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New Records Verify Mandalay Bay Didn’t Call Police After Shooting Started

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More and more questions being raised by new information that no one from Mandalay Bay called 911 after a security guard was shot by Stephen Paddock who then as much as ten minutes later, opened fire on crowd of concert goers.

According to a local reporter at Fox5, she has gone through all the 911 calls, and the police were only contacted precious minutes later, after the killer started firing on the crowd. No one from Mandalay Bay security is shown to have contacted anyone at LVMPD through the police system, verifying what Sheriff Joe Lombardo said.

The biggest question about this is why police said that it was difficult to identify where the shooting came from, when the security guard and another employee were at the location being shot at. According to the guard, he heard drilling while investigating a report of an open door, and him and a maintenance worker investigated and were immediately shot at through the door by Paddock.

“These people that were killed and injured deserve to have those six minutes to protect them,” said Chad Pinkerton, an attorney for Paige Gasper, a California college student who was shot under the arm in the attack, according to an AP report. “We lost those six minutes.”

Police have said that when Campos radioed what happened, it helped them track where Paddock was holed up. LVMPD didn’t elaborate on the six minutes or why police found it difficult to locate Paddock when, according to the new timeline, they had his location as as much as 10 minutes before the assault started.

The AP reported that “Pressure mounted Wednesday for Las Vegas police to explain how quickly they reacted to what would become the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history after two hotel employees reported a gunman spraying a hallway with bullets six minutes before he opened fire on a crowd at a musical performance.”

On Monday, Paige Gasper filed a lawsuit against the Mandalay Bay and MGM Resorts International, the hotel’s parent company, bump stock maker Slide Fire Solutions LP, and the estate of Stephen Paddock. The 21-year-old was shot in the chest when Paddock opened fire from the hotel on 22,000 people attending a music festival in Las Vegas, according to the complaint.

REPORT: Mandalay Bay Security Did Not Call 9-11

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I have been seriously concerned about the timeline of events from Mandalay Bay, and more importantly the possibility that Mandalay Bay and MGM tried to hide the shooting from the start. After a city employee mentioned that it was “Standard Operating Procedure” for MGM to try to hide as much as possible, we started to push heavily for the local and national press to ask questions.

According to AP and ABCNews, Mandalay Bay Security did not call 9-11 after their security guard was shot for some reason – and because of that, the police did not even know about the shooter until he started massacring people.

“Mandalay Bay staff did not call Las Vegas police until mass shooter Stephen Paddock had already begun firing on concertgoers, a source who has reviewed the records told ABC News Wednesday.

That means the hotel did not call police when security guard Jesus Campos first reported that someone was shooting on the 32nd floor, or when building engineer Stephen Schuck also internally reported someone was firing at him on the same floor.”

This raises a lot more questions about what was going on, why MGM has been less than honest about the timeline of events and what else they are hiding.

Hakkasan Closes Michelin Star Restaurant HKK After Merger Fails

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The centerpiece of their restaurant empire, the Michelin-starred HKK London has been closed immediately without notice, only weeks after reports that Hakkasan’s merger with SBE had failed. In our report we noted that the failure might have been due to the reported loss of $49 Million the previous year.

Eater London commented that “News like this becomes increasingly frequent, and it’s time, again, to wheel out the MCA intel that warned of a “challenging period of market correction.” At the time MCA stated that said period “looms,” but with more and more stories of restaurants shutting up shop, perhaps the promised restaurant apocalypse is moving closer than previously thought.”

In a statement, the company said: “As Hakkasan Group continues to focus on its global expansion with imminent projects in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and across Europe, chef Tong and his team will be prioritising this growth and ensuring global consistency of all brands within the Asian Luxury Collection (Hakkasan, Yauatcha and Ling Ling). Therefore chef Tong will be unable to dedicate as much time to HKK in London.”

Tong added: “HKK has been an incredible experience for me and my team. We are immensely proud of everything we have achieved and whilst we are sad to see it close, we understand the business need and look forward to continued success with Hakkasan, Yauatcha and Ling Ling in new and exciting markets.”

New Timeline in Vegas Massacre Raises Questions about Mandalay Bay Response and Liability

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According to a new timeline provided by Las Vegas Metro Police, Mandalay Bay Security officer Jesus Campos, was shot by Paddock anywhere from six to twelve minutes before he began shooting into a crowd of 22,000 people enjoying the country music festival.

