Article 1 The other day, I was having breakfast in one of the newest spots on the Northside - After giving

my order to the waitress, I spotted two men seated at a table nearby. I recognized them as owners of one of the newest night spots in town. I waved a casual hello and they responded in kind.It was obvious they were just finishing up their day. It's a different type of life to be in the nightclub business. You have to put in a full day and then go right into working a long night. It's not unusual for an operator to say, "I work 28 hours a day!"If you think operating a restaurant has its problems, running a nightclub can blow your mind. However, the financial success and mental stability in the nightclub business should be orchestrated from the beginning, on the day you decide to build one.If you've had experience building a restaurant or remodeling an existing facility, multiply the aggravation threefold and you've got some idea of what to expect trying to develop a nightclub. If things go right, it can take 6 to 9 months to plan and develop a new night club. If things go worse than expected, it can take over a year. Meanwhile, costs continue on and on every month, and by the time the club is ready to open, all too often funds that were scheduled to meet the needs of construction and development and grand opening are depleted before there is any grand opening.One of the first hurdles to overcome is to come up with a club concept that will attract the attention of the club crowd and not discourage patronage of the occasional club goers. Second, is securing a location that makes your club stand-out. Third, is getting a club and liquor license with as little hassle from local dwellers and their officials as possible.Next, is getting the club constructed on time and within budget. Fifth, is to plan an ambiance that creates a unique club mood. Sixth, is to find employees that can follow directions and "do a club scene." Seventh, is to adeptly purchase your liquors, wines and beers to maximize your

acceptance by the club goers and make you the most profit.Club owners seem to agree that there were always problems that they were not equipped to handle while building their clubs. Building a club or a restaurant from the ground up, or extensively remodeling one that already exists can be an exhausting undertaking. Any construction is costly, but if you are hesitant and unsure of what you really are doing, it can be extremely expensive and costly both in time and money.You need good pre-planning and professional advice to reduce the chance of error, to monitor and coordinate everything that goes on. You need valid projections to know what its going to cost. But, you can't start making projections until you have your concept completely detailed. You've got to consider your entertainment, sound system, dance floor, number and location of bar facilities, general equipment layout, type of food to be served, appearance of the interior and what it will look like on the outside. How will your parking lot be organized. What about security?A promoter and future club operator can do this all on their own if they have the knowledge, time and fortitude. It takes guts to build a nightclub. Here are some rules to follow: Decide on the concept for each day of the week. Plan on the space allocation for bars, dining, and dancing. Train all staff thoroughly. Have tight cash controls. Have well thought-out product controls. Have a strategic marketing plan and a budget to achieve it. Have sufficient managers to handle the operating stress. Hire entertainers to attract the club crowd you seek. Treat all customers fairly and with the dignity they deserve. Make arrangements in advance to handle drunken and objectionable rowdies. A great nightclub should feature both bar and food items effectively. You can't use trial and error to see what will work

and what won't and remain solvent. You must foresee the changing needs and fantasies of club goers and translate these impressions into a firm reality of music, lights, sound and refreshments. Everyone desiring to enter the nightclub business, whether they have previous restaurant or bar experience, should schedule a meeting with professionals in this field to get the "act" together so the show "can go on!" regularly, with precision and make the owners a good return on their investment.

Basics

A Nightclub is a place where people go to: Have fun. Meet other people. Connect with member of the opposite sex. If these things happen regularly in your club you will be successful. Making this happen often will establish your reputation. To have a successful club you need to follow a number of well established rules. A NightClub is a primal experience. It taps into our basic instincts. Consequently it needs to replicate the jungle atmosphere that has been part of our animal brain for thousands of years. We respond to cues from our environment that will signal us subconsciously to enjoy and RELAX At NightClub Alchemy we project themselves into the customer experience completely in order to build a club that works. As a customer enters a club they are hyper aware of the environment and are making key decisions that will determine

