Dave Courvoisier's Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Las Vegas’

My apologies.  Apparently gaining access to In the Mo registration requires an invitation code.

Try this link: http://www.inthemo.com/Register/PreRegistration/HostPreReg1.aspx?code=EE51FE33F5CF

Thanks to Nicole for this!

CourVO

Here’s a slick idea for a website…and in a second, I’ll give you a link to MY video within it.

The site promises: “We spent years gathering recommendations from the people breathing life and culture into their cities around the world, and filming video features on the very best local spots. With this information we have created the first worldwide city guide that learns what you like.”

And it IS a very easy interface with lots of video, links to hot-spots, plus (of course) the ability to use various Social Media platforms to spread the word.

Some months ago, I got the call out of nowhere to be profiled for this site’s showcasing of Las Vegas.  I said I’d participate, not really knowing exactly what it was all about.  I did the interview about “my Vegas”…you know — how I perceive my town, what’s to do here…etc.  Then I waited several more months, and now here it is…a fully launched site with obviously TONS of work and thousands of man-hours put into it.

You have to register (for free) to gain access to everything (quite extensive)…but then you can click HERE to get to my video….or just browse around and choose LAS VEGAS, then see my listing among the others interviewed for this project.  The home page is:  http://www.inthemo.com….or click on the logo above.

Let me know what you think.

CourVO

…that’s where I’ll be from 7pm through till midnite 12/31/09.

Mind you…we don’t start our live coverage till 10pm, but I’ll be there at 7pm.

You can watch it all live streaming from the comfort of your computer…just remember that’s 10pm Pacific Standard time…so, much of the hoopla will have already passed if you’re an East Coaster.

The Vegas New Year’s Eve party is now rated the party-goers’ favorite N.Y.E party across the country – beating out Times Square even.  We’ll have about 300,000 raving maniacs along the strip…and fireworks from the top of 7 of the resorts for exactly 7 minutes and 11 seconds, which begs the question why the SouthLand Corporation is NOT sponsoring this soire’.

I’ll be at one of the 8 live locations up and down the strip.  My position is at the Venetian.

This is one of KLAS-TV’s highest-rated shows of the year, and you can watch beginning at 10pm PST right HERE.

My official New Year’s Day wish blog coming later.

CourVO

Among the Las Vegas Strip’s tall resorts, you could easily miss The Peppermill.  In any other town, the Peppermill would stick out with it’s bright pink and purple neon highlights.  But stuck between the Riviera and the Encore, Peppermill is sort of an anomoly.

Yet, on the day after its 37th anniversary, I met Ron Knight there for lunch. ‘Fitting, I think,  that I’d meet such a venerable voice-actor in such a lasting establishment.

Ron and I actually had almost simultaneous roots in broadcasting.  I preceded him by only one year in attending the KIIS Broadcasting Workshop in Los Angeles in the 70′s.  We both had inauspicious beginnings in small-market radio, but after that, our paths diverged for decades in different vectors of the industry.

I singularly pursued the TV news broadcasting end of things and Ron…well, Ron made waves in many-a-pond/lake/sea.  The voice of Nickleodean, and Disney to name a few… musician, entertainer, voice-actor, audio-engineer, casting agent, Voice Coach, entrepreneur, producer…I’m sure I’ve left out something.

And then our paths converge at the Peppermill.  I for one, wanted to absorb all I could of the conversation.  Ron seemed obliging.  …and did I mention opinionated?  Ron has strong feelings about unions, and agents, and well…most things…not the least of which is how the business has changed over the years.

Our time was fleeting, mostly because I concurred with Ron on almost everything, especially the efficacy of a certain online pay-to-play site that has numbers after the word ‘Voice’.

Ron seems drawn to the Vegas market for reasons many find familiar.  It’s a town of acceptance, opportunity, and rugged individualistic entrepreneurship.  I hope I see a lot more of him here, and that our relationship will bear fruit in many ways.

Thanks, Ron, for taking the time to break some bread and sharing so much with me!

CourVO

   ‘Just back from 10 days vacation, and you’d think I was gone for a month the way people are wondering where I’ve been.  V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N…. that means you unplug from your usual duties and have some downtime.  SHEESH!!!

Oh, and thanks for asking…yes, I had a great time.

Now that I’m back, I face a 10-foot pile of responsibilities…but now I’m renewed in my energy to tackle it.

HERE is the link to the new EQ magazine, July Edition.

You would not have to read far to know that I love this publication…the online format, the magazine, and its excellent content..

Look for “NEW RECORDING OPTIONS: BETTER THAN DAWS?”…plus a look at Ableton Live 8, and Sony  Acid Pro 7.

BTW, hope YOU get some vakay time this Summer…worth its weight in gold.

CourVO

Vegas has been unseasonably mild for the first half of June.  Being outside of an evening is just pleasurable, as you can see from the smile on my face.

Saturday night, and the backdrop is the Flamingo Hilton.  The guy with me is “Kash” Cashell – news videographer at my station, KLAS-TV (CBS).

