Thursday, September 13, 2012

Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano at Pacha NY (8/31/12)

On a trip where I was scheduled to hit up Pacha NYC and Pacha Ibiza for the first time, I couldn't be more excited to come here on a non-official Electric Zoo party for Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano.  It was about midnight, and all I did was change from rave gear shorts to jeans. Of course I dropped all the kandi I got throughout the day, but managed to leave the head band on.

It was a short cab ride from where we were staying in Manhattan, and surprisingly the line was non existent for the people that bought pre-sale tickets. We decided well ahead of time that we were coming here, so the tickets not only allowed us to skip the GA line but also saved us about $20 in addition to the $40 cover. The ticket was about $23 with fees.


The entrance to Pacha. Looks like some crack is being smoked around the corner

After a quick pat down, within minutes we were officially inside Pacha!  Didn't get any shit for my sneakers, head bands, dirty t-shirt from the rave or my super casual jeans. Freaking love this place already!

We walk through the stair wells, and I ended up on a packed main floor. This is the dance floor area. It took a bit of effort to work my way around the corner to see the DJ booth, and SJ&RM haven't came on yet. So Mike and I decided to get a drink.  I ordered an AMF like I always do, and guess what.. $20! Exactly what I expected. However the girl sure made it strong. Pretty much dumped 4 different bottles of booze to the top of the cup, and just added the blue for the coloring. I got my moneys worth because when I finished it I was complete SCHWASTED.

My friend Celeste calls me and she was on her way here from the Zoo, however she had no way of getting into the club. Mike and I devised an awesome plan of tearing off Mike's wristband and I will use mine to get his torn off one to Celeste so we can sneak her in. Talk about an epic mish when you are schwasted. Long story short, I got outside through some random back door and they wouldn't let me back in because I was too "wasted" accordingly to the bouncers. That AMF must had me slurring my words. So I couldn't find Celeste, but I needed to find my way back in. I came all the way from Cali to NYC to see one of my favorite DJs and I can't believe I got the boot before they even came on.

Celeste already raging on some random platform in the club while I was struggling to get back

So after putting on the thinking cap, I saw a group of euros standing in the bottle service line. I went up to them hoping that they would be nice enough and let me walk in with them. Sure enough they were! So within 5 minutes I was able to get into the club, and as soon as I got in I thanked them for the assistance and found Mike again. Then minutes later I see Celeste there.. apparently she was able to get herself in somehow. Shes a girl.. duh.. they can do magical things that we can't. Anyway I came back with some perfect timing. SJ&RM come on and the first thing they announce that they are doing a set from 1:30AM to 10AM the next morning...Wow.. simply wow.  I love NY, I love Pacha!

"You guys better be ready, because we are playing until 10 AM!" Epic.. wait FML

So I raged until 5AM almost half way to 10AM, but my first Pacha experience was well beyond memorable. I can't wait to be back at this place where girls just grind up on you randomly, and as a guy you are expected grope random girls to show them attention. What an interesting concept. They need more places like this in Cali!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

What the heck is VIP in Vegas?


What the heck is VIP in Vegas?

Well first of all, you guys should take some time and go through this article by Jack himself: http://jackcolton.com/what_are_las_vegas_vip_hosts.htm  and it will help define what VIP is.
For the pool parties, it’s generally a cabana, daybed or a lounge chair that is dedicated to you. At night clubs it’s either a cabana, or a table for bottle service.  You get your own personal space, personal waitress, security and a bus boy. Some people see this as status and respect; others see it as a way to have more fun. I mean who wants to really stand in a cock infested dance floor all night and buying drinks from the bar anyway? 

Costs that go into VIP?

It’s all in the negotiations. Most places do have a set rate, but depending on the host, you can talk down the rate or get a special that goes a long with it like a b1g1 on a bottle, or a discounted food & beverage minimum.
Pool Parties:
 Always use Food & Beverage Minimums. If you make a reservation for a daybed, there is a maximum amount of people that are allowed to walk in with you to use that daybed. For instance Wet Republic allows 8 people per daybed and you have been quoted a F&B minimum of $750. For you to use the daybed space the entire day, you will need to order $750 worth of food and beverage from your waitress. There is also a mandatory gratuity of 20% and NV sales tax of 8.1%. Just to be on the safe side, I tack on 30% on to the amount you plan to spend.  Also if you are looking for a better location or have good standing with a host, make sure you set aside $100 per every $500 to tip your host.
Lets break this down with excel:
Food and Beverage
$750.00
Mandatory Gratuity ($750*.20)
$150.00
NV Sales Tax ($750 * .081)
$60.75
Total
$960.75


Since 8 people are allowed, divide by 8
$120.09
*Collect $130 per person to be on the safe side


The assumptions here are that you are very careful and you ordered exactly $750 worth of food and beverage off the menu which is pretty impossible to do. If you are organizing VIP, I will always collect 30% for tax/ gratuity + an additional 5% for overages to be on the safe side. Whatever money that is left over, tip it to your host, bus boy and security. FYI- Your host is the person that sets you up, so it is really important that you take care of him first. You might want to collect an extra $10-20 from each one of your group members to make sure the host is taken care of.  Another consideration is that you are not wasting money towards cover. With the hiked up cover charges of $50 at some venues and the costs that go into purchasing individual drinks at $18-$25 per drink, It really makes people think that this is a more economical option with all the additional services that come out of going VIP.  
Nightclubs:
It is actually very similar to pool parties, but instead of dealing with food & beverage you are quoted a bottle minimum for a location. Of course the cabanas and better seating will require more bottle minimums to be purchased.  I will use the Surrender cabana as an example. We are quoted 2 bottle minimum on this cabana. What does this mean? You will be presented a menu where you will choose the bottles that go along with your service. On the average, bottle prices are about $450 or more. Typical juice mixers are included with your purchase. Bottled water and red bulls are always extra.  For this cabana we have a 10 person maximum, and we bought 2 bottles of Belvedere at $475.  The same concepts above of mandatory gratuity, tax and tipping the host applies.  This is how it breaks down:
2 bottles of Belvedere ($475*2)
$950.00
Mandatory Gratuity ($950*.20)
$190.00
NV Sales Tax ($950 * .081)
$76.95
Total
$1,216.95


