The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Celebrates in New York City

On Thursday, January 23, 2014, NYC hosted the Miami Media event at Studio 450. The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (GMCVB) Annual Media Reception its staff, partners and Mayor of Miami-Dade County Carlos A. Gimenez welcomed more than 50 New York-based journalists to celebrate its strong 2013. Poised for an exciting 2014, media were provided with the destination’s plans for the year ahead from record breaking tourism numbers to countless new attraction and hospitality developments.

Launched less than two years ago, the destination’s new brand campaign taglined – “It’s So Miami” – paired with eye-catching imagery showcasing contrasting visuals of iconic destination scenes juxtaposed with people taking advantage of cultural and heritage attractions has resonated. And, it received attention from the communications community nabbing advertising, public relations and social media awards.

 In attendance was a variety of hotel and other vendors showcasing their properties in order to entice guests to come for a visit or vacation. Guests were invited to talk to vendors and review all that the event had to offer. With this being a annual event, each year the tasks is to make such a great event event better. This year was indeed exciting and next years should be even better.

For more information on the event visit, the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. The website provides a wealth of information on events throughout the year.

Indigo Children Film at Quad Cinema in New York City

On January 23, 2014 there was a screening of an independent film by the name of Indigo Children. The film had been playing at the Quad Cinema in New York City for a few screenings. On this particular night along with the screening there was a Q & A afterwards with the director and cast of the film followed by an after party at a nearby hotel.

The story of Indigo Children at first seems like a summer love story between two teens, but it is in fact according to the synopsis, the story is “a summer of mysterious disappearing acts in which a mysterious girl pursues a young man in her new small town home. Coinciding deaths and a disappearance create a common thread between them as they struggle with young love and loss over the course of one summer.”

The story was inspired by director Eric Chaney’s experience about the first girl he ever loved. The story introduces Mark and Christina and their innocent but yet somewhat complicated relationship. In addition, as the plot unfolds, the audience gets to see where the complication originates. Two lost teen souls coming from dysfunctional homes and trying to be happy in life.

The film is sweet, haunting and a little melancholy, but very well acted and keeps you interested in finding out more about the characters.

The next stop for Indigo Children will be the Berlin Film Market, from Feb 6-12, at the Striped Entertainment Stand Marriott 125. For more information on the film visit their website. You can also follow the film on Twitter and like them on Facebook. For more information on the film’s director, Eric Chaney visit him on IMDB. There you will see his filmography.

R&B Group SWV’s Reality Show Screening Party in New York

With the premiere of their new reality show, it may be safe to say that superstar R &B Group SWV is back. SWV which stands for Sisters With Voices burst onto the music scene in the 90’s and blew their fans away with hit after hit.

In New York City on Wednesday January 15, 2014. The WE TV channel hosted a screening party at The Jazz Room at The General for the group’s new show called SWV Reunited. The room was filled with press, fans executives etc. to get a first look at the show.

As fans already know, the ladies of SWV include Cheryl “Coko” Clemons, Leanne “Lelee” Lyons and Tamara “Taj” George. They are the original members of the group and in the 1990’s they were on top of the music world. During their early career. they had a string of top ten R&B hits including “I’m So Into You,” “Right Here,” “Downtown,” “Weak,” and “You’re Always On My Mind.” They had over 15 million albums sold, a Grammy® nomination, an American Music Award nomination and 11 Billboard Music Awards nominations. To all watching, it appeared that SWV was unstoppable.

But while they seemed to have it all, the drama behind the scenes tore the group apart. It didn’t just end, it ended badly; and in 1998 the members of SWV went their separate ways. Now years later a fter marriage, kids and other separate endeavors, the trio came together and decided it was time to reunite for a chance to recapture their fame.

1n 2012, their sultry sound was introduced to a whole new generation of fans with new album I Miss Us, which earned a Grammy® nod in 2013 for “Best Traditional R&B Performance.”

The reality show SWV Reunited follows these three strong and talented women as they figure out how to trust each other again as well as perform well together. The premiere episode follows SWV on the first stop of the comeback tour at Wembley Stadium in London, but new secrets about Coko’s health threaten the rehabilitated bond of the group.

Fans will be in for a treat as throughout the season, they will get to see the ladies in action during high-stakes performances in Atlanta, D.C., L.A., and New York. Coko, Lelee and Taj not only address old wounds like trust, jealousy, egos and selfishness, but face new challenges including health scares, family issues and management drama.

And although they share plenty of tears, the ladies share lots of laughter. These ladies prove they can truly be real and laugh at themselves—whether it’s poking fun at Lelee’s butt lift, Coko’s tummy tuck or sharing hilarious behind-the-scenes stories from their early years. Now the question is, can the ladies of SWV finally come to terms with the issues that ended their friendship and career once before? Will they be able to put their differences aside to recapture fame? Fans will just have to watch and see.

OWN TV’s The Haves and Haves Nots Season Premiere in New York City.

In 2013, Director Tyler Perry brought his writing style to the OWN Network with a bang. The breakout show entitled “The Haves and Haves Nots” created a ratings hike for the network and left fans wanting to see more of the show. It has been quite a few months since the season finale of the show, but fear not, this ruthless family and their cast of characters are back with a vengeance.

In New York City, on Monday, January 6, 2014, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and Tyler Perry Studios kicked off the year with a lively screening of Season 2 of their hit shows “The Haves and the Have Nots” and a sneak preview of the upcoming season of “Love Thy Neighbor.”

Along with the cast, over a hundred press and tastemakers packed the Tribeca Grand Hotel Screening Room on a wintry night to get a sneak peek of “Love Thy Neighbor”(LTN) and a full episode viewing of “The Haves and the Have Nots” (HHN). HHN cast members in attendance included: John Schneider, Renee Lawless, Gavin Houston, Peter Parros, Angela Robinson, Jaclyn Betham, Aaron O’Connell, Eva Tamargo and Tyler Lepley. [Not attending were Tika Sumpter who was in Mississippi shooting a film and Crystal Fox who was out of the country].

The LTN cast on hand included: Patrice Lovely, Palmer Williams Jr, Kendra C. Johnson, Andre Hall, Jonathan Chase and Darmirra Brunson. Tyler Perry Studios executives Ozzie Areu (president/executive producer), Will Areu (senior vice president/producer) and Mark Swinton (producer) were also in the building to celebrate the highly anticipated second season of these shows.

The room buzzed with the cast, producers, OWN staff and with members of the media and although the weather was cold outside, inside there was definite heat and energy. The actual season premierefor “The Haves and Haves Nots” is on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 and “Love Thy Neighbor” is on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 so fans of the show will have to wait and see what happens next. For more information on the show, visit “The Haves and the Have Nots”and “Love Thy Neighbor.”