directed by and starring James Franco); “Song to Song” (directed by Terrence Malick and starring Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender and Rooney Mara); and “May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers” (music documentary directed by Judd Apatow).
January 19, 2017
The sixth annual Austin Food + Wine Festival takes place April 28 to 30 at Auditorium Shores and Fair Market in Austin, Texas.
Here are some of the highlights, according to a press release from the festival:
January 11, 2017
Aloft Hotels has opened new locations in Austin and Louisville.
Aloft Austin Northwest at 14020 US Highway 183 is the second Aloft in Austin, Texas. Owned by Pure Lodging Hospitality and managed by Lodgic Hospitality, Aloft Austin Northwest has 130 loft-style rooms, 1,000 square feet of meeting space, and live music at W XYZ Bar. The hotel is less than a mile from Lakeline Mall and 25 miles from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Aloft Louisville East at 10700 Westport Road is the second Aloft in Louisville, Kentucky. Owned by M&T and developed by CRM Companies/PWM Real Estate Holdings, Aloft Louisville East has 126 loft-style rooms, more than 3,500 square feet of flexible meeting space and live music performances at the hotel’s W XYZ Bar and the outdoor Carloftis Courtyard.
Aloft Louisville East is less than a mile from EP “Tom” Sawyer State Park, 15 miles from Louisville International Airport, 14 miles from Kentucky International Convention Center, and 13 miles from KFC Yum! Center. The opening of the East End Crossing bridge will extend the Gene Synder Freeway (I-265) over the Ohio River into southern Indiana, which will create a new major corridor for traffic traveling north and south through Louisville.
Both hotels feature SPG Keyless that enables guests to use their smartphone or Apple watch as a room key, as well as free Wi-Fi throughout the property. Additional amenities include a Splash indoor pool, a Re:charge fitness center; Re:fuel by Aloft, a one-stop gourmet grab & go food and beverage area; and live, local music at the brand’s W XYZ bar as part of the signature Live At Aloft Hotels music series.