Google says local businesses can use this new feature to, for example, share daily specials and current promotions, to promote events and showcase new products.
Mr. Riese used Mr. Garrin, with his entertainment background, to promote events at his restaurants.
Users can see the events their friends are attending, and can promote events virally through friends of guests.
"There are a lot of student nights that promote events using the objectification of young women," she says.
Many of those independents have banded together to promote events like Record Store Day, which had its second anniversary in April.
It has also helped organizations like Doctors Without Borders and groups that promote events against capital punishment.
And "they can use the Clear Channel radio platform to promote events in a bigger way and increase attendance," said Frank L. Bodenchak, a broadcast analyst with Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in New York.
They can be used to show off the university campus or promote events, but they're also a great tool for wider engagement.
The marketing cost to promote events and reach fans is borne primarily by CineMedia and content providers.
For those that we select as partners, TechCrunch Europe will promote events before they happen in an event listings post and on TechCrunch Global.
