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Top Club Owners in America Party at TAO

During the last week of February, as tens of thousands of people descended upon Las Vegas for International Hospitality Week, which included the Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show (“The Show”), TAO Nightclub played host to the trade show’s premier event, with the official Nightclub & Bar Top 100 Party. 

The event, sponsored by Dos Equis, and hosted by “the internet’s most downloaded woman” Cindy Margolis and former Miss USA Tara Conner, brought in more than 2,000 industry professionals, all there to pay honor to this year’s Nightclub & Bar Editors’ Choice Top 100 venues in America. Among the clubs of Top 100 who turned out were clubs such as Hollywood’s Key Club, Marquee NY and Boston’s Aria, as well as several newcomers such as Mokai in Miami and Chicago’s Stone Lotus.   

TAO’s catwalk was on fire, as is usually the case, surrounded on all sides by tables hosted by some of the industry’s biggest players: Jennifer Robinson, COO of Oxford Publishing Inc., producer of “The Show,” was front and center, working the crowd like only she can. Avalon co-owner and sound system pioneer John Lyons and his staff were holding down a prime table on the backside. Vicci Owner Mike Yassine and his staff were in attendance celebrating their third straight year of Top 100 honors.

One Global Event’s front man Marc Jay, professional poker player Antonio Esfandiari, and Cy Waits and the staff of Tryst Las Vegas were among some of the local industry who came, as did TAO’s own Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg, bringing the owners’ table to life like the seasoned pros they are.

DJ Kris P kick-started the energy in the room, deliberately building the tempo up to the moment that Isaiah Martin came out with his own conga and horn ensemble and brought the house down with an electrifying performance. That, coupled with the overwhelming industry turnout, sealed the night as an event that will have those who attended talking about it until next year’s Top 100 Party.

For more information about “The Show” and for the full Top 100 list, visit www.nightclub.com.

Oxford Publishing, Inc., a subsidiary of Questex Media Group, Inc., publishes Nightclub & Bar magazine, produces the Nightclub & Bar Convention & Trade Show, also known as “The Show” — along with the International Las Vegas Restaurant Show in Las Vegas annually, as well as a secondary East Coast event held in Atlantic City and in June 2008 will launch its first expo in Mexico City. 

Questex Media Group, Inc. is a global, diversified business-to-business integrated media provider, headquartered in Newton, Mass. Questex Media serves multiple industries including technology, travel, beauty, home entertainment, landscaping and industrial and specialty markets through a range of well established, market-leading products and services. The company’s properties include 23 trade publications, 25 conferences and tradeshows, as well as a host of databases and online media brands. Questex has more than 400 employees in offices throughout North America, Latin America, Asia and Europe.

Bacardi, Brown-Forman and Remy Cointreau Expand Distribution Alliance

Louisville KY, February 12, 2008 – Bacardi U.S.A., Inc., Brown-Forman Corporation,
and Rémy Cointreau USA, Inc. announced today that the companies are expanding their
distribution alliance to include California and Texas. This expansion comes on the heels of
the three companies’ successful collaboration in New York with Empire Merchants, which
began in May of 2007.

The alliance will enable its members to access dedicated distributor resources to assist in
building their highly-complementary portfolios of leading brands while continuing to
enable each company to pursue their respective brand-building activities in these three key
markets.

The expansion process will begin with Republic National Distributing Company in
Texas this month. Discussions have already begun in California with Young’s Market
Company and additional markets will be announced in the coming months.

John P. Esposito, president and chief executive officer of Bacardi U.S.A., Inc., said,
“These dedicated selling divisions in these two key U.S. markets will provide an excellent
platform for our world class brands. We will improve our efficiency and effectiveness and
present an attractive portfolio of category leading products for our customers.”

“Our experience in New York has demonstrated that the combined appeal of our three
portfolios, coupled with distributor resources focused on our companies’ brands, provides better execution of brand-building programs, both on- and off-premise, in these
vitally important markets,” stated James L. Bareuther, chief operating officer of Brown-
Forman.

Thomas F. Jensen, president and chief executive officer of Rémy Cointreau USA, Inc.
said, “This expanding distribution alliance gives our three companies the breadth of a
combined portfolio that includes outstanding leaders in every category, while allowing
each company to uphold its respective commitment to remaining independent.”

Nightclub & Bar Redesigned!

