Show Speak: An Opening Night to Remember
Conference ’09’s kickoff event — Opening Night Las Vegas — at the Red Rock Resort promises glitz, glamour and VIP treatment in Vegas’ hottest off-Strip venue
by Carolyn S. Baragona | Published in December 2008 conference 2009 | show speak | Departments
At Conference ’09’s kick-off event Opening Night Las Vegas, attendees will have a chance to mix and mingle at one of Sin City’s hottest new luxury resorts, Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa. But you won’t be the only VIPs seen there recently — from singer Justin Timberlake to rap-entertainer Nelly to the “Real Housewives of Orange County,” elite clientele are flocking to this contemporary yet classic desert mecca.
Open to all Conference attendees, the event takes place on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009. Cherry Nightclub, featured this year on NBC’s “Access Hollywood,” will host the event, and the Red Rock Resort team will produce the glamorous, visual evening of mixing, including networking and signature cocktails created by Cherry mixologist Oscar Perez. The 8,500-square-foot club hosts world-famous DJs, a full bar with signature drinks, and the most advanced lighting and sound system ever created for a nightclub. The sleek space is located just down the casino floor from the 72-lane, state-of-the-art Red Rock Lanes bowling center, and the nightclub event has its own expansive outdoor private pool, deck and cabanas.
Red Rock is located off the Strip — and that’s one of its selling points, says Trish Acevedo, corporate executive director of special events for Station Casinos Inc., which owns Red Rock. Not only can the resort offer a sense of remove from the hubbub of the main drag, it’s also more accessible than many hotels on gridlock-ridden Las Vegas Boulevard. “You get on the bus and you’re here in 15 minutes,” says Acevedo. “It’s faster to come here from the Strip than to go from Mandalay Bay to the Venetian.”
Named one of the world’s best new hotels in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2007 Hot List issue, Red Rock also features more than 800 guest rooms and suites, a 25,000-square-foot spa, 10 restaurants, gaming, movies and live concerts.
With its fresh, contemporary, desert-modern architecture and rich reds, golds and browns inspired by the nearby Red Rock mountains, the luxury resort offers a world apart — and that is attracting many groups in the busy Vegas convention hub.
“Attendees are saying, ‘Show me something new,’ and then they get to experience this whole other world here,” says Acevedo. “Coming here to a resort like Red Rock, they’re just absolutely wowed.”
Trish Acevedo will throw an event to remember at Cherry Nightclub welcoming attendees to Conference ’09. A 20-year veteran of the events industry, she promises a spectacular start to your show experience. Here’s a taste of what to expect.
{what will get you buzzing} “Attendees will walk away saying, ‘We had no idea this was in Las Vegas.’ What’s unique about Cherry is that it’s a nightclub, but it has an indoor/outdoor element. You have state-of-the-art sound and lighting in a sexy lounge-nightclub, and then you go outside and you’re in a completely different world — a serene outdoor ultra-lounge. It’s truly spectacular.”
{insider’s tip for planning in Las Vegas} “Read the Las Vegas Review-Journal to see what’s going on during the time your event is going to be there. Read the show and restaurant reviews, and really utilize those local resources.”
{hint about Opening Night Las Vegas} “Expect to be wowed. You’ll walk away having had an incredible time and excited about the possibilities beyond the Strip.”
{why Cherry’s the perfect venue to kick off Conference ’09} “It’s the perfect venue considering who the audience is. These are savvy, experienced event professionals, and even those who come to Las Vegas all the time are going to see something new and different. It’s going to be a very unique, exciting start to a great show.”
Spotlight on the Spotlights
Eddie Diaz, Encore Creations, executive producer of the 2009 Spotlight Awards Event to be held Feb. 25, 2009, in Las Vegas, recently announced the event theme: “Glow and Plumes.”
“A plume can be not only a large fluffy feather, reminiscent of Las Vegas costuming, but also can be a symbol of worth and accomplishment,” says Diaz. “The Spotlight Awards are the industry-wide acknowledgement of accomplishment…and we can all glow in the Spotlight. This is the event industry’s night.”
True to his promise to make the 2009 Awards the “Hottest Ticket in Las Vegas,” Diaz is creating a program of performances for the ceremony and after-party hosted by DreamVision Studios. The starting lineup includes Toxic Audio, the LA Allstars, Dave Thomas World of Magic and a private concert by Kathy Sledge of the legendary Sister Sledge.
Newly added to this lineup are Larry G. Jones, a finalist this year for the Spotlight for Entertainer of the Year, and Black Violin, and internationally renowned duo that fuses classical, jazz, hip-hop and blues to create a revolutionary styling of music.
Additionally, Anthony Bollotta of San Diego-based Bollotta Entertainment has been tapped as the entertainment producer and manager for the 2009 Spotlights.
The Spotlight Awards Event is the night on which the event industry honors its own. Make it YOUR night!
Cast your vote today and find Spotlight Awards tickets at www.event-solutions.com!
About the author: Carolyn S. Baragona
Carolyn S. Baragona is the vice president of Event Solutions.
Contact: carolyn@event-solutions.com