But no one was excited as I was. A devoted foodie at heart, I was thrilled to be working on the city’s premier food & wine event and even more excited for an insider look. What I did not expect, however, was meeting talented, five-star chefs and eventually becoming friends with them.

I first met Chef Bradley Ogden, owner and chef of his namesake restaurant in Caesars Palace, along with other participating chefs during the Vegas kick-off event in February, when we broke the Guinness World Record for uncorking the most bottles of wine simultaneously. Bradley has a great sense of humor and a charm in front of the camera that endears him to audiences, making him one of my favorite chefs to work alongside. As Vegas Uncork’d approached, we quickly developed a working relationship that resulted in a funny episode during the Grand Tasting.

Accompanying the photographer around the Grand Tasting, my job was to take photos of the event atmosphere, food dishes and the chefs themselves. It sure sounded easy – until I discovered the chefs had all left their stations to mingle with the crowd and eat at each other’s booths. So for the next two hours, I weaved in and out of a crowd of 2,500+ in a five-acre pool garden trying to find chefs.
When I finally found Bradley with a captivated crowd around him, I breathed a sigh of relief and checked off his name in the long list of participating chefs. But he had another challenge for me before he would allow the photographer to take a picture. Our conversation went as follows:

Me: “Bradley! I’m so glad I found you! Can our photographer take a photo of you and your food please?”
Bradley: “Hi there! I can, but only if you will eat my food.” (Holds up a dish and starts piling it on a fork.)
Me: “I’m working so I can’t eat. Please? I just need one photo.” 
Bradley: “No. Just one little bite. You need to eat even if you’re working.”

In the end, he refused to budge and I shyly ate a bite of deliciousness in front of flashing bulbs and a curious crowd of on-lookers. Always stationed behind the camera, I was mortified. True to his word, he then posed for the camera with a charming smile.

 
Not only did Vegas Uncork’d manage to serve up sumptuous bites from acclaimed chefs, it also gave the public a chance to get to know their favorite chefs. For me, I was lucky enough to become friends with them.

˜Clara Tsang

(Photo credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

˜Terri Maruca

Mother’s Day, or as I call it, “Donna Day,” is this Sunday, May 13.  Unlike many of my teammates at Kirvin Doak, I get to see my mom (aka Donna) every day.  I realize this is a blessing that I don’t always fully appreciate. The more I think about it, though, Donna is pretty great. Here are just a few of the reasons why…

She can take a joke. And not just one joke, lots of them.  To be totally honest, my sister and I probably spend at least 80 percent of the time we’re all together as a family teasing dear old Donna.  We can’t help it though; she’s such an easy target!  Just ask us about the “family heirlooms” we received this Christmas, Free Willy or Donna’s take on the latest Hard Rock Hotel ads.  Donna always takes our good-natured ribbing in stride, realizes it comes from a place of love and has definitely learned to laugh at herself over the years.  As she says, “I’m just happy I can amuse you two,” and indeed she does.

She reminds me to CALM DOWN. This is not always an easy task. I’m someone who tends to overact to small things, at least initially until I’ve fully processed the situation. I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR TO THAT THING TOMORROW NIGHT! I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I AM, BUT I’M SO LOST I WILL NEVER FIND THE 215 AGAIN! MY LAPTOP WON’T TURN ON! Situations like these, and numerous others, have caused me to call Donna in absolute panics over the years.  Usually it only takes some perspective from Donna and breathing exercises to talk me off the ledge.

She’s amazingly supportive. Forget the 22 years of my life leading up to my employment at KDC – in my 10 short months at Kirvin Doak Donna has supported me every step of the way.  From helping me pick out an outfit for my interview last July to liking everything the Nevada Mining Association has to say on Facebook, attending a Las Vegas Locos home game, the USA Sevens International Rugby Tournament and participating in AFAN’s 22nd Annual AIDS Walk, Donna is the number one supporter of both me and my clients.  She always has time to listen about what I’m working on and help me think of ideas when I’m brainstorming.

So thanks Donna, for just being you. Happy Mother’s Day.

Love,
Carolyn

That’s right – we’ve got a new addition to our team: Eleni Stylianou (five dollars if you pronounce that right on the first guess).  This is not the first time I’ve helped a new team member get acquainted to the Kirvin Doak life though; back in September we added Wendy Sloan.  But I was just one month old then, still a baby really, and Wendy and I did a majority of our growing up and learning together.  Now fully flourished PR professionals, Wendy and I have the great pleasure of helping out Eleni as she gets used to her life in Las Vegas and on our team at KDC. 

Eleni, you see, is from Maryland (which is practically in the Eastern Hemisphere, as far as I’m concerned).  She comes from a village named Annapolis, where I hear they have an abundance of fresh seafood.  She’s visited Las Vegas before.  As everyone who lives in Las Vegas knows, however, visiting here and living here are two entirely different experiences.  Nonetheless, Eleni has surprised me with how quickly she’s adapted.  She’s learning our day-to-day tasks at an extremely fast (and highly efficient) pace, never sacrificing the quality of her work.  Her eagerness to integrate herself into the Las Vegas community is astonishing.  She’s already ventured to many of the properties on the Strip, engaged in Vegas nightlife, seen a big-name show and will be attending the prestigious Passport to Paradise event hosted by HELP of Southern Nevada in two days – and this is only her first week on the job!   Surely, she will only continue to great things on both personal and professional levels. 

