1. Book early. VIP areas in the hot clubs like Rain sell out well in advance.
2. Book directly with the clubs, if you can. Most clubs are about the VIP areas and bottle service and would prefer you book with them. It also guarantees you a place to sit.
3. In Vegas, everyone says they know some guy, so check references and do it more than once. People often vouch for friends and are sometimes in an operation together.
4. Talk once or twice to the person you're dealing with, rather than just using e-mail. You can sometimes tell a lot about a person by talking to them.
5. Be specific about your dates, number of people in your party, what clubs you want and what sort of treatment you want.
6. Check with the clubs involved. If you're going to buy a pass from Studio 54 to get in the front of the line, call Studio 54 and ask if the pass is still accepted, or if it's even authentic.
7. Ask the experts and credible insiders, the employees, the moderators for the official message boards, for advice and what passes they take.
8. Join network groups like VegasVIP on Yahoo. You'll make valuable contacts, learn what places are hot on what nights and maybe even pick up a couple of secrets.