NOVEMBER | FEATURE
can see and feel their surroundings.
Immersive theatre has taken off in LA
and New York, but this is a first of its
kind, and you can spend a day here.”
VR company Nomadic will have
a tenancy in AREA15, offering
experiences that incorporate physical
props, such as buttons, levers and
environmental effects, to complement
the fantastical world that players will
experience within their VR goggles.
Nomadic will occupy 557sqm next to
AREA15’s anchor tenant Meow Wolf.
“Our core experience is festivals, and
all our event spaces, allow for branding
and creating atmosphere you want.
Ryan Kruger, formerly of Live Nation,
was bought in to head up partnership
strategy, and was tasked with deciding
on the vibe we want to create. He
brought a lot of house and techno
leverage to bear,” continues Treviso.
“The outdoor space is covered with
space for a stages, grids for wires, and
entrances for driving in food truck.
‘Emporium’ on the second floor has
space for 500 guests, and downstairs
there’s more semi-private space for
200, overlooking our 23ft tall Japanese
maple tree, complete with LEDs.”
“All our tenants bring new experiences, and won’t
be considered unless they are pushing boundaries”
Vinyl time
AREA15 wasn’t the only venue that
pointed the way for future innovations.
MGM, the legendary worldwide media
giant, is onto a winner with On The
Record, a nightclub and event space
located in the Park MGM and created
by Los Angeles twins, Jonnie and Mark
Houston.
Combining nostalgia with a sense of
playfulness, On The Record replicates
the joy of hanging out in a record store
or a long-lost musical hub, and features
a speakeasy, a giant red London-
style bus, karaoke rooms and a club
experience. It can host events for up to
750 people.
The club’s facade is styled as a record
store entrance off the main casino floor;
it includes three rooms, featuring both
indoor and outdoor spaces, providing
space for dancing—or relaxing and
exploring On the Record’s cocktail
menu. When Access experienced the
space, rap veteran KRS One made
an appearance, turning up as if by
magic from behind the bar where a
secret stage is revealed via a revolving
mechanism.
Festivals and major events underway
Vegas’ evolution from casinos to
creative curation has been a deliberate
path. Access spoke to the LVCVA, which
promotes Las Vegas as a destination for
leisure and business travel, about the
destination’s changing face.
LVCVA’s vice president of business
sales John Schreiber says: “We’re
getting around 750,000 visitors from
UK, and our total visitors are around
19% international. Festival-wise, Vegas
is buoyant. Electric Daisy Carnival is
our largest, and continues to grow. It
recently changed dates, and is now
in May, as in June the heat was a
little excessive. It clocked in 300,000
attendees, and I see more potential
visitors coming as the Raiders’
Allegiance Stadium comes online.
“Life is Beautiful festival (20-22
September) has been fantastic too, and I
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