Metro Sheriff Joe Lombardo said that the security officer was responding to an alarm in a hotel room, when he heard drilling – and the shooter Stephen Paddock fired 200 shots into the hallway hitting the security officer.

At that point, something happened between Mandalay Bay security and Las Vegas Metro Police Department that caused a delay in response. Then afterwards, it was a full six to twelve minutes before he opened fire on the crowd across the street.

One attorney with the City of Las Vegas commented, that “like always, the casino wanted to keep in under wraps. I’m sure they called Metro right away, but they sure didn’t want anyone knowing about it if it could be kept “within the hotel”. SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) at the big hotels. Heaven forbid anyone knows what really goes on inside them….as it might hurt their next 700 room convention booking.”

Although Campos alerted hotel security, Lombardo said police were not aware of the incident until they stormed Paddock’s room ten minutes later.

Police were instead alerted to Paddock’s location by alarms set off by gun smoke. Vegas police say they are still unsure of exactly what caused Paddock, who killed himself before the SWAT team entered the room, to stop shooting at the crowd.

This new timeline and story raises questions about if Mandalay Bay Security/MGM informed LVMPD about the shooting in time, and if they had sent armed officers, if they could have prevented the massacre. Worse, if the story about Mandalay Bay from the City Counsel is correct, then the Casinos are purposely hiding violent crimes to cover up?

Lotus of Siam to reopen New Location

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While the original location is being repaired from the roof falling in, perhaps the best Thai restaurant in Vegas is moving from its seedy location in a stripmall. In order to serve their clients who come from all over the United States, they will be opening a their new location at 620 E. Flamingo Road, where Roy’s Restaurant used to be.

The current location will re-open according to management as soon as the roof is repaired.

‘American Horror’ tones down scene after Las Vegas shooting

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FX network is making what it calls “substantial edits” to tone down the gun violence in a scene set to air during Tuesday’s episode of “American Horror Story.”

The network said Monday it would substitute the edited version of that opening sequence “in light of the tragedy last week in Las Vegas.”

The scene, filmed two months ago, portrays an occurrence of gun violence that, in the network’s words, “has sadly become all too common in our country.” FX said some viewers might have found it traumatic.

While only the edited version will air on the linear channel, FX said the unedited version will be available through its on-demand platforms.

Now in its seventh season, “American Horror Story” regularly lives up to its name with ghoulish and violent displays.

8 Questions About Hotel Safety and Security Raised by the Las Vegas Shooting

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The mass shooting that took place on October 1 in Las Vegas has raised a number of questions for the travel and hotel industry in regards to safety and security.

On Sunday evening, a gunman opened fire onto a crowd of 22,000 people gathered at the Route 91 Harvest Festival from his hotel room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, killing more than 58 people and injuring more than 500. It was one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history.

Las Vegas is one of the most popular travel destinations in the U.S. In 2016, the city welcomed 42.9 million visitors, 6.3 million of which came to the city specifically to attend meetings and events, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). The city is also home to more than 150,000 hotel rooms.

LVCVA president and CEO Rossi Ralenkotter issued a statement, saying, “This was a horrific, yet isolated, incident. At this time, it is important to allow the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police to conclude their investigation into the incident and to attend to the needs of the victims and their families. Las Vegas is a strong community that will work through this tragic incident. We are grateful beyond words to our incomparable law enforcement, first responders and everyone who continues to help victims and their families.”

In a press statement issued on October 2, MGM Resorts International CEO and chairman Jim Murren said, “We’re working with law enforcement in every way possible. At the moment, we are deferring communications about the investigation to the FBI and Las Vegas Metro PD.”

In a statement, Jennifer Forkish, VP of corporate communications for Caesars Entertainment, which operates Caesars Palace and other hotels located on the Las Vegas Strip, said, “We are constantly reviewing our security policies and practices to keep our guests and employees safe. We are also working very closely with law enforcement, especially Las Vegas Metro, to continue to keep our properties secure.”

Because of the city’s gaming-friendly environment, the city’s hotel-casinos are among the most sophisticated in terms of hotel security and surveillance activity: very little goes unnoticed on the casino floor.

But given what transpired on Sunday night, hotel officials and local tourism authorities are no doubt going to reexamine their respective safety and security measures, and they’ll be asking themselves what more they can do to assure the safety and security of their guests and employees going forward.

