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Why You Need To Meet A Promoter On Vacation

June 8, 2020

When I lived in NYC, I used to go out every night. Yes, every night. It got to the point where I went out so much and had such a big circle that I ended up promoting for a while myself. So, trust me when I say I know exactly why you need to meet a promoter on vacation.

NYC is such a social town and there’s so much stuff to do, but remember that everyone also lives in small apartments with roommates. Most of us want and need to get out of them. Imagine how much money I saved by going out with a promoter most nights.

Think of your vacation the same way. You don’t want to be stuck in your hotel room staring at the wall do you? No, you want to get out and about and not spend all your money while doing it!

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Promoters can help you find where to go and also hook you up. It’s their job to bring you to the party.

I do want to preface this by saying, there is a minority of promoters that give promoters a bad reputation. Keep in mind that if a promoter ever comes off as shady or annoying with invites, you can always ask to be taken off their list and link up with a different promoter. Befriend them on their social media and check them out first before you give them your phone number. Not all promoters are good at their job. Some are just in it to meet girls. If you ever get a bad vibe from one, just cut them off and go with another one. It will save you from the drama down the road. Don’t be afraid to tell the new promoter you met that you had a bad experience with the other one in case there is an argument between them who’s list you are really on. It’s good for them to know which promoters in their city are giving promoters and their clubs a bad name. They can give the feedback to the club and get them banned from working with them.

That being said, most promoters are genuine and fun! So, I’m going to give you an insider look into how promoters operate and why they can be your best friend while you’re on vacation. If you just want to know where to meet promoters, no offense taken if you want to skim over the next section.

Clubs pay promoters per head or give them a percentage of the bar or admissions (depending on the deal) Usually, pay per head is the most common form of commission. This is why the guest list exists, so that the club has an idea of just how many people may show up that night. Yes, “the door” (door men, security, guest list keepers, etc) really are doing their job while you’re waiting in line, not on a guest list. The guest list is gold ladies!

The more heads the promoters bring into the club, the happier the club is. Clubs want promoters to make the club look full so that as other people come in, the club doesn’t look empty. If the club was empty people would probably leave and the club would lose out on getting their money.

As the club fills, the club has more control with the door and can start to enforce table service for groups. This is where the club really makes their money. And money is the real reason why promoters exist.

When you show up at the club, and your name is checked off on the guest list, you are helping the promoter as much as the promoter is helping you. You are getting in for free and the promoter is getting paid for bringing you to the club. It’s a mutual benefits relationship and this is why everyone should meet some promoters on vacation. It’s a win win. You may even get some free drinks out of it.

Before I get into the logistics of where you can find a promoter, let me quickly tell you a little about “the scene” to prepare you for what to expect. I also don’t want you to waste your time looking for a promoter if it isn’t what you were expecting.

First and foremost, when you are dealing with the club scene, you are also dealing with a dress code. This is world wide. Even if you get on a guest list with a promoter, it is still up to the door’s discretion to let you in.

DISCLAIMER – You CANNOT show up to a club in an outfit you would just throw on to wear to the grocery store or for your drive thru coffee pick up (unless you’re a famous model.) You also CANNOT show up to a club already sloppy wasted. The door will not let you in no matter who’s list you’re on.

You need to make an effort to look good and you should have no problem doing that because the sun has kissed your cheeks and you are happy from being on vacation! The club wants people dressed right to give their club the right image. If you don’t want to stress about a dress code, don’t stress, just stick to the bars or bounce around and take pictures like in this article about NYC Local Photo Spots. The bars that have dancing can be just as fun as the clubs! Some promoters promote bars too so don’t be afraid to ask them.

Second, even though you just landed and you are ready to turn up tonight, everywhere has hot nights and slow nights. There may not be anything going on that night, don’t be mad.

Pool Parties – are always good no matter what day you go on. Some have celebrity DJs and get crazy with foam parties, while others are more intimate with house DJs and beach balls.

Sundays – More of a brunch party (yes those exist) kind of scene. Check out this article for an example from NYC’s Bagatelle from Bitcheswhobrunch.com. There may be one or two clubs open that night with a local house DJ.

Mondays – This is recovery from the weekend day. You may have one or two clubs open at night with a local house DJ, but the majority of people need a day to recover. It’s probably a better scene at a bar watching football or a lounge or rooftop bar just chilling. (Fun fact, this is a popular night for athletes to go out.)

