Meet the dynamic duo behind some of the dopest, bougiest venues of all time
Legal-aged ladies and gents, I introduce you to the kings of Las Vegas nightlife.
Fun events, lots of booze, gorgeous people everywhere — at least that’s what comes to my mind when I envision Las Vegas, and even more specifically, the infamous Palm resorts.
But running a nightlife empire is more than just glitz, glamour, and alcohol (though it likely involves a good amount of all three). We spoke with Jason “JRoc” Craig and Ryan Labbe, co-owners of the APEX Social Club and Camden Cocktail Lounge about what really goes on behind the scenes.
You’ve likely caught sight of their venues on social media: I mean, these insane venues have pretty much anything and everything a sexy nightlife checklist contains, namely sexy people, a sexy view, and an impossibly equally sexy bar. But a lot goes into maintaining venues in all their grandeur, and JRoc and Ryan are here to give us the real scoop.
We spoke with the duo and gained some insight into their daily lives, and they told us what exactly goes into running two of the hottest (I know with describing things as figuratively hot is questionable at best, but it’s necessary in this context) nightclubs in Las Vegas. And duh, they gave us the in on nightlife we’ve been waiting for.
Read below for the exclusive interview and photos with the duo.
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Can you explain exactly what you guys do? It seems equal parts cool and mysterious.
As partners we are involved in every process from top to bottom of each venue, including overall strategy and direction of the venue, marketing, operations, hiring, firing, talent ,buying – you name it.
What would a day in the life of your job be like? Give us a play by play.
During the week, we always get up early and right to the grind. We’re usually on the treadmill catching up on the numbers from the night before and sending any follow up emails.
Ryan and I stay in constant communication and either chat or meet to go over items needed to be completed that day. We have a lot of meetings during the week with our different teams and departments, so we spend a good amount of time at the office.
After the office, we’ll usually catch a few hours before we need to be in one of the venues at night. We’re both active, so we usually hit the gym again then get ready for the evening. Once we get to the property, we’re always checking in with management and the VIP services team, making sure that any and all VIPs are addressed pre-shift, along with any other foreseeable issues.
From that point we’re usually running around separately checking on the teams, checking on VIPs and making sure the venue’s running smoothly.
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Favorite city to go out in!
This is a tough one, and of course Vegas is #1 as a given, but I guess I’d have to say NYC. There’s nothing like the energy in New York. I also like the feel of speakeasies and hidden bars, which New York is filled with.
Second would be LA, and I would say that is more about the people. I love LA and am from there, so I have have built some good relationships over the years.
Favorite club in Los Angeles? How about in New York? Give us recs!
In LA my favorite night spots are HYDE!, Avenue, and Warwick. The owners and operators of those venues are close friends of our and always take great care of us.
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Any DJs that have really impressed you with their performances?
I’ll be honest, it’s been awhile since a DJ has really impressed me. Usually, I find myself impressed oversees by a DJ I’ve never heard of (laughs).
What’s next for you guys? Any news happening with Apex and Camden to share?
We are working on a few new projects but nothing we can announce just yet. There are a few big events coming up and we will continue to groom APEX Social Club and Camden as we move into the second half of the year. They are still brand new venues, so it is very exciting.
We did just launch Tableside Tuesdays at Camden however, promoting our custom mixology bar cart which will blow your mind in presentation and taste.
CLICK FOR MORE DEETS ON HOW TO GET IN ON CAMDEN AND APEX SOCIAL CLUB.