It’s an especially difficult situation for the hospitality industry to address, given the fact that hotels, by their very nature, are designed to welcome people from all over the world, and to make everyone feel welcome. It’s the very definition of the word hospitality, yet it also opens up hotels to a number of vulnerabilities. And at the same time, those same hotels have a responsibility to keep their guests, patrons, and staff safe.

It’s worth noting, too, that all destinations and markets are different. Las Vegas has different rules than New York, which is different from Paris, Tel Aviv, and so on.

What follows are just a few of the questions they’ll have to consider in the aftermath.

SHOULD HOTELS INSTALL METAL DETECTORS OR BAGGAGE SCREENING AREAS?

The gunman who checked into the Mandalay Bay hotel on September 28 did so with multiple firearms in his possession, and was able to bring them into his hotel room when he checked in.

Unlike some hotels in other parts of the world, including Israel and India, the majority of hotels in the U.S. do not have metal detectors or baggage screening areas located near their entryways. Following the terrorist attacks that took place in Mumbai in 2008 at the Oberoi and Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, both hotel companies instituted stronger hotel security measures which included more stringent bag and vehicle checks. And in other destinations including Jakarta, Islamabad, and Tel Aviv, those types of screenings are fairly standard at most hotels.

A spokesperson for the American Hotel & Lodging Association, when asked if it had any statistics on the number of U.S. member hotels who have metal detectors or baggage screening, said, “We don’t track that level of information from our members.”

Should hotels in Las Vegas and other major destinations consider putting metal detectors and baggage screening machines at their entrances, they’ll need to hire more staff and security personnel to conduct those checks. That level of frontline security is something generally seen at airports, not at hotels, but given what happened it could begin to be the norm for hotels in Las Vegas and beyond.

And should that become more standard for large hotels like those in Las Vegas, some of which have more than a thousand hotel rooms in a single property, hotels will also have to address how they manage those security check areas and how they manage the thousands of people who flow into their hotels day in and day out.

WHAT ABOUT NEVADA’S GUN LAWS?

Nevada has some of the most relaxed gun laws in the U.S. In Nevada, open carry of firearms is legal without a permit, and the law doesn’t require gun owners to have licenses or register their weapons. There is also no limit to the number of firearms that an individual can possess. Certain automatic assault weapons and machine guns are legal as long as they are registered and possessed in adherence to the federal law. Local law enforcement issues concealed handgun licenses.

Given the current gun laws in Nevada, it’s questionable how much Mandalay Bay hotel staff could have done to prevent shooter Stephen Paddock from checking into his hotel room with his weapons.

Had hotel staff known about the firearms, they would have had little legal recourse to inform law enforcement and have them investigate Paddock. The shooter also had no prior criminal record.

State and federal laws prevent sharing of certain kinds of information related to gun ownership and possession. This leads into the next question, which is: how hotels can balance respecting guests’ privacy while also addressing concerns related to security and safety?

HOW CAN HOTELS BALANCE RESPECTING GUEST PRIVACY WITH SECURITY CONCERNS?

Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said that hotel employees who had been in Paddock’s room prior to Sunday didn’t notice anything wrong. But the incident raises questions as to how much hotels are required to respect guests’ privacy as well as ensure the safety of other guests and staff.

Hotels are no stranger to working with law enforcement on issues related to narcotics and human trafficking, for instance. In September, two hotels in Phoenix were revealed to be sharing information about suspected undocumented immigrants with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). But how, or should, hotels be expected to address potential threats like this without infringing on guests’ privacy?

Should hotel staff be asked to keep more of an eye on guests and what guests keep in their rooms? Should hotels be doing random background checks on guests who check into their hotels, or run their passports and other forms of identification through security before giving them a key? And how do employees do this when they are one of a few employees on staff at a select-service property, or trying to sift through hundreds of guests at a Las Vegas Strip mega-hotel?

DO HOTELS NEED EVEN MORE SURVEILLANCE?

The casinos of Las Vegas have a worldwide reputation for having some of the most comprehensive surveillance systems in the world, but does that same level of technological sophistication apply to other public areas of the hotels? Or to the guest room floors? That’s something hotels will also have to consider going forward as they review their security procedures and systems.

WILL HOTELS IMPLEMENT GUEST PROCEDURES FOR ATTACKS LIKE THEY DO FOR FIRES?

