Early last week I went to the Nightclub and Bar Show in Las Vegas. Next to the Porn Show, this has to be the most deboucerous excuse for a professional event I can think of. The only thing that could top it would be the Cocaine Show.
You walk in the door and are greated by strippers (excuse me, models) carrying trays of booze samples, saying (essentially) "try this booze, it's better than that booze". It's like walking into a super hot sauna. BAM! You're hit with a wave of sensory overload that makes you think "Man, this is gonna hurt tomorrow."
Strolling the aisles this year, I really had no particular business objective other than to network in the industry and seek out cost savings ideas, marketing ideas and maybe some new products. In the end, I met tons of cool people and found all three, which I guess makes it a successful business trip.
The annual competition for who has the most visited booth had to go to Red Bull. They essentially build a small club, complete with a central DJ both and go-go girls and they have possibly the most central piece of real estate in the show. I'm neither a club guy or a Red Bull guy, so I didn't spend anytime there, but I passed it a dozen times and it was always packed, as if it were a beach bar on two Saturday and Sunday bluebird afternoons. I didn't see this at Comdex when I was a Silicon Valley jerk.
The most fun booth was certainly Fernet. Antoinette, Becky et al were going off like it was Friday night...and that was at 11am on Tuesday...the SECOND day. Apparently some uptight suit douchbags near their booth complained about their rock and roll approach to building a huge brand and cried to the powers that be. Again, douchbags. Rock on girls. See you at Elixir on the 27th for the launch of our Mission Industry Night.
The most watched booth was once again the Taser booth. If I wanted to ensure that my booth got a lot of exposure, I'd find out where these guys are and set up shop across from them. You'd have a hard time pulling people away, but if you wait until after they "tase" a couple of foolhearty volunteers, they move on and that's when you pounce (unless they were the "tesee").
The funniest mishap rumour I heard was that the Girls Gone Wild bus had a small plumbing problem. They had this massive tour bus inside the show and guys were lined up to go inside. I can only imagine that there must of been lap dances or the sort going on, but I didn't investigate. The line looked like a bunch of guys who owned sports bars in Ohio. Anyway, apparently someone (I'm sure it wasn't one of those lovely, highly-educated college girls) pulled the wrong plug and allowed the on-board septic tank to drain all over the floor, unleashing a flood of poop. Funny, the bus wasn't there on the second day...
The night parties, dinners, official events and freeflowing booze make this a long 48 hours. I recovered by Friday, in time for my weekend shifts. All in all it wasa fun and worthwhile trip. I'm looking forward to next year!