The Vegas Bash 2011

by Guest Blogger EllaMentry

The city of sin was hopping at the 2011 Vegas Bash. A sea of reality celebrities were on hand for the meet and greet Friday afternoon. The space was small but the outdoor private pool area was adequate for the overflow. The band began rocking and the evening was drenched in hugs and kisses, as old friends greeted one another and fans got their first chance for some face time. Overall, the event ran smoothly. The meet and greet was thought to be over capacity for a brief period, but soon everyone was able to slip in to continue the party and in fact it ran two hours over schedule.

According to Vegas Bash coordinator Niki Congero, “We don’t kick anyone out. It goes until everyone leaves.”

Apparently another glitch involved the live feeds. Allegedly some rascals found a way around the pay per view aspect and began to broadcast over the Internet for free, thus causing the feed to be shut down for contractual reasons. Congero insists that everyone who requests a refund will receive one. Simply email the event and once purchases are verified via PayPal, those monies will be returned. She fully intends to deal with those responsible for potentially placing her company in breach of contract, as well. Enter the attorneys, stage left.

Meanwhile, reality shows represented included Survivor, The Amazing Race, Bull Run, Real World, Love Games and more. Present and accounted from Big Brother 13 were Dom, Cassi, Lawon, Keith, Dani and Adam. Those not in attendance included Brendon, Rachel, Jeff, Jordan, Kalia, Shelly, Dick, and Porsche.

Fans and celebs congregated at one of the four Rio pools and lazed in the sun the next day. Casual conversation was the fare of the afternoon. One can imagine it was a late night for those celebrities who had a lot of catching up to do, but it was also the perfect opportunity for this writer to get in a few interviews without having to shout over the din that naturally accompanies the party atmosphere. I caught up with Lawon, Adam and his sweetie Fara from BB13 along with Dennis of Ordinary Joe and Elvis Strange from Bull Run. These interviews will follow in separate articles.

The main event Saturday night was a much larger affair. The weather was perfect for the outdoor lounge gathering and camera flashes lit up the terrace. Couples danced, celebs posed for photographs and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Later the party moved indoors to a suite that was both gorgeous and spacious. The bar was open and everywhere you looked smiles from the guests and fans were in evidence. The shindig lasted well into the wee hours of the morning.

The astonishing thing about reality stars is they are some of the most down to earth people you’ll ever come across. Even in this type of “May I have your autograph please,” atmosphere, it’s difficult to find a sour apple in the bunch. Collectively, they’ll hang poolside with anyone and chat about anything for as long as one wishes, or until they’re pulled away by another committed fan.

Speaking of fans, they too were a fun bunch. Swapping episode stories from their favorite shows amongst themselves, often stopping mid sentence when they spotted a particular special guest. Some appeared too timid to approach them at first. Others are old hats at this type of thing and recognizable in their own right by the reality personalities.

For Sherri from Las Vegas, this was her first time meeting her idols, remarking, “I just can’t believe I’m here. This is like a dream. It’s so exciting.”

In time, the shy fans got over their fears, realizing the TV alumni were just as happy to meet them and genuinely appreciate their supporters. A polite group, they didn’t bombard the golden ones. They simply enjoyed the interaction in a relaxed atmosphere.

Overall, the Rio was a nice venue, moods were light and from what this writer could deduce, everyone enjoyed their weekend, logistic glitches aside. Reality TV lovers just can’t get enough of their beloved stars and events such as this give them the opportunity to get up close and personal in a comfortable arena. If you went to Vegas, you made a good bet.