Tuesdays – This is my favorite night to go out. It’s industry night! You find a lot of service industry people out who know how to have fun without any drama. This is the best night for a guest celebrity DJ to show up out of the blue during someone else’s set. (One of the funniest was a night out at 1Oak in NYC when Justin Bieber walked into me on the way to say hi to the DJ. He was hunting for Pokemon on Pokemon Go and looking down at his phone, focused on his hunt. There was even an article the next day about it, how he was spotted playing around town since that Monday. I wonder if he was able to catch ‘em all.

Wednesday – Hump Day! There’s a good chance everyone is out and about tonight. This is usually a big happy hour day so start early, take a nap, then go back out. The happy hour scene can be more fun than the club scene unless a Celebrity DJ is spinning.

Thursday – This is your best night to see a Celebrity DJ up close. It’s a good mix of people that go out today and people still work on Fridays so it won’t be super packed. Should be a good night for you.

Friday – This is “bridge-and-tunnel” night. People are coming in from all over the place. They are crossing all the bridges and going through all the tunnels to get to the club. Everyone goes out tonight so it’s going to be packed. Make sure you get there early. Even if you’re on a list, you may not get in because the club will reach capacity quickly. There’s definitely a Celebrity DJ performing somewhere tonight. Make sure you are dressed to impress because the door gets more and more picky as the club reaches capacity and will turn you away tonight if you aren’t.

Saturday – This is the hottest night. There’s definitely a Celebrity DJ performing and everyone will be bringing their A-game to the clubs. Tonight’s the night you should dress up as much as you can because you may not get in unless you get there early. The door is strict and once the club’s at capacity, you probably aren’t going to get in for another hour or so, so just go somewhere else. If you aren’t on a guest list, don’t even try to get in because you won’t unless you are buying bottles at a table

Third, getting on the guest list will not get you in for free all the time, but it will most likely solidify you at least getting into the club. Generally, it’s free before midnight for girls. You may get free drink tickets if you go even earlier, just read your promoter’s directions carefully. Factor in timing (you have to wait in some sort of long line), so plan accordingly for what time to arrive at the club.

Alright… now that I have you all hyped up about partying, let’s meet some promoters!

SOCIAL MEDIA

This may seem like an obvious way to meet a promoter, but I’m not talking about googling or looking up #promoter. Think more specific.

For Example – Say I want to see DJ Pauly D. First, I look to see where he is performing that week. (If I don’t see anything on his event calendar on his website, I’ll look at generic calendars like electronic vegas or eventbrite) I find that club’s Instagram and look at their pictures from the last couple days. Were any post from promoters posting? I’ll send them a message. I also look for people who look like fun people. I’ll send them a message and see if they got in on a guest list. If they did, they are usually more than happy to send me the promoter’s info. Otherwise, oftentimes the club itself has a guest list option on their website, it wouldn’t hurt to sign up for it if you can’t find a promoter. Just know this list doesn’t have as much power because anyone can sign up for it easily.

AT THE CLUB ITSELF

Do you know which club you want to check out while you are in town? Go to the club. You can meet a promoter usually hanging around outside the club offering to walk people in, ESPECIALLY ladies. Approach them and ask if you can go in on their list. They may not be able to get you in for free, but they will a least get you in for a discounted rate and you will be able to skip the line that’s already around the corner.

BARTENDER/ RESTAURANT/ RESORT-WORKERS

If you are at a resort, there’s a good chance that the people working at your resort are also promoters as their side hustle! Think about it, they get new people in every week, promoting would be no effort at all. Don’t be afraid to ask. If they are not a promoter themselves, they definitely know one.

One trip to Cap Cana, Dominican Republic, I did not know the area or the language much so we were just going to stay at the resort for the whole trip. While we were there, all the workers we had become friendly with kept asking us if we had been to Coco Bongo yet. We were like no no, we are too nervous to leave the resort. A few of them offered to take us there, but we didn’t feel comfortable going off the resort with them. So, they kept insisting we had to go and gave us a website where a shuttle would come and pick us up. We ended up going and it was so cool! If they wouldn’t have pushed us to go we never would have gotten off the resort.

LOCALS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES

What shops are nearby the club? Go in and ask if they know any promoters for the club down the street. If they don’t then they probably at least know one in town, or know where to go. (Just choose the right kind of people. I doubt the 60 year old shining shoes is much of a clubber, but the young girl behind the register probably is.)

THE BEACH

I don’t think I’ve ever been to the beach on vacation and not met a promoter walking around handing out flyers. Beaches are a prime spot for them to meet their ideal kind of clientele… PARTIERS! They will do all kinds of things to get your attention…

TOURIST TRAPS

Promoters go where their clientele could be. You may be in Times Square just to shop and take pictures, but look around and you will spot the promoters if you look for them. You may be in the casino to drink and gamble, but that well dressed guy standing in the aisle is looking for people to take to the club. Go meet that promoter!