Since 10 people are allowed, divide by 10
$121.70
*On the safe side, I would collect about $130 again

Other things to consider:

Sometimes the party is on and cracking, and you guys go over the F&B or bottle minimum and decided to order more. Its always a good idea to bring extra cash with you to the table so you are ready to keep the party going. Never be the douche that brought only the exact amount. You know you will end up spending more.   Most establishments also frown upon charging a bill to multiple credit cards. So the organizer will usually charge the bill to their credit card. Make sure you pay the requested amount upfront before you even enter the club. As an organizer, never ask for the initial owed money later. That is just asking to get screwed.  Just be ready to pay any additional overages if the organizer asks for it. 
Lastly, common bottle service etiquette means that the people that pay are the ones that should consume. If you bring a girl back to the table, have some courtesy and order her drink on a separate tab or at the bar. Never mooch off your shared bottles between your friends for randoms just to look cool.  If there are randoms in your area, at your discretion you might want to ask them to throw you a $10 or $20 to use the real estate. Don’t be angry and confrontational, and immediately call security. That just sets off bad vibes.

One more secret tip, well not really, I think it should be common sense. Keep females off of your bottle count.  Females in Vegas can always get into clubs via guestlist or be added to a reservation at the door and almost always they are never charged a cover. Lets say you had a female that is going to chip in on the bottle, do not check in with her for your VIP service. Get her through the VIP line, then have her meet up with you at your table. Of course be nice and pour the lady a drink, shes paying for it after all! This will allow you to get more people on the reservation to decrease cost.
All in all, you should have fun. The point is not worry about money when you are partying in the VIP. It’s your location for the night, let loose and enjoy. If you budgeted accordingly in the beginning, there should never be a reason to worry. Planning is the key!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Las Vegas Memorial Day (MDW) 2012 VIP Reservation Pricing*

Since Vegas is one of the most epic places for EDM talent and there will be a ton of you guys heading out there, I went ahead and contacted my designated hosts for the major pool parties to get their MDW pricing information.  *These prices are projections, so they might vary. Please contact the host listed for the venue to confirm and lock in a spot on this epic partying season. See you guys all out there! 

Wet Republic                                                                    

Thomas Gorman                                                                             
Senior VIP Host                                                                
(702) 326-6774                                                                  
702vip.gorman@gmail.com                                                                        
                                                                 




                                                               

Includes
Friday 5/25
Sat 5/26
Sun 5/27
Mon 5/28
Bungalows
20 tickets
5000
15000
7500
10000
Deluxe Cabana
15 tickets
2500
7000
4000
6000
Party Cabana
15 tickets
2000
6000
3000
5000
Dance Floor Table
10 tickets
1500
3000
2000
3000
Dance Deck
10 tickets
1500
4000
2000
3000
Lounge Table
10 tickets
1500
3000
2000
3000
Daybeds
6 tickets
1500
2000
1500
2000

                                                                               
*All pricing is in food and beverage minimums                                                                   
*Not including the 22% gratuity and 8.1% tax                                                                     
*Add on person is $200 per extra person except on Saturday it will be $250                                 

                                        
                                                                               
                                                                               

Tao Beach                                                                          

Chris Traer                                                                         
VIP Host                                                                              
(702) 510-5286                                                                  
chris.traer@taogroup.com                                                                         
                                                                               
Friday (EC Twins)                                                                             
Cabana $2500                                                                   
Corner Daybed $1k                                                                        
Daybed or Couch $500                                                                  
                                                                               
Saturday (Benny Benassi) and Sunday (Paul Van Dyk)                                                                    
Cabana $5k                                                                        
Corner Daybed $2500                                                                    
Daybed or Couch $1k                                                                    
                                                                               
Monday (Armin Van Buren)                                                                       
Cabana $1500                                                                   
Corner Daybed $750                                                                      
Daybed or Couch $400                                                                  
                                                                               
*All prices are food and beverage minimums.       

                                                  
                                                                              

Marquee Dayclub                                                                           

Robert Montero                                                                              
Customer Development Manager                                                                           
(702) 612-2789                                                                  
robert.montero@marqueelasvegas.com                                                                             
                                                                               
Daybeds              3000                                                      
Cabanas               7500                                                      
Grand Cabanas 15000                                                   
                                                                               
*All prices are food and beverage minimums.   

                                                                                                                       
                                                                               

Encore Beach Club                                                                          

Bryce Giorgio                                                                    
VIP Services Manager                                                                   
(702) 528-5209                                                                  
brycegiorgio@gmail.com                                                                             
                                                                               
Couch   $2000                                                      
Daybed                $3000 to $4000                                                 
Top Cabanas      $4000                                                      
Bottom Cabanas               $7000                                                      
                                                                               
*All prices are food and beverage minimums.