10 Best Ideas of the Week, the Latest Event News From Los Angeles

1. VICTORIA’S SECRET FASHION SHOW CANCELED: The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has been canceled for this year, and possibly for good. The lingerie firm’s parent company, L Brands, announced the decision Thursday, citing a move to “evolve the messaging of [the company].” The move follows months of speculation, and the lowest ratings ever for the show in 2018. Fortune: “While the show was, at one time, a pop culture event, it has been losing viewers over the past few years. C.F.O. Stuart Burgdoerfer, while heralding the show as a ‘remarkable marketing achievement,’ downplayed its financial impact of late, saying ‘as timing over the years shifted, in terms of airing the fashion show, did we see specific material impact in terms of a short-term sales response to the airing of the fashion show? As a general matter, the answer to that question is no.’”

2. A&E NETWORKS PLANS LIVE EVENT TIED TO HISTORY NETWORK: In a move that would make some of its more popular franchises more accessible to a wider audience—and perhaps to advertisers, too—A&E Networks has developed HistoryCon, a three-day event at the Pasadena Convention Center tied to History (formerly The History Channel). Set to take place next April, when the network will celebrate its 25th anniversary, the event will bring together stars of History shows with authors and various experts, such as presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. Deadline: “Live events have become an emerging area of focus for legacy cable channels coping with eroding linear ratings and resulting pressure on affiliate fees and advertising revenue. From WarnerMedia’s Turner Classic film festival and cruises to Viacom’s ClusterFest to NBCUniversal’s BravoCon, the calendar has filled up with immersive, live happenings. Brands flummoxed by the rapid changes in TV content viewing and the value of traditional advertising have seen returns on their investment in the event arena, which tends to generate considerable social media activity.”

3. RONAN FARROW TO RECEIVE EQUALITY AWARD AT WOMEN IN ENTERTAINMENT GALA: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ronan Farrow, the author of Catch and Kill, will receive the Equity in Entertainment award at The Hollywood Reporter's annual Women in Entertainment gala on December 11. It will be presented by former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson. Reese Witherspoon will be honored with the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award award while John Legend and Charlize Theron will present $1.5 million in university scholarships to high-school seniors from underserved communities who have been in THR’s Women in Entertainment mentorship program. The Hollywood Reporter: “Women in Entertainment is presented by Lifetime and sponsored by Loyola Marymount University in partnership with the Entertainment Industry Foundation. The breakfast also will be attended by 40 young women currently taking part in the WIE Mentorship Program, celebrating its forthcoming 10th anniversary. Each year, the program pairs 20 high-school juniors with some of the top women in film and TV.”

LAS VEGAS: Resorts World Las Vegas has unveiled plans to add a 5,000-seat theater, scalable to host A-list residencies and corporate events; a 75,000-square-foot nightlife/daylife concept; a 50-foot (in diameter) video globe that will display more than 6,000 square feet of LED content; and additional luxury suites, villas, and penthouses with individual lobby experiences, open balconies, and a sky casino. The new features are slated to debut in the summer of 2021.

LOS ANGELES: Kanye West is debuting an opera called Nebuchadnezzar live at the Hollywood Bowl on November 24. Directed by Vanessa Beecroft, the show will feature West’s Sunday Service choir plus singer Peter Collins.

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA: Lenny Kravitz and Sean Penn will host the CORE x Let Love Rule event in Miami Beach on December 5. Alan Faena, Vivi Nevo, Craig Robins, and Laurie Lynn Stark are also involved in the evening, which supports hurricane relief in the Bahamas.

NEW YORK: Kimpton Hotel Eventi will host the Fruit and Grain: Beer & Cider Festival on December 8. The event will feature 60 participating breweries, distilleries, and cideries, plus a live DJ, cornhole, live Mario Kart on a 30-foot screen, and more.

WASHINGTON: The 97th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting will be held on December 5. Country music star Jessie James Decker will host and perform at the event.