if and for how long they stay. This is the critical time for the club. Every night a club needs to build a crowd and making the customers decide to stay determines if the crowd will build effectively. As well, the customer will remember this entrance experience and it will be a big part of the decision to come back to the club. This is one of the key paradoxes of club design. Customers want to see what is going on but dont necessarily want to be seen. That is, they dont want to feel that they are being staring at or sized up. We call this the stage effect. The paradox is that the club is all about people watching but the people dont want to feel that they are being watched. A club is really about managing the stage effect. In club design we define spaces that use sight lines to move peoples eyes to areas of interest, focal points, so the customers are buffered from feeling watched.

Design The good news is the defining factor in the success of a club is not money. Although it takes a significant amount of money to build a NightClub, outspending the competition is not usually necessary. In most cases the gadgets that cost the most in this business can have a negative effect in the long term. NightClub Alchemy takes a different approach to building a successful Nightclub. Although the technology that goes into making a nightclub is complex and important, we think that the psychology of a NightClub more accurately predicts its success. To get the best understanding of the importance of good design and planning imagine yourself in your shiny new disco and it is the beginning of the night. The very first people walk in and look around. What do they do, what will they think. Will they stay and be the nucleus of the night or will they leave?

This is the key moment in the life of a NightClub. My mentor who had built over 400 clubs and restaurants had a saying that every potential club owner should use as a mantra. Design for the Mondays and the weekend will take care of itself Once you create an enticing entrance experience and your customer is made to feel comfortable, you then need incorporate into the club certain design elements that make the customer want to stay. The customer needs to be able to find a place to park fairly quickly upon entry. This could be a chair, a stand-up rail or if the club is really busy then just a spot on the floor. Once the customer has become stationary they should be offered a refreshment and the interaction with the wait staff is the next key experience. Of course the wait staff needs to make the customer feel at home and this is a function of the effectiveness of the management (see management tab). In a club you have two key customer groups, the couples and the singles. Each has different needs. Couples (or groups of couples) like to find a key spot where they can see the action, are somewhat protected from the singles fray and can access the dance floor easily. Singles are much more mobile. They want to move around. Often singles (or groups of singles) will move from area to area of the club continuously . They need to feel that they can move. This is the key concept of circulation in a club. Circulation is the single most important aspect of club design. Without circulation it is very difficult to keep people interested over time. They need to be able to change locations to entertain themselves. The customer is moving to see who is in different parts of the club, to maneuver into range of potential dates, to better watch the dance floor etc. If you can effectively accommodate these two groups you will have a successful club.

Managing

Owning/Managing a NightClub can be a very enjoyable occupation. I can also be monotonous, nerve wracking and exhausting. Here are some key rules of nightclub management which will keep the business upbeat. The customer is always right. Ok, that's self evident. But is it. It is easy when a club is busy to start treating the customers like they are expendable. This is the number one mistake in NightClubs. If you engage us, we will show you why this is a sacred and tricky rule to live by. Never forget number rule number one. Ok were really obsessed with this rule as a key to success. Ask us why. The Music will make or break your club. This is another multi hour discussion on the ins and outs of playing incredible music every night. Our insight on this subject alone will almost guarantee the success of your club. Your best employees need to be watched the closest. Once you understand this rule you will find it easier to attact and keep the top producers in your city as employees Look after your employees. Your employees are giving up the time that they would normally socialize so you need to supply a convivial atmosphere for work. They dont call them clubs for nothing. The night business has an overabundance of rumors. Make sure you collaborate all stories. Be prepared for conflicted rumours on almost everything almost all the time. Controlling your cost of sales is vital to not only your profit but also to literally controlling your club. NightClub Alchemy has extensive experience instituting contols. If you are not careful you can be sure that your of goods will rise inexoribly.

