Steps Towards Becoming Chicago’s Top Restaurant, Club & Venue.

If you are not already familiar, Alhambra Palace located at 1240 W. Randolph Street in Chicago is by far one of the most dynamic and exquisite venue/restaurants in Chicago.   This 30,000 square foot restaurant and venue monstrosity is beyond what you would expect to find in design and architectural work outside of Las Vegas.   The detail in this property gives shock and awe to my eyes every time I enter through the main doors.

With the visual stimulation of the property being so powerful, you would believe that everything about this venue would produce the same type of “Over the Top” quality, well think again.  Over the past few years Alhambra Palace has really struggled with its direction, guest services and lack of consistency within it’s menu and events.   Most reviews posted on Alhambra Palace really make you sad, as the current guest services should not hold you at bay on experiencing the architecture and detail of this Chicago treasure.

But there is some good news that has surfaced in the past few days that really should be getting Chicago excited about the potential of this venue and prepare to add Alhambra Palace to it’s arsenal as one of the top attractions to visit  in this great city.

I had the chance to speak with Gary Tripp, President of Inside Hospitality, this week about their newest venture and contract take over.  You heard it from me first, Alhambra Palace is now in the hands of Inside Hospitality, one of the nations well known restaurant and bar consultation companies.  Gary Tripp and his company are now in the works of turning Alhambra Palace into one of Chicago’s true gems.

“This property is beyond anything that I have seen and it needs to shine as one of Chicago’s top restaurant and venue locations for all to enjoy!”, exclaimed Gary.  “I couldn’t be more excited in being a part of this great opportunity and working with the owners of this facility.  The passion and excitement with the owners and staff behind the new changes will drive this venue to the top of the Chicago scene!”

As part of this overhaul, there is a name change and new launch taking place in the facility and we, being Crawler Promotions, are proud to be a part of this new production.  The main room, currently called the Alhambra Room is officially changing to Palace Nightclub for the Thursday and Friday nightlife revamp and push.  The development behind Palace Nightclub is a new twist on the Chicago club scene as it houses Chicago’s largest dance floor and an ambiance above anything else we have seen outside of Las Vegas.

Grand opening on Palace Nightclub is predicted for Thursday, October 28th and Friday, October 29, 2010, with a large kick off Halloween event on Saturday, October 30th.   The doors open to the public at 9:00pm and the club runs till 2:00am and till 3:00am on Saturday.  The roster of DJs is expected to be a line up of some of the top mixers in Chicago and nationally.

Palace Nightclub has built in some great package deals, which you can check out on the Palace Facebook Fan Page.   I wanted to highlight their Bachelorette package that is a great deal for the special girls night out.  The Bachelorette package is $15 and includes your first drink of choice and appetizers for your group.  There is no minimum to the booking size.  Table and bottle service reservations are also available.  Make sure to book early for their opening night, as its expected to be the party of the year.  More details to come on the actual DJ performers for this venue.

There will be more to come on the changes to the NEW Alhambra Palace, including a social media based YouTube TV show on the construction and workings of a large venue, upcoming new concerts, shows and a sneak peak on the development of a large dinner theater production that should be more impressive than the decor itself.

Keep tuned right here at Crawler Promotions on the new workings of the Alhambra Palace here in Chicago.  You can even check out the restaurant and visit the venue, as it is open for business during this transition.  You can visit the Alhambra Website for more information and head on over to the Palace for lunch or dinner.  Alhambra Palace is located at 1240 W. Randolph St, Chicago.  You can also call ahead for reservation at 312-666-9555.

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Taking the Chicago Nightlife Scene to a Whole New Level!

Over the past few years, Chicago has seen some Nightlife greats like Crobar, Level, Religion, and Mannequin close their doors, while leaving only a  select choice of lounge Nightclubs.  Even the city’s top DJs are found spinning on the second floor loft of usually some small narrow brick wall covered brown stone in the River North or Lincoln Park area.

As for any larger venues, Vision continues to still tag its destination as Chicago’s only Mega Club with the bounce back of the ever so famous Excalibur.  Excalibur has graced this cities Nightlife scene for decades, which seems more like centuries in my book.  But with limited updates and continuing plateau of common theme, Chicago is starving for the next big scene and Palace Nightclub might just be that new light!  or is it disco ball…..??

