Looking to expand the Exotic Erotic brand in another venue, Mauskopf said that Las Vegas was a natural choice, but other elements were needed to bring the party’s concept to reality.
“The natural place was Las Vegas and we were just looking for the right opportunity,” Mauskopf told XBIZ. “We had a number of offers over the last few years, from the Strip hotels and a number of other places. But Vegas doesn’t have that many arenas. I think there’s only four.
“We don’t like to hold our parties in a convention center or a ballroom,” he said. “Those are known for B2B functions. I see people put on B2C events in a convention center and I just think it’s a little goofy. When you do an event in a place that’s associated with musical concerts and sporting events, you immediately create a more positive, eager anticipation on the part of the consumer, and that makes the sponsors happy. It resonates better with the audience and gives them a better sense that they’re on their leisure time and they should have a good time.
“So, when the Orleans Arena became available over a destination weekend like Labor Day,” Mauskopf added, “we jumped on it.”
The idea for a stripper and hustler theme came up after Mauskopf and Mann decided that the party would host a professional stripper’s competition, and Mauskopf claims that they had no knowledge of the Gentleman’s Club Owner’s Expo, which takes place the week previous to the Ball, also in Las Vegas.
According to Mauskopf, they are now considering a way to bridge the three-day gap between the end of the Expo and the weekend of the Ball, although he has little doubt that many of the best exotic dancers in the U.S. will be in town for both shows.
Agreements have been made between Ball organizers and Déjà vu Showgirls Clubs, as well as Hustler Clubs, so that the chains best dancers will be brought in the compete at the party.
“Everybody loves strippers. It’s a big part of Las Vegas. We noticed there wasn’t any national competition, so we reached out to the Déjà vu clubs, and then we reached out to the Hustler Clubs, and they were both like, ‘Count us in,’” Mauskopf said.
“We are in the process of reaching out to others. So, they will go through their various clubs and pick their best girls, and they’ll be entered to be considered for the quarterfinals. That will narrow it down to 50 girls who come to Vegas, then the semi-finals on the first night of the event, and the finals on the last night of the event.”
Three winners will be judged on the basis of Best Body, Best Pole Dancer and Best Dancer, with the final winner overall chosen by audience applause on the final night of the Ball. Prizewinners will divvy up more than $20,000 in prize money.
Also scheduled for the second night of the Ball — the world’s largest girl-on-girl pillow fight.
Mauskopf, who has been producing sporting and lifestyle events since the late ‘80s, and has been co-producing the Exotic Erotic Ball since 2004, said that the logistics for large events require careful planning. Las Vegas event producer Jeff Davis, who puts on the annual Fetish and Fantasy Ball in Las Vegas in October, stepped in to help with permits and politics as co-producer of the event.
“It gives us a chance to collaborate with a great producer that we respect,” Mauskopf said.
Ticket sales have been good, and by tracking visits to the Ball’s website, Mauskopf predicts that the event will be very well attended. Single day tickets are $69, with both days offered at $99, as well as several hotel-event packages available starting at $479 and ranging up to $749 for the VIP package, for single attendees. Couples packages are available at $599.
Visitors to the website will soon also be able to find a link to a fashion retailer that has clothing appropriate for the event. Women have been requested to dress like strippers and men like hustlers, with the event’s colors being pink, purple and black.
Touting the three-day weekend as a big draw, Mauskopf is looking forward to the party.
“When you get people on a destination weekend, they’re there to have fun and they seek out actively what are the more grandiose interesting events that are on the calendar.” He said. “We consider that a positive — and there will be a lot of strippers in town that week.”
For more information, and a complete list of entertainers scheduled to appear, visit the Ball’s website.