Music

Ahh the music. Music is the soul of your club. As the owner/manager you need to be vitally involved in the music. Ideally you can get as much of an energy buzz out of the music as the customers. The music in today's nightclub is infinitely more refined and potent than the "Rock you Baby's" of the mid seventies. In addition the library of dance music now streches back over thirty years. Programming has become computerized. All this means that you can have music in your club that is incredibly powerful. NightClub Alchemy is a world leader in NightClub music programming. Our experience goes back to the beginning of Disco. We have a unique perspective on NightClub programming. Without us you are at the mercy of the DJ's. Don't get us wrong we think the DJ's are the stars, we just want to show you how to ensure that your club becomes legendary for its music. Tension / Release Unless you have been in the industry for long time you may not understand this fundamental principle of music programming. We call it Tension/Release. If you remember ending the night with 'Stairway to Heaven' for months on end then you know the idea that good music programming follows a cycle of building to a frenzy and then releasing into a slow number. This is not necessarily the norm today but it is still the best programming technique for anything but a rave club. Let us show you how to implement Tension/Release as the ultimate progamming style in your club. Another key element in the successful nightclub design is control of the sound. People find it hard to connect and communicate if the music volumn is too high. Of course, sound levels on the dancefloor must be very high. This is another key paradox of NightClub design. The answer lies in effective design. We can build a club where conversation and dancing can coexist. As an added bonus we do it in part by using specialized components that give you a significantly better sound than your competition.

Lights Lights

Lights can be the biggest expense in a club. There is a tendency to try and use lighting effects as the 'magic bullet' to somehow guarantee success. Lights are a huge part of the success of the any club but the lighting must be part of an integrated design. Lighting like sound must be controlled and used to vary and stimulate the mood. NightClub Alchemy has a special effect that it has used with total success in our clubs. Ask us and we will explain how you can use lighting to solve the number one challenge to a nightclub's success.

Introduction Nightclubs as we know them today began around the year 1975. Prior to that Nightspots were generally large venues that featured live music. In 1975 we saw the first wave of dance music. Of course dancing has always been with us but the sixties saw a period of more passive music appreciation. Suddenly with songs like Rock your baby and groups like KC and the Sunshine band, dancing became the focus of the music. An industry was born with the Miami sound machine and Giorgio Moroder in Germany initially producing Donna Summer and then starting the whole genre of European electronic dance. In 1977 Saturday Night Fever hit the scene like an atom bomb and the culture of dance really hit the mainstream. Now going

to the disco to dance was not just for the kids, everyone was doing it. The only problem with this era was that the dancing was still quite stylized. This could be intimidating for the average dancer. This 'Fever' medley is a good example of late 70's dance styles. Fortunately the european scene literally exploded after 1979. Initially the reaction to the slick stylized disco scene was groups like the 'Sex Pistols' and Slam Dancing but then the golden age of dance music began with groups like Duran Duran, New Order, Depeche Mode, Pet Shops Boys, the list is immense and impressive. This is when beat mixing and remixing became the norm. The principals of NightClub Alchemy have been involved in the Nightclub scene since the begining and have watched the industry prosper and mature. We opened our first nighclub in 1975 and spent many a night watching the crowd build, working the room and as they say in the rave scene waiting for it to 'go off'.

Bouncers & security Bouncers are often the most visible aspect of security in a nightclub or bar. Bouncers in city-clubs often stand out as the huge guys dressed in black. Bouncers and doormen are an important part of a comprehensive nightclub and bar security plan. However, employing overly aggressive bouncers and doormen with little training and inadequate procedures can contribute to the Death of a Nightclub.