Step aside Vision and your so called mega club, Palace Nightclub is about to take center stage.  I have yet to see anything of this caliber outside of Las Vegas.   The decor and architecture are definitely beyond anything built in modern times, beside on the strip of this great nations most sinful city.  Even the details on the door knobs make you feel as those you have stepped into an ancient castle within Morocco.

Palace Nightclub is a 24,000 square foot facility that can handle almost 1,500 party goers.  With premium seating through-out the club and two of the most majestic VIP suites, this club definitely attracts more than the local baller.

Click here to view the embedded video.

One of the great features about Palace Nightclub, besides the over the top service, is the performance attribute.   This is not another, show up and listen to some DJ spin YMCA all night.  This venue is geared to full production performances.  They are recommending all guests arrive before 10:00 pm, as the “SHOW” begins between 10:00 pm and 10:30pm.   This gives even more anticipation to their launch and what will happen during the shows.  Palace Nightclub also intends on large monthly events that would feature top track acts and performances from across the country.   Most nights are walk-ins with a straight $10 cover, but some nights might be ticket purchase, so check ahead.

They have some excellent party packages starting at $15 for Bachelorette parties, which include a drink ticket and appetizer!  They have other private party packages available for birthday parties, divorce parties, special occasions or just because and they also take reservations for bottle service.  With the hype this venue is already starting to attract, my guess is to RSVP early to make sure you can get in!

You can get more on what is happening with Palace Nightclub and the anticipation of their grand opening, which is scheduled for Thursday, October 28 and Friday, October 29, 2010, on the Palace Nightclub Facebook Page.  Palace is also gearing up for their big Halloween kick off, October 30th with anticipated headliner Jump Smokers, which is still to be announced by Crawler Events.

Palace Nightclub is located at 1240 W. Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60607.   The contact number is 312-666-9555 or you can RSVP for parties and wristbands on Facebook or call 312-772-6104.

Palace Nightclub is open every Thursday and Friday night from 9:00 pm till close, with shows starting at 10:30pm.

Keep tuned for more on this exciting new club for shows, events and any ticket information.

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The Informant: How your competition is driving your fans away from your sites.

Are you loosing Facebook Fans but your competition’s Fan page is growing by leaps and bounds?  It could be due to a marketing tactic called the “Informant”.  Even though I think this is a great strategy, it can really hurt your fan base in a few ways when a competitor is enforcing this tactic on you.  The strategy works and I am here to give the basic run down.

All fan pages are created by Individual Friend profiles and the only way word travels extremely fast in the realm of social media is the posting of “Likes” and “Comments”.  Once this happens, the friends of that fan page see their post and their like, notice your Fan page and might just check it out from there.   Great way to really spread the word about your location, but what if your competition was not only the posting Fan, but was the one commenting and driving traffic away from your Fan page.

Here is the trick, separate from your current friend page, create a new friend profile.  You can also have your marketing manager create a separate friend profile page just for their promotions.  Most promoters for bars and clubs have two separate Facebook profiles, one for personal and one for business.  This would be the best, so utilize their profile for this strategy if possible.

Once created, “Like” every single one of your competitors fan pages.  This will also help you keep track on what is happening and shaking with their events, deals, specials and guest services.   Now friend every single one of the fans on each of the competition’s sites.  Make sure you list in your friend message, “Noticed you are friend of “BLAH BLAH” bar, thought I would connect to make more friends!”  Not everyone will friend you back, but you will be surprised on how many will accept the kind gesture.

So the ground work has been set, you have become a fan of your competitions pages and you have sent friend requests to everyone on their lists.   Now what!?  This next step is what is called, “Getting in the trenches.”  Start interacting with all those new friends, on your page, your competitors fan page and any where to start building a presence.  Once you have built a foundation, you need to start using the following techniques in two different areas.  Here are the examples:

Example Posting on your “FAKE” profile page:

“Great night out last night…first headed out to @COMPETITIONSBAR and then ended the night at @YOURBAR , place was packed…..great night out!”

Example Posting on Competitive Bar Fan Page:

COMPETITION BAR Posting : Head on out tonight for our $1 beer special!  It’s Wednesday Specials night.

