Research question's Rave's and night events

[Blackmage]

I don't know if I'm allowed to ask these questions, but mod/ Admin feel im breaking free to close thread if necessary.

Well, the other day a good friend of mine held an rave at an night club (His second) and it wasn't as successful as his first. I thought to myself i would give him a hand to save cost's and add another view point(He's fine with this of course). So my first job is to do some research for him. You know i want to know what the people want, by answering this first question it will help me meet the needs of my customers.

*Just copy and paste*

All the help will be great appreciated


(1) How old are you?




(2) Are you familiar with nightlife/scene?(If no go to question 4)




(3) If so what attracts you to it?



(4)What would you like to see to encourage you more?



(5) What is a sensible cost



(6) Would a ticket system be better?



(7) Does type of venue effect your choice I.E bar,hall or night club


(8) Does the area affect your choice?


(9) Do you like to party with people similar to you?


(10) Cost of drinks do you think they need to be more realistic if so what price range?


(11) what type of music would you like to hear?



(12)(Male question) does ladies having free entry effect your choice on a night out?


(13) Any additional info?

[Gr44]

(1) How old are you?

20

(2) Are you familiar with nightlife/scene?(If no go to question 4)

Yes... I enjoy a pint, or two


(3) If so what attracts you to it?

For clubs etc, the music.

(4)What would you like to see to encourage you more?

I love old school dance and trance places, also rock/metal clubs. Most clubs only play RnB, pop and very bad house music. Unless you go some where 'special' or to an event that plays something a little differant.

(5) What is a sensible cost

I'd rather see higher admission and lower drink prices. The main thing that puts me off going out is pain through the nose for a pint. Higher admission, lower drink costs, would ( for me ) be better. Because I drink like a fish!

(6) Would a ticket system be better?

All I know is I hate getting my hand stamped. They never come off. Seriously.

(7) Does type of venue effect your choice I.E bar,hall or night club
As long as the venue is 'nice' then no. It's grouping has no effect, the time it shuts will though. It's nice when you find a place with high ceilings and a decent sound system.. rather than the more common, dank, cramped and bad acustics.


(8) Does the area affect your choice?

For my initial choice, maybe. If I know I like it, or if I'm dragged there no. Eg, I'm less likely to try it if it's in the middle of no where... or in 'that' part of town.

It wouldn't stop be going back though, assuming travel costs wern't stupid.

(9) Do you like to party with people similar to you?

I like to be with people who aren't morons... thats it, really.

(10) Cost of drinks do you think they need to be more realistic if so what price range?

Yup, see above response. Clubs sting you for the sake of stinging you, and, understandably because many people who don't drink as much later in the evening. If everyone was like that I wouldn't have a problem... but for us who probably belong in the AA... It becomes very expensive!

I'd say local pub price + 10 - 20% depending on the venue. The clubs around my way charge a waaay higher mark up than that.

(11) what type of music would you like to hear?

Dance, Trance, Rock and Metal. Certainly where Dance is concerned I prefer older stuff. Mainly because modern 'dance' songs are more pop than dance, imo.

(12)(Male question) does ladies having free entry effect your choice on a night out?

No really, though it does bug me that they get in for free... AND we buy them most of their drinks!! Men really are the weaker of the two, eh? : )

(13) Any additional info?

If I owned a club, I'd personally have zero tolerance for <beeps> because, they bring the tone of the whole place down.

I'll admit I've been kicked out of pubs a couple of times in the past ( falling asleep was one of them ) but I've never had much of a problem about being kicked out, as long as there is reason. It's not stopped be from going back, and places that are more strict I prefer... keeps some of the idiots on the other side of the door.

ps; It's not like I get kicked out often, but I'm sure everyone has gotten too loud in a pub or whatever and been asked to drink up. My point was, I think most people prefer a nice enviroment... if you cause trouble all the time then you should obviously be banned. But on the rare incident someone does get asked to leave, it should be done in such a way ( where possible ) that they understand why etc.

If I started a fight in a club like many seem to these days, I'd actually be mortified if I wasn't kicked out, sadly though, many of those people aren't - which only fuels the fire. ( I'm making me sound bad, I've never been invovled in a bar brawl! )

[Fraz]

Promoting nights is a labour of love and a fool's errand. Very hard to consistently even break even, IMO. Let alone make a profit!

One of the most consistent and best nights I've ever been to (Kingpin in Bristol) had this formula (in brief):

- One headliner who is pretty underground (and hence not that expensive), but really well respected.
- Really really good resident DJs
- &#163;5 quid to get in.

Musically it started off as a breaks night, but now it's pretty much anything, with a heavy emphasis on electro/techno/breaks. DJs play a really good mix of a bit of what you do know, a bit of what you should know.

I guess their success is now based on their reputation for consistently good nights, and their door price to awesomeness of night out ratio. Starting out is hard for anyone though... if you put on consistently good nights, the people will come in the end.

Oh, and I think the let the ladies in for free thing is totally lame. As long as the music isn't some super-underground 500 bpm gabba-breakcore weirdness, it won't be a total sausage-fest.

