1. PRIDE MARCHES GRAPPLE WITH POLICE INVOLVEMENT: Pride month culminates this weekend with marches in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, and one of the main topics surrounding this year’s events is whether or not police belong at Pride. Earlier this month, Toronto banned police from its Pride parade; Vancouver said police could march if they weren’t in uniform; and in Minneapolis, police decided not to march, with the reason being community opposition. On Sunday, L.G.B.T. activists in New York will hold an alternative march without police officers and corporate sponsors. The New York Times: “Regardless of whether organizers invite police officers to participate, they are obligated to provide security for public events like marches. For decades, activists frustrated by the presence of police officers, politicians, and corporate sponsors at Pride marches have organized their own events. The oldest may be the Dyke March, a protest started in 1993 by the Lesbian Avengers in Washington. Dyke Marches are now held annually in cities around the world. … But a poll conducted this month by Whitman Insight Strategies and BuzzFeed News found that 79 percent of L.G.B.T. Americans welcomed police participation in Pride events, including parades. Only 8 percent said they opposed including the police, and 13 percent said they did not have strong feelings either way.” 2. I.O.C. WILL CHANGE OLYMPIC BIDDING PROCESS: The International Olympic Committee voted Wednesday to introduce a new process in how Olympic host cities are selected. The process will include forming Olympic panels for winter and summer games, which will recommend one or more cities for an election. Associated Press: “Future Olympic bidders will be required to use existing and temporary venues and infrastructure, while being steered away from costly construction projects. A new, flexible campaign timetable will end the Olympic Charter rule requiring hosts to be voted on seven years in advance of a Summer or Winter Games. That rule already had to be waived in 2017, allowing Los Angeles to be picked 11 years in advance of the 2028 Summer Games. There might not be an election at all.” 3. AIRBNB OFFERS CASTLES AND VILLAS WITH NEW ‘LUXE’ OPTION: Airbnb has debuted a new rental tier called Airbnb Luxe, which offers accommodation options that include 2,000 upscale homes and villas. The venues, which include castles in France and ski lodges in New Zealand, were selected from properties listed on Luxury Retreats, a vacation rental company that Airbnb acquired in 2017. The New York Times: “Several criteria were used to select the Luxe properties. The home’s design, location, and views must reflect a sense of place. For example, a modern villa situated above Cape Town’s Clifton Beach has custom finishes made from locally sourced materials, and houses an expansive collection of indigenous art. The activities the homes offer also figure in and should give guests an idea of the destination’s culture and way of life. At Castello di Vicarello, a medieval castle in the Tuscan countryside, guests can hike through 100 acres of land and help local farmers with the grape and olive harvests.” 4. ITALY TO HOST 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS: The International Olympic Committee has chosen Milan and Cortina in Italy to host the 2026 Winter Olympics. Italy won the bid over Sweden on Monday. CNN: “The announcement marks the Winter Olympics' return to Europe, with the event having been hosted by Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018 and the Chinese city of Beijing staging the Games in 2022. Italy has twice hosted Winter Olympics in the past—Cortina in 1956 and Turin in 2006—but it will be the first held in Milan. The bidding process has been criticized for the small number of cities on the ballot paper. It's the second time that only two bids have contested the final vote since Russia spent approximately $51 billion on venues and infrastructure for Sochi 2014.” 5. HILTON WILL INTRODUCE NEW TECH-FORWARD EVENT SPACES: In an effort to draw more business travelers and expand offerings for event planners, Hilton is introducing new technology-driven meeting and event space concepts. The hotel company is in talks with franchises to debut two new concepts called ensemble and character rooms, based on positive market testings of the rooms at select properties. Skift: “Character rooms, such as the Reverbery at the Hilton Austin, pay homage to a city’s culture—similar to lifestyle hotel brands—while ensemble rooms are modeled after a converted innovation lab built by the brand in 2017 at its Hilton McLean Tysons Corner property in Virginia. Both concepts offer wireless charging and digital whiteboards for presentations powered by cloud technology. … Since opening the ensemble room at Hilton McLean to customers two years ago, the property has earned 15 percent more in revenue compared to preexisting rooms, Manoukian added. Groups, meetings, and events currently drive 30 percent of Hilton Hotels & Resorts’ total annual revenue.” | 