• Fan Comment 1: Sounds good!
• Fan Comment 2: Love Wed $1 beer night
• YOUR COMMENT: Will be there!!!  Might just have to hit @YOURBAR before but will be there!

These are great tactics!  When typing a posting in Facebook and mentioning either a friend or fan page, start with “@” and then type the name of the friend or fan page.  Example: @MyClubCrawler.  As you type the “@” and then the name of the fan page, it will bring up a selection for current pages and friends, select the correct page in which you intend to reference.  Once you post the comment, Facebook creates an automatic hyper link in your posting to the mentioned fan page and will also post your comment on both your fan page and your competition’s fan page.

Make sure to balance your postings on their sites.  You don’t want to over do it and give yourself away as a promoter for your establishment.  The idea is to drive awareness of your business location on your competition’s site, without drawing attention.  Majority of them just get excited about “comments” and “likes” to even look into your actual intensions.

The idea here is engagement and exposure.  Not only are you attacking the competition’s Facebook fan page, but you are trying to build conversation with other fans.  Once they comment and post, your comment will then display to all their fans.   This gains exposure of your location and fan page.

There are so many creative ways to gain fans to your pages, including advertisement on websites, in-house promotional material and more.  However, you should be aware of other scheming tactics , like the Informant, that are being used in the market.

If you would like to learn more on how to grow your business’s fan page, you can always contact us direct at info@crawlerpromotions.com.  We handle Facebook profile and twitter development and consultation.

Good luck fan hunting and make sure to watch out for others, as they might just be playing the informant game on you!

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Pole Dancing Brought to a Whole New Level

Last month Google reports 823,000 local searches (Google Keyword Tool Search), just in Chicago, for the keyword “Pole Dancing”! Yes, I will type it again so you don’t have to re-read, 823,000 searches!

Since the expansion of the Sinful City of Las Vegas, Gentlemen clubs have become more of a main stream entertainment not just for men, but women and couples too.  Five major clubs in the Chicago-land area are reporting an increase of couples to their location.  Most clubs have gone from the red light district “hole in the wall” to some of the cities most elaborate and sophisticated clubs and businesses.

Even bachelorette party event planners are listing Pole Dancing lessons or visiting strip clubs as one of the top 14 activities to plan for your big event.  So looking into this even deeper, we were approached by a company called B4 Productions, on how they are working to help build a better industry for exotic entertainment and bring the clubs to a whole new level of service and guest relations.

Atlantis Gentlemen's Club Chicago

We spoke with Gary Tripp, President of Inside Hospitality, a nationally renowned restaurant and bar consultant that is assisting and consulting the company with its guest servicing program.  “Service is the key to a business’s success and the commitment that the owners of B4 Productions have taken into guest relations and entertainer training is beyond anything in the market!”, said Gary, “It can help improve any club owner’s business with the B4 program finding good people and making them top entertainers!”

B4 Productions is the first exotic entertainment certification program.  The course is made up of over a handful of the industries top professionals, including VIP hosts, floor hosts, experienced entertainers, promoters, managers, recruitment managers, consultants and more.  The program consists of 16 different types of classroom and hands on training that will include guest services, business development, self promotion, style and appearance, art of the dance, self-defense and more.

“We plan to not only provide top training to the industry, but to change an industry for the better!”, a representative of B4 Productions exclaimed.

We discovered that their was more to the B4 Productions training, as it included HR services, membership sponsor discounts, continuing education classes and discussion boards so certification members can share tips and tactics.  B4  even has a drug policy that will be put in place for all certification members.

B4 Productions has built a strong foundation on benefits for certification members, from their guaranteed club placement and lower house fees (The cost an entertainer must pay to work at a club). Lower house fees alone could save an entertainer from $100 to $300 a month!  This program is definitely a benefit and should be highly considered by anyone looking to get started in this industry.

Their classes start at $300 for group sessions and $950 for individual training.  The course is also reimbursed by the hiring club in the first week.  So essentially, the course is paid for by the hiring club, another huge benefit!    You can also check out their FAQ page to get more information or benefits of the course.

If you are looking to get into this industry, learn pole dancing or just want to change your life by making some great cash.  Then get the right training from B4 Productions.  You can visit their sites at www.b4-productions.com for more information and benefits.