[Rishi]

(1) How old are you?

22

(2) Are you familiar with nightlife/scene?(If no go to question 4)

Yes!

(3) If so what attracts you to it?

Clubs, particular DJs/Music and Girls.

(4)What would you like to see to encourage you more?

A club where the mood is “wow” this can be through visual effects, hot bar maids or just having damn good music on.

(5) What is a sensible cost

&#163;15 tops for a normal night out, if a top DJ is playing then more.

(6) Would a ticket system be better?

Not fussed, I do like to randomly go out.

(7) Does type of venue effect your choice I.E bar,hall or night club

Club.

(8) Does the area affect your choice?

Yes, if its in a area where I will walk out at 6am and lose my mobile/wallet then I aint going.

(9) Do you like to party with people similar to you?

Very much so.

(10) Cost of drinks do you think they need to be more realistic if so what price range?

hmm, say around the &#163;4-5 mark tops for bottles, &#163;5 the very top ideally. But this all depends on the night, if it’s a big one and the atmosphere is great then I am pretty easy going on price.

(11) what type of music would you like to hear?

Dance – all types that come under that title.

(12)(Male question) does ladies having free entry effect your choice on a night out?

Yes it does affect me, it makes for a sausage fest of a night.

(13) Any additional info?

The clientele make the club, always remember that

[Fraz]

[B]
The clientele make the club, always remember that

This is very very true.

[schmunk]

(12)(Male question) does ladies having free entry effect your choice on a night out?

Please, please, please don't do this. It's soooooo tacky.

[tiggerai]

I'll answer this one later... but some good points made already.

Just one point for now - I tend to stay away from "Ladies free" clubs as they are tacky and generally just full of scary weirdos expecting it to be packed with Ladies.

[ACiD303]

(1) How old are you?

26

(2) Are you familiar with nightlife/scene?(If no go to question 4)

Yes


(3) If so what attracts you to it?

In a club: the music and community associated, meeting people of the same wavelength. Clubs that manage to create a community, and forward music you like - those are the ones that are the best.

(4)What would you like to see to encourage you more?

If I knew that, I'd start my own club!

(5) What is a sensible cost

For entry? It has to be in line for what is being offered. What is it you do/offer that makes it worth paying the extra &#163;&#163;&#163; compared to the alternative? Or why do you think you offer good value for money? And the name of the DJ shouldn't mean you charge &#163;10 more by default.

Inside, &#163;1 for cloakroom per item is standard. Drinks I'm expecting to be ~&#163;3/beer (bottle or pint) so I already take this into account when I intend to go any place. I don't go to a club for it's drink promotions.

(6) Would a ticket system be better?

Than?

I see someone's said something getting a hand stamp, so I'm guessing it's not the cloakroom. I've only really had to deal with tickets when pre-buying for a club/event...so not sure what you're really asking?

(7) Does type of venue effect your choice I.E bar,hall or night club

Yes. However, it's more to do with the associated people that it usually pulls in. Makes me sound elitist, but I wouldn't want to go somewhere where I'm not going to enjoy the company. I like reappropriated spaces - buildings or places that had a different purpose other than club/event and it's been pulled off fantastically.

(8) Does the area affect your choice?

Depends on how far the area is and what I'm getting out of it. I'm not going to Leeds for just one night when it'll take most of the day to get there.

Or if you're talking locality, rough areas, etc. then I guess it comes down to community again...

(9) Do you like to party with people similar to you?

Not similar, I like difference, but I tend to stay away from alot of mainstream, higher profile clubs/events due to my experiences with the majority I've encountered.

(10) Cost of drinks do you think they need to be more realistic if so what price range?

How else are the venue supposed to make money? I don't really care . . .

(11) what type of music would you like to hear?

This is a bit subjective, but I like most sub-genres of Techno - Acid Techno, Hard Techno, Minimalist Techno etc. I like a hell of a lot of music, but if I'm going out for a dance, then not that many out there impress me.

(12)(Male question) does ladies having free entry effect your choice on a night out?

Yeah - won't go. Nothing against it, but it sounds like they're wanting more women because they probably don't get enough, and wanting to attract more men. If I want to go somewhere, I don't care what the ratio is - somewhere trying to engineer figures sounds to me as if there's something not right.

(13) Any additional info?

My old haunt for many years was basically:

- price was never more than &#163;10, sometimes it was free, sometimes it was &#163;5 - I don't remember ever paying more than &#163;10, even for a "big" name.

- the place was a run down studio - they made the best of this by having underground decorations to suit - again, space reappropriation. It was a good underground feeling, with no pretention.

- the club always brought names that were "big", but not quite the names people read about in magazines. The fact that they promoted music outside the box - it wasn't confined to the international, or even UK, style it broadened a lot of horizons. The residents had an armoury of records that reflected their talents.

- the club created a community - basically the club was just a hub, but there would always be stuff going on outside it . . . and obviously, before and after the club.