ENTERTAINERS

There’s entertainers everywhere on vacation. Some of them are there to pose with you in pictures, some are promoting their show, others are just playing their guitar. Well, they are in the same industry. (Again, pick the people who look like they go to clubs.) They definitely know a promoter. Support them, give them a dollar, and maybe they’ll give you a club fast pass.

ANOTHER PROMOTER

Maybe you already met a promoter, but they are not promoting at the club you want to go to. Don’t be afraid to ask them if they know someone that is. They most likely do.

One time I was headed to Miami for Ultra Music Festival, but I didn’t know any promoters. I reached out to my fellow NYC promoters, but at that time no one knew anyone down in Miami. I thought I’d take a chance and reach out to some promoters I had met in Las Vegas and I hit the jackpot! I ended up with five new promoter’s numbers who were Miami promoters and let’s just say that was a trip to remember.

Tips That Will Make A Promoter Love You

-Make sure your social media is on point. When they have a face to go with your phone number, they will be more likely to reach out and tell you about the best parties.

– Get there early when they tell you to. This is usually when they walk in and you can walk in with them. You may even get some free drink tickets out of it or even get invited to sit at their table.

– Text when you arrive at the club. They will appreciate knowing that you actually came after getting put on the guest list (it also helps them keep track of their numbers), and if they are not busy they may even walk you in.

– Make friends with the promoters. They are usually pretty cool people. If you get in for free, sit at their table for free, and they give you drinks for free, offer them a $20 bill for tips for the bottle girl. They may not accept your money, but that gesture will not go unnoticed. You will shoot to VIP status in their eyes. You’re showing them that you’re looking to be their friend and they aren’t just an in for you.

– Give their number out to friends of yours traveling to the promoter’s city. Tell your friend to say you sent them. The promoter will appreciate the gesture and be sure to keep you on speed dial when big names are headed for the club while you are in town.

After I stopped promoting, I would still send people to a few promoters I knew. One night a friend and I heard Tiesto was going to be a pop-up guest at LAVO New York City that night. We decided to try our luck and see if we could get in. We started to get in line, when I heard someone call my name. Turns out one of the promoters that I would send people to was doing the guest list as a favor to his friend that night. She let us right in, gave us drink tickets, and got us in for free even though I had only met her in person once or twice before.

Now that you know all about promoters. I’ll share some budget friendly clubbing tips too…

General Clubbing Tips For Us Budget Travel Girls

Pre party beforehand, club drinks are expensive
Because drinks are so expensive, if you plan on drinking, It’s actually cheaper to buy a couple bottles with a group if you plan on drinking. It’s not that bad when you divide it up and you will have somewhere to sit when you get tired of dancing in heels.
If your friend is getting too tipsy, pour the mixer first and then put a little alcohol on top without a straw. They will sip it and think it’s all booze.
Generally girls are free and guys have to pay, but this is only before a certain time. After midnight everyone has to pay regardless of a guestlist.
Make sure you give the promoter a time period you will be on vacation so they don’t continue to mass text you every day even after you leave.
Get a cheap dress because it will most likely get a drink or two spilled on it!

BEST PLACES TO PARTY IN VEGAS!!!!!

BEFORE YOU GO.. LET’S NOT FORGET WHAT YOU SHOULD NEVER DO TO A PROMOTER…

-Keep in mind, that just like anyone else, sometimes people change jobs. Don’t message a promoter you met five years ago at midnight like, “Can you get me into the club?” Who knows if they even work at that club anymore or if they even promote anymore. (In general, you should never hit up a promoter when you’re already in line. Usually you have to be on the guestlist before 5pm.)

The reverse is also true, don’t message a promoter at 6am. They probably just got to sleep.

-Don’t ask to be on two promoter’s guest lists at the same venue. This is not going to go over well and honestly, they both will probably block you for wasting their time.

-Don’t show up at 2am and expect them to walk you in. They won’t and your text will annoy them. They are dealing with tons of other people who are already in, as well as running their table, and don’t have the time to just come walk you in. Go when they tell you to go.

-Don’t think you can buy one bottle and keep the table for the whole night. The club will kick you off and it will make the promoter look bad. They may not be willing to get you a table again because you tried to take advantage of the club.

I hope this article helped you navigate the crazy world of nightlife. Let me know how your clubbing experience went!