Anthony Olheiser is a man with a plan. He’s a veteran of the nightlife industry, and his plan is to offer an alternative in the nightlife experience. Clubs in Vegas are always evolving; change is inevitable. And with so many options for what a nightlife experience can be, how do people decide which party will be the party for them? The answer is LAX at Luxor.
The name is one of many, but the nightclub is one of few that have kept its doors open and dance floors full year after year. It’s welcomed celebrities and tourists to party together since its 2007 arrival. And while the venue has received a face-lift and reprogramming throughout the years, the new look and feel has only added to its great history.
After a large redesign this past summer—a change in color scheme, furnishings, lighting and sound systems, expanding the square footage for the DJ booth, VIP tables and dance floor—rejuvenating and refreshing LAX’s offerings were next. At the end of 2015, that plan was put in place.
As the executive director of brand activation, Olheiser’s goal is to create a quality nightlife experience, but one that is accessible and affordable also. “There’s an opportunity for (LAX) to move the brand forward without rebranding it completely,” he says. “Re-creating, rejuvenating something that’s still valuable.” That includes new LED screens, a redesign of the DJ booth and adding more lighting and upgrading the sound again.
But besides the new cosmetic appeal of the club, Olheiser concentrates on the experience. “There’s so many people that come to Las Vegas to party, but there’s this group of folks that all they want is a quality experience,” he says. “My goal is to go back to what clubs were back in the day, when it was really about the party, really about the dancing, really about the experience. When (it) was approachable, affordable, fun and less of a business.”
And, that strategy includes fostering up-and-coming DJs, a musical format that stretches from EDM and hip-hop to pop and top 40, and LAX’s newly branded Throwback Thursdays. That earmarked evening welcomes musical guests from the ’80s, ’90s and early ’00s. The event has already welcomed guests like Vanilla Ice and DJ Spinderella of Salt-N-Pepa, with Young MC and Too Short coming in on Feb. 18 and March 10, respectively. And not only will the music make the party, but the ambience will change to suit the theme of each special guest, sending partiers back in time.
“I want to have great content and events,” Olheiser says. “There’s an opportunity for LAX to move the brand forward, be approachable with our content.
“I’m passionate about what I do, and if you have passion for what you do, that makes everything that much more successful. There’s a strategy with me being here, with the company, and leveraging a lot of the resources that we have. I’m very excited about LAX in 2016.”
Luxor, opens at 10:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat. 702.262.4529
