Local venues offer a taste of Vegas with pop-up events across the country
Paris Hilton, Redfoo and Kaskade help bring Tao toSundance.
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People lounged on the Cosmopolitans blue couches. They sipped on the hotels spicy Bloody Marys and munched on Holsteins crispy pork bun sliders. And it all happened in Miami, where Cosmo set up at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival from February 24-26.
The hotel began taking its signature swagger on the road before the property even opened, offering patrons special deals in exchange for their information. We decided that it was a great way for us to start engaging potential consumers in other markets, says Amy Rossetti, director of public relations at the Cosmo. Rossetti says the hotel continues to offer specials at such events and monitors their success with tracking codes. One of the specials offered in Miami was a free upgrade for booking a room. Were constantly looking for new ways to continue building our database, thats proven to be really successful, said Rossetti.
Since opening, Cosmo has brought its brand to more than 10 annual events, often using a portable two-story structure called The Slice. Through the look and feel of the space, which has the essence of our guest rooms [patrons are able to] absolutely get a slice of the Cosmopolitan, Rossetti says. Past patrons of the mobile structure have enjoyed happy hours on its rooftop patio, attended a mixology seminar with Cosmo mixologist Mariena Mercer and learned more about the Strip property by interacting with various members of Cosmos team. Its a taste, its a tease and it makes them want to come and visit, states Rossetti. We can engage with the consumer on the ground and share the story behind the Cosmopolitan.
Many of the events the hotel has set up at have been prestigious wine and food festivals around the country, and Rossetti assures this is not just a coincidence. We find that youre reaching an affluent audience that loves to travel, loves to drink great wine, loves to eat great food and tries to have new experiences as a whole, states Rossetti, adding, Thats why we gravitate towards the food and wine festivals. The demographics, they really align with ours, and its just a great fit.
Photo: Vallery Jean, WireImages
Portable Vegas: The Slice in Miami.
Hotels arent the only businesses going mobile. Tao Group has been putting on afterparties at the Sundance Film Festival for the past eight years, creating pop-up Tao and Marquee nightclubs and lounges and exporting the Vegas experience for four nights.
I had been going out there doing events for some of the movie producers we knew, and I just saw that there was no great nightlife going on, states owner Noah Tepperberg. We felt it was the right place to do a pop-up because so many of our friends and constituents were there with nothing to do.
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Local venues offer a taste of Vegas with pop-up events across the country