Hey, kids, it's the unofficial STTE (A) pimp here. Something from the Las Vegas Sun.
- Las Vegas Sun
.
Neonopolis has taken networking to a whole new level .
Rohit Joshi , the owner’s representative for Neonopolis , welcomed Telemundo to the downtown Las Vegas property last week and announced he has a signed contract to house the Star Trek Experience .
What makes the deal so unusual is that Telemundo is owned by NBC , while rival network CBS owns the rights to the Star Trek brand .
In this world of multinational corporations with diverse assets , it’s certainly not inconceivable that subsidiaries of these rivals could share space .
Still , having two high-profile brands of direct competitors in the same venue raised some eyebrows . Scott Adams , redevelopment manager for Las Vegas , decided late last year to gauge the level of interest in the separate projects firsthand and came away convinced .
“I went to New York with Joshi the first week of December to meet with NBC and CBS to validate their interest in Neonopolis” , Adams said . “Clearly NBC has plans for Telemundo here and with the new movie coming out , CBS expressed a real interest in seeing the Star Trek Experience reopen here . I brought up the connection to the other network in both meetings and no one seemed too concerned about it” .
The latest installment in the Star Trek series is slated to be released in May .
It features new actors playing the familiar roles of Kirk , Spock and others from the original series as Star Fleet neophytes . A trailer for the movie that premiered during the Super Bowl offered a glimpse of the Star Trek on steroids that is expected to capture a whole new generation of Trekkies .
There has been speculation about the Star Trek Experience moving to the $100 million facility at Fremont Street and Las Vegas Boulevard , but the signed contract makes the project almost a certainty . The city has even amended its parking agreement with Neonopolis to allow additional spaces for the new attraction .
The city owns the garage beneath Neonopolis and Wirrulla Hayward , the company Joshi represents , owns the structure itself .
“CBS is very excited to bring the Star Trek Experience here” Joshi said . “We have the potential to bring almost half of what the canopy draws downtown with one tenant” .
The Fremont Street Experience , which includes the Viva Vision light show displayed on the canopy above Fremont Street , brings an estimated 18 million visitors downtown annually . Joshi said the Star Trek Experience could draw an additional 7 million visitors each year .
With the projected admission of $20 to $25 per person , it is easy to see why Joshi and CBS are so enthusiastic .
The first phase of the new Star Trek Experience is scheduled to launch in the spring .
Telemundo set up its new Las Vegas office in Neonopolis last month . The Spanish-language network has leased 17,500 square feet of space on the third floor of the complex for a broadcast studio .
Celia Chavez , general manager of the network’s operations in Las Vegas and Denver , said Telemundo is excited about the new location .
“There is a lot of energy and passion here with all that is happening at Neonopolis” Chavez said . “This is a unique broadcasting opportunity that we hope this will help take our brand to the next level” .
The Telemundo office will employ 24 people initially , including a sales team and a news bureau . There is also the potential for increased remote broadcasts for the network as well as its parent company , NBC .
“There is a lot of synergy with our brand and (NBC)” , Chavez said . “We are still in the installation stages here , but we are always open to new ideas” .
The other new tenants at Neonopolis , the Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art and the Southern Nevada Center for the Arts , have also settled in . The art museum is displaying the Revealing Women Redux exhibit , which includes sculptures by Roberta Baskin Shefrin and the paintings of Susanne Forestieri , as well as the museum’s own Barbizon School collection .
The initial response from the community at our location here has been great” said Joe Palermo , a well-known local artist and the museum’s executive director .
The space next door to the art museum has blossomed from an empty food court into a working artist’s showcase . More than 50 artists from around the world have filled the 30 spaces available (some have doubled up) with paintings , sculptures , jewelry and just about every other form of art imaginable .
“This has really been a collaborative effort” , said Carl Corcoran , President of the Southern Nevada Center for the Arts . “A lot of people have had a hand in getting this going” .
Artists of note at the center include Palermo , Michael Griesgraber , A.D. Cook and Ruel James , whose work is in the collections of Bill and Hillary Clinton , Whoopi Goldberg and Burt Reynolds .
The remnants of the former food court that previously occupied the space are the neon lights overhead that now serve to enhance the artistic experience .
Neonopolis lost a high-profile tenant recently when Jillian’s closed its doors , but even that setback has not dampened the enthusiasm at the project . Joshi said several prospective tenants have expressed an interest in the site , including a national restaurant chain .
Despite some big crowds for teen-oriented events , Jillian’s has struggled to generate the kind of consistent business needed to fill the cavernous venue , which took up portions of two floors at the site .
“They tried very hard to make a go of it , but there was just no brand there anymore” Joshi said . “Branding is critical to success now” .
Del Prado Jewelers maintains its space at Neonopolis as does the Galaxy Theatres , and Joshi says the other vacant spaces will also be filled with what he called “blow-your-mind brand name” tenants .
The upscale nightclub Wet and several restaurants have pushed opening dates to the spring to cash in on the buzz generated by the Star Trek Experience’s opening .
“We will probably open them before Star Trek to give them a few weeks head start” Joshi said .
The Star Trek Experience is slated to open May 8 , the same date as the movie’s premiere . The Experience will be introduced in phases , with the simpler (and less costly) components , such as the food and beverage , retail and museum to be rolled out first . The entire Experience , including rides and an IMAX 4D component should be completed by next year .
Possible tie-ins to the May movie opening include merchandise sales and a Las Vegas red carpet premiere , complete with cast members .
