Safari Club convention finds itself in crosshairs

Las Vegas is back in international news this week, thanks to the late Cecil the Lion, as evidenced by this viral headline in the U.K.'s Independent newspaper:

"More than 20,000 trophy hunters descend on Las Vegas to join 'pay to slay' auctions."

 

 

More famously, Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer belonged to Safari Club International when he killed and posed with the corpse of Cecil the Lion last year, sparking international outrage, on-air tears from Jimmy Kimmel, and a barrage of reprisals from Ricky Gervais, Newt Gingrich, Ricky Martin, Aaron Paul, Judd Apatow, Amy Poehler, Sharon Osbourne, Neil Gaiman, Ariana Grande, Alyssa Milano, John Salley, Piers Morgan and MC Hammer.

 

Even the Safari Club, which advocates legal hunts and tries to position itself as a conservation group, revoked Palmer's membership.

 

 

It's right there on the SCI website, where auctions are listed for more than 300 big game animal hunts and fishing excursions on the "Ultimate Hunters' Market," including:

South African sable seven-day hunt (listed Wednesday at $57,295); Tanzania leopard 14-day hunt ($46,400); Australia trophy water buffalo five-day hunt ($32,000); New Zealand red deer five-day hunt ($92,600); Alaska brown and black bear 10-day hunt ($80,500); and Tanzania buffalo 14-day hunt ($58,720).

 

How wealthy are big-game hunters?

 

The convention will stage private concerts by Mirage comedian Ron White; country legend Merle Haggard; classic rockers Blood, Sweat & Tears; and an Eagles tribute band.

Salon magazine reported last year the Safari Club gets $7 million of its $10 million in revenue from its annual convention.

 

National groups, and some Las Vegans who regularly protest MGM Resorts International's use of animals, on Wednesday circulated tweets seeking people to organize in front of Mandalay Bay to "PROTEST TROPHY HUNTING."

 

Safari Club also has seminars bearing such titles as "Hearing Loss in Hunting and Shooting Sports," "Field Dressing and Gutless Gutting" and "Encouraging Women to Pull a Trigger."

 

 

Flamingo headliner Jeff Civillico announced Wednesday he will begin hosting a weekly audience-interactive TV show at the Linq fountain on Thursdays.

 

Starting Feb. 18, Civillico will stage "Las Vegas Good News" from 5 to 8 p.m. It will air on KTNV-TV, Channel 13, on weekends, and in 22,000 rooms in Caesars properties, plus rooms in the Palms, TI and other hotels.

 

Civillico was unavailable for comment after he email blasted the news to fans.

 

The show, according to his site, will be "always focusing on the positive" by seeking to "instill, protect, and expand the notion of Las Vegas as everyone's favorite escape destination."

 

His "Good News" show will include interviews from the High Roller pods, a 60-second wedding with the couple spinning a wheel to win prizes ranging from an In-N-Out meal to a new car, news and weather segments, live performances, and charities and cocktails of the week.

 

Notably, his site lists "board/advisers" including Kurt Melien, president of Live Nation Las Vegas; Rehan Choudhry, founder of downtown's Life is Beautiful event; Jason Gastwirth, senior vice president of marketing and entertainment at Caesars; Emily Jillette, half of Penn and Emily Jillette; Billy Conn, vice president of entertainment and special events at the Palms; Michelle Knoll, senior vice president of communications at TI; Robin Leach of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" and the Las Vegas Sun; Carrie Carter-Cooper, founder of modeling's BESTagency; and other players in startup businesses, charities and philanthropies, marketing and direct sales.

 

 

Las Vegas picked up only two annual Nightclub & Bar Awards this week.

 

Bartender of the Year went to Nectaly Mendoza of off-the-Strip Herbs & Rye, 3713 W. Sahara Ave.

 

Sports Bar of the Year went to Lagasse's Stadium in the Palazzo.

 

Even though, typically, America's top-earning clubs are in Las Vegas, such as XS, Marquee, Omnia, Light, Tao and Hakkasan, Dance Club of the Year went to something called Club Space in Miami; Daytime Hot Spot of the Year went to Wurstkuche in Los Angeles; Dive Bar went to Tiki Ti in L.A.; Lounge of the Year went to Teardrop Cocktail Lounge in Portland, Ore.; and Restaurant Bar went to Radiator Whiskey in Seattle.