HBO/TBS Las Vegas Fest to be LA-centric

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on November 14th, 2005

Hollywood Reporter says:

Although the festival’s focus is on the consumer market, industry insiders from Los Angeles are expected to turn out because of the short distance and the good time and socializing opportunities to be had. Meanwhile, New York industry insiders have expressed less interest in traveling out West for a long weekend of work and fun.

The occasion for the story was word of the addition of George Carlin to the Founders segment of the Fest (the only portion really worth going out of one’s way to see, IOHO).

Fascinating that HR has picked up on the fact that New York industry types don’t want to make the trek to Vegas. Who doesn’t take any opportunity to go to Vegas (on an expense account)? What the hell is wrong with these people?

Perhaps it was all that talk about this being a “consumer-oriented” festival. What did they expect? The organizers did everything they could to scare away the industry by insisting that it was for regular folks. And, let’s be honest, hasn’t everyone in the industry (on both coasts) already seen George Lopez, Jon Steward, Jerry Seinfeld and Dennis Miller perform already? So, where’s the incentive for the NY suits to show up in the desert?