VEGAS INC Magazine - Latest Las Vegas business news, features and commentaries about gaming, tourism, real estate and more
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/105502
Debbi Medsker Senior Vice President of Marketing Kirvin Doak Communications D ebbi Medsker is among Southern Nevada's top branding and mediaplanning specialists, with some 20 years of experience designing and managing branding and launch campaigns for leading resort properties. But the newly promoted senior vice president of marketing for Kirvin Doak Communications characterized her incursion into the industry as a fluke. "I did not take the usual path, but literally started as a secretary at Alexis Park and had opportunities to grow," said Medsker, who went on to serve as advertising manager at Luxor, director of advertising at Mandalay Bay and AVP of marketing at MGM Grand before joining Kirvin Doak in 2005 to open the company's marketing and advertising division, which now includes eight of the firm's 47 employees, the remainder of whom work in public relations. Among her accomplishments in 2012, Medsker — working with client Base Entertainment — planned and managed the successful marketing campaigns for Jersey Boys' move to Paris Las Vegas and the re-launch of Blue Man Group's new show at Monte Carlo. Medsker has also been instrumental in guiding some of the city's most successful brands, including Peepshow, Absinthe, Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group and Las Vegas Springs Preserve. Medsker said her department is also expanding into less familiar territory, having been working with the Nevada Mining Association for the past 18 months as well as the nonprofit X Prize Foundation in areas such as health care and the environment. She is also working on branding strategies for Nevada State College and Nevada Cancer Institute. In 2013, Medsker said the entertainment side of the business will continue to grow, and indeed, she recently led the marketing efforts for the launch of Rock of Ages at the Venetian, which premiered in early January. "Rock of Ages is a really fun '80s throwback musical extravaganza that I think is one of the best vocal productions on the Strip." — Danielle Birkin Fuilala Riley Chief Operations Officer HELP of Southern Nevada F uilala Riley relocated to Southern Nevada nearly 20 years ago to attend UNLV, where she earned a degree in hotel administration. "I spent my first 10 years here in the gaming industry because at one point I wanted to be a big casino executive, but when I entered my 30s my priorities changed, so I went to work at the Howard Hughes Corp., my first nongaming job," said Riley, a native of American Samoa. "When I was laid off, an opportunity with HELP of Southern Nevada as a special events manager came along, and since I had spent most of my gaming career doing casino events, it was a perfect fit." Nearly 10 years later, Riley has ascended to the post of chief operations manager for HELP of Southern Nevada, a charitable organization focused on delivering services to the poor, the homeless and those in crisis. After a promising 2012 filled with new partnerships, promotions, initiatives and record-breaking numbers, Riley is poised to set the bar even higher in 2013. Among her primary objectives: the relocation of the Shannon West 20130128_VI01_I.indd 7 Homeless Youth Center, a move made possible by a $1 million grant from the Engelstad Family Foundation. "Shannon West is currently located in the homeless corridor, and only has 65 beds, with no room for expansion," Riley said. "We have identified a larger property closer to our East Flamingo campus, with the goal of having an additional 100 beds." This year, Riley will also focus on promoting annual programs such as the HELP20 bottle campaign, which collected 14,784 bottles of water last year as the result of partnerships with Real Water and four Whole Foods locations. The water was distributed to the area's homeless population. Riley hopes to collect even more bottles this year, and has also set lofty goals for the annual Chet Buchanan & the Morning Zoo Toy Drive, which last year resulted in the donation of approximately 3,280 bikes, 18 trucks of toys and $268,000 in cash and gift cards. "We are extremely lucky to be KLUC's nonprofit partner for the toy drive," said Riley. — Danielle Birkin 1/24/13 2:17:38 PM