KISS-Themed Mini-Golf Course Takes the Show to a New Venue
by Mike Bederka / www.iaapa.org
Grab the roadies. KISS by Monster Mini-Golf heads to a bigger stage this month.
With the mega band�s blessing, this popular rock-themed miniature-golf course will move a few miles down the road from the shadow of the Hard Rock Caf� Las Vegas to inside the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino.
�The Rio approached us as they had heard we may be interested in moving our venue,� says CEO/founder Christina Vitagliano. �Once we began speaking, both parties came to the conclusion the move could be a win-win, and we�re very excited to become a part of Caesars Entertainment.�
In a star-studded opening party in 2012, complete with a tribute band shredding in the parking lot, an Elvis impersonator in KISS makeup, and all the group�s current members in attendance, KISS by Monster Mini-Golf debuted with much fanfare.
�People come to us all the time with ideas,� said Paul Stanley, KISS cofounder and singer/guitarist, at the time. �But you need resources to implement it. You need a vision. We thought it would be a great marriage.�
Many of the course�s key props, like an oversized version of Stanley�s �Starchild� boot and KISS cofounder and singer/bassist Gene Simmons� 18th hole giant �demon head,� will be transferred over to the new 13,000-square-foot space.
Vitagliano shares a few highlights from the past four years and what else members of the KISS Army can expect at the Rio:
Meet and Greet�The venue will feature an info center that offers up-to-the-minute details on all things KISS, including how a fan can hang out with a band member one-on-one.
Always on the Market�Fans can get a peek at a wide assortment of KISS memorabilia throughout the venue. Among the hundreds of pieces on display: original drummer Peter Criss� �Spirit of �76� tour, stage-used drum stool; every KISS album signed by all band members; and a �70s KISS pinball machine. However, for Vitagliano�s favorite item, she points to former drummer Eric Carr�s Porsche gifted to him by Stanley and Simmons when he signed with the group. (Carr died in 1991 from heart cancer.) �It�s a very sentimental piece of KISStory,� she says, noting the course adds memorabilia as fans contact her to display or sell rare items.
Brush of Fame�Anticipate more rock stars putting the new 18-hole course. At the old place, Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, Sebastian Bach, Howard Leese of Heart, and members of Guns N� Roses, Survivor, Imagine Dragons, Five Finger Death Punch, and more all took a swing on the course.
Get in Gear�The gift shop sells a wide assortment of officially licensed KISS products, including T-shirts, golf balls, fragrance, and hats. However, fans also can snatch high-end band costumes that can run more than $500.
Only in Vegas�At the old space, besides seeing a half-million guests since it opened, the facility hosted hundreds of special events, birthdays, and weddings in the Hotter Than Hell Wedding Chapel. The new rock-themed chapel will be the exclusive wedding chapel for the entire Rio venue.
by Mike Bederka / www.iaapa.org
Grab the roadies. KISS by Monster Mini-Golf heads to a bigger stage this month.
With the mega band�s blessing, this popular rock-themed miniature-golf course will move a few miles down the road from the shadow of the Hard Rock Caf� Las Vegas to inside the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino.
�The Rio approached us as they had heard we may be interested in moving our venue,� says CEO/founder Christina Vitagliano. �Once we began speaking, both parties came to the conclusion the move could be a win-win, and we�re very excited to become a part of Caesars Entertainment.�
In a star-studded opening party in 2012, complete with a tribute band shredding in the parking lot, an Elvis impersonator in KISS makeup, and all the group�s current members in attendance, KISS by Monster Mini-Golf debuted with much fanfare.
�People come to us all the time with ideas,� said Paul Stanley, KISS cofounder and singer/guitarist, at the time. �But you need resources to implement it. You need a vision. We thought it would be a great marriage.�
Many of the course�s key props, like an oversized version of Stanley�s �Starchild� boot and KISS cofounder and singer/bassist Gene Simmons� 18th hole giant �demon head,� will be transferred over to the new 13,000-square-foot space.
Vitagliano shares a few highlights from the past four years and what else members of the KISS Army can expect at the Rio:
Meet and Greet�The venue will feature an info center that offers up-to-the-minute details on all things KISS, including how a fan can hang out with a band member one-on-one.
Always on the Market�Fans can get a peek at a wide assortment of KISS memorabilia throughout the venue. Among the hundreds of pieces on display: original drummer Peter Criss� �Spirit of �76� tour, stage-used drum stool; every KISS album signed by all band members; and a �70s KISS pinball machine. However, for Vitagliano�s favorite item, she points to former drummer Eric Carr�s Porsche gifted to him by Stanley and Simmons when he signed with the group. (Carr died in 1991 from heart cancer.) �It�s a very sentimental piece of KISStory,� she says, noting the course adds memorabilia as fans contact her to display or sell rare items.
Brush of Fame�Anticipate more rock stars putting the new 18-hole course. At the old place, Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, Sebastian Bach, Howard Leese of Heart, and members of Guns N� Roses, Survivor, Imagine Dragons, Five Finger Death Punch, and more all took a swing on the course.
Get in Gear�The gift shop sells a wide assortment of officially licensed KISS products, including T-shirts, golf balls, fragrance, and hats. However, fans also can snatch high-end band costumes that can run more than $500.
Only in Vegas�At the old space, besides seeing a half-million guests since it opened, the facility hosted hundreds of special events, birthdays, and weddings in the Hotter Than Hell Wedding Chapel. The new rock-themed chapel will be the exclusive wedding chapel for the entire Rio venue.
by Mike Bederka
Grab the roadies. KISS by Monster Mini-Golf heads to a bigger stage this month.
- See more at: http://www.iaapa.org/news/funworld/funworld-magazine/update---may-2016#sthash.0GKHkkYl.8J8LiriA.dpuf