They are also discussing training for bartenders, servers, doorman, hosts and managers.  So we are eager to see what programs will be made available and how these efforts can help the guest servicing for any business hiring a B4 Productions Certification member.

Crawler Promotions is lucky enough to help with their marketing and website development efforts!  We look forward to their efforts and glad to have them part of the family here at Crawler Promotions.

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I have to commend the efforts of the Lattner Entertainment Group.   I know, I know….They pay us to place sponsorships on our websites, but I still write what I feel and what is my valued opinion as an American.  No matter what the influence of money might be, cause I am an American!   pissst…..I have some ad space still open for all you sophisticated coin op companies.

Also, I have yet have anyone even challenge the opinion on my sites in regards to the video poker operators position.  Wait, hold on…I am sorry… I did have some rebuttal in a comment, but it was some coin op owner swearing and calling me names in an attempt to get their point across.  Seriously, put some effort into people.

The point of this post is basically to commend Lattner Entertainment for their social media efforts.  They have gone above and beyond any other operator and that is surprising.  Come to think about it, not one other operator has even tackled this marketing strategy.  So I have a question, have you seen any other operator take on the social media marketing strategy?  Please comment below….

So my hat is off to you, Lattner Entertainment.  Keep up the good work and keep on growing to become Illinois leading video poker machine operator!

You can check out their blog at www.illinoisvideopokermachines.com

Here is their latest video that has been streamed across YouTube, blogs and Facebook!  Enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Competitive Restaurant Owners Declare War On Your Facebook Page

Series: 1 of 3 – Friend or Fan?

If you think you are safe from your competition on Facebook, well think again!  The surge of Social Networking has given restaurant and bar owners a whole new way to keep in touch with their guests, bring value outside of the dining room and attract new guests through social interaction. With all this transparent exposure creates curiosity from competition to check out your sites and review your postings.  Increased competitive awareness isn’t always a negative situation; it can build initiative between businesses that will attract more guests to both locations with increased guest services, competitive pricing and creative event promotion.

As with the positive, there is also a negative and the competition is getting smarter.  There are several ways for your competition to fight dirty and in this series we are going to review exactly what those items are and how to protect yourself.

Pulling the Plug on your Facebook Page is our first discussion and the most serious!  Your restaurant or bar has decided to take on the social media marketing strategy.  With limited research or consultation you set-up a Facebook Friend page, as with your personal profile, instead of a fan page for your business.  You hear its harder to gain followers on a fan page and you can click “add friends” all day long to build a faster follower base.  This is a great strategy for short term but long term effects are worse.

Friend Pages are not only limited but setting up a friend page for a business is against Facebook Terms and Conditions., which is listed under Section 4, Line 4: You will not use your personal profile for your own commercial gain. You not knowing this situation, when your competition might, puts your page at risk.  This makes a perfect situation for your competition to close your Facebook site down.

Yep, this is a common tactic by most business owners and its becoming more popular.  You spend all this time setting up your page, start promotions, build a strong following of 2,000 people and when you login the next morning your page and your accounts are shut down by Facebook.  How does this happen, well you can thank knowledge of your competitor on how Facebook works.  Most common situation is that your competition searched for your pages, found that you are breaking terms with Facebook by soliciting a business on a personal profile site and reported your actions.

Facebook will then review the complaint and most likely shut down your account.  Worst of all, they will shut down the email being used, meaning you can never reuse the email that was used to set-up that false personal account.  All that work in building a following, your site is now down and you have lost the database of all those followers.

In short, start a Facebook Fan Page for your business.  There are huge benefits in creating a fan page for your business instead of a personal friend page;

• Unlimited Fans
• Create HTML Tabs and graphics to make your site more customized
• Create specific events just for the business
• Create a direct URL, example: www.facebook.com/myclubcrawler
• Can send direct messages to all fans

Here are some examples of sites we have developed for our clients.

• www.facebook.com/tiltedkiltdowntownchicago
• www.facebook.com/fuggedabouditclub
• www.facebook.com/atlantisclub
• www.facebook.com/tavernatthepark
• www.facebook.com/napervillemomsnetwork
• www.facebook.com/lattnerentertainment

You can also contact us direct for a free consultation or click here to learn what can be done with your Facebook fan page, how you can promote your sites and why a fan page is more beneficial for your followers.

