Tao Press Opening - Review.

[outofthebox]

Is it so hard to understand that most people who go to clubs in Vegas want to hear top 40, hip-hop and some rock which is what those djs play? If a venue needs to pull 3000 people to fill the spot 3 nights a week, do you think they should play jungle and be original? It's simple business. Get over it.

[vegasguy25]

I guess playing house doesn't work which would explain why Ice does so poorly, right?

[lalate]

Genres: http://bbs.clubplanet.com/showpost.php?p=2836244&postcount=20

[outofthebox]

I guess playing house doesn't work which would explain why Ice does so poorly, right?

Out of 38 clubs in Vegas, Ice is the only one that specializes in house and they still only pack it in once to two times per week, rarely three. Ice also relies on booking huge talent nearly every week while nearly every other club uses local residents most of the time. From a business stand point, house has a limited audience, while hip-hop mashup and top 40 plays to about 20,000 tourists in town every Saturday night.

[mrvegas]

I will say this when i worked RA we would have the best house DJ's in the world on thursday and would have a half packed house. We would have our resident hip-hop dj on thursday and have over 2000 people come through the door. Alot of people say they want to hear house but it just doesnt seem to work in Vegas anymore. Ice and Tabu do a good job but i dont see people coming out in droves to listen to it. You can have a minor hip-hop talent and pack the house. You have to do alot more for house. House is a tough business for a big club.

[mrvip]

It's all a matter of business. Nightclubs will do whatever is popular. Even though a lot of people, myself included, like break beats, most clubs won't play breaks because the following isn't large enough and it would be bad for business. The general population likes mashup's, top 40 and hip hop so that's what the club will play. Ice is one of the only nightclubs in Las Vegas that will hire a top-name dj. It is only worth it to the club if they can cover the salary for the dj. When Oakenfold spins a 2 hour set, he gets paid at least $30,000. Imagine if you were the owner of a nightclub and had to bring in enough people to cover that salary.

[mrvegas]

Exactly

[dwajkhul]

i was at the TAO openings on thursday-saturday, 9/22-9/24 and i was also waxing philosophical about the music. here is how i would sum it all up:

hip-hop and bottle service ruined the original club experience.

i think i'll leave it at that for the purposes of this thread, but maybe i'll start a new thread about that idea and see what people think. i've seen a few clubs in san fran, L.A., and vegas and i would agree with those who say TAO is the best club in the western U.S.. i know quite a few people behind the operation and they've all done top notch work in new york, so it must be a breath of fresh air to everyone in las vegas.

[lalate]

i was at the TAO openings on thursday-saturday, 9/22-9/24 (working for the event by displaying videos, as stated in that other thread) and i was also waxing philosophical about the music. here is how i would sum it all up:

hip-hop and bottle service ruined the original club experience.

i think i'll leave it at that for the purposes of this thread, but maybe i'll start a new thread about that idea and see what people think. i've seen a few clubs in san fran, L.A., and vegas and i would agree with those who say TAO is the best club in the western U.S.. i know quite a few people behind the operation and they've all done top notch work in new york, so it must be a breath of fresh air to everyone in las vegas.

Well said. Venues that are functionally designed to profit on bottle service, designed to push into the space as many tables as possible without an regard to their effect on the total vibe while isolating non bottle servers by giving them no place to sit or mingle, do nothing to advance a true clubgoing experience. We all known which ... former ... popular spots did that in Vegas. The emphasis is of course on the word former.

[mrvip]

People who design nightclubs forget that people are supposed to be able to dance and relax. They design clubs to look more like restaurants with a room full of booths. La Bete chose this method. Although La Bete is a beautiful club, there are entirely way too many booths. It is nice to see that Tao didn't make this same mistake.

[lalate]

Excerpts from an la late review

of Tao Press Opening

Thursday September 22, 2005

Located at Venetian Hotel Canal Shops

For related discussion, visit http://bbs.clubplanet.com/showthread.php?t=277749

****** was the first report on this venue months ago as Vegas' next #1 venue. And we are now the first to say it will carry that title for sometime, not only in Vegas, but also on the westcoast."

It's Thursday night in a hallway adorned by the bustle of people way atop the Las Vegas strip. A stunning girl straight out of central casting has been hired to dress and sit stagnant and emotionless like a stunning female Buddha figure in a corner. As I approach, the stagnant girl suddenly breaks her frozen state and smiles and winks out of her right eye. When I smile, she smiles bigger and winks again ever so seductive. Could it be that the "Buddha-babe" is trying to be friendly, or perhaps I've caught her eye?

Just as with the wink and smile of the female Buddha, mystery and seduction is the exceptional vibe that ****** witnessed when we visited Las Vegas' biggest new venue opening last Thursday, the $22 million dollar, 44,000 square foot venue Tao (pronounced "Dao") at the Venetian.

...... Since the summer of 2005, ****** has been reporting Tao to be Vegas' potentially next number one venue. This night proved it. Tao is not only Vegas' newest #1 venue but we believe the finest new venue to open in the western U.S. this year. The Venetian organization has delivered a homerun in decor, floorplan, and staffing.

....... Decor.

