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nightclub & bar show
A Triumphed Return Nightclub & Bar Show (now Bar & Restaurant Expo) showcases the best. By Debbie Hall
T
he joy and anticipation filled the Las Vegas Convention Center when Questex’s 35th annual Nightclub & Bar Show returned and celebrated the resiliency of the restaurant, bar, and nightlife industries to Las Vegas June 28-30. The first big news is that The Nightclub & Bar Show announced that the annual convention has evolved to become the Bar & Restaurant Expo beginning March 2022.
Celebrities, guests, and chefs walked the red carpet on the Expo Floor before being officially opened with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony by actress and model Jenny McCarthy and Bar & Restaurant Group Vice President Tim McLucas. Then, in true Vegas fashion, the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights’ Drumbots welcomed attendees to the Food Festival Welcome Party hosted on the Expo Floor.
convention & trade show
attendees during his armchair conversation and Q&A, where he shared his spirits expertise and story behind his foray into the industry nearly two decades ago with the legendary creation of Cabo Wabo Tequila. Hagar showcased Santo Spirits, his wildly popular tequila and mezquila portfolio with Fieri, unveiled plans for Sammy’s Beach Bar Cocktail Co., and introduced his first ready-todrink product line. Hagar also spoke about his award-winning Beach Bar Rum, a partnership with Grammy Award winner Rick Springfield, who joined him at the event. Hagar shared samples of each of his spirits and took countless selfies with fans. Music remains Hagar’s passion, and during a press conference held at The STRAT Hotel, Casino & SkyPod (thestrat.com), he announced his first Las Vegas residency at the property, which sold out in under two hours.
GRAMMY Award-winning rapper 50 Cent, on the cover of the May/June issue of PR%F the Magazine, also made an appearance at his booth where he posed for photos and spoke with attendees for his brand, Sire Spirits and Branson Cognac.
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar, on this issue’s cover with Guy Fieri for Santo Spirits, wowed
Guests for the red carpet included Hagar; Springfield; Morgan Heritage members (Peter “Peetah” Morgan, Roy “Gramps” Morgan, and Memmalatel “Mr. Mojo” Morgan); E-40 and
wife Tracy Stevens; Nightclub & Bar Show Advisory Board Members Mia Mastroianni and David Kaplan; Chef Pete Blohme aka “Panini Pete;” celebrity chef Brian Duffy; Food & Beverage Innovation Kitchen chefs Jennifer Behm-Lazzarini, Kayla Robison, Chad Rosenthal, Kevin Des Chenes, Monti Carlo, and Matt Varga; and Co-founder of The Spirits in Motion, Phil Wills. The bar and restaurant industry conference and expo featured over 315 exhibitors, 45 workshops and conference sessions, and 8,783 registered attendees combined to include Nightclub & Bar Show and World Tea Conference + Expo. This year’s show also included an interactive F&B Innovation Center, Sports Bar, experiential NxT area, offsite mixology training, keynote, an Employment Zone, Tea Bar, Food Festival, and co-location with World Tea Conference + Expo. The F&B Innovation Center, led by celebrity chef Brian Duffy, featured live chef demos, tastings, and chef meet and greets, while the Sports Bar offered experiential and interactive sessions with esteemed mixologists and industry suppliers.
The Bar & Restaurant Expo will return March 21-23, 2022. For more information, visit barandrestaurantexpo.com/ ncbshowcom/evolution.