Doormen
The doorman or door-host is the first person the patron sees and sets the tone for the style and attitude of the

club. Some clubs employ burly-looking guys who set the tone of the "Barbary Coast" days in San Francisco where bothersome patrons would be forcibly thrown out into the street. Other clubs use well-dressed ladies and gentlemen to make patrons feel like they have entered a nightclub with dignity and class. The true function of a doorman is to provide access control for a busy nightclub and screen those that enter. A doorman is traditionally the person who stands at the door and checks IDs to assure that each patron is of age to legally enter the establishment and is dressed appropriately. In some urban clubs, doormen use metal detectors and pat downs procedures where the format attracts mostly young people and has an expectation of finding weapons. Another function of a doorman is to prevent admittance to those that are obviously intoxicated or who have previously caused trouble inside the club. Most clubs have an "86" policy where objectionable patrons are barred from returning to the club for some designated period of time. Depending on the club, a doorman can be used to collect cover charges, tickets, or direct patrons to tables. In addition to normal doorman duties, some nightclubs use the door staff to monitor patron conduct on the sidewalk as well as inside the club. The nature of this additional task can lead to confrontations with aggressive nightclub patrons if not handled professionally. Obviously, more training and experience is required as the doorman becomes more assertive and begins to assume more security-like duties. Most busy nightclubs begin to have problems at the door when too many duties are heaped on to an inexperienced and poorly trained doorman.

Bouncers
Bouncers are an enigma. The term bouncer presents an

image of a brawler who will break up fights and forcibly eject obnoxious patrons. Bouncers are often portrayed in movies as tough, thug-like scrappers who love to fight, like in the movie Road House. Many nightclubs foster that image by hiring over-sized ex-jocks, wrestlers, or martial artists to handle drunken or out of control patrons. Usually these bouncers have little experience and receive no real formal training in criminal or civil law that they must apply. See my web page Bouncers Need Training. In a crisis, these inexperienced bouncers will be forced to rely on their own common sense and instincts to solve a problem. This can be a scary concept. The duty of a bouncer is to monitor the crowd to see that everyone behaves. The goal should be to see that everyone has a good time, but within established limits. The best bouncers are personable, friendly and can talk to patrons without appearing threatening or intimidating. The best bouncers dont bounce anyonethey talk to people. The mere presence of a well-trained bouncer will remind the patron that their conduct is being scrutinized and that their patronage can be revoked.

Floor Men
A better job title for a bouncer might be floor man or floor person. In the UK you often hear the titles of Head Doorman or Cooler. A nightclub is about the business of providing hospitality where people can come to relax, unwind, and have a good time. A good floor man will manage the patrons inside a club and will see to it that no one becomes overly aggressive and spoils the party. A well-trained floor man will circulate throughout the club, be highly visible, and be easily identifiable as a club employee. The floor man should continually evaluate the conduct and attitudes of each patron and watch for changes behavior. Lets face it, drinking alcohol in a

nightclub setting is designed to remove inhibitions and subtle behavior changes are expected. A floor man's job is to recognize the negative behavior changes and begin to manage the patron. Good floor men will use eye contact and body language to let troublesome patrons know that their conduct is reaching the threshold for unacceptable behavior.

Rule Enforcement
It is up to the nightclub to set conduct limits and then require the floor man to evenly and fairly enforce those rules. The best run clubs enforce rules and do so immediately. A well-timed and discreet comment from the floor man about offensive language or noise level is all that is necessary, in most cases, to resolve objectionable behavior. Sometimes, second reminders are necessary followed by warnings that further conduct will result in being asked to leave the premises. Any patron who aggressively rejects a reasonable request to behave should be asked to leave. Remember though that rule violations are not the same as crimes. You cant manhandle patrons or physically take someone into custody for violating a club rule. The biggest mistake a floor man can make is to ignore a patron who has become a nuisance and hope that they will either calm down or leave on their own. The worst case scenario can occur when another patron is forced to confront an overly aggressive customer on their own because the floor man was oblivious to the situation. Ultimately, the situation becomes explosive, a fight breaks out, and the floor men are forced to physically separate and eject the brawlers. This is not only bad business, but can become dangerous for everyone involved.

