1. REAL ESTATE OWNERS INVEST IN ESPORTS VENUES TO DRAW GAMERS: As the esports industry begins to hold more live events, property companies are building stadiums, lounges, and other venues equipped to host video game tournaments to draw the gaming crowd. A subsidiary of Comcast Corp and the Cordish Companies are building a $50 million venue that will host Activision Blizzard Inc.'s Philadelphia Fusion games; and last year in Arlington, Texas, city officials built a $10 million, 100,000-square-foot esports stadium in an existing convention center. The Wall Street Journal: “Not all esports events are profitable, and running an esports stadium has its challenges. Tournament organizers who come from the gaming community but have little professional experience handling logistics for big events could stumble on equipment failures, cost overruns, and schedule delays, gamers and organizers say. Landlords say they also have to figure how to engage gamers who tend to be younger and more tech savvy than property executives. They demand high-speed connectivity, which requires additional processing power, and affordable food and drinks.”

2. WOODSTOCK 50 IS OFFICIALLY CANCELED: Woodstock 50 has officially been canceled by organizers after they attempted to bring the event to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang said the decision was made to cancel the 50th anniversary event after it suffered a series of setbacks, including losing its financial backer, multiple venues, and high-profile headliners. Billboard: “Merriweather Post Pavilion had agreed to host Woodstock 50 if organizers could book acts to play, possibly as a free benefit concert to raise awareness and funding for get-out-the-vote nonprofit HeadCount and organizations that combat global warming. ‘While we were able to quickly eliminate the venue portion of the challenge to present Woodstock, it was just too late in the game,’ Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P., and operator of Merriweather Post Pavilion, said in a statement. ‘Hopefully, with plenty of time to prepare, Merriweather will become the site of a future festival that captures the original vibe. A lot of people clearly wanted it to happen.’”

3. OPEN-AIR EVENTS LOOK TO BALANCE SECURITY AND ATMOSPHERE AFTER GILROY SHOOTING: In the wake of the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting, which left three attendees dead, open-air events across the U.S. are aiming to up security while maintaining a welcoming atmosphere. According to experts, attendees of family-friendly events like county fairs will probably see heightened security for the remainder of the summer, but not a dramatic shift in safety precautions. Associated Press: “Experts praised the Gilroy Police Department’s precautionary efforts and quick response, noting that law enforcement there had taken many critical steps. ‘If somebody’s that determined to do something that terrible, it’s going to be hard to stop them,’ said Soraya Sutherlin, managing partner of Los Angeles-based Emergency Management Safety Partners. Sutherlin said event planners should clearly label exits, with signs pointing people toward an evacuation route, and design a way for visitors to report suspicious activity either in person, over the phone, or through an app.”

4. WOMAN WHO POPULARIZED GENDER REVEAL PARTIES SPEAKS OUT AGAINST IDEA: Los Angeles blogger Jenna Karvunidis is known for pioneering the idea of a gender reveal party, after she posted a cake reveal for her daughter in 2008. Since then, the events have grown in popularity, with some showing how creative or wacky couples can get when it comes to revealing their child’s gender. But in a recent Facebook post, Karvunidis expressed regret about launching the trend, and revealed her daughter changed her mind about gender reveals. Elle: “‘I did [the gender reveal party] at the time because we didn't live in 2019 and didn't know what we know now⁠—that assigning focus on gender at birth leaves out so much of their potential and talents that have nothing to do with what's between their legs,’ she wrote in the Facebook post, which went viral. The post included a recent family photo in which her oldest child sports short hair and a sharp gray blazer.”

5. ARBY’S IS BRINGING A FOOD TRUCK TO AREA 51: Around two million people RSVP’d to a viral Facebook event encouraging them to raid Area 51 on September 20 and, whether or not they will show up, Arby’s will be there. The fast-food brand is using the caper's buzz to take its food truck on a 2,000-mile road trip from the company’s Atlanta headquarters to the Nevada Air Force facility. Arby’s plans to offer free food from a secret menu for those who show up. Adweek: “While the military has issued ominous warnings to anyone thinking of actually taking part in a raid—ostensibly to find evidence of alien life being hidden by the government—most internet denizens understand that the whole thing is a joke, and several brands have tried to join in the fun. … But will these brands actually be there when the crowd arrives? Probably not. Only Arby’s seems to realize that 80 percent of raiding a top-secret federal facility is showing up.”