  THE PASSIONATE PURSUIT OF PROMOTIONS
By Rich
Unger
The most repeated sentence said to me over and over is "I need new
ideas."
The second most repeated remark to me is "Why are you always criticizing
Club Owners?
Let me clarify, that every single example, incident and situation I write
about, is factual, and provided by Club Employees out of total frustration
and despair.
Here is a factual, prefect example of complete arrogance and ignorance, when
opening a brand new club:
In my Community, a former Nightclub Owner who's last club closed with a
horrible
Reputation for no dress code, DJs with foul mouths, fights, riots and a
horrible relationship with local law enforcement, has invested easily
$450,000. and remodeled a different building with a nightclub, an ultra
lounge and Champagne Room.
But talk about getting off on the wrong foot:
The Club has not been opened 4 weeks yet, but here are my observations:
1. There is no Passion or Pursuit for Promotions, they hired a DJ who has
been at every club in the area has nothing new to offer and has a
terrible Temper.
2. They are charging a $7 cover charge, if your going to charge a cover
charge for a brand new club that looks fantastic, charge $10. and weed out
the losers and bring in the spenders. I mean, $7
is a clear sign, "We are afraid you won't pay $10."
3. The Promotions Manager is a former DJ who has also hosted nights as a
Club Promoter at every nightclub in the area and could not pack them for one
night, yet he is the Promotions Manager of this Club?
4. They hired girls to dance, why I don't know, since when do you have to
pay girls to dance? Your a brand new $450,000 Plus club, it's Summer, you
should have zero competition, why would you pay girls who are "Plain
Jane's," to dance on your speakers?
5. The club started with a Sunday Latin Night for it's first three weeks, it
bombed, since the club down the Street has a packed Latin Night on Saturday
Night and does very well, this new Club's Owner now is going to switch gears
and host "TEEN NIGHTS" on Sunday Nights. As
long as he goes thru the proper process in presenting "TEEN NIGHTS" minus
the violence, the rioting, and the image his previous club's teen nights
created, he will do excellent. But he must
follow a disciplined course of action and logistical operation when hosting
"TEEN NIGHTS" that in the past he ignored. I
hope he will for the "TEENS" safety and for the Club's image.
6. Going on week four and they still have not pursued any PROMOTIONS with
any passion.
Nothing. Zero.
Nada. They have the opportunity to
make a huge impact on their market, and pack this club four nights a week
with a line outside. But instead, they open
with a "blah" instead of a "BANG."
7. It is so very frustrating to see a New Club open with no passion, no
zeal, no Energy. Just
the same old format from years ago, with a lot of the old fixtures updated
and refinished, along with a great deal of cash invested, but with no "FUN"
and no "WOW."
8. Will the club be successful? I hope so.
9. Will they have packed weeknights? No
10. Will they resort to drink specials during the week, rather than the
"Pursuit of Passionate Promotions"? Count on it.
11. It's now Saturday, when I called to hear the message on the club's
answering machine at 6pm, it was from this past Thursday.
If you can't even remember to change your phone message for the
weekend, how are you ever going to manage a Club,
pack it with Quality Patrons and generate serious cash flow?
12. They opened with no dress code letting everybody and anybody in, until
finally this Owner woke up and after three weeks decided to institute a
dress code. I mean how does an Owner operate
with such a convoluted sense of consistency?
13. Three weeks old and already one Main Manager is already gone.
This Club has a huge "NUT" you can't make money letting in slobs who don't
spend. You can't cater to upscale patrons,
who can't find a place to park. You
face major unnecessary hurdles in establishing this Club for what it should
be and not what this Owner is allowing it to be known for.
All Because of Owner Attitude.
14. Horrible Grand Opening, awful lack of promotions, no passion, no
pursuit, no PROMOTIONS, and opens at the worse time of the Year, when you
don't advertise in any media but an alternative
newspaper, which is not even your market. It
makes as much sense as a SuperBowl Quarterback driving a motorcycle like a
big shot with no helmet on and no license to even operate a motorcycle.
Thank GOD, he is OK. But his
arrogance and his ignorance almost cost him his life which is a far greater
loss than what this new club is going to lose....................
15. This Owner instead of introducing himself to the Owners of adjacent
Parking Areas at Office Parks and Strip Centers located right next to his
club, arrogantly uses their lots to put his patrons cars, and guess what,
because he never even asked them if he could, they now want nothing to do
with him and have a chain blocking one fantastic parking lot and the other
property owner has told him they will tow his customers cars from their lot.
The first, the very first step you take when you are building your
club is to make nice, make friends and offer financial compensation, an open
bar tab to neighboring Property owners who's lots at night are empty and you
need desperately. What a colossal blunder
and just plain poor lack of judgment.
16. His "Security" People are paid $10 an hour, $40 a night and out of ten,
only two are experienced, the rest are average age 20 years old and sadly
have zero knowledge, no background or grasp of how to defuse situations
carefully, safely and quickly.
*****************************************************************
On a more positive note, want to see a really hot Club that is rolling in
dough, go to the "Meatpacking District" of NYC and check out "Plumm."
They have the "Passion For The Pursuit of Promotions."
It's already July, you've lost tens of thousands of dollars by giving away
cheap drinks, cheaper beer, free cover charge, and still nobody is coming
in. Can you finally, finally pick up the
phone and pack your Club, your Lounge, your Outside Deck for August???????
WELL, can you? WILL you?
I can only ask you to, and you have to want to.
Call Rich Unger, he is just a phone call away at 941-921-7027 or e-mail
RichUnger@promotingnightclubs.com
OR SUFFER THRU AUGUST, LABOR DAY WEEKEND, SEPTEMBER and remember, You
could have, you should have................................been packed.
In Closing, whatever your position is on this
War in IRAQ, put it aside for a moment and Please HELP.
I ask every Club Owner, every Club Manager, every DJ, to look over
your DVDs, your CDs and please, send what you don't need or don't use to our
Amputees in Tampa at the VA Hospital.
HERE IS THE EMAIL I RECEIVED:
"IF YOU CAN ask any Nightclubs and DJs if they can spare any CDs or DVDs,
for these Wounded and Amputee Soldiers, I'd appreciate it greatly. Enclose a
note and say you learned about this from Lt. Col. Robert F Metnick, Major
Moten is in charge of Patient Rehabilitation"
Please ask the Clubs and the DJs to send whatever DVDs, and or CDs to:
MAJOR STEPHEN MOTEN
JAMES A HALEY VA MEDICAL CENTER
13000 BRUCE B. DOWNS BLVD.
TAMPA, FLA. 33612-4798
VA HOSPITAL: 813-972-2000
THANKS!!!!
GOD BLESS AMERICA
I AM ASKING, PLEASE COME THROUGH FOR OUR WOUNDED, LOST
LIMB HEROES.....................
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