Patron Ejection

Having to eject a patron from a nightclub doesn't always mean that the floor man did not manage them properly earlier in the evening. Sometimes people come into a nightclub just looking for trouble, or cant handle alcohol, or cant interact socially with others. Sometimes, patrons bring their outside anger inside the club and no one knows about it until violence erupts. These people need to be asked to leave the club by the floor man as soon as their hostile conduct becomes evident. No one likes to be asked or told to leave an establishment, especially if they paid a cover charge to get in. If a floor man has reminded the guest several times about their conduct then it will come as no surprise when finally asked to leave. If the patron is taken aside and discreetly told about the decision, the likelihood of an aggressive exchange is reduced. There is nothing worse than having a big bouncer-type approach a young man, in front of his friends, and tell him to leave. After embarrassing this young man, you are guaranteed to get a verbal barrage of insults and foul language that may escalate into a physical fight. If it becomes necessary to escort an aggressive patron to the door, floor men should be well trained to do so. For safety purposes, a rule of thumb is to have at least one more floor man present than the number of people being escorted out. Unless a patron has committed a crime, floor men are generally not allowed to use physical force. This is not to say that you cannot slightly touch a patron to guide, direct, or block re-entry. Force should only be used in self-defense or for the purpose of detaining a criminal for the police. Punching, kicking, tackling, dragging, or putting someone in a choke hold are all inappropriate methods for floor men to remove someone from a nightclub. Unlike the movie "Road House" it is never appropriate for a floor man to punch a patron out of anger or because of a challenge to fight.

Escorting a patron out of a nightclub involves the use of professional verbal commands and a polite explanation of why they are being asked to leave. If a patron has been dutifully warned previously, then it will be of no surprise. If the conduct of the patron was obviously inappropriate, then likewise it should be clear why they are being escorted out. If the patron has been over-served and is intoxicated the ejection request may be more difficult. If a floor man is expected to consistently enforce the rules, there can be only two ejection choices for the patron. Either leave the premises quickly and quietly or be arrested by the police. Once a patron has been asked to leave by the proprietor, they become subject to trespass laws if they fail to leave. In some states, trespassers can be removed from the premises using minimal holding force. Typically this involves one bouncer holding each arm while leading the trespasser from the club. Floor men must be prepared to take a little verbal abuse if a patron is asked to leave. Likewise, floor men should consider a refund of the cover charge, if any, for ejected patrons to remove that point of contention. If the patron becomes combative they may become subject to assault and battery charges and it goes down hill from there. The floor man should be certain that the ejected patron understands that they must leave the premises immediately or be subject to arrest by the police. If the ejected patron attacks a floor man, reasonable force can be used in self-defense. Reasonable force can also be used to take an assaillant in to custody for the police. If you do this, it is important to actually file criminal charges or risk for false imprisonment lawsuit. Under no circumstances should excessive force be used. (See my webpage on Use of Force Continuum for more details on use of force). Headlocks and pain compliance techniques (i.e. arm twisting, wrist locks) are not appropriate ways of escorting a rule-violator from a club. Chokeholds and

sleeper holds should never be used except in life threatening scenarios. Floor men should also use care when taking a patron down to the floor, handcuffing, and piling on top. Intoxicated or overweight persons have died from positional asphyxiation from too much body weight pressing them to the floor.

Customer Fights
If two or more customers mutually get into a fistfight, they must be removed from the club immediately for everyones safety. The question is how to do it safely? The old fashioned method was to throw both parties out into the street and let them duke-it-out for themselves is wrong. The correct method is to delay the ejection of the more passive offender, if possible, until the more aggressive co-combatant has completely vacated the property. The reason for this is that it is foreseeable that two people who were engaged in a fight inside will continue the assault outside. The nightclub floor men have no legal basis for detaining someone unless a crime has been committed and cannot hold someone who wishes to leave voluntarily and continue to fight. However, the floor men has a duty to be reasonable and see that known offenders have left the property and to call the police if they know a fight is about to occur or if one combatant requests it.