UPDATE: “Daddy Ersin” Winokur, promoter for the DaddyLand Dallas Festival over the July 4th weekend, contacted Dallas Voice shortly before midnight Sunday, July 7, to say that “For now” the DaddyLand post on social media, reprinted in its entirety below, “will act as our statement. We are still continuing with the remaining events as well as trying to field the calls and messages.

Shortly after noon on Sunday, a former DaddyLand employee, Jason Martinez, told Dallas Voice that problems between the event producer and the host hotel started long before Saturday night, July 7, when the owner of the Crowne Plaza cancelled DaddyLand events scheduled at the hotel and demanded that everyone there for DaddyLand leave the hotel, including those who had booked rooms.

Martinez, who said he “worked on the DaddyLand event up until a month ago when I quit,” said he had been contacted by the sales manager at the hotel who “told me corporate was receiving several complaints regarding the boom boom room, or dark room, and that Ersin needed to remove all wording regarding that” from advertisements and other promotional materials.

However, Martinez said that the event promoter “disappeared for about three weeks, not returning any of my calls, and when I finally saw him at the pride event, he acted like nothing was wrong, and that there was no situation with corporate.”

Martinez shared with Dallas Voice screen caps of his messages to Winokur, including telling the promoter “Hey, your phone is not working,” and showing failed efforts to connect with him through audio calls via WhatsApp. Other screen caps show a string of messages from Martinez to Winokur saying the hotel’s sales manager had called again about promotional materials including the boom boom room, telling the promoter that “costume designers are on hold waiting for answers” and that DJs were “messaging asking questions.”

None of the screen caps show any replies from Winokur.

Martinez said he had “worked for all of [Winokur’s] events for six years,” but that he quit last month after the DaddyLand Pride event when Winokur accused him of stealing money. He shared with Dallas Voice a screenshot of a series of messages between him and Winokur regarding those allegations.

Dallas Voice has contacted management at Crowne Plaza Dallas Downtown for comment but has so far received no response.

We have also contacted the corporate offices of IHBG Hotels and Resorts.

ORIGINAL POST: Management at the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Dallas, host hotel for the DaddyLand Festival 2024 Dallas circuit party, had canceled all further DaddyLand events planned at the hotel and had notified participants who were guests at the Crowne Plaza that they must be out of the hotel by 6 p.m.

Organizers have since posted messages on social media noting that only the events scheduled for the hotel have been cancelled, while all other events being held at other venues will continue as scheduled.

The post reads:

“The host hotel has advised DaddyLand Festival — Dallas 2024 due to complaints by guests not part of the festival they would be canceling the remaining events. During negotiations to rectify the situation and offering to place extra security and make more accommodation to the guest staying in the hotel ownership became outwardly disrespectful to the team, its party guests and parts of our community. While we stand up for the many for the actions of the few the owner refused to listen to reason and made the decision to evict without notice everyone attending our events, We are committed to making this right for those affected.
“For now the remaining Daddyland Festival 2024 events will continue as scheduled with the exception of the after hours located at this years host hotel.
“Guest who purchased single event tickets for after hours will be refunded. Guest who purchased weekend passes which includes after hours events we are working on a solution to make up for the two remaining events that were canceled outside of our control.
“Please note many of the reasons being posted are untrue and as we continue the remaining events we appreciate the support of our community.”

The notice left for hotel guests staying at Crowne Plaza for the DaddyLand festival was printed on paper being the Crowne Plaza logo and read:

“TAKE A MOMENT …
“DADDYLAND GROUP PARTICIPANT
“We are sorry it didn’t work out … The OWNER OF THE HOTEL is requesting you LEAVE IMMEADIATELY.
“You will get a refund for Saturday, July 6, 2024 and Sunday, July 7, 2024 – Please move out BY 6PM.
“ALL PARTIES & EVENTS ARE CANCELLED
“SATURDAY 7/6, SUNDAY 7/7 & MONDAY 7/8.”

According to a press release on the website for IHG Hotels and Resorts, dated Sept. 11, 2009, and announcing the opening of Crowne Plaza Dallas Downtown as the fifth Crowne Plaza property in Dallas, “The Crowne Plaza Dallas Downtown is owned by Terry and Patty Tognazzini and managed by Tog Hotels Downtown Dallas LLC, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.” That information may be outdated, but Dallas Voice has been unable to find more recent information online so far.

Dallas Voice has reached out by phone and by email to management at Crowne Plaza Dallas Downtown and to DaddyLand event producer Daddy Ersin by Facebook Messenger.  We will update this post with more information if and when such information becomes available.

— Tammye Nash