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Las Vegas Nightclub & Bar Trade Show
Cruzan Rum created
a Caribbean outpost and offered several tasty selections.
• The
Trade Show is the Ultimate Pub Crawl
• Las
Vegas City, Casino, Bars and Clubs Guide
We knew we were in the right
place when, the moment we walked through the door, we were greeted by
a Jimmy Buffett concert video and offered free Margaritaville tequila
shots as well as a frozen concoction.
Margaritaville, indeed.
From there, we encountered a friend whose card reads "Director"
at a new place called Sapphire, which is the World's Largest Strip Club.
"Come by and check it out," he said. "I'll send a limo."
We were at the Nightclub &
Bars Trade Show in Las
Vegas, the kind of convention a husband could tell
his spouse he actually attended. It was a two-and-a-half day affair
for the nightclub and bar beverage industry that featured the latest
trends, seminars, gadgets, products and, highest on our list, a non-stop
sampling of new and existing products from just about every alcohol
company on the planet.
 The
annual show was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in March and
featured not only those in the business but ordinary customers as well
who paid the $85 "cover charge" for a floor pass and the privledge
of the pleasures.
"Would you like to try a drink," asks the girl
in the waitress costume as she holds out a tempting tray of martinis.
"Here have a sample," says another from behind a booth, her
hand poised to pour on a beer tap.
There were bikinis and Bacardi. Bar stools and beer taps.
Dance equipment and Don Julio. Fog machines, Fosters and frozen Jack
Daniels. Glow sticks and Goldschlager. Music and margaritas (even margaritas
in a bag, which we must say were pretty good). Miller and Mojitos. Smog
machines and strippers. Wild Turkey and wilder events.
And enough energy drinks to keep one jumping for a month.
There were also some very cool products designed for pubs
and clubs that would be really cool in one's house or apartment. Our
favorite was a lamp that spun corporate logos around the light (be creative;
create your own message).
Things got a little
crazy by the end of the second day.
As if this was not enough, there were the evening parties.
Three each night, stacked up like airplanes at McCarren Airport. There
was the lavish Bacardi party, a Fiesta Latina salsa party, vodka mixers,
a "Taste the Tropics" pool party at Mandalay Bay, a Sammy
Hagar concert at the Joint and a DJ showcase, all held at clubs and
venues throughout Las Vegas. The Nightclub & Bar Trade Show was
noon, night and midnight.
One aspect of the show were demonstrations of products
and services for sale. One of these was conducted by something touting
itself as "Beverage U." It was a "lecture" by a
man in a lab coat, in theory to teach one how to pour the perfect beer.
His intended audience were bartenders and bar owners and we listened
intently until the supposed "professor" announced the perfect
pour was 14 ounces of beer in an American 16-ounce glass. "The
other two ounces is, well, just space" he said with a straight
face. Personally, we like to have our space filled by beer, not this
guy's hot air, plus recognizing the fact that American pints are 14
ounces and not 16, we departed. Liked the staff's cheerleading outfits,
though.
Look for dancers like this at a club near you soon.
In an effort to stand out from the crowd, especially in
the crowded vodka market, companies introduced all types of creative
inventions. One, called Fris – Freeze Distilled Vodka –
actually freezes the vodka for six seconds in the manufacturing process
to get rid of "impurities," according to a company spokesperson.
"It gets rid of the burn" as it slides down the throat, he
said.
For more information, go to the organizer's web site
at www.nightclub.com.
Cheers!
Entertainment varied from the Rat Pack (above) to a bartending contest.
A shocking shot
– this electrifying device provided plenty of juice.
Have you had your
shot(s) today!?
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