By Mark Hansel
- 6 February '09
See y'all in May.
- Las Vegas Sun
.
Neonopolis has taken networking to a whole new level .
Rohit Joshi , the owner’s representative for Neonopolis , welcomed Telemundo to the downtown Las Vegas property last week and announced he has a signed contract to house the Star Trek Experience .
What makes the deal so unusual is that Telemundo is owned by NBC , while rival network CBS owns the rights to the Star Trek brand .
In this world of multinational corporations with diverse assets , it’s certainly not inconceivable that subsidiaries of these rivals could share space .
Still , having two high-profile brands of direct competitors in the same venue raised some eyebrows . Scott Adams , redevelopment manager for Las Vegas , decided late last year to gauge the level of interest in the separate projects firsthand and came away convinced .
“I went to New York with Joshi the first week of December to meet with NBC and CBS to validate their interest in Neonopolis” , Adams said . “Clearly NBC has plans for Telemundo here and with the new movie coming out , CBS expressed a real interest in seeing the Star Trek Experience reopen here . I brought up the connection to the other network in both meetings and no one seemed too concerned about it” .
The latest installment in the Star Trek series is slated to be released in May .
It features new actors playing the familiar roles of Kirk , Spock and others from the original series as Star Fleet neophytes . A trailer for the movie that premiered during the Super Bowl offered a glimpse of the Star Trek on steroids that is expected to capture a whole new generation of Trekkies .
There has been speculation about the Star Trek Experience moving to the $100 million facility at Fremont Street and Las Vegas Boulevard , but the signed contract makes the project almost a certainty . The city has even amended its parking agreement with Neonopolis to allow additional spaces for the new attraction .
The city owns the garage beneath Neonopolis and Wirrulla Hayward , the company Joshi represents , owns the structure itself .
“CBS is very excited to bring the Star Trek Experience here” Joshi said . “We have the potential to bring almost half of what the canopy draws downtown with one tenant” .
The Fremont Street Experience , which includes the Viva Vision light show displayed on the canopy above Fremont Street , brings an estimated 18 million visitors downtown annually . Joshi said the Star Trek Experience could draw an additional 7 million visitors each year .
With the projected admission of $20 to $25 per person , it is easy to see why Joshi and CBS are so enthusiastic .
The first phase of the new Star Trek Experience is scheduled to launch in the spring .
Telemundo set up its new Las Vegas office in Neonopolis last month . The Spanish-language network has leased 17,500 square feet of space on the third floor of the complex for a broadcast studio .
Celia Chavez , general manager of the network’s operations in Las Vegas and Denver , said Telemundo is excited about the new location .
“There is a lot of energy and passion here with all that is happening at Neonopolis” Chavez said . “This is a unique broadcasting opportunity that we hope this will help take our brand to the next level” .
The Telemundo office will employ 24 people initially , including a sales team and a news bureau . There is also the potential for increased remote broadcasts for the network as well as its parent company , NBC .
“There is a lot of synergy with our brand and (NBC)” , Chavez said . “We are still in the installation stages here , but we are always open to new ideas” .
The other new tenants at Neonopolis , the Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art and the Southern Nevada Center for the Arts , have also settled in . The art museum is displaying the Revealing Women Redux exhibit , which includes sculptures by Roberta Baskin Shefrin and the paintings of Susanne Forestieri , as well as the museum’s own Barbizon School collection .
The initial response from the community at our location here has been great” said Joe Palermo , a well-known local artist and the museum’s executive director .
The space next door to the art museum has blossomed from an empty food court into a working artist’s showcase . More than 50 artists from around the world have filled the 30 spaces available (some have doubled up) with paintings , sculptures , jewelry and just about every other form of art imaginable .
“This has really been a collaborative effort” , said Carl Corcoran , President of the Southern Nevada Center for the Arts . “A lot of people have had a hand in getting this going” .
Artists of note at the center include Palermo , Michael Griesgraber , A.D. Cook and Ruel James , whose work is in the collections of Bill and Hillary Clinton , Whoopi Goldberg and Burt Reynolds .
The remnants of the former food court that previously occupied the space are the neon lights overhead that now serve to enhance the artistic experience .
Neonopolis lost a high-profile tenant recently when Jillian’s closed its doors , but even that setback has not dampened the enthusiasm at the project . Joshi said several prospective tenants have expressed an interest in the site , including a national restaurant chain .
Despite some big crowds for teen-oriented events , Jillian’s has struggled to generate the kind of consistent business needed to fill the cavernous venue , which took up portions of two floors at the site .
“They tried very hard to make a go of it , but there was just no brand there anymore” Joshi said . “Branding is critical to success now” .
Del Prado Jewelers maintains its space at Neonopolis as does the Galaxy Theatres , and Joshi says the other vacant spaces will also be filled with what he called “blow-your-mind brand name” tenants .
The upscale nightclub Wet and several restaurants have pushed opening dates to the spring to cash in on the buzz generated by the Star Trek Experience’s opening .
“We will probably open them before Star Trek to give them a few weeks head start” Joshi said .
The Star Trek Experience is slated to open May 8 , the same date as the movie’s premiere . The Experience will be introduced in phases , with the simpler (and less costly) components , such as the food and beverage , retail and museum to be rolled out first . The entire Experience , including rides and an IMAX 4D component should be completed by next year .
Possible tie-ins to the May movie opening include merchandise sales and a Las Vegas red carpet premiere , complete with cast members .
By Mark Hansel
- 6 February '09
See y'all in May.
IF that happens anyway. 
