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Insider's Look at TAO with Mike Snedegar -- LUXE LIFE GUEST COLUMNIST
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Monday, July 17, 2006
Madonna, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Jessica Simpson, Paris & Nicky Hilton, Pamela Anderson, Gwen Stefani, Jay-Z, Jermaine Dupri and Nelly. These are just some of the superstars who have chosen TAO to be their hangout of choice in Las Vegas. TAO, The new kid on the block in Vegas, has established itself as a celeb hotspot for sure. Every weekend, thousands of locals and tourists clamor to get inside and get a peek at the “whos who” of celebs’ letting loose beyond its grand entrance. The Vegas branch of the New York staple has transformed Vegas nightlife, and raised the bar to unmatched territory when it recently hosted Madonna, who chose TAO to hold her official concert after party.
TAO, the brainchild of Richard Wolf, Marc Packer, Noah Tepperberg and Jason Strauss, (pictured here with Paris) has successfully combined a “New York style” of nightlife with the “Vegas glitz and glamour.” The 40,000 sq. foot venue houses the hugely successful Asian Bistro and Nightclub. Heading up the Asian Bistro is Chef De Cuisine Josh Thomsen. Chef Josh has prepared meals for some of the biggest celebrities in the world. “Here at TAO we always try to go the extra mile for all of our guests’ regardless if they are celebrities or not, but it does make you feel good knowing you are preparing something for a “The “Rocket” Roger Clemens, Tom Brady or a Jay Z as a returning guest. These are people who dine in the best places in the world and we take pride in celebrities choosing us as one of their favorites.”
Not to be outdone of course is the nightclub. The 10,000 sq. ft. main room has become a place of legend in a very short time. On any given weekend, you could spot Paris Hilton giving a surprise performance on the stage for the crowd or Lil Jon getting on the mic and bringing the whole place to a frenzy. TAO has brought the energy of New York nightlife and a true sense of “you never know what could happen next”. TAO’s Jason Strauss feels that way to “…you really never know what could happen….we’ve had everyone from Journey to Janice Dickinson to Busta Rhymes on our stage performing and getting the crowd going. The energy in Vegas is indescribable already, but when all the elements are in place here, sometimes it feels like the roof will blow right off.”
Actor Tim Bagley and Stifler's Mom, Jennifer Coolidge, hang with marketing director, Mike Snedegar.
Elements include picking and choosing who goes where to place everyone just perfectly. Noah Tepperberg explains, “Obviously one key element to the perfect party is who you invite. At TAO when it’s a Saturday night and there are tons of people trying to get tables, we have a huge amount of return VIP’s who we seat carefully around the room to ensure that there is balance amongst the controlled chaos. Obviously if we have a huge celebrity sitting on the dance floor, we have to make sure the group sitting next to them is going to interact with them appropriately”
Mena Suvari out last Thursday with her beau Mike Carrasco and his dance troupe, Knucklehead Zoo Crew.
Making sure that the tables get filled is up to the TAO host team, headed up by Senior Host Rachel Uchitel and overseen by Mr. Strauss. The New York transplant is as beautiful as she is brazen and handles the arduous task of manning the clubs’ VIP door. Watching her operate is a lesson in multi tasking and make sure not to get in her way when she’s in the midst of the nights many busy moments. “It’s definitely not for everyone. You really have to learn to prioritize who gets in first, who’s sitting where, and remember who’s on their way. And thisis all if everything goes according to plan, which 50% of the time it doesn’t. You have to be able to go with the flow and make it happen, and make sure the experience is flawless and seamless for the customer while you’re doing this.” And the customers are definitely satisfied, as Uchitel points out “My phone doesn’t stop ringing from Wed-Sat.”
CELEB TAOISTS (L to R): Heatherette's Richie Rich, Dax & Eve and Gina Gershon.
With all of this great success, will TAO be branching out to any other areas? “We are currently looking at a number of projects in Las Vegas and in other regions to expand the TAO brand. Nothing can be confirmed at this time, but you can expect us to try to out do ourselves again.” says Strauss. From what we have seen so far, I don’t think anyone would expect anything less.
MORE TAOISTS (L to R): Shannon Elizabeth, Eliza Cuthbert and Chloe Sevigny with Mike Snedegar.
About Mike Snedegar
Mike Snedegar is TAO's marketing director and responsible for packaging the TAO message of buzz and fun to the masses.
FIRST PERSON: X-GIRLS TROUBLE IN COLUMBIA -- LUXE LIFE EXCLUSIVE
Click here for the first-hand account of the X-Girls' troubles in Columbia by producer Angela Sampras.
WHERE IS ROBIN?
Robin is on a well-deserved vacation and while he is away, a few of his friends are pitching in on writing duties. Here is the full schedule of guest columnists:Rita Rudner
Carrot Top
Wolfgang Puck
Michael Boychuck
Jack Colton
Lance Burton
Ken Henderson
Wayne Bernath
Rich Little
Mike Snedegar
Frank Marino
George Maloof
Greg J
CONTACT US
E-mail us at robinsvegas@aol.com to share your TAO stories. To ensure you don’t miss one posting, click here or at the 'Alert Me' up top if you’d like to know simultaneously as the brand new Luxe Life is posted.
Go to AOL Vegas for much more on hotels, casinos, restaurants, nightlife, and everything Las Vegas! Check our travel section for great deals on hotels, airfare and much more! And when visiting Vegas, be sure to see Las Vegas Magazine in your hotel suite featuring a print edition of AOL Vegas Luxe Life, and an incredible directory of attractions, shows and restaurants.
