Vegas Event Insider: Introduction

By Pat Christenson

Vegas Event Insider is a weekly blog covering the history and stories about the Las Vegas event industry.

Las Vegas didn’t become the Entertainment Capital of the World by chance. It took decades of vision, strategy, and bold decisions behind the scenes.

Introducing Vegas Event Insider — a new weekly blog written by longtime industry leader Pat Christenson, the former President of Las Vegas Events and author of Rock Vegas.

Each post explores the stories, people, and turning points that helped shape the city’s live event legacy, starting with our first series on The Grateful Dead in Las Vegas.

Meet Pat Christenson

After 45 years working in events and entertainment, I’ve been fortunate to witness and help shape Las Vegas’ evolution into the Entertainment Capital of the World. Vegas Event Insider will share my experiences and perspectives of the Vegas event industry.

In 2017 I released, “Rock Vegas”, a book chronicling 35 years and over 500 live music events. Since then, I’ve sporadically blogged about Vegas’ event industry. Vegas Event Insider is my commitment to publishing twice a week and telling the stories behind Vegas events and those who are responsible for creating yesterday’s Vegas and continuing to shape its future.

If you enjoy this topic, I also have a TED-style talk about the milestones and visionaries responsible for building Las Vegas into the thriving entertainment hub it is today.

But more on that later…

The first blog series, Dead and Vegas, will explore the Grateful Dead’s history in Las Vegas and impact on society. It’s a story of music, business, and a fanbase like no other.

I hope to create a healthy exchange with you. Follow along on social media for bonus content and updates on each new blog post—just search @VegasEventInsider on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!