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ENTERTAINMENT PHILOSOPHY
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By Jim Baer
The allure of Keno, Caribbean stud poker; roulette, Black Jack and
the “loosest slots in town” no longer has the compelling urge to
bring gaming patrons to local casinos on their own merit. It takes
more amenities these days to draw crowds to all the lively action.
Gaming industry promoters know this all too well. The modern-day
gambler is techno savvy and more sophisticated than previous generations.
The sound and glitz of the casinos and the clink of glasses won’t
guarantee overall success.
High-style, multi-diverse entertainment is driving customers through
the doors and to the tables in greater numbers than ever before.
Actually, in some cases, guests are retail customers and don’t gamble
at all. “We have some guests who stay at our hotel and never set
foot inside a casino,” says Holly O’Brien spokesperson for Harrah’s
in Maryland Heights. Twenty-nine percent of Harrah’s guests are
from outside the local area.
Talent agents are constantly rubbing elbows, getting acts onto showroom
floors, while building increased financial rewards.
Here’s how local casinos approach making entertainment part of the
overall success package:
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Harrah’s
in Maryland Heights:
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“We offer the best quality and the most variety we can for
our guests,” says O’Brien. We can track our guests with our
sophisticated database,” she says.
The ‘Total Rewards’ tracking system helps Harrah’s to stay
in touch with their most loyal customers. “We have a deep
and broad offering of entertainment. We are the only casino
in the area with a direct heritage tied directly to Las Vegas.”
She is referring to Harrah’s strong presence at the biggest
tourist stop in the world. “We offer a seamless experience
property-by-property,” she reveals.
The Maryland Heights facility often shares talent that moves
from town-to-town. They string together acts that perform
in Harrah’s facilities in Kansas City and Iowa before hitting
here.
Entertainment venues at Harrah’s are the iBar and the VooDoo
Café and Lounge. Featured are a wide-range of acts from concerts
by Fixx, Waylon Jennings to Bo Didley and Junior Brown. The
iBar eye catcher is a stage located high above the main Casino
floor. One of the unique acts is a dance review with ten women
and two men that pulsates with high energy, blasting disco
medleys from the 1970s.
Other times, sports take over as the predominant theme. “King
of the Couch” is a popular football promotion—staged Sundays
in the fall and winter. Winners draw chances to sit on the
couch and hear from the stars of sports like local luminaries
Dan McLaughlin and Whitey Herzog, who enjoy entertaining crowds.
“Our philosophy is offering the best quality of entertainment
and as much variety that we can for our guests,” says O’Brien. |
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Casino
Queen, East St. Louis:
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The Queen
just publicly announced the signing of a construction contract
to build an all-new facility on the eastside of the Mississippi
River. They will add an additional 208,000 square feet of
gaming and entertainment space in a boat in a moat configuration
that will challenge competitors for increased market share.
“The boat is simply cramped and we need more footage for entertainment,”
reports Heather Henning, a public relations consultant to
the eastside entertainment center. In the past, the Queen
has brought in national performers like Air Supply, Blues
Travelers, Little River Band and 38 Special. Now, many of
their promotions are tied locally to sports competition.
Little
River Band |
For instance, local television station WB-11 tapes pre-game
fan shows for the St. Louis Cardinals. On Sunday’s, the Cardinals’
‘Early Bird’ show is voiced by Cardinals’ broadcaster Bob
Ramsey. The Casino Queen has also become a major corporate
sponsor for the Cardinals. On Saturday nights, radio station
KLOU does a live dance party.
Fridays is devoted pretty much to karaoke in Club Sevens,
where seating capacity is 275. Presently, national acts are
restricted to just one or two a year. All that will change
once the new construction is complete and a whole new Casino
Queen becomes a bigger part of the local landscape. “The Casino
Queen listens to the wants and needs of its guests in order
to provide the best gaming entertainment value in the St.
Louis area,” says Henning. |
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Ameristar
Entertainment, St. Charles:
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Ameristar
Casino, the only gaming entertainment facility in burgeoning
St. Charles County, offers live entertainment seven-nights-a-week
through national, regional and local acts that perform in
the popular Bottleneck Blues’ Bar and casino cabaret. National
acts run the gamut from Glenn Campbell and the Oak Ridge Boys
to Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone, to Dave Mason, Don McClean
and Boyz II Men. Local comedienne, Kathleen Madigan, who has
gone on to national fame will stop by periodically for a few
hearty laughs.
Alan
Parsons Project |
Ameristar has a distinct strategy to drive home the business.
Chris Cosenza, Ameristar’s national Director of Entertainment
in Las Vegas commented on the trend. “First, we define our
customer base, and then design an entertainment program around
it. There are essentially two key drives in this process:
selecting acts whom our players are interested in (which is
determined by extensive surveying measures) and also acts
that support the brand Ameristar is looking to extend in this
market.”
Further, Cosenza elaborated on the focus of regional and national
acts and the appeal to their many guests. “Perceived value
is a very important factor for us, not only the strength of
the artists whom we book, but also the perception of these
artists to our patrons. We aim to bring in the best local,
regional and national entertainment available to us. At Ameristar
Casinos, we pride ourselves on having the premier overall
entertainment respective to our venues in each market.”
Eddie
Money |
So how does this work with the casinos and driving home the
business?
“Even though entertainment has become more “destination-oriented,”
its original intent still holds true—it continues to remain
an extension of the gaming experience. Our national acts allow
us the opportunity to reward our top players, whereas everyday
lounge and cabaret entertainment provide listening enjoyment
and energy to our customers on the casino floor.” Furthermore,
Cosenzo says: “The marketplace has changed significantly,
and casinos are now becoming destination venues with additional
amenities such as hotels, restaurants, entertainment, and
nightclubs and they are the key differentiators.” In his opinion,
consumers want more “complete” gaming experience and the days
of “slot houses” are numbered. “We need additional hooks to
drive new patrons,” he says succinctly. |
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President
Casino, downtown St. Louis:
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Being the
only casino in downtown St. Louis and on the riverfront, the
business is shared with other local attractions. Washington
Avenue features a variety of nightclub acts, and Rams football
and Cardinals baseball are nearby as well as a variety of
upscale restaurants.
General Manager Chris Strobbe tries to capitalize on pleasing
his loyal guests. “We have just one entertainment venue presently
and that is the Galaxy Room at the front of the boat that
seats 175. “We have a pretty limited budget for entertainment,
so we rely mainly on local acts and look for comedians to
reward our most loyal gamblers.”
When Strobbe heard that Clint Black’s brother Kevin was traveling
through St. Louis, he issued a contract on the spot. In July,
things will improve for the President Casino. Then, the 250
seat remodeled theatre will reopen and the acts will be upgraded.
“Right now, we offer, jazz, country and local entertainment,”
says Strobbe.
Strobbe claims gamblers tend to be superstitious. “If they
are doing well, they will stick with one casino. But if they
are falling behind, they tend to move from location to location
to change their luck.” Regardless of entertainment, “There’s
not much we can do about that,” he says. |
| The
Alton Belle Casino, which bills itself as the premier
entertainment casino in the region, features national performers
the likes of Chuck Berry, Vicki Lawrence, Lorrie Morgan, Sheena
Easton, The Little River Band, all performing in the intimate
Argosy’s Music Hall. Promoters claim there are no bad seats
in the house. Argosy officials declined to comment on their
entertainment strategy. |
| And
look for entertainment in the near future when the 7.3 acre
Pinnacle Casino on the Landing opens in 2007.
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