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Insider's Look at TAO with Mike Snedegar -- LUXE LIFE GUEST COLUMNIST
Madonna, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Jessica Simpson, Paris & Nicky Hilton, Pamela Anderson, Gwen Stefani, Jay-Z, Jermaine Dupri and Nelly. These are just some of the superstars who have chosen TAO to be their hangout of choice in Las Vegas. TAO, The new kid on the block in Vegas, has established itself as a celeb hotspot for sure. Every weekend, thousands of locals and tourists clamor to get inside and get a peek at the “whos who” of celebs’ letting loose beyond its grand entrance. The Vegas branch of the New York staple has transformed Vegas nightlife, and raised the bar to unmatched territory when it recently hosted Madonna, who chose TAO to hold her official concert after party.TAO, the brainchild of Richard Wolf, Marc Packer, Noah Tepperberg and Jason Strauss, (pictured here with Paris) has successfully combined a “New York style” of nightlife with the “Vegas glitz and glamour.” The 40,000 sq. foot venue houses the hugely successful Asian Bistro and Nightclub. Heading up the Asian Bistro is Chef De Cuisine Josh Thomsen. Chef Josh has prepared meals for some of the biggest celebrities in the world. “Here at TAO we always try to go the extra mile for all of our guests’ regardless if they are celebrities or not, but it does make you feel good knowing you are preparing something for a “The “Rocket” Roger Clemens, Tom Brady or a Jay Z as a returning guest. These are people who dine in the best places in the world and we take pride in celebrities choosing us as one of their favorites.”
Not to be outdone of course is the nightclub. The 10,000 sq. ft. main room has become a place of legend in a very short time. On any given weekend, you could spot Paris Hilton giving a surprise performance on the stage for the crowd or Lil Jon getting on the mic and bringing the whole place to a frenzy. TAO has brought the energy of New York nightlife and a true sense of “you never know what could happen next”. TAO’s Jason Strauss feels that way to “…you really never know what could happen….we’ve had everyone from Journey to Janice Dickinson to Busta Rhymes on our stage performing and getting the crowd going. The energy in Vegas is indescribable already, but when all the elements are in place here, sometimes it feels like the roof will blow right off.”
Actor Tim Bagley and Stifler's Mom, Jennifer Coolidge, hang with marketing director, Mike Snedegar.
Elements include picking and choosing who goes where to place everyone just perfectly. Noah Tepperberg explains, “Obviously one key element to the perfect party is who you invite. At TAO when it’s a Saturday night and there are tons of people trying to get tables, we have a huge amount of return VIP’s who we seat carefully around the room to ensure that there is balance amongst the controlled chaos. Obviously if we have a huge celebrity sitting on the dance floor, we have to make sure the group sitting next to them is going to interact with them appropriately”
Mena Suvari out last Thursday with her beau Mike Carrasco and his dance troupe, Knucklehead Zoo Crew.
Making sure that the tables get filled is up to the TAO host team, headed up by Senior Host Rachel Uchitel and overseen by Mr. Strauss. The New York transplant is as beautiful as she is brazen and handles the arduous task of manning the clubs’ VIP door. Watching her operate is a lesson in multi tasking and make sure not to get in her way when she’s in the midst of the nights many busy moments. “It’s definitely not for everyone. You really have to learn to prioritize who gets in first, who’s sitting where, and remember who’s on their way. And thisis all if everything goes according to plan, which 50% of the time it doesn’t. You have to be able to go with the flow and make it happen, and make sure the experience is flawless and seamless for the customer while you’re doing this.” And the customers are definitely satisfied, as Uchitel points out “My phone doesn’t stop ringing from Wed-Sat.”
CELEB TAOISTS (L to R): Heatherette's Richie Rich, Dax & Eve and Gina Gershon.
With all of this great success, will TAO be branching out to any other areas? “We are currently looking at a number of projects in Las Vegas and in other regions to expand the TAO brand. Nothing can be confirmed at this time, but you can expect us to try to out do ourselves again.” says Strauss. From what we have seen so far, I don’t think anyone would expect anything less.
MORE TAOISTS (L to R): Shannon Elizabeth, Eliza Cuthbert and Chloe Sevigny with Mike Snedegar.
About Mike Snedegar
Mike Snedegar is TAO's marketing director and responsible for packaging the TAO message of buzz and fun to the masses.
FIRST PERSON: X-GIRLS TROUBLE IN COLUMBIA -- LUXE LIFE EXCLUSIVE
Click here for the first-hand account of the X-Girls' troubles in Columbia by producer Angela Sampras.
WHERE IS ROBIN?
Robin is on a well-deserved vacation and while he is away, a few of his friends are pitching in on writing duties. Here is the full schedule of guest columnists:
CONTACT US
E-mail us at robinsvegas@aol.com to share your TAO stories. To ensure you don’t miss one posting, click here or at the 'Alert Me' up top if you’d like to know simultaneously as the brand new Luxe Life is posted. Go to AOL Vegas for much more on hotels, casinos, restaurants, nightlife, and everything Las Vegas! Check our travel section for great deals on hotels, airfare and much more! And when visiting Vegas, be sure to see Las Vegas Magazine in your hotel suite featuring a print edition of AOL Vegas Luxe Life, and an incredible directory of attractions, shows and restaurants.
robinsvegas at 4:29:00 PM PDT Blog about this entry |
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