Hi everyone. You may have noticed that the Nightclub & Bar logo and style of our cover changed with the January issue. Well, the February issue is redesigned front to back. We still deliver the same style of great content for bar owners, but with our first new "look" in several years. We hope the cleanness of the new design will make it even more inviting to read. Thanks for reading, and we'll see you at International Hospitality Week in Las Vegas!

TeleWebinars Announced

Nightclub & Bar, the International Restaurant Show and the National Bar & Restaurant Management Association have joined forces with RestaurantMarketingGroup.org to provide a series of extremely useful TeleWebinars. All you need to participate is your telephone.

No one else in the foodservice, nightclub, and bar industry is offering this powerful opportunity: Your choice of FREE nuts and bolts educational TeleWebinars, complete with free tools and manuals to make sure you put this valuable information to work, RIGHT AWAY!

Learn the secrets and techniques that have been used and proven successful in restaurants, nightclubs, and bars all across North America - techniques that will dramatically increase your bottom line and help you dominate your market area.

It's time to stop losing money through ineffective controls, expensive employee turnover and training, and stop wasting money on marketing that just doesn't work. Over the next year, as you participate in additional TeleWebinars, you will add a minimum of 5 percent and perhaps 12 percent or more to your bottom-line profits. When you apply only a small part of what you learn, you will see immediate improvements in sales, profits, efficiency, and reduced stress within your operation. Invite your entire management team to attend the TeleWebinars.

Marketing wizards Ron Wilkinson and Terry Morey of Restaurant Marketing Group are putting their reputations on the line and promise results.

Find out much, much more about these TeleWebinars — and register — by going to www.telewebinar.us/ncb or call toll free (888) 776-3484.

Allen Joins NCB Advisory Board

The Nightclub & Bar magazine Advisory Board welcomes Aaron Allen.

A third generation restaurateur, Aaron Allen, the Founder/CEO of Quantified Marketing Group, is quickly becoming known as the nation’s fresh new voice of strategic marketing and restaurant brand innovation.  Representing thousands of restaurants on five continents, Allen has grown QMG from a one man operation in a two bedroom apartment to the worlds largest restaurant consulting company in just 7 short years.

His deliberate guidance has been sought after by companies such as Morton’s of Chicago, Mexico’s largest and second largest restaurant companies, Dos Equis, Cheesecake Factory and countless other restaurant organizations that utilize his firm as a secret ingredient in brand innovation initiatives. 

Aaron was a 2000 Inductee into the International Who’s Who of Business Professionals, 2003 chairman of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Allied Member Council, an Advisory Board Member of Oxford Publishing, and a member of Standard & Poor’s Society of Industry Leaders.  He has already achieved some of the highest honors bestowed to marketing practitioners.  He has a consistent track record of double-digit sales improvements for a diverse range of clients, often while simultaneously reducing their overall ad spending.

He has recently been featured in the Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, Nation’s Restaurant News, Chain Leader, USA Today and Entrepreneur Magazine.  Aaron has been the highest drawing speaker at several leading national foodservice conferences, including the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association Show, ATME Think Tank, and Restaurant Business’ Healthy Customers, Healthy Profits Seminar and others both foreign and domestic.  He is also a frequent guest lecturer for the University of Central Florida’s Rosen School of Hospitality – the nation’s second largest hospitality school.

Allen remains adamant that he will be taken out of the restaurant industry feet-first, and as such he dives head first into the most challenging assignments he can find – regardless of continent, industry segment or budget, what inspires him most is working with the industries brightest on projects aspiring to truly innovate, evolve and positively impact his life’s passion – the restaurant industry.   

Knorr Joins Nightclub & Bar Advisory Board

The Nightclub & Bar magazine Advisory Board welcomes John Knorr.

Knorr, Senior Vice President of Phillips Foods, Inc., oversees all aspects of  development for national accounts, restaurants and franchise operations of the privately owned, global company.  Following a company restructure in 2007, Knorr was tasked with strategically managing and growing the national account division of Phillips Foods, Inc. in addition to his restaurant and franchise development responsibilities. 

Spearheading company development, Knorr’s success lies in strategic planning for acquiring new markets and building strong partnerships.   

Currently an eight unit, company-owned restaurant group, Phillips Seafood Restaurants has two locations consistently ranking in the top 100 highest grossing independent restaurants nationally.  Under John’s direction in 2006, Phillips opened two new restaurants in Atlantic City; Phillips Seafood and Souzai Sushi and Sake.  In addition through a strategic partnership with HMS Host, Knorr leads the company’s franchise venture, opening five airport locations in Baltimore, Savannah, Charlotte, Atlanta and Norfolk with more expected to open in 2008. 

