Updated: 4:40 p.m. PT July 1st, 2008
Michael
Fuller, Las Vegas resident of over 32 years, hasn’t
merely watched the Vegas nightlife industry grow into the
hugely competitive success that it is today; he has been
one of the major driving forces behind it all. Fuller’s
long and wide-ranging resume includes an impressive 17 year
career as world-renowned house music artist “DJ Funkler,”
creating the successful graphic design service Moving Sun
Studios, and holding past upper-management positions in
such coveted venues as Utopia, Baby’s,
Foundation Room, China Grill, and ICE
Meta_club. In 2006, Fuller began working with N9NE
Group as the Corporate Director of Marketing, and in 2008
was promoted to N9NE Group’s Vice President - giving
him the responsibility of anything related to protecting
or developing the company’s image and brand.
As someone
who has seen Las Vegas nightlife from every imaginable perspective,
it was a pleasure to have him offer his take on how the
United States current economic climate will effect the Las
Vegas tourism industry as a whole. Not surprisingly, as
Fuller will further explain, things aren’t looking
all that bad for Vegas!
Jack
Colton: You have been involved in every imaginable
aspect of the business of Las Vegas nightlife, what elements
of your past do you feel give you the creative edge that
you seem to enjoy these days?
Michael
Fuller: It’s taken me a long time to get
where I am. You can say that I took my time getting here.
I have enjoyed the journey, and I am not to my final destination.
That will be a lifelong trek for sure. Along the way, I
have picked up quite a few trades, all of which I enjoy
at certain times. This would include graphic design, djing,
marketing and advertising, accounting, operations, team
management, and of course all service industry positions.
. . Not sure if I answered the question there, but my point
is it’s not one item that really stands out, it was
the time I took to focus on each item for a certain period
that I feel gives me a very well rounded perspective on
things giving me creative insight to what works and what
doesn’t . . .
JC:
Did you ever see yourself having such an important, yet
admittedly fun position within the N9NE Group and Palms?
If not, where did you think you would be at this point in
your career?
MF:
There was a very early point in my life where it
was getting too serious too early and I wasn’t ready
for it. I decided at that point that I was going to chase
happiness because everything else would follow. Along the
way, I had to remind myself of that and when something wasn’t
fun anymore, I had to have to courage to change things up
and know I was going to be ok because my happiness was going
to lead me to bigger and better projects, jobs, people,
etc . . .So you can say, I have always been where I am today,
I’m just getting to do it on a much larger scale.
JC:
What are your favorite annual events to work with at the
Palms?
MF:
Not all of these are annuals, but they are at the top of
my list: The Sleepover, Midsummers, launch of Ditch, and
now the launch of Oakenfold’s Perfecto. Anything that
really is pushing the envelope creatively for me and my
team is really what gets me up in the morning. Some of these
events takes months to make happen so when they are finally
done and everyone is having a great time, there isn’t
a feeling like it in the world!
JC: In our March 2008 interview with Palms
Casino owner George Maloof, he explained how it was always
his vision to expand the Palms property into three (3) towers,
each with their own individual, yet connected identity.
How involved was N9NE Group in the initial construction
and planning phase of the Fantasy Tower, and in what ways
do you feel that Moon, Playboy Club, and Nove have helped
to set a different, but similar, tone compared to the original?
MF:
I wasn’t here for the initial planning stages,
I came in about 4-6 months prior to the opening. At the
same time, we were working on launching the Dallas properties.
So right from the start I had to jump into a car that was
already going 150 miles per hour (this is where you see
my Jedi skills come into play). The fantasy tower elevated
the image and status of the entire property by offering
a higher quality of amenities, venues, and room product
than what was previously experienced. As this casino expands,
it becomes more clear how unique it is. It is still a boutique
hotel by Vegas standards, but it easily competes with the
properties that are 3 or 4 times the size of it. By having
so many nightclubs, lounges and restaurants in our portfolio
along with the spectacular pool that was built, we are able
to please a larger range of people all at the same time.
Some people are looking for the big room club feel that
Rain gives and others are looking for something more mature
and sophisticated like a Moon or Playboy. There is no other
property in Vegas with as much opportunity in such a close
proximity to each other. It just makes the overall experience
for our guests easier to have fun and enjoy themselves.
JC:
As the original tower nears it’s seventh
year in business, can we expect any upcoming changes or
upgrades to any of its existing entertainment brands (ghost
Bar, N9NE Steakhouse, Rain, or the tower itself)?
MF:
ghostbar is ghostbar. It is still open seven days a week
and always packed. Like Michael Morton says “a beautiful
view never goes out of style!” N9NE Steakhouse is
one of the most talked about steakhouses in the country.
It is the pioneer of the contemporary steakhouse with a
scene. It has seen month after consecutive month of increased
growth. No reason to mess with perfection. Rain is the space
that needed a little bit of love. The Vegas nightlife industry
is the most competitive in the world. Every company is going
for the kill every week and it is a constantly changing
beast. Clubs that opened before Rain have already closed
and opened under new names and Rain is still holding its
own. There isn’t anything wrong with Rain, it just
needed a little attention. We have launched one new night
called Music is the Currency on Fridays that is doing extremely
well. In the past two months we have had Rev Run (Run DMC),
Dave Navarro and SJ Skribble, Z Tripp, Jazzy Jeff, Shop
Boys, Too Short, to name a few. The other major initiative
we are doing with Rain is Perfecto Vegas. We have signed
Paul Oakenfold to an exclusive residency every Saturday
night. He will play 26 dates throughout the year. When he
isn’t performing we will have other major names like
Carl Cox, Paul van Dyk, and Crystal Method. It will take
me an hour to describe the actual scope of this project,
but I can tell you this: it is the biggest residency and
club experience in the United States. There isn’t
another club night like it in the world! We have hired world
class set designers, performance artists, djs, and musicians
to make this a reality. This will be a must see event in
Vegas for anybody that likes to go to nightclubs. This is
a major benchmark for Vegas as well as the rest of the country.
