Full-Program Speakers Will Share the Wealth of Wisdom
By Taylor Rau
Notepad? Check. Pen? Check. Goal to return home after the Las Vegas Nightclub & Bar show (“The Show”) Feb. 27-March 2 with said pad full of ideas about increasing your venue's profits? Check. You're all set for success then, if your plans for increased prosperity in 2005 include attending “The Show's” seminars with the best and brightest speakers in the industry.
This year's lineup is brimful with factual insight, creativity in the field, and with speakers' enthusiasm to help on-premise operators boost their bottom lines, better market themselves and their products, limit the liabilities of operation that in turn limit their overall success, and much more. Indeed, words of wisdom to help and encourage those who thrive in the hospitality field are abundant and accessible.
From Ordinary to Extraordinary
Meet Lisa Lamarre, CEO (that's Chief Experience Officer) of Wildly Different, a company dedicated to bettering on-premise businesses by separating them from the pack.
Lamarre has 15-years of experience creating interactive events, promotional ideas and experiential marketing campaigns that get results. But, more importantly, she says, she has walked in operator shoes. Lisa literally was raised in the business (her parents and grandparents owned a club) and after working in numerous bars and nightclubs, she herself purchased a pub in Liverpool, England.
In her position now, Lamarre marries her knowledge of the marketing world with the bar and nightclub industry. Her company creates unique, ready-to-use promotional campaigns that save bars and nightclubs time, frustration and money. In addition, she leads tele-seminars, workshops and consults one-on-one with clients to help them improve their bar and nightclub experience.
“My presentation, From Ordinary to Extraordinary, will appeal to people who are bored with ‘business as usual,'” Lamarre says. “Because guess what? Their customers are bored, too. When they gather around the water cooler, they don't want to talk about the nightclub or bar that met their expectations. They want to talk about the nightclub or bar that exceeded their expectations. Or, better yet, the one that dazzled them with the unexpected. I'll talk about how to become THAT bar or nightclub!”
If this sounds good, Lamarre says it gets better — this all entails big ideas, sure — but more importantly for bottom-line-oriented operators, it does not take a big bank account.
“So, in this presentation, attendees will discover the hottest customer trends shaping the future,” she says. “Then, they will learn how to use these little nuggets of information to make a big impression on their customers. Finally, they will walk away with tools and techniques to help them come up with unique ideas that keep their nightclub or bar fresh, exciting and wildly different.”
Max It Out
So, as the seminar title promises, so it will deliver for those wishing to gain an edge. It's not about copying, Lamarre says — it's about creating.
“The information you can pick up at ‘The Show' on the hottest trends and products will spark a ton of ideas.” To ensure you unearth as much information as possible about today's strategies and implementing them, she suggests the following:
“Read through the session descriptions in advance. Mark off your first and second choices in each time slot … If there is more than one person attending “The Show” from your nightclub or bar, maximize the amount of information you obtain by splitting up and attending different sessions. Meet and compare notes afterwards.”
“Take the time to walk the entire tradeshow floor … If you race through all of the exhibits in one day, you may not only wear yourself out, you may miss the next big idea.”
“Go to the anniversary and networking events. Step out of your comfort zone, get out of your usual clique and talk to different people. Pick other nightclub and bar professionals' minds about what's hot, what's working and what's not working in their establishment. Ask people, ‘What is the best thing you have learned at “The Show?'”
Limit Your Liabilities
Robert Smith, a presenter of the Limit Your Liabilities session, will provide guidelines for making that experience safer — a better experience for guest and for operator — and a solid addition to the entire on-premise packaging effort. Smith, a 12-year veteran of the San Diego Police Department, himself a detective, plans to speak on club safety and specific measures club owners and operators can take right now to make their venues safe from lawsuits, accidents, tragedy and violence.
“This year I have four hours to get my message out to show attendees. I love getting smart and useful ideas out to club owners,” Smith says. “Not only will I be providing sound advice, but all attendees will be given a certificate of completion to take home with them. This piece of paper is valuable to show their local authorities and the state beverage control agents that they are trying to become educated in safety issues.”
Smith adds that the sheer volume of this year's show traffic will be ideal for exchanging information on liability reduction.
“Learning to save money on pouring alcohol is good. Learning to hire the right person is good. Learning to lower insurance costs is GREAT,” he says.
