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November 22, 2009

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New year’s celebration:

Requirements at issue after poor Strip fireworks reviews

Planners to weigh costs, benefits of returning fireworks to casino rooftops

Image

Sam Morris

Visitors on the Strip watch fireworks while ringing in 2009 at the Venetian.

By Amanda Finnegan (contact)

Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009 | 2 a.m.

New Year's in Las Vegas

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Celebration on The Strip

People come from all over the world to ring in the New Year on the famous Las Vegas Strip.

Fixing the Fireworks

The New Years Eve celebration is celebrated with many fireworks displays along the strip and downtown. The Executive Producer of the show, Felix Grucci, Jr. describes what it takes to create the eight minute fireworks show.

Sun coverage

Related stories

There was a shortage of ‘ohhs’ and ‘ahhs’ after this year’s New Year’s fireworks display, leaving many to wonder what happened to the usual display.

That’s because Las Vegas Events changed the firing locations from casino rooftops to ground positions throughout the Strip and downtown. High-rise hotels blocked the show for many visitors and Strip party-goers.

Although New Year's revelers were warned of the change weeks in advance, organizers said Friday they're aware of complaints and might make changes before Dec. 31 -- including possibly returning fireworks to rooftops once again.

But several details first would need to be ironed out.

Firing locations were moved after Clark County Fire and Rescue made a change in its fireworks permit requirements in August 2008, which included hiring third-party fire safety consultants to evaluate rooftop conditions. Clark County Fire and Recue spokesman Scott Allison said the permit changes were made for reasons that stemmed from the Monte Carlo fire in January 2008.

Las Vegas Events president Pat Christenson said the fireworks show changes were made after the committee decided it was becoming too difficult and expensive to comply with the stricter regulations.

However, Christenson said, the committee is considering another game plan for next year after disappointing reviews.

“We certainly had our problems in the public’s opinion of creating a show that was as good as last year,” Christenson said. “We warned the community that they weren’t going to get this panoramic view. We thought more people would find their way to those seven sites. In retrospect, that didn’t happen.”

Christenson said Grucci of New York, which put on the display, was in no way responsible for this year’s problems.

“They put on the show they were asking to do. There were inconsistencies in that some of the sites had to shoot smaller shows because of the fallout area so they only could shoot so much,” Christenson said.

Las Vegas resident Jamal Manning had watched the New Year's fireworks on the Strip for the past five years. Shortly after Thursday morning's display, he said the show was a letdown.

“You can’t see or hear the fireworks," he said. "Why didn’t anyone tell us you couldn’t see them from the Strip? Where else are we supposed to be except in the middle near the Bellagio and Planet Hollywood?”

Malcolm Thomas, of England, who spent his 10th consecutive New Year's in Las Vegas, added, "The one thing that has stood out is the disappointment of the fireworks because they said it would be easy for everyone to see, but it wasn’t."

Allison said Clark County Fire and Rescue isn’t to blame.

“We can’t tell them where they can’t fire the fireworks from. It’s private property,” he said. “They have the right to do them off the rooftops or the garage or wherever they want. We just have to make sure they follow the permit requirements and any other fire codes. Once an area is deemed safe, they can fire them off in the lobby if they want.”

Allison said the cost of the third-party safety consultants may have discouraged Las Vegas Events from doing the rooftop show.

This year’s display cost the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority $600,000.

“It just gets a little more expensive every year,” Christenson said. “I think what our board needs to do is weigh the cost versus the benefit and then the ability to have the proper time to do it off the roofs.”

An estimated 290,000 people packed Las Vegas for New Year's Eve festivities.

Sun reporters Cara McCoy and Steve Silver contributed to this report.

Discussion: 16 comments so far…

  1. By Fccfirstclass
    1/3/09 at 4:39 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    We have been on the strip for prior shows. We have also watched wonderful TV coverage in years past. This year we stayed at home because of illness. Channel 8 coverage was very poor. They kept advertising a great show "for the best seat in the house". However, they were as clueless as some of the strip people where the shoots were going to be. Was it poor communication between the events sponsor or was it just dumb decisions on ch. 8's part to cover where they were? It sucked.