If you should have any questions or need assistance in setting up a Fan page for your business.  You can contact me direct at mikej@crawlerpromotions.com.

Keep an eye out on Part two and three of this series as I will review additional competitor tactics being used against your sites and how to get into using basic social media skills to steal traffic from your competition.  All coming up in this three part series.

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Spice Up Your Chicago Nightlife at John Hancock Observatory

The John Hancock Observatory reaches higher into the sky to become one of Chicago’s premier tourist attractions.  With the addition of its newest feature, the Observatory Bar and Cafe, it is definitely one step closer to achieving that goal.

With the enhancement of the additional full service bar, visitors can now explore the entire 360 view while sipping on a fine wine from the Observatories extensive list.  The lounge also carries a variety of Domestic and Imported Beers from around the world and a selection of fine spirits for your enjoyment.

With the Signature Room located only a floor above, the Observatory brings much needed selection to one of Chicago’s finest attractions.  With more of a “Loosen your tie” and strolling atmosphere, the views from the John Hancock can be enjoyed by more than just couples and sophisticated martinis.

“We’ve added eight new distinctive creations that combine the best of our already unique espresso innovations with carefully selected top-shelf spirits,” said Daniel Thomas, general manager, John Hancock Observatory.  “No longer is your view limited to a lounge table – we’re offering the city’s only way to drink in 360 degree views of of Chicago, complete with FREE multimedia tour, the only open-air SkyWalk in town, and the world’s most advanced telescope technology.”

The John Hancock Observatory is located at the 94th Floor of the John Hancock at 875 N. Michigan Ave, hours are 9:00am till 11:00pm daily.  Also, check out the Observatory’s website for ticket pricing, location details and deals!

In short, when you are heading out on the town or just looking for a great cocktail and spectacular view of this great city, head on down  to the John Hancock Observatory for a tour and a drink!

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Connect Your Contacts with Your Social Networks

If you are looking for an iPhone or Blackberry application that will connect you to all your contacts social media profiles at the click of a button, we have found the app for you!   SNEX, an iPhone and Blackberry application, is paving the way to give you a selection of your contact’s social media networks to join.

With the click of a button you can find, invite and accept connections on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  The application also allows you to broadcast to your social networks with a single posting field, an added bonus feature.  With so many different types of social networking profiles and with each have a specific purpose, its nice to have a choice on which profiles you would like to join depending on the type of contact.

Of Course, what happens if I have the application and the adjacent user does not have the application!?  Don’t panic if your new acquaintance doesn’t have SNEX installed on their phone. Simply click ‘add a contact’ (instead of ‘handshake’), enter the person’s email address and voila it’s all taken care of.  This is always a concern with most applications, that it just doesn’t work if the other phone doesn’t have the application.  SNEX developed a great feature around this common issue.

“We at SNEX are here to make your life just a tiny bit easier. We want to make meeting and following up with people easier. Instead of swapping business cards or awkward pen and paper exchanges, SNEX users can digitally connect to each other on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn using their iPhone or Blackberry”, Aris commented,  SNEX’s leading developer.

So How Does SNEX Work?

SNEX uses Bluetooth technology to connect the phones.  When you handshake with a contact, it sends an email requesting to join those networks.

The only issues is cross compatibility with Blackberry and iPhone.  Since there is limitations to the Blackberry Bluetooth system and the linking to iPhone, the handshake between the two units is not possible.  SNEX developers promise to implement that technology once it become available.  In the meantime, you can still add a contact and it will submit the email to your contact to join their networks.

How can I download the application?

For Blackberry: Go to snexapp.com and click the download link

For iPhone: Go to the appstore and download SNEX

Here is a great tutorial on how the program works, which we snagged from their website.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Not to get you too excited, but I was told that the application developers are working on an easy way for a user to join a business networking sites during their visit to your bar or restaurants location.  This will be a great way to have customers join your networks during their visit!  No more gathering emails!  This might be a little pre-mature, but you can see that we are anticipating some great program attachments form SNEX in the near future!

