What Happens in Vegas Stays… Organized: The Free Checklist That Helped Me Open The Palms Casino. Downloadable Now.

Okay, so stick with me. I’m going to take you down memory lane and tell you how a grand opening checklist helped me open a casino under dire circumstances.?

I’m going to Vegas next week for a couple of client meetings, a presentation, some drinks, and a little fine dining. Not necessarily in that order. ?

As I was planning my trip, I was reminiscing about the work that I did on the grand opening of The Palms Casino and how relying on my years of training and experience helped me successfully get them over the finish line.?

The Palms, owned at that time by billionaire brother George Maloof Jr. was under construction when the United States was attacked on 9/11. As you may recall, everything shut down. There were certainly no big flashy public events taking place anywhere in the country.?

Until.

The Palms Grand Opening. And we couldn’t not open.?

I think George said something to the effect that it was like being 9 months pregnant, at that point you have to give birth. It was one of the first large public events since 9/11.?

To add to the complexity, George and his family had been on a recent cover of a magazine called Arab American. The family is of Lebanese origin, having arrived in the Southwest in the 1800s, but it didn’t matter, the ignorance and hatred came pouring out. That necessitated an enhanced security protocol.?

Deb Roges (Smith) , who hired me to manage the grand opening festivities was running point with the client, the media and the celebrities. She also successfully negotiated Real World: Las Vegas to film at the casino, (but that’s her story, I just think she totally rocks!)?

The stakes could not have been higher. Not unlike small business owners opening their shops today, the Maloofs had bet the farm on the success of this casino. But the biggest issue impacting the viability of the grand opening were the credible and increasingly violent threats that kept rolling in.?

I’ve never been more stressed and more unsure if we were actually going to be able to safely open.?We also planned to encase $1,000,000 in live gaming chips inside of a dress worn by Paris Hilton on our red carpet with thousands of onlookers, five deep, pressing against the double wall of barricades.

The beautiful Kathy Hilton pulled me aside before Paris walked the carpet and ask me to promise to keep her daughter safe. The pressure in that moment increased ten-fold.

I had to keep reminding myself to just rely on my experience, use the tools that I’d already developed for other openings of all sizes and that I had checked and rechecked my opening list, had walked through everything from every angle. And breathe.?

My Stress-Less Grand Opening Checklist really did help me stay calm. Because I had already battle-tested this event checklist, I knew I didn’t have to worry that I missed something. I always find a lot of comfort knowing that you have a roadmap detailed out for you.?

And I have one for you for free. It is the core document that I start with for every launch event that I’ve done. I’ve used this for everything from single location restaurants to huge red carpet events. It’s a great foundational tool for your next grand opening or large event.?

If you are a small business owner or a franchisee, you’re going to want to grab this checklist.?

Whether you’re opening a restaurant, fitness studio, retail store, or any other local business, this comprehensive guide ensures you won’t miss a single detail. Best of all? It’s FREE! Woo Hoo!!?

You can download it here:? Free Grand Opening Checklist

Although going from Lease To Launch is always going to be stressful, having the right tools and experience in place and a roadmap to follow can help reduce the anxiety so you can focus on what's most important, engaging with your new customers. I still held my breathe as I walked Paris down that red carpet at the Palms Casino Grand Opening.

And if you want some of the behind the scenes stories from that launch or others, let’s connect!!