  2. By johnevegas
    1/3/09 at 6:40 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    1. Back on the casino rooftops
    2. Fire the person whose idea that was

  3. By ritchie_013
    1/3/09 at 10:40 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    If you want this to be "THE" yearly big thing for Las Vegas, The entire Heads need to get together and work something that will be beneficial to the City and don't play politics or whatever cr*p everyone is pulling. This is the biggest crowd ever and the biggest "letdown" too. Now we have the biggest free advertisement from the biggest crowd... that is that the Vegas show "Stinks". Good luck next year! The person in charge for this is an amateur, stay behind the stage and let someone that can decide better and perform better step in. This is "The Las Vegas Show" and not an ordinary show... lets go all in!

  4. By davidwayneosedach
    1/3/09 at 10:45 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    It was a good idea but failed. Move the fireworks back to the roof tops. Save money and put on a better show.

  5. By NevadaFive
    1/3/09 at 11:23 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    The "show" was awful. No excuse here. 'firstclass' is correct. Ch. 8 coverage was poor to worse. Why? Because as a newsgathering organization - they should've known about the changes. I live close to the strip and expected a repeat of previous years - all I got was a lot of booms and smoke - except for the Stratosphere - and that was minimum, too. Soulution: add a one night "fireworks" tax of $3.00 to every room occupied on Dec 31. Of course, with the national publicity and economic depression - that might raise about $300 for next year's "event."

  6. By a_veteran
    1/3/09 at 12:05 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Umm dont you think there are a few more important things to spend $600,000.00 dollars on in these times of economic distress. I think the fireworks are something that all you ego people think is ok with all the forclosures around this fine city. Wow people are living on the streets and all you can complain about is how bad a fireworks show was, complain about something important.

  7. By arnold
    1/3/09 at 12:20 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    HUGE!!! Disappointment!!!I have been telling visiting family members how awesome New Years Day on the the strip. They were very disappointed and actually told me that in there small town in Texas had better fireworks than here in Vegas. WOW, isn't that a shame. What happened to fireworks at Bellagio, Ballys, Monte Carlo, New York, New York and Wynn. I know times are tough but Casino owners are just being cheap!!! Hope next year family members can say that was an amazing New Years Eve in Vegas!

  8. By johnevegas
    1/3/09 at 6:22 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    "I think the fireworks are something that all you ego people think is ok with all the forclosures around this fine city."

    Sure. Kill the fireworks! Who needs all those tourist dollars anyway. We have so many other industries here to depend on.

  9. By jfnance32
    1/3/09 at 7:03 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    We need tourist. It is more money for everybody including the government.

    Perhaps they should close the Blvd once a quarter.

    They could promote it as big festival.

  10. By jfnance32
    1/3/09 at 7:25 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    A parade down the Blvd with all those pretty ladies.

  11. By unlvrunrebs
    1/3/09 at 9:04 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    why cant they build something in the center of las vegas blvd and shoot them from there... figure it out... the firework setup was horrible and ruined a lot of peoples new years and a wasted trip down to the strip.

  12. By shootsnleaves
    1/4/09 at 12:21 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    It. Was. Lame!
    PLEEEEEEEEEZ bring back the former rooftop-launched synchronized shows!

  13. By kenoman1956
    1/4/09 at 1:31 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Shut down the resturant at statoshere for one night. Open up the rooftop, and let em fly !
    They'll be able to see them from anywhere.

  14. By wannabe1indc
    1/4/09 at 12:31 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    MMM..can't get the economy right...can't get the visitor/gambling thing right...I've said it before, but some you of you in Vegas said I was crazy..but there seems to be a theme going on now. At least the fireworks "were" somewhat of a draw...now it looks like you can't even get that right. Come-on all of the "suits" that run these casinos, you are not going to get too many more chances to keep people coming in..or then again...just close the doors.

    And who ever did set this up...get ready to go Maryland Parkway(JobConnect) and start looking for a new job.
    NOW YOU WILL KNOW HOW THE REST OF US FEEL. AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! GREAT JOB.

  15. By michaelli66
    2/1/09 at 2:56 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    We are one of the largest fireworks export company from Liuyang China(Liuyang is capital of fireworks ,and 75% of fireworks are exported from here in the world),We have been manufacture professional fireworks and consumer fireworks for over years.
    www.myspace.com/liwenquan66
    MSN:michaelli66@hotmail.com
    Yahoo:liwenquan66@yahoo.com.cn

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