Maintaining a lucrative business in the nightclub industry isn’t easy. You need to stay up-to-date on industry trends and offer the best experience in the biz. Here are four trends top nightclubs use to stay ahead of the curve in 2014.
1. Offering exclusive promotions
Exclusive promos have the opportunity of driving business because you’re offering something that other venues don’t have. This sets you apart and gives customers a reason to want to party at your venue. But like everything else, timing is everything. Do these frequently enough that your customers are aware of these events and have something to look forward to, but infrequent enough that it doesn’t become routine and standard. Your goal is to turn relatively ordinary experiences into extraordinary ones while using the elements you originally set out to accomplish when you first opened.
2. Focusing on the brand
Did you know the industry loses 5% of regulars every year? Guests connect with brands, and if you don’t have one, they’re more likely to jump over to the next hyped-up club. Your brand needs to represent your club’s reputation through your attributes, values, purpose, strengths and passions. It should clearly differentiate your from the club down the street or even across the country. Define your vision, create the essence you want your customers to experience, and design everything – from your logo, to your interior, to your messaging – around these items. Never lose site of your brand, and always work to strengthen it online and inside your doors.
3. Better implementing technology
Technology has come a long way in the nightclub industry in 2013. More and more clubs are turning to it to track results, effectively communicate across all staff members, and offer exceptional client experience. 2014 will continue to push this trend forward as top clubs are making better use of platforms that are available to streamline operations and maximize profits. The solutions they’re seeking are ones that offer the whole gamut in one spot, including guestlist management, VIP reservation management, client relationship systems, point of sale, ticketing, marketing solutions and, most importantly, analytics. Using this type of technology gives you better insight, increases efficiency and revenue, and ultimately leads to a better customer experience to keep them coming back for more.
4. Boosting trendy drinks
Drink trends are ever changing. They change with the month, season, holiday, or for no good reason at all. That’s why it’s crucial to always be on the lookout for the next new fad. But for 2014, industry experts are predicting four major drink trends: 1) cider will be more widely accepted as a drink of choice as more brands and styles begin to emerge; 2) alt-whiskey that was an experiment a few years back will come of age; 3) vodka is falling by the way-side, especially flavored vodkas, and are being replaced with whiskey and bourbon; 4) barreled cocktails are a thing of the past, as cocktails with an edge come into light.
Whitney Johnson is the global director of marketing for BookBottles. Contact her at whitney.johnson@bookbottles.com.
