Brandon Worton

Brandon Worton

Venue of Employment: Tao Beach – Tao Nightclub – LAVO Party Brunch

Job Title: VIP Services

Instagram Handle: @Brandon_TaoLV

 

If not originally from Las Vegas, where did you move here from?

Atlantic City, New Jersey!

 

How did you start working in the nightlife or hospitality industry? Give a brief work history / background?

Much like Las Vegas, Atlantic City was also built around gambling, tourism, entertainment, and well.. Alcohol. While the prohibition era was erupting, “America Playground” was a were people went to break the rules, if you knew the secret password that is.. . Naturally the entertainment and hospitality industries are what thrived and still do to this day. My older brother Blair had been reading books on bartending and practicing his craft for years. When he wasn’t beating me up he taught me some things along the way. Essentially, he paved the way for me and is the reason I got into the hospitality industry. I began working in restaurants, speakeasy style bars and nightclubs as a bartender all over Atlantic City. As I continued to gain knowledge and experience I eventually wanted to take my career path to another level and continue to grow. So what did I do you ask? I relocated to the a place which has no ceiling.. Las Vegas! Shortly after I had met Matt Pearson, Director of VIP Services for Tao. Having no idea who he was at the time, I sparked a conversation with a random guy at the dog park. Pearson has a massive Great Dane named Whiskey so I knew right away we’d get along. Much like myself, Matt was very eager to engage in conversation. Little did I know, it turned into an organic interview. By the end of the conversation he had told me I’d make a great addition to his team and wanted to know when I’d be available to sit down for an interview. Needless to say, I later accepted the position and took on a roll with a new family as VIP Host. Pearson is the reason I altered my career path and ultimately became a Host. Talk about being in the right place at the right time.

….next time my answer will be, “Have you ever watched the movie Bartender with Tom Cruise?”

 

Now that you are working in the industry, what is different about your lifestyle?

I used to sleep.

 

What does a typical day at work look like for you and what is your “normal” schedule?

Currently laughing at the “normal” schedule part. What’s that?

The keyword here is “networking.” My day ALWAYS starts with checking and returning emails. Then I look to social media. I’m actively searching for new ways to generate organic followers and grow my database. My phone is glued at the hip as I’m constantly searching and waiting for the next lead. Time is money is this game so I try to utilize mine wisely. By the time I’ve arrived at the office for preshift I’ve already reached out to double confirm with all bookings as well as reach out to previous inquiries who may not have booked or responded, aka the last try effort. After the team has been briefed, it’s time for a little last minute outreach before hitting the door and operations begin. I use the remaining time between the conclusion of my meeting and the time we open for operations to scour the hotel and check in with restaurants for any potential leads. Doors have now opened and the night has officially begun. Personally, I do my best to walk in my own reservations, especially if I’ve never met them in person. This gives you an opportunity to further develop a relationship with the guests on a more personal level. It also allows you to personally ensure their satisfaction. This means a great deal to me. A saying I/we here at Tao live by is “under promise and over deliver.” These guests of ours are in our house and spending their hard earned money. It makes no difference to me or any one of my staff members if it’s general admission, a $500 table, or a $5,000 table, we always make sure our guests are well taken care of. After the room has been sat it’s time to network. We have a room full of people.. Meet them all. Engage. Ask them where they’re from, what brought them to town, what their plans are, buy them a round if you have to. This is the time you want to make a lasting impression. This is the time you want to “host.” The goal is to have everyone leave my venue and have a story to go home with. I want them to talk about how much fun they had and how nice the staff was, or, “I met this guy Brandon who worked there that bought me a shot and was able to put me on the guestlist at Marquee the following day. Here’s his number. Definitely give him a call when you get to Vegas.”

 

How long does it take you to get ready for work?

30 minutes… but you can’t rush perfection.

 

How many nights a week do you go out (to a club)?

2-3

 

Who is your favorite DJ/performer in the Las Vegas market right now?

Black Coffee or RL Grime

 

What is your drink (alcoholic) of choice?

Negroni..

 

What is your secret cure to a hangover?

..Negroni

 

What was the longest timeframe you have stayed awake? When and why?

Roughly 34 hours. SMH. It Hurts to think about. Without going into too much detail, one of my first big clients I dealt with did roughly 8k at Tao Nightclub. Needless to say, I had to own him. We partied at the Nightclub until it shut down Saturday night/Sunday morning, went to Drais After Hours until 7:00am, CH3 until 9:00am. I then ubered home to sober up, shower, and change. Ubered right back to the Venetian to work a shift at Tao Beach. Needless to say, I owned him and have booked him several times since. Did I mention I sobered up before clocking in??

 

What do you enjoy most about working in the nightlife or hospitality industry in Las Vegas?

I genuinely enjoy being the person who can alter someone’s experience while at our venue. The energy we give off is contagious. If you’re quiet and standoffish, guess what, so is your table. If you come correct and enter the room ready to go, the guest will feed off of that. Ultimately, this can make a good night a great night. Not just for the guest but for you as well. There is a level of showmanship that goes along with those who are in the hospitality industry and our guests are our audience. Be professional, be humble, be accepting of the things you can’t change, and make the best of the things you can. Also, you never know who you might meet.

 

What is your least favorite part about working in the nightlife or hospitality industry in Las Vegas?

All the Negroni’s…

Probably the lack of sleep. It all comes with time management though. However, that’s easier said than done when being an “up and coming” nightlife host. It’s difficult to predict where your night may end up or when for that matter.. 34 hours later. It’s just another one of the many masks we all have to wear. I just hope that start making them with built in sunglasses.

 

If you were not working in nightlife or hospitality, what would you be doing?

To think about what I’d be doing if I wasn’t in nightlife or hospitality is like thinking about a “plan B.” I spoke earlier about utilizing my time wisely. This would be a waste of my time. There is no “plan B.” Considering an alternative is already accepting failure. Failure.. That’s just something that’s not going to happen.

Although my answer is cocky and correct, it doesn’t answer your question. If I weren’t in this field I’d be doing something that involves music. I’ve been in several different bands for the majority of my youth. I’d love to continue to create. I enjoy making people happy. Music is one of the best ways to do that.

 

Do you have a mentor in the industry? If so, who? If not, who would you like to be mentored by?

Without a doubt, Kolton Chournos. From day 1 this guy has gone above and beyond to make me a better host. He doesn’t tell me what to do by any means. What he does do is help to guide me and make the decision on my own. He too is a younger host in the game but I give the guy a lot of respect.

 

Craziest or most memorable experience working in the nightlife or hospitality industry in Las Vegas?

One of my favorite memories thus far was the night we all received our end of the year reviews. Mind you, I had been a host for maybe 8 months at this point. Now, there are plenty of moments I can name but this one that stood out the most for me. The night was coming to an end and after we clocked out a few of us had met at the bar to have a post shift b.. soda. It was myself and a few of the other hosts just sitting and talking. I vividly remember talking to Nick Taylor, a close friend of mine who often gave me advice and guidence, and he told me something that night that felt completely genuine. He said, “I’ve been in this industry for a long time. I’ve seen plenty of hosts come and go throughout my years. I’ve been watching you and how you work. I hate to say it but I have to be honest, you’re on your way to becoming a better host than me. It’s not easy to be a “million dollar” host at Tao but if you continue to do what you’re doing you’ll be the next to do it.” This was a gratifying moment for me. All the sleepless nights, all the efforts to go above and beyond, they had finally amounted to something. His confidence in me was enough to make me believe that he was right. Sometimes you can feel like you’re doing well but it’s nice to hear it come from something else at times.

“Work in silence and let your actions speak for themselves” – A Wise man