The recent growth was also punctuated in May of 2007 as Knorr opened the first Phillips  Seafood with Columbia Sussex in Philadelphia’s Center City Sheraton Hotel.    John Knorr is a graduate from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland with a degree in political science.  In 2007, John was honored by the Restaurant Association of Maryland with the prestigious Schellhase Award, recognizing an individual of outstanding character whose numerous contributions to the association, industry and community.

Cocktails, Clubs and Connections

The Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show is known for its one-of-a-kind nightly events and this year will be no different. You won’t want to miss one minute of the action!

See the best that Las Vegas has to offer! From the hottest nightclubs, to intimate lounges, the Hospitality Week Club Pass lets you visit different venues each night of your stay. One pass gets you VIP admission and drink specials brought to you by Deluca Liquor and Wine at select venues Sunday, February 24 through Wednesday, February 27. Venues include: Tryst, Tao Nightclub, Tao Ultra Lounge, Voodoo Lounge, Trader Vic’s and Hawaiian Tropic. Visit www.nightclub.com to see additional venues.

International Hospitality Week starts off with networking at one of Las Vegas’ most beautiful golf courses. The International Hospitality Week Golf Classic will take place
Sunday, February 24th at 9:30 a.m. Slots are limited for this shotgun scramble, so register early!

Next, join us for networking under the stars as we celebrate the launch of International Hospitality Week. International Hospitality Week’s WELCOME Kick-off will take place at Roman Plaza, Caesar’s Palace on Sunday night from 6:30—8:30 p.m. Hosted by our state association partners, this event will begin a week to remember.

On Monday night, enjoy the Jagermeister and Nightclub & Bars 1st Annual “You Rock, We Roll” Concert Series. For the first time, Nightclub & Bar will host the Jagermeister Mobile Stage – a revolutionary new concert experience. This event will take place at Roman Plaza, Caesar’s Palace on Monday, February 25th at 8:00 p.m. The fully self-contained concert stage is making its way to Vegas, bringing with it a state of the art sound and lighting system and some of the hottest talent in the country. The bands will rock the night away and Jager will keep the party rolling! Visit www.nightclub.com for the latest details.

The Vino Las Vegas Wine Tasting will take place on Tuesday, February 26th from 6:30—8:00 p.m. at the Roman Plaza, Caesar’s Palace. Sponsored by Southern Wine & Spirits, this special wine tasting has become a tradition at “The Show.” Proceeds from this event support Sky Ranch for Boys, the industry’s charity.

After enjoying the fabulous Vino Wine Tasting, join us as we honor the brightest in the beverage and food industry at the Five Star Awards Dinner where Harvey Chaplin, Chairman and CEO of Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. will be presented the Lifetime Achievement Award. This elegant dinner will take place on Tuesday, February 26th at the Palace Ballroom, Caesar’s Palace at 8:00 p.m.

Finish the night by breaking in one of Vegas’ newest, most luxurious nightclubs while sampling the extensive portfolio of Sidney Frank Importing. Temptations featuring Sidney Frank will take place on Tuesday, February 26th at 10:00 p.m. at the new clubs Prive and Living Room at Planet Hollywood.         

If you’re more in the mood to dance, turn up the heat with specialty cocktails and hot music at the GLBT Party. This late night event at one of Las Vegas’ premier gay nightclubs, will take place on Tuesday, February 26th at 11:00 p.m.

Wrap up the week by honoring Nightclub & Bar’s Top 100 Clubs in America at one of Las Vegas’ hot spots. The Editors’ Choice Official Top 100 Party will take place Wednesday, February 27th at 9:00 p.m. at Tao Asian Bistro and Nightclub in the Venetian. The Top 100 party has become an essential part of the Show’s party line-up and promises to be a night to remember.

Even though your week has come to an end, the party doesn’t have to! Watch the industry’s best talent compete at the grand finale of the Show’s party line-up at the DJ Spin-Off on Wednesday, February 27th at 10:00 p.m.

Visit www.nightclub.com for a complete schedule and pricing.

Pre-Conference Workshops at International Hospitality Week

Six comprehensive workshops will be offered as part of the 2008 Nightclub & Bar/Beverage Retailer Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas on February 24. Take an in-depth look into the topics most important to today's businesses. These hands-on sessions are led by top industry experts and offer one-on-one interaction and specialized knowledge to build your bottom line.