Tao was smart on decor. It did not do the cliche Asian inspired motif that has been done and redone for over a decade in nightlife. Since White Lotus Hollywood (which ****** carried when it opened in Los Angeles) in 2002, the bastardized motifs of Asian decor have become a joke in nightlife seen recently at Forbidden City and recently renovated Circus Los Angeles. Tao didn't do this. Clearly they were conscious that the world of nightlife has seen enough Chinese red walls with black accessories and wooden motifs and Buddha laughing with his legs crossed at the end of every hallway for one decade.

When it comes to decor, Tao got it right, with stunning original design elements that you expect to win design praise for advancement of the Asian motif and enhancement of the clubgoing experience. Example - halls and walls splattered, apparently during mudding stages, with thousands of brushed nickel ovals; the ovals are exotic, yet modern while simultaneously retracting the light in the space, enhancing the space. Example - an entire wall of one room adorned with hundreds of miniature Asian soldiers normally for the top of tombs in Asian, here each holding a candle, stacked in shelves from bar to the ceiling, all looking at you with slightly different faces. "We are even bringing in an older Asian man with a long beard that will sit and stroke his beard all night long" Tao tells ******.

The favor is eastcoast. Darker hues with narrow walkways that open up into expansive spaces set under overhangs of mezzanine floors create a loft feel each hit with mood lighting and splashes of different palates from room to room, yet consistently darker and deeper.

Floorplan.

On Floorplan, Tao knocks the ball out of the park. People that night told us they thought the place looked amazing, but what they really meant is the flow of the space is amazing.

For the clubgoer, the first thing they see first when entering a venue is space, followed by people, and then decor. Tao again does this right. "Entrance to the nightclub can be direct via escalator passing much of the restaurant or by stairs" says Tao. Once in the space, everything makes sense. You get lost in the space because it is so visually rich and complex that it remains fresh the entire night. This is not a venue where you walk in the door you see entire venue in one glance. Floor after floor, hallways lead to multiple rooms (not just one) make it a delightful maze of excitement.

Bars. Tao gives you long bars with wide isles, two of the most important aspects of any nightclub that even the most expensive venues get wrong. The way Tao has been designed, you'll get served fast.

Mingle space. Venues in Vegas are notorious for not leaving space for people to meet people, cluttering the space with booths after booths leaving guys and girls no space to interact. At Tao, you have it. Hallways, passageways, and more. A patio commanding the anchor corner view of the strip from the Venetian over the water adorns the club just off the dancefloor.

Intimate space. Finally, every venue must have a space when clubgoers can get closer. Tao gives you that with low rise ottomans/cabin coaches and similar to sit and talk to that special someone. Here, they give even the general admission clubgoer "downtime" space, while competitors leave such space only to the Vip booths.

Booths. When it comes to booths, Tao is a master. There are booth for bottle service, lots of them. But they aren't in your face. This is not like Light at the Bellagio, or La Bete at the Wynn, where you walk in and see basically a venue of booths. This is originality that shows an architect took his time and understood how people move. Booths are different in design, shape (and amenities), hidden yet with a commanding view of the dancefloor, and in many cases more vip in location and feel than any booth offerings in town.

Dancefloor. Here, Tao needs some fixing. Too many tables, perhaps temporary, on the edge of the dancefloor need to go. For a venue of this magnitude, they cannot afford to clutter a non-enormous dancefloor.

Staffing.

You could build a stunning venue with wonderful floorplan. But Tao did even more. It staffed it with arguably the kindness staff we have seen in recent memory. Tao told ****** how they are keen on bringing a wonderful staff. And it shows. The entire door operation is lead by persons who left all of Vegas' other top venues in Vegas just to work at Tao. But the A+ service doesn't stop there.

The bartenders' stunning, and we mean stunning, looks are rivaled by their incredible kindness. Our wonderful bartender, at a time when the place was beyond packed, asked us every detail to insure our drink was poured to perfection, and then reasked after we tasted if it was perfect (which it was). Our server, normally cocktail waitresses, didn't just pass us the appetizers, they came back to us, looked for us in the crowd, to find us again to bring us a special taste of Tao dishes being offered, and then telling us to come back to Tao they night she is on duty. Even the balcony, that does not permit glassware, had a young man inform you to switch your drink into plastic; but he didn't "instruct you" like other rude Vegas clubs like to talk to patrons. He actually took your glass and poured it out into plastic for you and every other patron. Tao employees have been hired to be nice and trained to be even nicer, and it shows.

......

September, 2005.

For those who love celebrity news ....

Recent celebrity news from Tao in the last seven days.

Last week '70s Show star Wilmer Valderrama was seen kissing Jamie Pressly, 25-year-old star of the NBC sitcom My Names Is Earl, while sources this week reported that Tao nightclub got a $4,000 reupholstery bill after its opening night certain celebs including diva Mariah Care, got their groove on in stilettos on their banquettes.

[mrvegas]

As a operator you have to push the bottle sales... Its the main source of revenue and it's all profit for the most part. I have it but you can pack a place with 1000 people but if they dont buy bottles your place wont succeed in vegas. It sux...all the new places have 50+ tables and small dance floors.

[mrvip]

This is a very true statement. We always try to get our clients to reserve bottle service at the venue that they want to go for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that the people who work in the nightclubs such as VIP hosts, and cocktail servers will be quite happy with us, which leads to a stronger business relationship. The second reason that we like selling bottle service is that it is the best way to make money for the nightclub(s) and their employees (hosts and servers), not to mention making money for ourselves.

[lalate]

doc2be this one read too. Enjoy