Tuesday, March 27, 11:55 p.m.
I am the self-proclaimed queen of multitasking. Don't tell my auto insurance agent, but I can drive with my knees while caffeinating and deftly applying makeup, all the while chatting away with a girlfriend and deconstructing either her or my most recent tragedy or triumph. And if someone beeps in to tell me that Criss Angel has found a way to make Tao's 20-foot Buddha dance or Tryst's 90-foot waterfall flow upstream, then I'm all over that, too. So when someone tells me that I can network and party at the same time, I'm all ears.
My first impression of Brian Kip, 30, is that he must be the sandy-haired, affable, crowned king of multitasking. Promoter, photographer, casting producer, swimwear designer ... I consider myself lucky to have even scored five minutes with him in his VIP enclave in Tao's Opium Room (now home to Temple Tuesdays, as well). Tonight being the second installation of his Showcase networking event, he's got a lot of flesh to press. And with Showcase aimed toward the modeling and photography industries, the flesh in question is tanned, toned and extremely well-dressed.
Vegas-born and Miami-bred, this desert son has returned from the tropics and brought with him the successful fashion industry party that he started in the Sunshine State. Produced along with partner Luca Pretolesi, aka Italy's DJ Digital Boy, and his company Digital Music, the first Showcase went off in February at Tabu the Monday after All-Star Weekend. Well-attended—very much so thanks to sponsor Impact Models and Entertainment—this second night was booked, and new addition photographer Brian Brown was thrown into the mix. "I wanna team up with someone that's really legit, someone who has the respect of the people in Vegas," Kip says of Pretolesi, who is just now taking over the helm from Curiousoul.
Impact agent Leanne Hildebrand tells me she has more than 50 models on her guest list tonight, and Kip estimates there to be between 35 and 60 working models around. "It's a way for me to show how much I appreciate them," says Hildebrand, adding that it's also a chance to blow off some steam and hang out with her favorite photographer, Brown. Says Brown, "It's a little bit of marketing, a little bit of public relations, and my friends are having a good time. All this is is a chance to do business in a cool atmosphere."
Last Monday, I attended another networking event at the Foundation Room. Song and its little sister, Foto, are held simultaneously. What began as a meet 'n' greet for Simon Las Vegas DJ Buckley morphed quickly into a monthly music-industry happening. By the third month, Foto—a fashion event—was paired with it to encourage more female attendance. Together Buckley and co-promoter Michael Mair are working on a new venue for their twin parties. In the meantime, a table on the patio offers mini-convention space, where DJs and promoters can leave demos, fliers and business cards.
Back at Tao, break-dancers have cleared away a space for themselves by swinging their legs wide like windshield wipers to the thumping house music. While next month's Showcase is still seeking a home—the party moves each time—May's event is settled on the 31st at Voodoo, timed conveniently with the start of the World Series of Poker. And Impact will be there.
"I'm in it for the long haul," Hildebrand asserts, greeting Tara, a newly hired face. "Everyone has an issue," Tara confides, pointing discreetly to her perfect, pert little nose and her gleaming, show-pony smile. Apparently a run-in with a tennis racket in seventh grade did harm to both, though I can't see how.
Happily, I give myself over to the networking purpose of the night and to Hildebrand and her band of beautiful men. Any friend of hers is welcome, it seems. Male model David Abrams has been with Impact even longer than Hildebrand. A dancer in the Chippendales European Tour, Abrams says he just flew in from Romania. And boy, do his arms look strong.
Xania Woodman thinks globally and parties locally. And frequently. E-mail her at
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