Nightclub Boot Camp for Forbes

I’m back! I’m married, and I have lots of updates to share from life and work over the last two months.

I want to begin the catch-up by sharing my first assignment for Forbes. In late January Redux contacted me to work on the four-day assignment shooting one of Forbes’ reporters as he went through a busser “boot camp” at a high-end Las Vegas nightclub. Oh, and he would be under-cover. Aside from just a few select people who were training him, none of the rest of the staff of bussers, cocktail waitresses, hosts, bar tenders or security, at The Bank, in the Bellagio, would know he was a reporter.

Steven Bertoni, is a Forbes staff writer who reports on Forbes’ two mega-lists: The Forbes 400 and World’s Billionaires, as well as entrepreneurs, sports and lifestyle stories. This adventure was about how his usual subjects, Vegas’ highest rolling customers, are tended to in luxury detail in a club setting – through the service they’re given, and the aesthetics that are maintained to please them.

After the first physically exhausting full night shift from 10pm to 6am (yes, AM) I wasn’t sure if Steve was going to make it through the full four day training, but he did, and in stellar, though often comical, form. He describes it all best so I’ll let you read the story to get the details.

This was a super fun, thoroughly exhausting assignment documenting Steve’s adventure and working Vegas “industry” hours. Read: all night… It was awesome to see the great photo play in the five page layout of the print edition. There is an expanded photo gallery on Forbes’ site as well.