Anyone involved in nightlife venue operations is used to bouncing between tasks at a hectic pace, managing artists, staff and audience in an efficient way. But not just anyone can handle the expanded universe of tasks that comes from multiple venues.
That’s Brian Kline’s job. As director of venue ops for House of Blues Las Vegas, he oversees everything at the concert hall at Mandalay Bay, its Crossroads restaurant, the retail space and the resort’s Foundation Room club on the hotel’s 63rd floor.
“Most managers are looking at [the space they cover], but mine is a bit bigger,” says Kline, who started with HOB in Hollywood and has been in Vegas for a little over a year. “I kind of fell in love with this building, which makes sense because it’s kind of the flagship venue for House of Blues. It’s very different here, a lot of residencies, and the restaurant, and the Foundation Room as a nightlife piece is completely different, kind of a beast of a venue. I always like a challenge.”
He’s only been here for a short time but Kline recognizes that constant change refreshes these longtime venues for the user. And he’s dedicated to keeping things just as interesting for his team, too.
“There’s a lot of fun stuff we get to do that we sometimes forget how these are once-in-a-lifetime experiences for our guests. I like focusing on that. I’ve probably seen Santana 40 times, but when you get up close with legends like these—Billy Idol is another one—for soundchecks and events, you remember that we’re very lucky to do what we do.”