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As Illinois gears up for the licensing and install of the much anticipated Video Poker Machines (VGT), bar and restaurant owners have also begun the necessary steps preparing their businesses.  Bar owners are faced with a choice, do you utilize your current Coin-op service  “Coin-op Guy” or do you choose a full service sophisticated gaming company to handle your casino based gaming machines.

Doing some major research on this subject, I have compiled a list of items that every bar and club owner needs to review.  There are some major items on this list and it will give you an idea of the size of the responsibility for an operator of the video poker machines here in Illinois.

So lets dive right in and really look at each area of services and operation of this Illinois gaming system.  There is heavy responsibility for Operators of a video poker machine in regards to servicing, protection, reporting and distribution of funds.  So here is what needs to be discussed:

Note: Obvious generalizations about the coin-operator industry apply, suffice to say, you know your coin-op guy best, so be sure to ask the tough questions that will protect your business.”

- Operator Must Have a Gaming License | Operators Contract

Every operator knows they need a operators gaming license and they are not yet available.  They are projecting sometime late summer or early fall.  This license will allow the operator to not only purchase the machine for your establishment, but also install, service, collect and distribute payments.  Here is another HUGE misconception; Illinois Video Poker Machines do not fall under the contract of amusement machines listed in your current coin-op contract!

Since there is a separate license and not all coin-ops or applications will receive a license to operate video poker machines, your current contracts DO NOT APPLY!  If your coin-op service company tries to sling you a story that its already covered in your contract, he is lying and misrepresenting his services.  No one may sign an Illinois Video Poker operations agreement until they are licensed.

- Operator Must Not have a  CRIMINAL background

Any one applying for an operators license must not have any type of criminal background.  If you know that your current coin-op guy has a criminal background, start searching for another potential operator as they may not be licensed.  This rule goes the same for the establishments owner.

- Repairing & Servicing the Video Poker Terminals

Each Operator must have a qualified Video Poker Terminal technician on staff at all times.  That individual must also have a non-criminal background and must be trained to service and repair the approved video gaming machines in Illinois.  The technician must also be license by the State to service the machines in Illinois.  All VGTs will be connected directly to a central network and monitored in real-time by the Illinois Gaming Board.  As such the State will effectively have an ongoing audit of how much money is going into and out of each machine.  VGTs are not juke boxes.  They are not pool tables.  And the VGT operator is not simply collecting quarters.  Highly played VGTs will hold thousands of dollars at a time and every penny most be collected, accounted for, audited, divided and distributed with percise regularity to the state and the bar owner accordingly.  If your Coin Op is not thoroughly organized, and efficient, he will put your games and your income at risk.

- Routing, Transportation and Collection of Video Poker Machine Money

The machines themselves are  highly sophisticated, they are not lock, key and cash disbursement.  Each machine has a time stamped cash box, which slides out upon collection and a new box is then placed into the poker machine.  That cash box is then escorted by security guards and the trained operators technician to the armored truck, supplied by the operator.

The routing of the trucks and the security of the personnel is a large concern and must be handled in a very professional, systematic process.   Can the operator handle the staffing, the routing and security?  Again, another reason that a large gaming casino company might be the right choice for your location.

- The Counting of Funds Collected

How will the funds be counted?  Once the armored trucks leave the hosts establishment they will then arrive at the operators facility and counting rooms.  These counting rooms check and count each box collected.  The operator then matches the collection to the State of Illinois reports and disburse all payments.  These payments include reporting and paying all State of Illinois Gaming taxes and disbursement of the hosts share into their designated account.

Here is the most serious part to the whole operation; if the operator misses one payment on the taxes to the State, they will only receive one warning.  Upon the second missed payment, the Operators gaming license is pulled and all installed machines are shut down.

The real problem begins when your current profiting video poker machines are now shut down until you can find another operator, remove the current machines and install new terminals.  The new terminals must be re-approved by the State of Illinois to open up gaming to the public.  This issue, cause by your operator not following the States guidelines, will place your establishment at a one or two month minimum loss.   Again ask yourself this question, do I use the small coin-op servicing company that handles pool tables and dart boards, or do you call a professional casino gaming company?

