Museums & Attractions
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is one of two new attractions coming to Universal Studios Hollywood. A motion-based thrill ride, “Transformers: The Ride-3D” is planned for May 2012, and Wizarding World, modeled after the hugely successful park in Orlando, is being developed through a partnership between Warner Bros. Entertainment and Universal Park and Resorts. For more information, visit www.universalstudioshollywood.com.
- Mob Museum: The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement is scheduled to open in Las Vegas this February. Built inside a former federal courthouse and United States Post Office, the museum’s interactive exhibits examine the effects organized crime has had on the history of Las Vegas and the world. Historic mob artifacts will be on display, including the brick wall from the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, where 83 years ago Al Capone’s South Side Italian gang clashed violently with the North Side gang led by Bugs Moran. The 41,000-square-foot museum was designed with input from former FBI agents and undercover officers who fought the mob, and will also include special event and educational spaces. For more information, call 702.229.2734 or visit www.themobmuseum.org.
- The Kodak Theatre is now home to a dedicated Cirque du Soleil Hollywood show. IRIS, A Journey Through the World of Cinema, celebrates the Hollywood cinematic tradition and the history of filmmaking. Featuring 72 performing artists, the show combines acrobatics, dance, animation, video and live music. IRIS was created specifically for the Los Angeles location and is directed by choreographer Philippe Decouflé, and features music by Oscar-nominated composer Danny Elfman. For more information, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/IRIS.
- Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition opens in February at the San Diego Natural History Museum, almost 100 years after the catastrophic sinking of the world’s largest ship. The exhibit features 200 artifacts retrieved from the Titanic’s wreckage and takes visitors from the ship’s construction through the collision, looking at life onboard the ship, examining the crash and the rescue of 700 people and concluding with an exploration of modern-day conservation and recovery efforts. For more information, visit www.sdnhm.org.
Destination Dispatch
- Rocky Mountain Connections DMC has shortened its name to RMC and expanded its coverage area outside the Rocky Mountain region to include new Lake Tahoe and California/Nevada offices, in addition to those in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. RMC often hosts large visiting groups and works with high-end hotels such as The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, Montage and Four Seasons in their coverage areas. For more information, visit www.rmcdmc.com
Kudos
- Hilton hopes to send 1 million bars of soap to countries in need next year through a new partnership with Global Soap Project, which sorts, filters and remolds leftover soap into new 4-ounce bars and sends them to developing countries in an effort to promote hygiene and sanitation. The Global Soap Project partners with 300 hotels throughout the country and has distributed more than 25 tons of soap to vulnerable communities in 15 countries since 2009. Hilton will also donate $1.3 million to the project over the next three years, allowing them to purchase more processing equipment and increase their weekly soap output from 10,000 bars to 50,000. For more information, visit www.globalsoap.org.
- The Washington State Convention Center received LEED certification for its new conference center, which opened in 2010. The 71,000-square-foot facility is connected to the 344,000-square-foot Washington State Convention Center and boasts a strong commitment to sustainability. The convention’s eco-initiatives include low-flow plumbing fixtures and energy-efficient lighting, biodegradable cleaning products, local, free-range cuisine and composting programs for food scraps. For more information, call 206.694.5000 or visit www.wscc.com.