``I think they stayed away because of fear.''

Or, maybe they (potential corporate sponsors) know something they arent telling to rest of us.

Diane

Organizers say Y2K to blame for demise of Minneapolis millennium party
Sunday, May 9, 1999

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/1999/05/09/national1604EDT0867.DTL

(05-09) 13:04 PDT MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A celebration billed as the biggest end-of-the-century party in this city is over before it started.

Corporations have apparently balked at sponsoring Minnesota Millennium Celebration over fears that the Y2K computer glitch could lead to embarrassing publicity, organizers of the event said.

The Design Group confirmed Friday that it has canceled the six-day, $8 million bash that was supposed to welcome in 2000 with concerts featuring national headliners and family activities at the Metrodome and the Minneapolis Convention Center.

``We felt we had a salable and marketable product, and nobody from the city or corporate America came forward,'' said Fred Shepherd, national director of sales for the Minneapolis company, which produced extravaganzas for the 1992 Super Bowl and last year's World Figure Skating Championships. ``I think they stayed away because of fear. ''

Because of an old programming technique, some computer software views dates in a two-digit format, such as ``99'' for 1999. There is widespread concern that without repairs, computers will malfunction on New Year's Eve as the clock strikes midnight and the year changes to ``00,'' which some computers might perceive as 1900 instead of 2000.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), May 11, 1999

Answers

uh...the message underneath this speaks volumes to me...

Corporate America missing out on this kind of marketing value? People...something wicked is afoot. This would have been a great opportunity to sell beer, food, market goods, etc. Talk about a missed opportunity for exposure and national if not international television coverage.

Something IS up in Corporate America.

"I think they stayed away because of fear," said Fred Shepherd.

He isn't talking about we, the consumer. He's talking about possible sponsors. He works for a company which "produced extravaganzas for the 1992 Super Bowl and last year's World Figure Skating Championships." This is a company with proven marketing skills.

Mike =============================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), May 11, 1999.

You really don't see much hype from advertisers about celebrating the Year 2000. You'd think it would be crammed down our throats by now.

-- GeeGee (GeeGee@madtown.com), May 11, 1999.

Yeah, I heard of a big "Millenium Party" in California going belly up for the same reason.

-- Gia (Laureltree7@hotmail.com), May 11, 1999.

these guys should follow the lead of the city of chicago, which is taking arthur c clarke's advice and having their millennium celebrations to ring in 2001.

-- jocelyne slough (jonslough@tln.net), May 11, 1999.

Medford Oregon Millennium Party cancelled too. It was supposed to be held in National Guard armory and was supposed to be the biggest party in Medford history. But, now National Guard won't let civilians use any armory in Oregon during crossover period. According to newspaper article, they'll have "several" [LOL] National Guardsmen on hand to moniter situation ... just in case.

-- Cheryl (Transplant@Oregon.com), May 11, 1999.

jocelyne,

Suspect we'll have BIG parties in 2001 ... once the planet gets there ... mostly in pieces.

It could be interesting to track the tourist industry later in the year too.

One might think hotel bookings would be an indicator, however, I recall one large corporation, possibly CitiBank ?, saying they were booking several hundred rooms in NY, at the turn, for the IT staff.

I think it "significant" that several areas are experiencing celebration cancellations due to lack of corporate sponsorship.

;-(

Not a good sign.

Perhaps, what will occur is smaller community gatherings ... within a short distance of "home."

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), May 11, 1999.

WELCOME TO THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA . . .

Well there doesn't seem to be any concerns out here in Hollyweird about the rollover, from PR Newswire at http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/990507/bw0022_1.html

The Eagles to Perform at STAPLES Center STAPLES Center's First Announced Concert -- The Eagles, Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt Kick Off the Millennium LOS ANGELES--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--May 7, 1999--The Eagles will headline STAPLES Center's 1999 New Year's Eve celebration.

Special guests Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt will kick off the Dec. 31 end-of-the-millennium festivities at 8 p.m. The event will be the finale of three months of grand-opening activities for Los Angeles' new sports and entertainment arena, and represents the Eagles first U.S. concert in more than four years.

Tickets for the Eagles and Jackson Browne, STAPLES Center's first announced concert, will be available to the public at $1,000, $750, $500, $350, $200, $150, $125, $75 and $50 beginning May 16 at 10 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster's charge-by-phone network, Ticketmaster retail ticket center locations, and online at www.ticketmaster.com.

A portion of the proceeds from the concert will be donated to L.A.'s BEST: After School Enrichment Program.

The Eagles were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Their ``Greatest Hits 1971-75'' was recently certified by the RIAA for U.S. sales exceeding 25 million, making it the all-time best- selling album by any recording artist.

``It was our goal to present a spectacular event as a sendoff to the 20th century,'' said STAPLES Center Senior Vice President and General Manager Bobby Goldwater. ``The Eagles, Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt are three of the most popular acts of the century. Their performances will constitute a singular and historic night of entertainment for New Year's Eve in Los Angeles.''

STAPLES Center Luxury Suite owners receive tickets for all concerts, including the Eagles' New Year's Eve performance. Premier Seat holders will have the first option to purchase their seats for this event as well as other concerts and special events at the arena.

STAPLES Center will be the home of the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Kings, the Los Angeles Clippers, an Arena Football League team, the 2000 Democratic National Convention, the 2002 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, nationally prominent entertainment spectaculars, concerts and family shows, beginning when the arena opens this fall.

hmmm, maybe the underground bunker will have it on closed circuit tv. Talk about runnin' on empty. . .

-- Desperado (jjbeck@recycler.com), May 12, 1999.

Eagles, huh? How appropriate:

Somebody's gonna hurt someone/Before the night is through/Somebody's gonna come undone/There's nothin' we can do

Everybody wants to touch somebody/If it takes all night/Everybody wants to take a little chance/And make it come out right

There's gonna be a heartache tonight/A heartache tonight, I know/There's gonna be a heartache tonight/A heartache tonight, I know/ Lord, I know...

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), May 12, 1999.

Not to worry - the concert will start in 1999, and when it finishes (before or after midnight?), they (the Eagles) will be safely off stage......and will have cashed their fee.

Just try to get insurance for the promoters of this one.......everybody here that had anything to do with the Olympic park festivals or sponsership or even entertainment is getting sued over that bombing.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), May 12, 1999.