Agency eyes equest6ian event
Tourism group, after successful April competition, pursues bid for 2018
Fresh off staging a prestigious global equestrian event at the Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas Events is bidding to host the FEI World Cup in Las Ve- gas for 2018 with the host locations for 2016 and 2107 already locked up.
The FEI World Cup, which brings together the world’s premier equestrians, attracted nearly 74,000 fans to Thomas & Mack April 15-19 — about 9,000 more than the Las Vegas Events budgeted goal of 65,000, said Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events, the events promotional arm of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
“Fiscally,
the
expectation was 65,000. I would have liked 80,000 or even 90,000. But bottom line is 74,000 was a great ticket sales number,” Christenson said. The ticket sales helped Las Vegas Events profit on the event, which is produced by Las Vegas Events thanks to an $8 million budget.
The FEI, Fédération Équestre Internationale, the international governing body of equestrian sports, is staging the World Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2016 and in Omaha, Neb., in 2017.
Christenston said Las Vegas Events is the sole bidder to host
Event attracts thousands of Europeans
beer brand such as Yard House.
Fine’s move off the Strip is part of a trend of restaurateurs on the Strip opening new concepts in the suburbs such as Andy Masi debuting Hearthstone in Red Rock Resort this past year.
In contrast to Rockhouse, PBR Rock and Fine’s third Strip restaurant, Chayo Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar at The Linq, PKWY offers gaming.
The Roadrunner property purchase and subsequent renovation work cost “deep into seven figures.” Most of the expense was the purchase, Fine said. He’s financing the entire project internally and did not take out a loan.
When visiting other cities on business such as Phoenix, Atlanta and Nashville, Tenn., Fine said he liked big casual restaurant concepts with big outdoor patios.
That’s why the former country bar, which was home to local Denver Broncos fans watching their favorite NFL team, offered a footprint that was a good fit for the PKWY concept, Fine said.
In homage to his dad who is an ardent University of Nevada, Las Vegas sup- porter, Fine included the Mark L. Fine Red Room where fans can watch UNLV sports. Plus, more than 30 TV screens were added to the walls of the tap house.
PKWY is also featuring a beer club called T.E.A.M. for Taphouse Exclusive Active Member, which rewards its members with prizes with purchases of a certain number of beers. It starts at 50 beers for a $50 gift certificate and tops out at 1,000 for a “VIP Beer God” celebration, which includes giving a party to the beer drinker. Fine said 200 beer lovers signed up for the T.E.A.M. app Sunday.
PKWY servers also will be taking beer classes so they will be knowledgeable on craft beer selections.
Fine likes the PKWY concept so much that he plans on opening two or three more in the Las Vegas market this year and ultimately will aim for six to eight in the valley.
He also is looking at opening PKWY Taverns in Dallas, Denver, New York’s Times Square and Anaheim, Calif. — the same markets where he plans to open his PBR Rock concept. ContAct reporter AlAn Snel At Asnel@resie7journAl.com or 702-387-5273. Find him on T7itter: @BicycleMAnSnel