VAULT · Grand Open Week
Window: Seven days, Monday through Sunday, Month 0 Owner of record: Taj Hines, Founder Production lead: Trill Walker, CSO (TWG-produced) Marketing + guest management: Tia Dunn, Marketing Director
Design Principle
Opening week is not a launch event. It is the first week the club is open. That distinction sets everything.
We do not throw a party and then start operating. We open the doors, and the first people through them are the ones who paid to be there before the paint dried. Everyone else, including press, is a guest of the members.
That framing shapes tone, sequencing, and the guest list.
Week Architecture
| Day | Anchor | Audience | Tone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Founding Member Ribbon Cutting | 450 founding members + immediate family | Ceremonial, warm, private |
| Tuesday | Press Day | 40 credentialed press | Editorial, on-record |
| Wednesday | Influencer Social Activation | Taj’s network, 60 named creators | Curated, quiet |
| Thursday | Invite-Only Opening Night | 300 guests, invite only | Elevated, festive |
| Friday | First Full Public Day | Waitlist bookings, member guests | Operational debut |
| Saturday | Community Day | Charlotte partners, corporate holders, city press | Civic, hospitable |
| Sunday | Members Only | Founding members only, no programming | Rest |
Day-by-Day Programming
Monday · Founding Member Ribbon Cutting
Time: 10:00am to 2:00pm Guests: 450 founding members plus a single named guest each. Cap at 900. Format: Private. No press. No public social.
Run of show: - 10:00 · Doors open, coffee and pastry service on the fifth floor - 10:45 · Founding members gather on the entry floor - 11:00 · Taj remarks (five minutes) - 11:05 · Ribbon cut by Taj and the first three founding members (by application date) - 11:15 · Building open, self-guided tours across five floors - 12:00 · Founder’s lunch in the dining room, seated for 200 (rolling seatings until 2:00) - 2:00 · Building closes to founding members. Reopens Tuesday.
Deliverables: - Engraved founding member wall unveiled in the entry. - Founding member welcome package: leather-bound program book, letter from Taj, key fob, INVITATIONAL Y1 priority pass. - One photograph per founding member with Taj (offered, not required).
What we do not do: - No stage. No microphone stand. Taj speaks from the mezzanine. - No branded step-and-repeat. - No public social from the team. Founding members are welcome to post at their discretion.
Tuesday · Press Day
Time: 9:00am to 6:00pm Guests: 40 credentialed press. See PR strategy for list. Format: Rolling walkthroughs, scheduled sit-downs with Taj, extended interview slots for national long-lead.
Programming:
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 9:00 | Press check-in, breakfast, guided walkthrough (three groups of 12, one hour each) |
| 12:00 | Press lunch, dining room, Taj remarks (10 minutes, on record) |
| 1:30 | Sit-down interviews: Taj with Cultured, Departures, Vogue Business, WSJ Off Duty (30 min each) |
| 4:00 | Trill briefing on VAULT INVITATIONAL Y1 (20 min, open to all press) |
| 5:00 | Wine hour, unstructured, floor access |
| 6:00 | Press day closes |
Assets provided: - Press kit: founder bio, category thesis, building fact sheet, photography (three shot lists), video B-roll link. - On-request only: financials, membership pricing (not published), sponsor names (embargoed).
Interview policy: - Taj on record. - Trill on record for INVITATIONAL and category strategy. - Tia on background only. - No membership names released without member consent.
Wednesday · Influencer Social Activation
Time: 11:00am to 8:00pm Guests: 60 creators from Taj’s network. Curated, not open. Selection criteria: editorial-quality feed, aligned aesthetic, no rate card involvement, no paid post agreement. This is a hosting day, not a campaign.
Format: - Building access all day, self-directed. - Two group activations: 12:00 movement class on floor two, 4:00 breath session on floor three, both taught by named practitioners. - Dinner service 6:00 to 8:00, seated for 60 in dining room.
Content guidance: - No prescribed hashtags. No required posts. No approval process for content. - One request: if you post, tag the club, not the team. - Photography credit provided for any content the team wishes to reshare.
Why this works: Taj’s network is deep and unpaid. The creators come because it is a good day, not because they are working. That produces better content than any brief could.
