It’s Play time at Light and Daylight at Mandalay Bay

By John Katsilometes

Friday, Oct. 9, 2015 | 12:48 p.m.

It might not be business as usual, but rather a return to form, for the new/old hierarchy at Light and Daylight at Mandalay Bay.

Two men who helped open the clubs on Memorial Day Weekend of 2013 as officials with the Light Group, John Pettei and Colin Comer, are now back in business with their new company, Play Management.

That company has been enlisted by the Yucaipa Companies to run the night and day party venues after Yucaipa bought out previous owner Cirque du Soleil. The series of events over the past several weeks have been complex, but carrying great consequence: Beginning in the spring of 2013, Light and Cirque were originally partners in the clubs, but Hakkasan Group bought out the Light Group in a $36 million purchase deal in December.

At that point, Hakkasan entered into an operating agreement with Cirque to run Light and Daylight, with Comer taking a marketing role and Pettei as an operating exec.

In the latest ownership and management shuffle at the clubs, Hakkasan this week announced that it had ended that operations deal as Play Management took over. Cirque followed with its own statement confirming that it was leaving the nightclub business to focus on its live-entertainment projects.

Also, the investment group at Daylight had sued Hakkasan over several management disputes, and that litigation was settled as a result of Hakkasan ending its management of the clubs.

Consequently, as of Sept. 20, Pettei and Comer have been presiding over Light and Daylight. They physically returned to Light on Sept. 23 (Daylight is currently closed after its summer season).

“That was a great, refreshing feeling,” Pettei said during a phone conversation, joined by Comer, this morning. “The place itself is a fantastic venue, and Colin and I know it very well.”

Original reports out of the club led to the possibility of some major marketing and design changes at Light, especially. But such an upgrade is not in the club’s immediate future. In terms of technology and architecture, Light is a highly advanced nightspot.

“We don’t have any specific name, structural or design changes planned, but we do want to have a culture where people who come to the club are having fun,” Pettei said. “We will do that, and it’s a simple process. We have assembled a fantastic team.”

Play Management has inherited what Comer says is “a world-class nightclub,” and both executives say this project is the start of a growth period for a company that was launched this year.

Play Management is already in a promotional agreement with Clique Hospitality, helmed by Light Group founder Andy Masi. Light and Daylight are both listed on the Clique website among that company’s venues.

“As a company, we are talking to Andy and obviously have a very close relationship with him,” Pettei said. “We are looking forward to supporting his venue, and down the road we’ll be working with him on other projects. We have a history and a future with him, and we’re a new company that is open to collaboration.”

The club chugs along, with Clockwork and Disclosure, along with guest DJs, headlining the party this weekend.

“The energy in that room is really palpable,” Comer said. “It’s just been two weeks back for us, but there is an excitement and positive feeling from the staff. We really believe our best days are ahead.”

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.