Buca is the perfect start for a fun night in Vegas!
The 2012 Las Vegas Nightclub and Bar Show is full of creative party ideas for adults!
If you’re going to Vegas March 12-14, you MUST be, like me, in the hospitality industry. The Nightclub and Bar Show is the coolest tradeshow Vegas hosts all year — and that’s something considering we’re talking about the convention capital of the world … an entire city that revolves around casinos, entertainment, nightclubs and bars. It’ll be in the Las Vegas Convention Center, a fabulous conference venue right off The Strip.
It’s ANYTHING BUT a boring corporate meeting or company outing.
Event planners turn the central halls of the convention center into party central, filled with boutique liquor purveyors giving out samples, decorators displaying outrageous club furnishings, dance floors (with dancers), music systems (playing great tunes), food for parties, spectacular lighting — and super fun, cool people.
A bunch of us are staying at The Excalibur for this special event.
It’s a convenient location for seeing all of Vegas, with a casino downstairs and plenty of group dining options. My friend Sophia is the party planner in our group, and she’s got an itinerary mapped out for us with daytime attendance at the Nightclub and Bar Show, afternoon naps, dinners at the best restaurants for groups in the city, catching some entertainment, blackjack and slots, and wandering around under the lights.
There are some wonderful restaurants for groups at The Excalibur.
Like Buca di Beppo, one of our favorite places for a party. It specializes in easy meals for a crowd like ours (although it’s just as good at intimate dinners for small parties). The food is incredible, served family style in “smalls,” which are big enough for 2 to 4 people and “larges,” which feed 4 to 6. It’s so much fun! We look over the menu and discuss, coming up with group dinner ideas, then each person orders one small. Everybody in the party gets to taste and share each amazing dish, making for a lively, tasty group dinner.
Buca not only has fantastic party food, they also have a dozen or more party rooms.
The restaurant is actually designed as a party venue, with banquet halls, reception rooms and group dining areas that inspire all kinds of party ideas with their funky, vintage décor and relaxed atmosphere. The photographs of early- to mid-20th-century Italian Americans are worth the visit alone! Lots of black and white pics of “Old Blue Eyes” during the golden age of Vegas entertainment, and plenty of other not-so-famous native sons that are just plain hilarious.
Our Nightclub and Bar Show badges entitle us to hit some happy hours.
So Monday night we’re dressing to the nines and putting in an appearance at the Platinum Party at XS — one of the hottest clubs on The Strip. Lil’ John will be the DJ — so put on your dancing shoes, but be ready to crunk ‘em off! Sophia’s also got us scheduled for a show Tuesday night. Last I heard we were deciding between Zumanity — Another Side of Cirque du Soleil and Australia’s Thunder from Down Under. Since it’s “down under” our hotel rooms in Excalibur’s theater, the second show gets my vote, but I’ll go with the flow.
The Excalibur offers FREE blackjack lessons in the casino!
I love the slots, and I really shouldn’t play anything else after a few drinks, but learning the ins and outs of blackjack is part of my personal party plan. I may take the class one afternoon, then treat myself to a nice big slice of Italian crème cake at Buca with my winnings! All in all, I’m sure our Vegas visit to party central should turn out to be a spectacular, special event.
