[Deluge]

(05-04-2012 03:52 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  

You need to be great friends with a higher up at SBE. What I would suggest is going to a sister venue that is much easier to get into and make nice with the General Manager. For instance, you might go to The Bazaar or Mercato di Vetro, both of which are owned by SBE. These are restaurants so there is no line or bouncers. You still need to go decked out though to establish yourself as a playboy of the highest order. Dress up, G Manifesto style. Show up and leave in a cab to leave some mystery. Say you're staying at the W in hollywood. I HIGHLY suggest you have a business card, and not one identifying you as the assistant manager at your local Blockbuster.

You don't need to drop mad cash at the restaurant. Order some apps and a few decent glasses of sparkling, red wine, or cocktails. You can do this for under $100. Make nice with your server, tip 25%. At this point, ask to speak to the general manager. When he comes over, tell him this:

"I like the style of this place, are all SBE venues like this? I heard about someplace called Greystone Manor and heard some good things, do you recommend it?" They'll drop some line about how it's great but can be hard to get into, possibly leaving a little leeway to the possibility that they could get you in. Stand up, give them a firm handshake and introduce yourself. Tell them you're in town for a few days on a business trip and want to get some fun in, hand them a business card, make it known that you are a "someone" even if you're not, and tell them very directly, "You know, I'd like it if you could call ahead and get me on the list. I have some clients/associates who are coming into town in a few weeks and I'd like to direct them to the best spots in the city."

When I go to Vegas, this is how I get VIP service everywhere. In the hospitality industry, restaurant managers, sommeliers, doormen, chefs, etc, all hang out together. It just so happens that restaurants are not exclusive, but clubs are, but the people running all of them are connected to each other. So establish connections where you can and branch out from there.

Thanks for the wisdom on getting into extremely exclusive clubs. I saved your post into a Word doc for future reference.