A New Alliance
When quality information is imparted and the efforts are there, growth typically occurs. Smith's company, Nightclub Security Consultants, is much the same, and as he reaches out to more and more operators wishing to make their venue(s) safe or further streamline their operations, so, too, has his concept grown.
“Next year, my company will be totally transformed from Nightclub Security Consultants to Hospitality and Security Alliance Inc.,” Smith says. “This change in name and company structure was necessary to allow us to broaden our focus and target other fields of the hospitality industry.
“Late this year and into next year, the new company will continue to be innovative and groundbreaking in the services we will offer for the hospitality industry. Keep an eye on our Web site, handsalliance.com , for information.”
An inside example of things to come — and this is right around the corner for everyone involved in nightclub and bar security — are forms that Smith has developed for bar owners, managers, bartenders and security staff. With the forms, which come in packs and have multiple scenarios accessible, such as an over-served patron coming in, fights, cab calls or patron property theft, operators simply have to fill in the blanks, so to speak. This innovation will make operators lives much easier in the trenches and not only save them time, but potentially serious money from lawsuits and/or insurance costs, Smith says.
More Security, More Success
The growing issue of security concerns another Robert and another of this year's speakers: Robert F. Lewis, who also plans to reach out to operators with ways they can reduce liabilities, especially drug issues.
Lewis, a member of law firm Holland & Knight's Alcohol Beverage Practice Group, concentrates his practice on the laws governing alcohol, tobacco and other regulated products. His experience includes alcohol beverage law, licensing, alcohol beverage regulations, administrative litigation, zoning, state and local government, and land use. Additionally, he works with domestic and foreign suppliers, wholesalers, and a broad range of retailers, including nightclubs, bars, hotels, restaurants and other members of the hospitality industry.
“I am incredibly honored to be returning this year as one of “The Show's” top speakers,” Lewis says. “The nightclub and bar industry is not only a major source of entertainment for all of us, but, for me, it is part of my everyday life as an alcohol beverage lawyer. Because of this, those who strive to bring us the best and most innovative entertainment venues in the world need to be warned about the issues that currently plague and threaten their industry. Again, I am honored and challenged by this task.
“My presentation will focus on the various liability issues that have emerged … with the dramatic rise in drug use and enactment of the Illicit Drug Anti-Proliferation Act of 2003,” Lewis says. “Now, nightclub and bar owners can be held both civilly and criminally liable for the drug use of patrons even in situations where there is no direct link between the drug user and the owner of the establishment.
“Drug use can now cost these owners thousands of dollars in lost revenue and legal fees in addition to possible incarceration,” Lewis continues. “Aside from these issues and penalty schemes, I will also discuss various compliance program strategies that can help protect entertainment establishment owners and their businesses.”
While it is an issue often grossly understated by both the media and owners alike, drug use in bars, nightclubs and adult entertainment venues is a costly concern. It's also a concern with increasing consequences and ripple effects, Lewis says. Accordingly, he says he hopes to lighten the burden on operators by teaching them practical solutions for protecting themselves.
“I think that with a steady increase in law enforcement awareness of the use of ‘club drugs' and the rise in arrests and club raids related to club drug use, this year's show will convey the importance of compliance programs and the need for entertainment establishment owners to protect themselves and their businesses from the impact of patron club drug use at their venues.”
Situational Selling
With proper security in place, owners and operators can again shift attention to guest enjoyment and the staff service that ensures that experience satisfaction. Speaking on this in his Service That Sells! program, TJ Schier, of Incentivize Solutions and himself an industry veteran, provides a preview of his show presentation.
“The session will talk about how to make a huge impact on your service levels, including how to create experiences to add ‘sizzle' for guests at every interaction point,” Schier says. “In addition, it will share unique strategies and incentive contests to drive ‘situational selling' — a unique spin on suggestive selling to impact the top-line by teaching servers and bartenders to make more tips (and keep them happy).”
Schier says the great buzz and aura of optimism at “The Show” is an ideal environment to exchange ideas and strategies, fire up operators, and look forward to a new year with new successes. Looking forward to his session, operators can expect more than 30 practical, easy-to-implement service ideas (with no financial outlay) that those present immediately take back home with them in order to boost profits.
“The crowd in Vegas is always great, energetic and interactive,” he says. “I hope to reciprocate and help put more cash in their pocket!” NCB