Teaching Eleni about our clients and various everyday tasks is a humbling experience because it reminds me of the steps I’ve taken in such a short period of time.  I’m both gratified to know I’ve accomplished so much and excited to help Eleni out as she grows into her new profession here. 

For those who aren’t following Eleni on Twitter just yet, I highly recommend doing so.  You can follow her @PRLeni.  It’s going to be a blast watching her journey from here!

˜Ryan Marquardt

#WhyWeWalk

We walk because we can,

To bring funding to the fight;

We walk to raise awareness,

In hopes of shedding light.

We walk with our friends Penn & Teller,

Who shower AFAN with love and support;

We walk to rid this world of hate,

It’s our ultimate retort.

We walk for Las Vegas,

Undervalued for its community voice;

We walk until we find a cure,

And then we will rejoice.

We walk for friends and loved ones,

In colors bright for all to see;

So please come out and walk with us,

This Sunday at UNLV!

˜Matt Guidish

As a youngster in Small Town, Iowa, I grew up listening to you, worshipping you, basically thinking there could never be anything better than your music ever in the history of time. I remember sneaking into my friend’s family room, pretending we were playing Barbies, but really turning the channel to MTV – a channel that was forbidden to six year olds like us – just hoping we would catch a moment of the “Like a Prayer” video. I would watch “Desperately Seeking Susan” repeatedly, although watching it today I realize I didn’t know half of what the movie was talking about, but it had you, and that’s all I needed.

When you rocked the halftime show at the Super Bowl, I was in your corner, tweeting up a storm. No one can hold down Madonna. Not even the fact that you’re aging gracefully but who are we kidding – you look better than ever. You killed that performance and everyone should be grateful we don’t have to sit through another boring spectacle like Paul McCartney or Bruce Springsteen for the umpteenth time just because Janet had a little snafu with her brassiere.

But now we get to Ultra… I’m a bit of an EDM fanatic. I’ve had the pleasure to work with the best of the best in this genre, from the creative minds of Electric Daisy Carnival to the genius nightlife teams at XS and Tryst and even some of the most celebrated artists like Tiesto, deadmau5, Calvin Harris, and more.

So you can imagine my disappointment when you got up on stage, in front of a sea of dance music fans, most probably between 18 and 25, and asked “How many people in this crowd have seen Molly?” Really, Madonna? What.Were.You.THINKING.

I was even more disappointed when you came under fire and responded by pleading that you never encourage drug use, and you were really only talking about a song by Cedric Gervais. Really? So your dance album title MDNA has nothing to do with MDMA – the drug used for ecstasy. And you had no idea when asking at an electronic music festival – a scene that is commonly scrutinized for drug use by people that don’t understand it – that asking impressionable young adults if they had seen Molly, the slang name for ecstasy, would be a questionable move.

I’ve been a fan of yours for 20 years. But honey, I’m not buying it.

The relevance of ecstasy in the dance music world is a misconception that each of us devoted to the genre fight every day. As the music is exploding in popularity and reaching the main stream audience through major media outlets such as USA Today, Rolling Stone and more, we are taking two giant leaps forward. We fight on like I’m sure the pioneers of rock ‘n roll and hip hop did as they made their step into pop culture.

And yet – when you made these unintelligent remarks – had it not been for the criticism of deadmau5 - most media outlets would only have cared about if you should have been wearing those short shorts at your age, or how great your legs looked. Not the impact you had on those young lives who were listening to you and taking in what you had to say.

I love dance music. I bounce my head and tap my foot every day as I plug away at Kirvin Doak Communications. I might throw a hand up in the air when I’m working at XS from time to time. Sometimes you just can’t help it – the beat takes over. And I love what the scene stands for – PLUR – Peace, Love, Unity and Respect. Something we could all use more of in our day to day lives. So for this cause, I will fight for it every day. And right now, Madonna, that means I have to leave you. I won’t buy the album. I won’t download a song. I have unfollowed you on Twitter.

We all make mistakes. But unfortunately this is one that will take time for me to get over, if I ever will. You’ll probably never read this, and you probably could give a damn, but I feel better for at least getting it out there. And doing my small part to fight on for the music I love and believe in.

Until we meet again –
Alison

Things change, however. For awhile, Easter definitely lost its luster as I aged.  There were no more egg hunts or Easter baskets, and I felt guilty just looking at the chocolate bunnies and jellybeans. Things became even more dreary when I went away to college where my celebration typically consisted of me shamefully eating the Reece’s peanut butter eggs my mom sent for me and my roommate.

But this year I’m looking at Easter through rose colored glasses. It’ll be my first with my family in Las Vegas since 2007.  My brother got married this fall, and I’m excited to celebrate with his wife and her extended family for the first time. As of yet, our plans are still up in the air, but I’m looking forward to establishing some new traditions. 