- the crowd - obviously, good craic - they make the atmosphere, unpretentious and indiscriminate, enjoying the same music.

- good staff . . . this is important. Good bouncers, good bar staff, good cloakroom staff - they're the people that make you feel welcome. I hate attitude, which is what seems to getting these people jobs nowadays.

- good chill out area(s) - very important for when you want a good natter and (obviously) chill out.


However, I don't think you can create a formula for all of this.... many nights will do well on its first night and not be able to recreate it, through no fault of their own - I know plenty who have gone down this route.

[Lee H]

I'll update this later once I've fixed me PC at home.

Ladies Nights - No, No, No, No, No! The clientele here would not what your after. Apart from it being a sausagefest of epic proportions it would also be quite a breeding ground for STD's.

[Blackmage]

Thanks for the input so far guys! Hexus one of the few forums with decent members.

[Blackmage]

Please, please, please don't do this. It's soooooo tacky.

please could you explain what you find tacky about this idea?

(6) Would a ticket system be better?

Than?

I see someone's said something getting a hand stamp, so I'm guessing it's not the cloakroom. I've only really had to deal with tickets when pre-buying for a club/event...so not sure what you're really asking?

Yes i was asking this because, i feel you can control numbers better. nobody like a cramped club

[dave87]

(1) How old are you?

20

(2) Are you familiar with nightlife/scene?(If no go to question 4)

Yes

(3) If so what attracts you to it?

Friends, drink, women, good time.

(4)What would you like to see to encourage you more?

decent djs, some proper harder house to drum & bass nights, (most round here are more pop )

(5) What is a sensible cost

Free for NUS £4-5 for a normal night (DJ) Up to £15 for an act - Pendulum were £13 I think

(6) Would a ticket system be better?

Possibly. Pain if its only in advance though.

(7) Does type of venue effect your choice I.E bar,hall or night club

Prefer places with a licensed bar, properly done out to a hall, but there have been occasions whereby all of those have been rather good.

(8) Does the area affect your choice?

If going out with Women, with mates not really

(9) Do you like to party with people similar to you?

Yes - preferable to old sweaty fat blokes...

(10) Cost of drinks do you think they need to be more realistic if so what price range?

Doesn't really affect my night out, just the morning after when I look in my wallet.

(11) what type of music would you like to hear?

Mixture, Indie some nights to drum and bass on others. Mashups are especially good.

(12)(Male question) does ladies having free entry effect your choice on a night out?

Not really.

[Agent]

All the help will be great appreciated


(1) How old are you?

22


(2) Are you familiar with nightlife/scene?(If no go to question 4)

yes, very


(3) If so what attracts you to it?

The music, the people, the atmosphere

(4)What would you like to see to encourage you more?

hard to say without being at the club

(5) What is a sensible cost

for what? entry, drinks? what DJ's are on?

(6) Would a ticket system be better?

Depends n the numbers. Tickets are pointless unless it will be a sell out night

(7) Does type of venue effect your choice I.E bar,hall or night club

yes

(8) Does the area affect your choice?

yes

(9) Do you like to party with people similar to you?

Very silly question. Why would you go out with people that are not like you?

(10) Cost of drinks do you think they need to be more realistic if so what price range?

I don't know the price in the first place. If you're asking if they need to be more 'realistic' then you are half answering your own question

(11) what type of music would you like to hear?

Dancey stuff mainly

(12)(Male question) does ladies having free entry effect your choice on a night out?

Depends on the club. The ones with ladies free entry are usually the ones that cant stand on their own feet. Not only that, it just gets full of cheap chavy slappers

(13) Any additional info?

If you have opened a night and are asking these type of questions, its clear you don't know your market audience. Do more research before opening such nights. Make more contacts, and most importantly, know your audience

.....

[Blackmage]

.....

thanks for ripping it apart, i'm just trying to help a buddy out.

If you have opened a night and are asking these type of questions, its clear you don't know your market audience. Do more research before opening such nights. Make more contacts, and most importantly, know your audience

Read the opening section of my post

[Agent]

thanks for ripping it apart, i'm just trying to help a buddy out.

I wasn't "ripping it apart" mate

What's the point in a questionnaire if you only want to hear good things?
If there was nothing wrong with these nights in the first place, you wouldn't need to being doing this

I was trying to help - sorry if the answers don't fit what you're looking for, but what I've said is the truth!
Discard them if you like.

Read the opening section of my post

I have? Which part are you hinting at?

[Blackmage]

I wasn't "ripping it apart" mate

What's the point in a questionnaire if you only want to hear good things?
If there was nothing wrong with these nights in the first place, you wouldn't need to being doing this

I was trying to help - sorry if the answers don't fit what you're looking for, but what I've said is the truth!
Discard them if you like.

LoL, Nor did i mean for it to sound that way. I put a smile next to the" ripping it apart" as you gave me answers that i hadn't thought of by questioning my questions!

I have? Which part are you hinting at?

"Well, the other day a good friend of mine held an rave at an night club (His second) and it wasn't as successful as his first"