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting on Sunday, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s parent company, MGM Resorts International, issued a statement on Twitter saying, “Law enforcement requested that we put hotels in the vicinity on lockdown to ensure guest safety.”

That lockdown, which prohibited guests from entering their hotel rooms, was in place until about 8 a.m. this morning, approximately 10 hours after the shooting took place. MGM Resorts has more than a dozen different hotels in Las Vegas, seven (Mandalay Bay, Delano Las Vegas, Luxor, Excalibur, MGM Grand, The Signature at MGM Grand, and Monte Carlo) of which were close to where the shooting took place.

While the nature of an attack on a hotel could take many different forms, hotels may have to consider implementing different procedures for guests to follow in the event of an attack, as they already do now in case of an emergency such as a fire.

WHO ARE HOTELS HIRING FOR THEIR SECURITY?

Another question to be raised will have to do with whom hotels are hiring to carry out security at their properties. Are they using third-party contractors? How closely are they working with local law enforcement? Will they begin to hire more of their own security staff going forward? Will the visible presence of increased security officers help assuage guests’ fears — or contribute to them?

WHAT KIND OF IMPACT WILL THIS HAVE ON MEETINGS AND EVENTS IN LAS VEGAS?

Aside from the impact this shooting may have on the city’s overall tourism numbers, the impact on the city’s meetings and events industry could be especially impacted, especially given the nature of this Sunday’s attack: the gunman targeted more than 22,000 country musical festival goers who were gathered in an open area near McCarren International Airport.

In Cvent’s annual list of the top meetings destination in the U.S., Las Vegas was ranked No. 2, just behind Orlando, Florida. The 6.3 million convention attendees who came to Las Vegas in 2016 also set a record, according to the LVCVA. The city hosted a total of 21,864 conventions alone in 2016, according to the LVCVA.

The event organizers behind the upcoming IMEX America conference, an annual gathering of meetings and tourism industry professionals taking place in Las Vegas from October 10-12, immediately issued the following statement to their attendees following the shooting, confirming that their event will proceed as planned and assuring attendees of their safety. Last year, IMEX America welcomed more than 12,000 attendees from around the world.

“Both IMEX America and the Sands have very strong security in place, with both visible and plain clothes security teams in the venue and at the tradeshow,” the note said. “Over the coming days we will be working closely with the Sands, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the Las Vegas authorities to assess any additional security measures that are needed at this time. We will take their full advice in ensuring the best possible security and safety of our guests.”

Speaking on Global Meetings Industry Day in 2016, Meeting Professionals International president and CEO Paul Van Deventer said, “Over 44 percent of our planners said security and risk management has become the top topic when they meet with their executives on strategic planning. It’s becoming part of how we do business. We know it’s going to happen. So how are you preparing for it? How are you changing your policies and procedures to prepare your attendees for it as well? It is now part of the DNA of meeting planning.”

HOW COULD THIS HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?

Las Vegas Sheriff Lombardo said at a news conference held on October 2, “We had no knowledge of this individual. I don’t know how it could have been prevented.”

And that is, without doubt, the biggest question that will weigh on Las Vegas hotel and tourism officials’ minds in the coming days and weeks: could this have been preventable?

It’s obviously difficult to say how, but going forward, it’s certain that the hotel and tourism industry, especially in Las Vegas, will begin to consider what measures they can take, going forward, to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future.

Some of the solutions may lie directly in the hands of hotel companies, such as the decision to install metal detectors or baggage screening areas in their properties. Others will have to address larger issues that pertain to current gun laws in the state, and to laws regarding hotel guest privacy.

In a statement, Katherine Lugar, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, said, “As a business that is centered on serving the public, no issue is more important than safety and security. Hotels have safety and security procedures in place that are regularly reviewed, tested and updated as are their emergency response procedures. As we better understand the facts in the coming days, we will continue to work with law enforcement to evaluate these measures.”

World Most Famous DJ…Chef Herbert Keller?

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Calling himself one of the world’s most famous DJs,  Chef Hubert Keller, will perform a DJ set during its upcoming Mentoring and Educating Nevada’s Upcoming Students (M.E.N.U.S.) dine-around event at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Paradise Pool on Friday, Oct. 13. The renowned chef acquired DJ skills from his friend, San Francisco-based DJ “Frenchy le Freak,” who received cooking lessons from Keller in return. His DJ set will take place during the main event, which takes place from 8 to 11 p.m.