Jon Taffer’s Marketing Dynamics 2008
Jon Taffer's Famous Bar & Restaurant Program is back and better than ever this year. Come see why Jon's programs are so popular all over the world. His proven tactics and tricks for filling your restaurant or bar are legendary. His approaches to "Four Walls Marketing", Dynamic Human Dynamics, Reaction Management™, Promotion and Marketing will forever change the way you do business. Jon is called, "The Master" and this program is his best. It's called the "Holy Grail" of the industry and is our most popular and best attended program, so reserve your seat now for six powerful hours with Jon! 

Building Brands, Driving Profits
Mike Ginley, president of Next Level Marketing, will share his years of industry experience including brand marketing, event marketing, customer on-premise research and national accounts consulting in Building Brands, Driving Profits. Ginley will share highlights of his custom on-premise research findings on what today’s on-premise beverage consumers want and how to best influence their purchase behavior. He will also provide information on how to develop and execute your own cutting edge drink menu to market your beverage program, samples will be provided. Attending this workshop will give you the opportunity to learn fact-based, objective information and tools needed to help shape future beverage decisions and resulting revenues!

Promo Idea Exchange
A highly popular session each year, the Promo Idea Exchange is back and bigger than ever as a Pre-Conference Workshop! Properly executed promotions are the topic of discussion in this open forum workshop led by Jonathan Ressler, an on-premise veteran. This idea-packed workshop will provide attendees with all the tips and tools needed to develop profit-driving promotions for their operations. The Promo Idea Exchange will not only take operators step-by-step through planning, executing and evaluating a successful promotion, but also allow operators to swap profitable and exciting promotional ideas with the best experts in the business! 

Liquor Liability Boot Camp
Led by alcohol liability expert; Robert C. Smith, Liquor Liability Boot Camp isn't the same old talking heads trying to scare you straight. This is material you can truly use; presented by several industry professionals you want to know. Broken into four informative parts, this 5-hour Basic Training program will utilize three separate expert panels and close with a final training session to help keep you on track. Your three panels will include an Insurance Company panel, an Attorney's panel and an Expert Witness panel. Listen Up! This workshop will be one of the most informative training sessions you or your staff has ever attended. Smith will teach you why being proactive related to lawsuits is so important. You will be sued, why not be prepared and seriously lessen the pain and potential loss?

The Art of Mixology
Join Master Mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim and a panel of guest mixologist from around the world as they share insight on cocktail development in The Art of Mixology. In these days of reality television shows such as Iron Chef and Top Chef, food is entering the mainstream view like never before. Mixology has a place in the spotlight as well, and at this year's Show, you can learn from America's greatest mixologists and bar chefs. Each of these individuals has helped pave the way to make mixology the high art it is considered today. Don't miss this fun, informative session and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from the best in the beverage industry! 

Back of the House Tours
All new to the Show! Take this opportunity to get a VIP view of some of Las Vegas' most profitable properties. Get the inside scoop from their operations teams as you see first-hand how they make these hotels, casinos, restaurants, nightclubs and bars work together to create success.

Visit www.nightclub.com or call 888-966-2727 to register today!

Harvey Chaplin to Receive Lifetime Achievement Honor at International Hospitality Week 2008

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Oxford Publishing, Inc., host of International Hospitality Week and producer of “The Show” in Las Vegas on February 24-27, 2008, has announced that it will present Harvey R. Chaplin with the Lifetime Achievement Award at its Five Star Awards at the event. International Hospitality Week includes the Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show, the Las Vegas Restaurant Show, the International Coffee & Tea Expo and Hotel World. This week-long event provides a platform for buyers and sellers to meet, creating the most comprehensive gathering in the hospitality industry from all segments.

Harvey R. Chaplin is Chairman and CEO of Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc (SWS). By 1946, the year he graduated from Brooklyn's Boys High School, he already had begun his career in the wine and spirits industry, having landed a part-time position in the mailroom at Schenley Industries, Inc. whose offices were then located in Manhattan. At that time Schenley was a leading distilled spirits marketer as well as the American importer of Dewar's White Label Scotch.

“I am a very lucky guy,” Chaplin said recently. “With a high school education, I received my ‘college education’ on the streets working for the beverage alcohol industry — including significant work experience in New Orleans, Dallas, Kansas City, New York City, Buffalo and Miami. I have always felt a strong need to give back to the communities that have helped me achieve my success.”  Chaplin will be honored for his contributions to our industry on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at an awards dinner in Las Vegas. 

