The 2014 Nightclub & Bar Show was a huge success, breaking records, capturing the energy of the industry and providing bar owners and operators with top-notch education, products, networking and parties. Mark your calendars! We will do it all again next year for the 30th Annual Nightclub & bar Show on March 30 - April 1 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Here are some of the highlights from the event last week.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
To get the week started off right, Jon Taffer, president of Nightclub & Bar Media Group and star/executive producer of Spike TV’s Bar Rescue, hosted an epic Industry Night Party at The Bank inside the stunning Bellagio Hotel.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Monday's seminars, workshops, keynote and Super Session were packed full of the tools you need to streamline, reinvent and rescue your bars, clubs and restaurants. Perhaps more importantly, you were taught how to shut down your competition and make more money!
Jon Taffer, Spike TV Bar Rescue star and executive producer, welcomed a standing room only audience and introduced keynote speaker Gail Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact, who taught the eager crowd about engagement marketing and how to succeed in a socially connected world.
Other industry experts taught us all how to hire, train, reward and retain rock star employees, handle savvy customers and embrace our online presence and identity. Russell Davis of Bar Rescue fielded questions in a room packed with bartenders and bar owners alike, offering up the keys to going above and beyond while behind the bar. Elayne Duff, also of Bar Rescue fame, and Kevin Vanegas of Wirtz Beverage Nevada explained everything you need to know about tequila to not only better offer it to your customers but make much more intelligent decisions when purchasing the spirit yourself.
The Welcome Kickoff party found Nightclub & Bar attendees partying underneath the stars at the Bud Light Hotel while enjoying complementary Bud beverages. DJ Turbulence amped up the crowd for the main event of the evening: Ludacris with Lil Fate. The hip-hop icon killed it on stage, going through his extensive catalogue of hits and giving the crowd a taste of a new track, "Party Girl." Ever the showman, Luda asked the crowd if it would alright for him to extend his 30-minute performance, eliciting a roar of approval.
On to Marquee the crowds moved to party the night away with the stunningly beautiful Christina Milian. She strutted the red carpet is style puffing on her Platinum E Hookah. After climbing the dance music ladder seemingly overnight, DJ Carnage rocked it as revelers sipped on Bud Light, Ciroc, Tanqueray Ten, Liquid Ice and Don Julio.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Whenever Jon Taffer takes the stage, the surge in excitement from the crowd is undeniable. When he introduced Adam Carolla for his keynote speech, "Perseverance and Personality Shape Long Term Success," the excitement level leapt off the chart. The Mangria creator entertained as only he can, interacting with and inspiring the crowd as he presented his journey to stardom and success.
Fresh off the heels of such an amazing presentation, Jon and Adam opened the exhibition hall, welcoming the thousands of attendees onto the floor to experience new and innovative products. Celebrities including Holly Madison, lil Jon, Ralph Sampson, TJ Lavin and Roger Clyne walked the red carpet prior to the official ribbon cutting ceremony with Jon Taffer, Adam Carolla and Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman.
In addition to the hustle and bustle of the show floor, the Main Stage was also packed the punch with Justin Park walking away with $5,000 and the opportunity to represent the United States in the World Cocktail Competition this fall in Cape Town by winning the Shake It Up! Competition. The cocktail competition was followed by 25 of the nation’s hottest bikini models competed for the chance to $50,000 in cash prizes.
In the conference sessions industry experts provided attendees with best practices and industry knowledge to keep their business thriving. Emerging spirit trends coupled with innovative promotions, accountability, operational insights and time management were tackled; leaving attendees with a better sense of successful business strategies. Tony Gemignani of Bar Rescue shared his expertise of raising profits with pizza by demonstrating just how easy and cost effective it is to incorporate successfully into an existing venue.
The exhibition hall closed at 6:00 but the party didn't end there. Downtown played host to several events and at the Bar Rescue Happy Hour, Star and Executive Producer, Jon Taffer greeted guest with photo opportunities and specialty cocktails. Bar Rescue Experts Elayne Duff, Russell Davis and Tiffany Derry, along with a slew of rescued owners were in attendance to mix and mingle with guests.
The night continued with a platinum party where Hakkasan delivered unsurpassed service to its Nightclub & Bar guests late into the night. Those who had the stamina were treated to a Calvin Harris set, clearly the hottest ticket in Vegas.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Once again Jon Taffer took the stage, to open the final day of the event with his captivating keynote, sharing personal stories of success and failure. He brought home the fact that he wanted to change the way attendees thought. “If you don’t think differently you’ll do tomorrow what you did today,” Taffer stated during the keynote.
Immediately following Taffer’s keynote, the show floor opened with an awards ceremony that recognized well deserving companies and venues for their outstanding achievements and innovations in there respected categories. Nightclub & Bar Media Group honored individual winners and companies, demonstrating expertise, professionalism and sales success, and establishments, exhibiting excellence in concept development, operations, promotion and innovation.
Other show floor highlights included a book signing by author of Raise the Bar Jon Taffer, Waitressville Fashion Show, Game Show Mania and hundreds of exhibitors demonstrating and displaying their exceptional products. Specialty pavilions on the show floor including the Craft Brew, New Product, Emerging Spirits and, new to the show, the Vegas Showcase played host to eager attendees looking for the next great product.
As attendees finished walking the exhibition hall, networking and their last session of the day, it was time to celebrate the hugely successful Nightclub & Bar Show. And what better way to do it than hosting an exclusive Nightclub & Bar Top 100 party at the #1 nightclub, XS at Encore.
During the celebration, Jon Taffer was recognized by XS for his lifetime achievements in the industry and presented with a plague and trophy representing their appreciation for his accomplishments and dedication to the industry. The celebration continued with one of the most in demand producers on the planet, David Guetta spinning his latest hits and continuing to take electronic music out of the confines of the global underground. Attendees reveled as Guetta dropped the beats all night.
We look forward to seeing everyone again in 2015 at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the 30th Annual Nightclub & Bar Show taking place on March 30 – April 1. Mark your calendar!