Ex-Caesars exec co-founds Las Vegas sports-entertainment company
For all of his individual success, Jason Gastwirth has been an ensemble performer. He’s now a team player.
The former president of entertainment at Caesars Entertainment has joined veteran sports/entertainment manager Jamie Fritz and 20-year corporate marketing executive Greg Cannon in launching Interstate 15 sports-entertainment marketing company.
The Las Vegas-based consortium provides sports-, entertainment- and marketing-centered services. These include strategic consulting, talent management and booking, sponsorship sales, branding, creative development and digital marketing.
Gastwirth decided last fall to enter into the partnership. He and Fritz have been friends during Gastwirth’s run as an entertainment official.
“I think my experience is in live entertainment, not only at Caesars but prior to that, having access to talent and understanding of success factors of shows here in Las Vegas and elsewhere,” Gastwirth says. “But I’m also stepping back and helping clients understand their strategic direction and future.”
Fritz is founder of Fritz Martin Management — a leader in sports and entertainment specializing in elite athletes and global brand representation. His roster of clients include NFL legends Eddie George, Joe Theismann, Marcus Allen, Rod Woodson, Ronnie Lott, Shannon Sharpe and Tim Brown. Fritz’s team manages business affairs for professional athletes, Pro Football Hall of Famers, Heisman Trophy winners, NFL MVPs and Super Bowl MVPs.
Cannon has for two decades served as a creative director and corporate marketing executive. He’s worked with such entities as Caesars Entertainment, XFL, 3ICE and Madison Square Garden Company, including the NY Knicks, NY Rangers, the Rockettes, Radio City Music Hall and LA Forum.
Gastwirth joined Caesars Entertainment in 2011, after a year as chief marketing officer at the Palms. Prior to that tenure, Gastwirth spent nearly four years with Las Vegas Sands, where he brokered entertainment deals for The Venetian/Palazzo in Las Vegas as well as hotel-casinos in Macao and Singapore.
With Gastwirth on board, Caesars Entertainment entered into an exclusive booking partnership with Live Nation at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, and Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood. Celine Dion (for her second residency production), Elton John, Rod Stewart, Reba and Brooks & Dunn, Jerry Seinfeld, Shania Twain, Usher, Adele and Garth Brooks have headlined at the Colosseum during Gastwirth’s leadership.
Caesars launched “Absinthe” in April 2011, during Gastwirth’s time with the company. After six months, “Absinthe” had become a Las Vegas success story.
Gastwirth also presided over hit residency shows at Planet Hollywood starring Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, the Backstreet Boys, Lionel Richie, Def Leppard, Gwen Stefani, Florida Georgia Line, Scorpions, Pitbull, Twain, Christina Aguilera, The Chicks, Kelly Clarkson and Miranda Lambert.
Keith Urban has played both the Colosseum and Bakkt Theater in the Gastwirth era.
But the new ownership team from Eldorado Resorts has cloven the company’s entertainment executive roster, along with several high-ranking officials. To open the new year (and unrelated to Gastwirth’s decision not to re-up with Caesars), the company cut ties with several high-ranking executives. Former ticketing exec Amy Graca is now Caesars’ senior vice president of entertainment, presiding over the entire division.
Gastwirth has been at the forefront of Las Vegas’ evolution as an international destination for residency headliners. When he started his Vegas career, “residency” was not a common term outside the entertainment industry. It has become the widespread, go-to term for extended engagements, whether 44 weeks a year or just four dates.
“Now, when it’s announced that are artists doing residency, it’s accompanied by extraordinary excitement throughout the world, versus having to go into, “What does it mean?’” Gastwirth says. “So I so I think that’s real proof of the model. And I will tell you that, that artists of the highest profile are at least considering a Vegas residency.”
Gastwirth says a highlight of his Caesars career was the launch of Britney Spears’ “Piece of Me” at Planet Hollywood in 2013. The show ignited the second wave of residency productions in Las Vegas, following Celine Dion’s opening at the Colosseum a dozen years earlier.
“Britney Spears really started the the trend of these pop, rock and country residencies,” Gastwirth said. “There certainly was a great history with Celine and Elton John, that started it all. But Britney, and later Jennifer Lopez, I would argue, brought us into the next era of what we’re seeing now.”
Cool Hang Alert
Radio Jrny is playing Italian American Showroom at 6:30 p.m. (doors for dinner) and 8 p.m. (show). This is a tribute to Journey. IAC, meantime, is a tribute to itself. Get there. Go to IACVegas.com for intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.