- Security of the Host Establishment and Employees

Another large concern for the bar or restaurant owner is security.   Will the operator supply both a technician and security guard during any collection or repair of your machines.  For the safety of both the employees and establishment, make sure these precautions are being handled by your supplier.  Another great reason to use a large casino based company, as they have these services already in place and they will know the routine.

In Review:

Looking at the following list of responsibilities for an operator, there is more to the operations in the kitchen than the dining room.  Meaning, don’t have the guy that installs your ovens cook your food!   Make sure to choose an operator that has the experience needed to make this a very profitable business for your establishment.

This new business is an institutionalized business with the state of Illinois, using a casino based company that is sophisticated in the casino gaming industry is a smarter route to take.  This is not a let down on the coin-op industry, nor do you have to stop doing business with a coin-op service company.   I just recommend the use of an operator that has experience in the casino gaming field, has overseen or managed a casino property and has the security to protect your business and its employees.

In a previous article, I have reported the use of Lattner Entertainment Group as a premier casino gaming company. You can check them out at www.thebestvgts.com or contact their reps direct at 312-890-6385.  Get started today by signing your LOI (Letter of Intent to Install)!

Please contact me direct at info@myclubcrawler.com if you should have any other questions in regards to this article or about the Illinois video poker machines.

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Are you looking for more evidence to finally start your social media campaign?  As reported by eMarketer, businesses will see a shift of current marketing dollars from 4%  to 24% in annual spending to social media within five years.  This is one of the largest shifts in budgeting dollars our industry has ever seen.

As I have always reported, businesses understand that social media needs to be utilized, but at what cost and where do they start.   This is a great opportunity to really get your feet wet and find your direction.

RestaurantWorx Consulting & Insider Hospitality will be hosting a Social Media Bootcamp here in Chicago on June 21st & 22nd.  The event will:

1. Give you practical knowledge and insights needed to successfully plan, implement, manage and measure social media marketing efforts
2. Teach you how to appropriately align your social media efforts with your business objectives and overall marketing strategy.
3. Understand how to navigate the tools and platforms, assign responsibilities within your business and drive your company’s presence and participation in the social media ecosystem.

I had a chance to discuss the event with Gary Tripp, President to Inside Hospitality, LLC . “We believe that social media represents one of the most significant re-calibrations of guest’s behavior in history!”, Gary stated.   Gary is excited to bring such a great event to Chicago and believes this will help give more grounding to how social media is beneficial for the hospitality industry.

If you own a bar, club or restaurant and would like to learn more on social media for your business, this will be a great event to attend.  I plan to be in attendance discussing development and design of your social media platforms and how to create a seamless transition between your social platforms and websites.

This is a must-attend event and will help you gain more knowledge and expertise in the social media fields.  You will also have a chance to discuss consulting options for your marketing plan with some of Chicago’s top social media experts.  Hope to see you all there!

Space is Limited So Register Today!  Get a special $100 off your ticket from Crawler Promotions!  When you click the link below to purchase your tickets, just use coupon code CRAWLPR to receive your $100 off your ticket purchase on the Day 1 or on Day 1 & 2 Tickets.

Visit www.RestaurantSocialMedia.com for additional event information.

Sponsors:

Event Details:

Day 1 – General session of all attendees. We will talk about what exactly Social Media Marketing means for you and your business and how it can be utilized to grow loyalty and profitability. ***Limited to 100 attendees.

Early Bird Day 1 Tickets – Limited to the first 10 people to register.

Bring A Friend – Day 1 – This is for those who have purchased a full-price Day 1 ticket & want to bring a friend or colleague with them.  There is no limit on how many people you can bring with you from your company.

Day 1 Dinner – Charity Dinner. We will travel to one of the areas best restaurants for dinner on the evening of Day 1 with only the first 10 people to register and pay. This is a great event and the networking and professional opportunities make it a “can’t miss”. All dinner ticket sales go to the event charity – The Children’s Miracle Network.

Bring A Friend – Day 2 – This is for those who have purchased a full-price Day 2 ticket & want to bring a friend or colleague with them.  There is no limit on how many people you can bring with you from your company.

Early Bird Day 2 Tickets – Limited to the first 10 people to register.

Early Bird Day 1 & Day 2 Tickets – Limited to the first 10 people to register.

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