Las Vegas and Miami are very different places, but there’s at least one element that bonds the two cities to each other.
“In America, they are probably the top two destinations for nightlife. Actually, I don’t think that’s even an argument,” says Gino LoPinto, long a club scene fixture in both cities. “LA, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville, Austin—they all have great components, but purely from a nightlife perspective, you’re talking about one and two. And Las Vegas and Miami are competitive with the rest of the world, Ibiza, Brazil, other seasonal world party spots.”
Now, the top two will become one for Memorial Day weekend 2022.
Memorial Day Weekend & Beyond!
LoPinto is a partner at E11EVEN Miami, one of the most successful nightclubs in the country. Along with creator and co-founder Dennis DeGori and partner Daniel Solomon—two more industry figures who spent years working in Las Vegas—he has formed a unique partnership with Resorts World Las Vegas and the Zouk Group.
That collaboration comes to life with a property wide, holiday weekend takeover at the newest Strip megaresort. E11EVEN Miami will bring the party to Resorts World’s Zouk Nightclub and Ayu Dayclub, along with other restaurant and bar venues. It starts on May 26 with a kickoff party at Bar Zazu aligned with the Miami club’s NFT brand, 11 Captain’s Club, and a performance at Zouk by Vice, who became the first DJ to spin at E11EVEN in February 2014.
More dinners and parties are planned throughout the weekend, including DJ sets by Zedd, Tiësto, DJ Snake, The Martinez Brothers and others, with tickets and information available at zoukgrouplv.com/mdw2022.
“I think it’s going to open some eyes and touch a lot of new people,” LoPinto says. “A lot of our guests go to Vegas for Memorial Day weekend anyway … and a lot of us [at E11EVEN Miami] come from Vegas. It was important to us to bring our family, our staff and crew and theatrical people, back for one of the biggest weekends of the year.”
Flying aerialists, contortionists, stilt-walkers, and other Cirque du Soleil-inspired theatricality are among the extra touches that made E11EVEN stand out; they basically brought showy Vegas elements to Miami. Those extra layers of production will make this takeover feel like more than a promotional partnership, LoPinto says. “We’re rigging the entire club, and we’ll have activations through the property. You’re going to see a spectacular transformation.”
Since Ayu Dayclub opened with Resorts World last June and Zouk Nightclub made its debut later in 2021, this will be the first Memorial Day weekend celebration for these clubs. Vice president of nightlife Ronn Nicolli says the E11EVEN collaboration will be the best possible way for the property to mark what is typically the biggest club weekend of the year.
“In my opinion, E11EVEN is the premier spot in Miami, so to have the ability to bring the best group in Miami to Las Vegas on the best nightlife weekend, it’s just something that’s so positive,” he says. “And we’re not just putting other branding out there. We’ve had a lot of calls about the guest experience and really bringing in those in-venue elements from E11EVEN. It’s really been a 360-degree approach.”
Considering that the innovative production elements at Zouk Nightclub have already made a significant impact on the Strip scene in just a few months, the addition of new bells and whistles for the weekend parties should equal pure excitement for clubgoers. “Layering in those theatrical elements on top of the immersive visual experience you’ve come to know at Zouk, you’re going to see some real elevation,” Nicolli says.
The partnership also reignites the long-simmering expectation that E11EVEN will expand to Las Vegas with a proper club venue of its own. LoPinto says that has been a goal since the company was created, but its success in Miami has changed the long-term strategy.
Still, Resorts World has a lot more land to develop at its Strip site. Could this weekend’s parties be the first step to a more permanent partnership?
“We’ve turned down quite a few offers from Las Vegas. It just never felt perfect,” LoPinto says. “Resorts World is a powerhouse, a global brand, and looking at the hotel they built there, the size of the property … yes, it would be a future dream, but it’s probably premature to say it’s in the works. But both sides have a lot of love for each other. The present is important, and I think Memorial Day sets the stage for that conversation.”
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