Kash had asked if I would MC the NPPA national awards event, being held this year in Las Vegas.  N.P.P.A. is the National Press Photographers Association. (NPPA.org)  If you take pictures for a news organization, this is the elite club you aspire to.  To be even nominated for an NPPA award is congruent to a Pulitzer for a writer, or a Peabody for a broadcast journalist.

Your work can be video, still, web-based, freelance…and you can be recognized for editing and other accomplishments in this field.

NY Times, KUSA, WashingtonPost.com…and many more prestigious news organizations were well-represented.  I was humbled to be in the presence.

But when it was all over, I was lucky enough to be able to undo the tie, and spend a little time with Terry Daniel, voice actor from the twin cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul-area.

Actually, this probably isn’t fair for me to post this pic, ‘cause admittedly, Terry had been partying pretty hearty for a couple of days with 3 other friends from the twin cities, and his dogs were tired (not to mention his nose was red).

We did our best to carry on a conversation over a couple of cold ones, and the din of a monster DJ sound.

What amazes me about Terry is that aside from being a stand-out talent, he just seems to naturally “get” marketing.  I’m not sure he even has a plan, or if he does, he makes it look awful easy.  Regardless, his seemingly effortless work at diplomatic self-promotion seems to work well, he’s always busy with voice work.

Terry is also big on using social networking to subtly make his point with prospective clients that he’s available for work.  He summed it up this way:  “…focus on developing the message based on your personal reputation and trust – not your product or service…and you’ll find success…”

Simple but true.

Oh, here’s another shot…’trying to be a little crazy, and maybe looking more contrived than kooky… but we had fun.

Thanks, Terry, for making a point to find some time with me while you were here in Vegas!

CourVO.

   ’Standing before 700 people at the prohibitive hour of 8am, introducing the Governor of Nevada…and all I can think about is I’ve only had 3 hours of sleep. 

The Las Vegas "Perspective" is an annual publication that attempts to statistically assess all possible measures of growth, commerce, market indicators, population, prices, trends (OMG, you name it!) for this burgeoning city of 2,000,000+. 

Sponsors of the Las Vegas "Perspective" (including my TV station) hold a massive public event to premier the new book each year.

Visit the website HERE, and you’ll see a pic of me at the podium as this year’s MC for the event, at the Rio.

   When I stop to appreciate the blessings of my life, I realize it’s an honor for me to be trusted to stand in front of 700 people, keep a program going, introduce the Governor, and other important speakers.  But all I could really think about as I arrived at 7 in the morning was that I just wanted to go back to bed.

    Las Vegas never really feels a recession.  One of the measures mentioned in the presentation was that 9 people moved to Las Vegas every HOUR in 2007….AND THAT WAS THE SLOWEST GROWTH in more than a decade!!!

     But in 2008 we’re coming as close as we’ve ever come to feeling that pulling back of the economy. 

Las Vegas has the highest foreclosure rate in the nation.  We call it a "soft" recession… ’cause by almost any other comparison, we’re in such a better position to recover than almost any other market in the country. 

    The joke is that the Crane is the state bird.  From our helipad at my TV station — KLAS — I can count more than 10 construction cranes in my view.  Hi-rise condos, and at least 4 new multi-billion dollar resort properties are actively being built.  Those investors would not have sunk that much money into those projects without doing their homework.

     39-million people visited Las Vegas last year.  We have the 5th biggest school district in the country, and our airport is the 6th busiest in the nation.

     I don’t bring up all that to brag…there are plenty of troubles associated with unprecedented growth too…but the place has a dynamic that few other cities in the world can claim.

     In two weeks, NAB will come to town. The National Association of Broadcasters is still a biggie…even in a town that is undeniably the #1 convention destination in the country.  I’ve got the week off, and I plan to use my journalist status to obtain credentials and walk the exhibit floor to my heart’s content.

     Many of the same equipment manufacturers who claim voice-artists among their clients will be extolling the virtues of their products to broadcasters that week, and I love the atmosphere!  Software, hardware…gizmo’s and prototypes…it’s a heady time when NAB arrives.

    KLAS is located about 3 blocks from the Las Vegas convention center.  The proximity makes it an ideal "sales workshop" for vendors to show their products in a real station setting.  Management here has taken advantage of that opportunity often in years past.  This year, we’ve completed work on a brand-new set for the main studio, just in time for NAB’s visit.  I’m sure there may have been some price-breaks in the equipment in return for our acting as a showcase for the latest set construction.

Here’s a look at the new set:

Oh crap….some guy crashed my shot….!!!

OK, here’s another shot of the set, sans the goofball in the tie!

Nice, huh?  I can’t even hazard a guess at the cost, but I’m sure it’s in the hundreds of thousands.  (OK, I DID hazard a guess….I guess).

If you find yourself here in Las Vegas from the 11th through the 14th of April…gimme a call, and I’ll buy you a bowl of soup at Macaroni Grill.  Big spender!…just don’t plan on seeing me at 8AM… too early for me!

CourVO