Sweet Summer Nights

Business Booms as the Temperature Rises
Written by Leon Bracey

After a long winter season, North Americans are anxious to get out and have fun during the summer. Whether consumers are traveling to theme parks, visiting beaches, or enjoying clubs on those long, hot summer nights, businesses have found myriad ways to cater to consumer demands and the latest trends.
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Many young professionals and the young at heart want to dance the night away and nightclubs are finding unique and innovative ways to market their clubs to customers. As big data has become increasingly important in a number of industries, the nightclub industry is no exception when it comes to collecting information about its customers. Catering messages and personalizing them to a niche audience has become an increasingly important trend in 2015, and many clubs are now adapting Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to understand their target markets and what their niche customers want.

A robust CRM system is interconnected with every aspect of nightclub operations and captures information such as the names of guests, how many times they have been to a venue, how much money they spent, and their preferred drinks. Nightclub operators can use this valuable information to identify their niche audience to help increase attendance and keep the doors open; owners of nightclubs can become savvier when it comes to marketing to customers. Once this information is captured from a CRM system, multiple audiences can be targeted for different promotions and events. That way, everything from the music they want to hear to the alcohol they like to drink can be marketed to help drive consumer spending.

Adding a modern twist to classic drinks can attract the clientele that nightclubs are seeking to sit in their barstools. Offering cocktails with bacon and maple-infused spirits can be a refreshing change on old favourites. Bartenders can also use new technology such as liquid nitrogen or gloss ice balls to keep cocktails chilled in a modern and unique way. Adding these modern touches can be a way to rebrand traditional drinks and market them to new generations of nightclub patrons.

Another notable nightlife trend has been the emergence of 360-degree service, often seen in hotel-based nightclubs that also offer promotions to give patrons a chance to get a room to sleep in. The emergence of upscale nightclubs located within luxury hotels has certainly been trending over the past few years and clubs such as Provocateur in The Gansevoort Hotel in New York, Liv Nightclub in the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, and 1OAK in The Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas are just some of the many nightclubs that have been built in luxury hotels throughout North America. Hospitality Management companies have been eager to pair up clubs with hotels in order to take advantage of this trend. World-renowned DJs and celebrities can be effective tools to promote and market these clubs to vacationers and locals.

Social media, of course, is still an effective way for nightclubs to reach their target audiences. With so much information thrown at customers, it is more important than ever to have a message that will resonate with clubgoers. Whether hiring a marketing company that is adept at promoting nightlife or even a savvy nightclub owner who knows how to attract an audience, an effective social media campaign that attracts attention is another important trend that nightlife owners must embrace. Like many businesses, the trend of paying for social media advertising as well as the rise of mobile payments – giving consumers the ability to pay cover charges on their mobile devices – has given nightclubs yet another opportunity to promote their wares to consumers. Social media can also offer insight into the latest trends in food, beverages, and music.

Another trend that shows no signs of slowing down in 2015 are outdoor movie events. These events are held in city parks, beaches, apartment rooftops, and other outdoor locations and can be a fun way for people to get together, whether spending time with the whole family or enjoying a date night. In Los Angeles, Street Food Cinema has become a popular summertime event for people to enjoy. Having started in 2012, Street Food Cinema comprises not only movies, but food trucks and local bands. Today, Street Food Cinema is now the largest outdoor movie series in Southern California with over 50 events in multiple locations throughout the region. This type of event can be an effective way for food truck businesses to promote their brand as well as for movie studios to promote their latest films to consumers in a unique and fun way. Businesses who want to market their brands to a large audience can use these types of events to not only become sponsors, but also promote their products with giveaways of free merchandise.

For people who prefer a more intimate setting in the comforts of their backyard, more companies are selling outdoor entertainment systems and projector screens. Businesses that want to promote the latest in outdoor projection technology can sponsor contests where winners can use this equipment in their backyard, making it appealing to those who want to entertain guests at home.

One of the fastest-growing trends in 2015 has been the growth of pop-up dining events. These are typically one-time food-related events that offer people a unique dining experience. Whether held at an unusual location, offering interaction with a famous chef, or providing unique menus or themes, these events cater to foodies and casual diners who crave not just a good meal, but a new and exciting dining experience.

The ideas and concepts revolving around pop-up restaurants have, in fact, brought out the entrepreneurial spirit in many people. They can be an effective marketing tool when promoting brick-and-mortar restaurants, and up and coming chefs can use these events to build their brand and highlight their cooking skills without being associated with a specific restaurant. People who are interested in participating in a pop-up restaurant event can purchase tickets and spend money purchasing food. According to a poll from event planning Web site Eventbrite, the cost of these events are of minimal concern to experimental diners; about 59 percent do not feel that a pop-up dining event’s cost is a significant factor when deciding whether or not to attend. What is more important to these diners is a unique menu or theme, events that are promoted as one-of-a-kind, and a memorable location. Pop-up dining can be a lucrative way to promote the latest trends in food and the restaurant business.

Experimental diners are often ahead of the curve when it comes to restaurant recommendations and are more likely to promote restaurants in an online review or to post pictures of food from these events on social media. Restaurants who want to try out new food items can use pop-up dining events to determine what will or will not work in their brick-and-mortar locations. If an event is received positively by participants, they can take note of what trend was the most popular as well as determine if a famous chef would be a good fit for their physical locations. A pop-up dining event or a mobile location such as a food truck can also be an effective way for entrepreneurs to gain an audience and expose their skills to the hospitality industry. If they are seeking investors to open a restaurant, pop-up events are an effective way to gain attention.

Whether enjoying a night out on the town clubbing, going to the movies, or dining in a unique location, the hot summer of 2015 has certainly been a boon for the hospitality, restaurant, and entertainment industries. Consumers can find innovative ways to enjoy their summer nights and companies can use these new trends to build their brands to audiences who otherwise would never have been exposed. So go have a blast!

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