“It is truly rewarding to salute and honor Mr. Chaplin with this year’s lifetime award,” said Jennifer Robinson, COO of Oxford Publishing. “His contributions and leadership have had a significant impact on the industry and he is most deserving of this award.”

At Schenley, Chaplin worked his way up from the mailroom to become assistant director of marketing at the company. His “graduate school” degree came from his work as a distributor in upstate New York from 1961 to 1968, where he ran wholesale operations in Buffalo, Rochester and Albany. In 1969, Chaplin joined SWS, along with other founding executives. Prior to becoming its chairman and CEO in 1994, Mr. Chaplin served in numerous senior executive roles running day-to-day operations of the company from 1969 to 1993.

In particular, Chaplin is known for his deep concern for the needs of both sets of Southern Wine & Spirits’ “customers” — the suppliers who rely upon Southern’s brand stewardship and distribution reach and the retailers who require efficient service and promotional support.  He says, “My philosophy as the leader of the ‘middle tier’ has been one of close cooperation with both of the other tiers of our industry. We all need one another to foster our industry's progress.”   

Along with his family and company, Chaplin is very supportive of many international, national and local charities. In particular, for many years, he has been closely associated with Mt. Sinai Medical Center, Sylvester Cancer Center, the Nor-Isle Optimist Club and Temple Beth Shalom—all of which are located in South Florida. Over the years, Chaplin also has been a generous contributor to the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. In the United States, he served as a founding contributor to The Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center, which is an integral part of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida.  The Center, Chaplin wishes to emphasize, is also supported by generous grants from many other wine and spirits supplier partners from the United States and abroad.

Chaplin is the recipient of many business and community awards and honors, including: the Mt. Sinai Medical Center honor he and his wife Roberta shared in March, 2005 at the 50th Anniversary celebration of the hospital; in October 2004, he was named a “South Florida Legend” by South Florida CEO magazine; in 2003, he was honored as “Man of the Year” by the Weizmann Institute of Science; and in 2001, Market Watch magazine named him “Industry Man of the Year.” In the academic realm, FIU announced the endowment of the First Eminent Scholar Chair in Beverage Management Studies in the United States and named the chair in honor of Harvey R. Chaplin.

In 2005, Chaplin also was honored by the Sky Ranch Foundation, inducting him into its Hall of Fame, Class of 2005. This foundation, which is largely supported by individuals as well as suppliers, distributors, retailers and allied organizations in the wine, spirits and beer industries, funds quality care and education for troubled teens at the 3,000-acre Sky Ranch for Boys in South Dakota.

Information on dinner tickets and additional information will be available online at www.nightclub.com and www.lasvegasrestaurantshow.com. 

Oxford Publishing, Inc., a subsidiary of Questex Media Group, Inc., publishes Nightclub & Bar magazine, produces the Nightclub & Bar Convention & Trade Show, also known as “The Show” — along with the International Las Vegas Restaurant Show in Las Vegas annually, as well as a secondary East Coast event held in Atlantic City and in June 2008 will launch its first expo in Mexico City. 

Questex Media Group, Inc. is a global, diversified business-to-business integrated media provider, headquartered in Newton, Mass. Questex Media serves multiple industries including technology, travel, beauty, home entertainment, landscaping and industrial and specialty markets through a range of well established, market-leading products and services. The company’s properties include 23 trade publications, 25 conferences and tradeshows, as well as a host of databases and online media brands. Questex has more than 400 employees in offices throughout North America, Latin America, Asia, and Europe.

Tsingtao Beer Celebrates the Year of the Rat

According to Chinese tradition, the Year of the Rat, starting on February 7, 2008, will be a year of hard work, activity and renewal. It will be a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start.

Tsingtao Beer will supply an array of promotional materials designed to capture attention and increase sales during this festive holiday.

“The festivities surrounding Chinese New Year provide an excellent opportunity to generate ad features and displays for both Tsingtao Beer Brands,” said Tom Willett, Tsingtao brand manager for Crown Imports. “We strongly encourage retailers to take advantage of this unique promotional opportunity by utilizing thematic point-of-sale materials to celebrate the Year of the Rat.”

On-premise accounts can decorate their establishments with 2008 Year of the Rat bamboo wall calendars, hanging lanterns, two-sided satin banners and acrylic menu holders to ring in Chinese New Year. A holiday-themed menu card program will feature custom menu imprinting in English or Chinese for all accounts that order menu holder insert cards. Tsingtao chopsticks and Year of the Rat t-shirts also will be available to merchandise key accounts or for use as consumer giveaways.