In addition, ECF announces its roster of participating venues:

Bandito, Big Sur Oyster Bar, BLT Steak, Casa Fuente, Culinary Dropout, Delmonico Steakhouse, DW Bistro, Fiamma, Fleur by Hubert Keller, Foundation Room, FU Asian Kitchen, Giada Vegas, Goose Island Pub, Gordon Ramsay Burger, House of Blues Las Vegas, Hugo’s Cellar, Lagasse’s Stadium, LVB Burger, MB Steak, Nine Fine Irishmen, Oyster Bar, Pink Taco, Robert Irvine Public House, Sambalatte Torrefazione, Sake Rok Las Vegas, Shake Shack, The Dapper Doughnut, The Mansion, Top of the World and Zenshin Asian Restaurant.

At M.E.N.U.S., guests will encounter more than 50 of Las Vegas’ top restaurants, chefs, mixologists and beverage distributors, as well as enjoy a performance by headlining band Everclear. Consisting of a delectable dine-around, tempting silent auction and memorable after-party—this year’s M.E.N.U.S. will be complemented by Cuban flavors, cigars, dancing and beverages. Guests are encouraged to don their finest Havana-chic attire.

Proceeds from M.E.N.U.S. support ECF’s mission of providing full college scholarships and mentorship opportunities to gifted, but underprivileged, Clark County high school seniors who are passionate about pursuing a career in the food, beverage and hospitality industry. More than any other area charity focused on student academic and career development, ECF provides valuable personal connections and one-on-one support to its scholarship recipients. They receive not only up to $48,000 toward tuition, books and other fees, but also participation in the Future Leaders of Hospitality Program. In this program, each student is paired with a board member, who serves as a mentor and provides real-life guidance, support and assistance with job and internship placement upon graduation.

Misfits Add Vegas Show

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The reunited Misfits have added another show to their 2017 schedule. Prior to their December 30 concert in Los Angeles, the reformed horror-punk icons will headline the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on December 28.

Pre-sales begin this Tuesday, September 26 at 10 a.m. PT, and tickets will be available to the general public starting Friday, September 29, at 10 a.m. PT. Visit Misfits.com for all ticket info.

The Misfits, now featuring original members Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only, along with longtime guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, reunited for the first time in over 30 years to play the 2016 Riots Fests. Ex-Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo manned the kit for the reunion shows, and he’ll reprise his role for the Vegas and L.A. concerts.

How Vegas Social Influencer Scams Work

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So you want to open a business in Las Vegas, or perhaps grow your current one? You go to a few PR companies that try to pitch you on PR, but from your point of view its too expensive. Then you are approached by an “Influencer Agency” in Las Vegas, who tells you for a lot less, they will drive people to your store, make everyone who is “influential” know about your company in Las Vegas.

So you hire them, put together a party, spend $5k to pay her, give tons of free items away – and you never hear from the influencer company or the people who attended your “influencer party.”

You’ve been scammed.

How are these scams working? Why are influencer companies nothing more than hot air?

1) “Influencers” bring other local Influencers who will never buy your product or use your business. Influencers bring other professional “influencers” around, who will not grow your business. Basically, they have a network of other people who do this for a living. When you hire them, they will send out emails and invites to all these “influencers” to come to your event. They do these “rings” in order to both get free food and free services while at the same time giving “refferals” to each other to make it look legit.

2) Influencers will disappear almost immediately after you pay money, and then when you ask about why no one is coming to your store or restaurant, will ask for more money. They will blame you for the fact none of their friends are coming, and ask you to hire them more to bring other people. In fact, they are just trying to bill you more money, while making you feel you don’t “understand” why its not working.

3) Most “influencers” in Vegas are BROKE spammers. They are ex-concierges and VIP hosts who didn’t make it in the industry, so they are trying to claim their contacts are “the best” and that you need to work with them. In fact, I get invited to over two dozens “influencer events” on Facebook, often stuff I’m not even interested in. Its pure spam.

4) Most “influencer” will make excuses why their social media doesn’t work or is non-existent. One influencer company tried to convince a client that the reason they only had 1,500 likes on their pages was because they were “under the radar.” However, they promoted themselves as having “huge social reach.” Look at their social media pages. If no one is responding, then they are likely lying.  Ask about traffic to their blogs, their social media and wait for the excuses.

Want advise on who to use? What PR Companies are the Best in Las Vegas? Email pace@lattin.us for free.