Jack Your Body vs. Poppin' Bottles ~ When a party was a party

The days of the 2-step are in full force. With DJ's that don't stray far from the the Top 40 and Club Owners that are more concerned about the color of their crowd than creating atmospheres that are about in its simplest form....partying, the Chicago party scene as we know it, is becoming extinct.

Today's party scene is saturated with fly by night promoters and an overabundance of options. Deciding where to party on a Friday night is more difficult than deciding whether or not to have a C section or natural child birth! There is no easy answer and there are so many factors on which to base your decision. What makes one party stand out from another? What happened do dance floors, do they still exist? and why does a bottle of alcohol cost as much as last months cell phone bill?

To pay or not to pay....that's the question
Since when has partying become rocket science? Free before 10pm, then $10 before 11pm, but if you RSVP with your social security number you can get on the list, which means that you get a discount at the door, which we can't tell you right now what it is, but you'll need to print our the confirmation email and bring it with you to even be considered for entry...OK, wait now what now? When I'm ready to unwind from a long week of working who wants to have to remember all of this? If you work as hard as I do, at 5pm on Friday my brain shuts down, and the only thing that's left to think about is if I'm drinking light or dark liquor tonight! For most people when it comes to partying they could care less about what the cover is...as long as they know that they are guaranteed to have a good time. The event planner in me would suggest that the most successful parties are the ones that are consistent. Find a mix of elements that work and then build your following. Throw a weekly party at the same venue, for the same price, with the same DJ and the people will come out. The best form of marketing is not via e-blasts, facebook, myspace, etc...it's word of mouth. The first place people will think about going the next week is the last place they remember having a good time. Clubs, like any other business owner, need to make their customers' experience memorable. This is how you create customer loyalty and brand awareness.

There's another one right down the street!
The old mantra, first impressions are everything still hold true when it comes to business and marketing. When you have an event, its about the complete experience from beginning to end. This begins at the door! If your guests are greeted with mean mugging bouncers, ego maniac promoters and are ushered into the club like a herd of elephants, what do you think they'll expect the rest of their experience will be like? The reality is, there is another club right down the street that's offering the same thing you are. Your guests are just that...guests. They are your clients, customers and essentially should be treated like family. They should feel welcomed. The goal here is for them to come back again and again and again. You want your guests to develop the "Cheers" mentality, "where everybody knows your name". Where regulars are valued and newcomers are embraced. What makes your party special is not the fancy font you use on your flyers, or the celeb you get to host/make an appearance at your party, or the catchy slogan you use to get peoples attention when they're sifting through their spam mail. What makes your party special is the no line, no wait, the DJ that you can't stand b/c he's making you sweat your hair out but love b/c he's forcing you to put that 9 to 5 up on the shelf, the club owner that knows you by name b/c he sat at the bar and took shots with you last week, and the well worth it hangover you have the day after.

Pop a bottle to pop that bootie
Pay to play has taken on a whole new meaning when it comes to the business of throwing parties. While it is certainly a viable means of making additional income, the goal has shifted from throwing parties to making money. When your goal is the simply the latter its a recipe for disaster. I'll admit as a woman I've gotten off easy when it came to having to shell out a lot of money at clubs. But when I got wind that they were charging guys $40 and upwward to $80 bucks to get in, I figured out the reason why the women ALWAYS outnumber the men in the club...it's b/c most working men are not going to pay the high priced admission. Once you're in, your next mission is to get into VIP, because that is truly where the party is at. If you are buying a bottle (well nowadays its more like a 2 bottle minimum)you do not have to stand in line, you don't pay a cover, you get the undivided attention of a cocktail waitress, the DJ will shout you are your guests out all night, and you will get a personal visit from the manager or promoter. All while the general admission guests stare upon you from the stagnant dance floor wishing they could join the party.

While I'm getting close to the age where I'm almost the old chick in the club...I still have hope that the days of the Sinibar, Biology Bar, Red Line, Funky Buddha, Slicks, Minx's, etc... will resurface and give us back the PARTY. The $10 all night, the eternal girls night out spot, the you already know where I'm going to be at spot, the I can't wear that this week b/c I wore it last week spot, the I got stories for days about that spot, the every picture I got is in front of that same wall at the club spot, the I got my cardio in for the week in one night spot....the I don't care if I'm almost 30, I still want to jack my body spot.

Bring us back our party spot!