Short Items Of Note: ROMP, AEG, Graceland Hotel, SeatGeek

Kentucky bluegrass fest boasts record attendance; AEG Presents partners with Virginia’s Richland Int’l Speedway; Legionnaires’ Disease strikes Graceland Hotel in Memphis; SeatGeek inks deal with Eventbrite.

Kentucky Music Festival Sets Attendance Record

Greg Eans/The Messenger-Inquirer via AP – Rhiannon Giddens
Performs on stage during the International Bluegrass Music Museum

A new attendance record has been set at ROMP: Bluegrass Roots & Branches Festival in Kentucky. A statement from the international Bluegrass Music Museum says more than 26,000 people attended the 14th annual Owensboro bluegrass festival, held on June 21-24.  The largest crowd attended Saturday night for acts including the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The SteelDrivers, and Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass.  The last record for the music festival was set in 2015 when more than 25,000 people attended.  – Kate Jones

AEG’s Need For Speed

AEG Presents inked a 10-year exclusive partnership with Richmond International Raceway, meaning the promoting giant will be the only one booking The Classic Amphitheater in Virginia.  The 6,000-capacity venue will continue celebrating its 25th year of operation with concerts from Bryson Tiller, The Head & The Heart and Rob Zombie in the coming months. – Francisco Rendon

SeatGeek + Eventbrite

SeatGeek entered a distribution partnership with Eventbrite, meaning SeatGeek users will connect to the live event platform’s shindigs more easily. The integration launched June 28. Now, SeatGeek’s app and desktop environment can complete purchases to EventBrite events, QR codes and PDFs will be available for those purchases, and those shows will get more hype. 

“Our integration with Eventbrite is another important step toward making the ticketing industry more open, and we’re excited to be partnering with a fellow leader in the live events space,” said SeatGeek CEO/founder Jack Groetzinger said. – Francisco Rendon

Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak At Graceland Hotel

Health officials are investigating a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in the hotel located at Graceland, the tourist attraction centered on the life of late singer Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Shelby County Health Department said in a news release Thursday that three people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease and the pool and hot tub at The Guest House at Graceland hotel are temporarily closed. The hotel is located near the Graceland museum.

People who visited the hotel between May 15 and June 26 and have symptoms should contact the department. Legionnaires’ disease has symptoms similar to pneumonia, including cough, high fever and headaches. Symptoms can last between two and 14 days after exposure.

In a statement released by the department, the hotel says it is cooperating with health officials. – Associated Press