Ops StrategyJan 24, 20266 min read

Five Things That Trigger Overtime and Escalations in Las Vegas

Vegas budget blowups usually come from predictable operational misses. Here are the five that show up the most—and how to prevent them.

Written by Coordinated Eventures

Vegas budgets rarely blow up because of one big decision. They blow up because of five small failures no one wanted to talk about.

The five triggers

  • Missing or shifting access windows (one delay away from overtime).
  • “We’ll find the right door when we get there.” (that’s how you lose the window).
  • Late-day surprises (you pay twice: the run + the ripple).
  • No decision owner (group text chaos).
  • Undefined scope on show day (a permanent emergency).

What to do instead

  • Identify mission-critical runs early.
  • Build buffer where failures hurt most.
  • Assign a decision owner and escalation chain.
  • Use last-mile support so producers don’t get pulled off the floor.

Field Notes rule

Most “surprises” were predictable. They just weren’t written down.

Want a prevention pass before your next Vegas program? Request a Vegas Readiness & Risk Check.

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Boring execution is the goal. Boring is a compliment.

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