This event is getting the club scene back to a more diversified
palette of music instead of the present homogenized format
trying to appease everyone all the time. This event is for
the international clubber, the jet setter that has seen
it all.
JC:
Since you have been deeply involved behind-the-scenes
in Las Vegas nightlife well before some of today’s
current operators might have personally first set foot in
our city, you have certainly seen where things have been.
Let’s talk a little about where you feel like it is
all going. With the United States in the midst of a recession
and the cost of travel increasing dramatically as a result
of an impending energy crisis, do you agree with so many
of the experts who say that Las Vegas tourism, in general,
will be somewhat “insulated” from the effects
of everything?
MF:
Vegas is a very unique city. There is always someone
that we can market to no matter what the economic climate
dictates. In our present situation, it is actually really
good for us because the pound and euro is kicking the US
dollar so it makes very easy for the brits to come to Vegas.
In addition, because the US dollar isn’t worth as
much in Europe it makes it very hard for the average American
to take their holiday there, so instead, they stay in America
and the obvious bang for your buck is Vegas.. .
The
LVCVA picked up on this a while ago and even started a brand
new department called International Relations (or something
like that). They focus on building press events in key countries
like Canada, Mexico, and the UK and they deliver the Vegas
message.
JC: There are as many as ten (10) new nightclubs
slated to open on or around the Strip within the next year.
How will the added competition change things?
MF:
I think Darwin’s law of natural selection answers
this question. Only the strong shall survive! A lot of half-baked
ideas and clubs will fade away and the ones that have been
in the industry and know what they are doing will rise to
the top. We have already made major steps to position ourselves
for this shift and I am 100% confident that when the dust
settles, we will be standing there leading the way as usual.
JC:
Has N9NE Group in any way adapted their future plans in
consideration of recession or the added competition?
MF:
I believe my above answer responds to this question.
A more detailed answer would mean I would have to kill you
since that would then be forecasting our moves . . .
Favorite
Drink: These green juice concoctions that
Christina [his significant other] makes for me in the morning
when she isn’t too lazy to get out of bed before I
go to work.
How
many will he consume: 1 or 2 a day. It gives
me that great kick in the morning and keeps my energy and
mental state of mind stable for most of the day.
What
time does he usually wake up and usually go to bed:
Im a workaholic. I am the only one in the company that will
take a vacation to a 2 mile island in Belize, take two laptops
[one to work and one to dj], and still respond to every
email I get over the week. My normal work day starts around
8:30am and ends between 9 or 11pm. When you love what you
do, it’s easy!
How
many people work for N9NE Group: In
Vegas, about 900 people.
Its
your money, might as well have fun spending it!
Millions
of Americans have found themselves in the truly troubling
position of figuring out just exactly how to do their part
to help stimulate the United States economy, and we find
it to be no small coincidence that the government mailed
everyone their checks right as the Las Vegas Summer Season
has officially gotten to critical mass. Is spending the
Government’s money on a number of cocktails and having
a great time while doing so what they had in mind? Doubtful.
But hey, you only live once. Here are just a few of the
more entertaining ways the government probably didn’t
intend for you to spend your economy Stimulus Checks!
Red
Rock Casino’s Red Rock Retreat: $199 for 2 days of
relaxation.
All summer long, you can check into Red Rock Resort’s
hotel rooms Sunday afternoon, and enjoy their many luxurious
accommodations all the way until Tuesday morning for the
very cost-effective price of $199. In limited supply, each
“Red Rock Retreat” package includes two nights
stay, 8 games of bowling, 2 free movie tickets, specials
on gaming, and entrance into Cherry Nightclub’s
related events.
There
are a limited supply of retreat packages available each
week, for reservations please contact Chance McDaniel
by phone or text at 702-688-0995, or by
email at Chance@VegasVenues.net.
Sky
diving over the Nevada desert: $250.
You’ve
probably spent a lot more on many much less memorable experiences,
and spending time soaring two miles above the earth all
the while enjoying an excellent view of the Hoover Dam,
Mt. Charleston, the Las Vegas Strip, the Colorado River,
and, well, the fast-approaching ground will be something
you can brag about to your friends about for years to come.
And if you’re scared, don’t be. The jump really
isn’t that bad. However, the 45 minute video that
you watch before you jump that explains the hundreds of
ways you can’t ever sue the Sky Dive operator if you
should die a horrific death is a whole ‘nother story…
The
$250 includes training, tandem jump, tax, and tip for your
instructor. For reservations, call 702-SKY-DIVE
or visit www.skydivelasvegas.com.
Day
Bed at Tao Beach: $200.
Spend
a day basking in the sun! Day beds at Tao Beach are yours
for the day for $200 on Fridays, $500 on Saturdays, and
$400 on Sundays. For reservations, please contact Todd
Worz by email at ToddW@TaoLasVegas.com,
or directly by phone or text at 702-505-2610.
Playboy’s
Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Palms: $150
The
Midsummer Night's Dream Party, also known as the Midsummer's
party, is an annual celebrity-filled event held at the Playboy
Mansion in Los Angeles on the first Saturday in August,
and continues two weeks later at the Palms Hotel in Las
Vegas. This year the Las Vegas edition of Midsummers falls
on Saturday, August 16th, begging the question,
is there a better way to stimulate your good sense than
by spending an evening surrounded by gorgeous women in lingerie?
Purchase
your tickets in advance online.
Costume and / or mask mandatory for all event guests.