One thing I’m suggesting to the family is a visit to the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa for Easter brunch at Ceres.  The menu features an impressive collection of delicious treats including seasonal fruit, fresh seafood, a meat carving station and an array of desserts (though I doubt any of them can compete with my Grandma’s sugar cookies).  Ceres is even having an egg hunt, which will really take me back to when Easter was the absolute greatest day of the year.

Whether we end up dining at Ceres or enjoying a meal at home, I’m just excited to be with my family for Easter this year.  Is it April 8 yet?

˜Carolyn Linck

Over the course of 2011, the community was energized by exciting announcements – the pre-Broadway season including Million Dollar Quartet and Mary Poppins, the ability to buy tickets to shows like PSY by 7 Fingers (one of my favorites) and David Sedaris, the arrival of the Carillon Bells, the topping off of the bell tower and hard hat tours.  Just like a snap of the fingers, the year was over and we were going full steam ahead preparing for the opening!

Fast forward to March and the opening was days away.  March 2 marked the first time we were able to showcase the breathtaking performing arts center to media and community members.  The months of preparation was worth it when we witnessed the overwhelming sense of joy when people arrived at the stunning venue and walked through the doors.  After all, bringing happiness through the arts and restoring pride to the community is what The Smith Center is all about!  From there on, Las Vegas embraced The Smith Center through amazing behind the scenes features, cover stories and television specials.  It was amazing to see the whole city behind this inspiring project!

The Smith Center officially opened on March 10 with incredible fanfare.  The performers who attended were the who’s who of Broadway and music – artists I never thought I would be able to see live and in person, let alone performing together on one stage.  The evening was hosted by the incomparable Neil Patrick Harris, who was nothing short of brilliant.  Between seeing Jennifer Hudson perform “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” Willie Nelson team up with Merle Haggard and Emmylou Harris or experiencing Carole King’s infectious energy, it is hard to come up with a favorite moment for the evening.  However, being the Broadway geek that I am, seeing Broadway legends come together to perform some of Broadway’s biggest hits blew me away.  And yes, I believe I even had watery eyes when Cheyenne Jackson, Montego Glover, Sherie Rene Scott, Laura Osnes and Benjamin Walker sang “Seasons of Love.”
 
With the opening behind us, we look forward to the exciting shows that will grace Reynolds Hall, Cabaret Jazz and the Troesh Studio Theater and the thrilling announcements of shows to come including the full 2012-2013 Broadway Las Vegas season.   Leading off with the smash-hit musical Wicked, the new Broadway season will leave you wanting more!  Thankfully, The Smith Center is here to stay and I thank my lucky stars I could be a small part of it!

˜Michelle Willmoth

* Photos (Getty images)

Video Link – http://www.eonline.com/videos/Stars_Land_in_Vegas_for_Glam_New_Venue/179757

The evening began with a quick introduction by master of ceremonies, Chet Buchanan, who asked us all at the table to introduce ourselves with our name, where you work/which club you attend and what our career aspirations are. As the teens listed off impressive dreams of becoming a professional soccer player, a video game designer or an oncologist, I took a second to reflect that these aspirations are truly inspired by the guidance of the Boys & Girls Clubs.

As conversations continued, I got to know a little bit more about the importance of the clubs to these kids, and what it means for them in their lives. The gratitude exuded throughout the room, as the teens discussed their experiences at their respective club. Many look to the volunteers as mentors and, most times, as an adult figure in their lives to lead them down the right path in life. It’s hard to imagine not having someone like that in your life growing up as a kid while being exposed to constant pressures such as peer approval, let alone gangs and drugs. It warms my heart knowing that even though some of these kids may not have the luxuries I did growing up, someone out there is willing to take a chance on them and give them an opportunity to achieve their dreams. And it makes me want to be one of those people.

The evening was meant to serve as a lesson in etiquette and teach the young adults proper dining techniques as well as conversation tips for future career networking opportunities. And not to say this wasn’t accomplished but I think many of the adults in the room left with an important lesson or reminder; the importance of our youth and the power of giving back.

For those who may also be interested in getting involved, I encourage you to check out the Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas website, or stop by the Club Blue Las Vegas mixer for professionals under 40 on April 12 at 6 p.m.

˜Shandi Huber

To the outsider, the event came off flawlessly with 308 people, perfectly positioned on Bellagio’s Grand Terrace, successfully uncorking a bottle of wine within the 30 second time limit and breaking the previous record of 252. To the PR insider, months of brainstorms, research, preparation, conference calls, meetings, emails and walkthroughs had finally met their culmination in the single moment when the Guinness adjudicator announced the group’s success. From coordinating the live shots in front of The Fountains with Jason Smith, Adam Rapoport, Bradley Ogden, Jose Andres and Rick Moonen, to the distribution of the MNR, this was one event that will go into my PR record book for having the best bouquet (if you’ve never been around to take in the aroma of 308 bottles of freshly opened Cabernet Sauvignon, I highly recommend it).

˜Claudia Balfe-Taylor

Vegas Uncork'd by Bon Appétit receives Guinness World Record Certificate

 *Photo Credit:  Jason Schmidt