Thursday · Invite-Only Opening Night
Time: 8:00pm to 1:00am Guests: 300, invite only Presenting partner: Team Hennessy (bar, brand integration, potential performance) Music: Trill Walker DJ set Preview: VAULT INVITATIONAL Y1 announcement moment, teaser film
Guest list architecture:
| Tier | Names | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Founding member VIPs | 100 | Selected by Taj from the founding cohort |
| Cultural leaders | 60 | Taj’s network: fashion, hospitality, entertainment |
| Charlotte civic | 40 | Mayor’s office, arts leadership, corporate LOI holders |
| National press | 25 | Only press writing long-form features |
| Trill’s network | 40 | Choreographers, MDs, artists, athletes (invited personally) |
| Hennessy team | 20 | Sponsor delegation |
| Nomad Society | 10 | Rob Reavling and Nomad founding circle |
| VAULT team | 5 | Taj, Trill, Tia, general manager, program director |
Run of show:
| Time | Moment |
|---|---|
| 8:00 | Doors open, floor two lounge activated, Hennessy bar service begins |
| 8:30 | Guests seated for welcome remarks in the dining room (10 minutes, Taj) |
| 8:45 | INVITATIONAL Y1 teaser film screened, Trill introduces the category |
| 9:00 | Building opens to guests, floors two, three, four, five accessible |
| 9:30 | DJ set begins, floor two |
| 11:00 | Late seating small plates in the library |
| 1:00 | Doors close |
Sponsor integration: - Hennessy identified as the presenting partner of opening night bar. Signage restrained (etched glassware, back-bar mention, letterpressed cocktail menu). - No branded step-and-repeat. - One earned social moment: Taj and Hennessy leadership joint photograph, released Friday morning.
Friday · First Full Public Day
Time: Standard club operating hours, 6:00am to 10:00pm Guests: Founding members full access, waitlist tour bookings, member guests Format: The club is now open. Tours run every 30 minutes.
Programming: - Tour cadence: every 30 minutes, 8:00am to 6:00pm. Cap 8 per tour. - Class schedule: full weekly schedule active for the first time. - Dining room open for lunch and dinner service. - Waitlist tour bookings: first 400 waitlist members offered Friday and Saturday slots.
Marketing: - One coordinated social post from Taj at 9:00am: “Doors are open.” - Waitlist letter goes out at 10:00am: “The club is open. Here is how to visit.”
Saturday · Community Day
Time: 10:00am to 8:00pm Guests: Charlotte civic and corporate community, local press, member guests Format: Programmed activations, tours, hospitality
Programming:
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 10:00 | Charlotte Magazine roundtable in the library (invite-only, 12 seats) |
| 12:00 | Corporate LOI holder lunch, dining room (bulk employer program partners) |
| 2:00 | Public tours (waitlist bookings) |
| 4:00 | Local press walkthroughs (Charlotte Observer, Business North Carolina, Queen City Nerve) |
| 6:00 | Community reception, floor two, 150 guests |
Corporate B2B moment: This is the day the corporate program lands. LOI holders (Duke, Bank of America, Truist, Honeywell, Lowe’s, others) get first look at the corporate membership tier, meet the general manager, and receive a private brief on the bulk employer offering.
Sunday · Members Only
Time: Regular Sunday hours Guests: Founding members only Format: No programming. No press. No social.
The club rests. The week ends where it started.
Guest List Governance
Master list owner: Tia Approval authority: Taj (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) and Trill (Thursday cultural roster) Add/remove protocol: Any name added within 72 hours of the event requires Taj approval by text. No-show policy: Tracked internally. Repeat no-shows fall off future invite lists.
Media Invite Protocol
Invite window: Six weeks out Format: Personal email from Tia, not a press release Follow-up cadence: One follow-up at three weeks, one confirmation at one week Credentialing: Photo ID, publication confirmation, embargo agreement for Tuesday day-of coverage
Embargoes: - Tuesday coverage: lifts Wednesday 6:00am ET. - Thursday coverage: lifts Friday 8:00am ET. - INVITATIONAL Y1 announcement: lifts Thursday 9:00pm ET, at the event moment.
Tone Notes
The building is not new. It is finally open. Every word we write for opening week should reflect that.
The founding members are the story. The press is here to meet them, not us. Taj is the founder and the face. Trill is the strategist and the DJ. Tia is the person who makes the room work.
No confetti. No countdown. No hype video. No celebrity walk-ins we did not personally invite. No press release with the word “unveils” in it.
The doors open. That is enough.