When your business caters to the nightlife crowd, it's important to stay on top of night clubs news and trends if you want to keep your patrons happy. Even the smallest dive bar can bring in new business by offering special events, like a casino night or fantasy football league. The best way to keep your eye on news and trends is knowing what your competitors are up to and judging their success and failures.

Larger night clubs sometimes publish their own newsletters and distribute them to subscribers via email. Independent newspapers in larger cities often cover the local night life and send email updates to readers about upcoming events. In addition to newsletter publications, thousands of night club goers love writing about what they did the night before and posting it on a blog. When searching for night clubs news and trends, consider the following:

1. Pay attention to newsletters covering local night life, even if it's not local to you.

2. Find night clubs reviewed and photographed in blogs.

3. Gain insight into what bar patrons are thinking by joining an online discussion forum.

Action Steps
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Subscribe to newsletters that cover night clubs in major cities

Even if you own a night club that's a much smaller scale than those found in cities famous for their nightlife, keeping up to date with the major nightlife players will give you event and promotion ideas for your own bar. Dance clubs often have themed events, and your patrons will appreciate the opportunity to participate. Sports bars and Irish pubs can also borrow ideas from the nation's most popular hot spots.

I recommend: Read D Magazine's weekly newsletter about Dallas nightlife. The magazine covers Dallas' nightclubs and bars as well as nightlife events. Keep your thumb on the pulse of Boston's local night clubs by subscribing to Boston Nightclub News.

Read blogs dedicated to covering all aspects of a city's nightclubs and bars

For an unbiased look at what's going on in other night clubs, bars and pubs, check out a blog that covers local night life. Like the newsletters, you don't need to operate your business in the same city the blog covers to get an idea of what works and what doesn't. Pay attention to popular menu items and events as well as what flopped.

I recommend: Find information and photographs of San Francisco's nightlife scene at 7x7. The blog documents the Bay Area's local night life, including music, pubs, nightclubs and bars. Follow Los Angeles night club companies by reading LA.com's nightlife blog. The blog features photos, links and videos. Eater covers New York's nightlife, restaurant and bar scene.

Join Internet forums that discuss night club information

Read what bar patrons are saying by joining an Internet discussion forum dedicated to night life. The best (and worst) reviews travel by word of mouth and online communities are quick to get the word out. These forums are an excellent way to keep tabs on night club news and trends in your own city as well as other regions.

I recommend: RaveLinks provides discussion forums for nightlife in all U.S. regions. Find night clubs, dance clubs, bars and pubs discussed and reviewed at CoolJunkie. The site offers forums for several major U.S. cities.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Open mic nights are a trend that never seems to lose its appeal. Schedule an open mic night at your own pubs and bars for live entertainment that doesn't cost you a dime to book.

The night life scene at nightclubs and bars never dies down. No matter what else is happening, people always want to go out and do something; keeping your establishment well stocked at all times is important. You don't want to lose customers because you're out of what they want.

Owning one of these businesses means being prepared for the unexpected. Ladies want to dance into the wee hours of the morning, guys want to throw a wild bachelor party for their soon-to-be-wedded friend and college students want to organize impromptu "beer pong" competitions. Owning pubs, sports taverns or the local dance club will keep you on your toes.

1. Keep your sports taverns stocked with quick-cooking "bar food."

2. Stock your pubs with a variety of beer, wine and hard liquor.

3. Ensure that your night clubs stay supplied with plenty of wrist bands, spare light bulbs and DJ equipment.

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Find food vendors to supply your sports bars

Sports bars are a place to gather with the guys and watch the big game. In addition to drinking pitchers of beer, customers will need to eat some food while sitting through a three hour football game. Finger foods and sandwiches are the most common dishes ordered in this type of bar.

I recommend: Check out Performance Food Group's selection of meats, appetizers and potatoes. SYSCO Corporation's offerings include almost anything you can put on your menu, from soups to side dishes to desserts.

Locate alcohol suppliers for your pubs and bars

Keeping a well stocked selection of alcohol is imperative to maintaining a thriving customer base. After all, your patrons are coming to your place to have a few drinks and enjoy themselves. Don't take a risk of running out of your most popular beer on a Friday night.

I recommend: Use a local liquor store if your bar is on the small side. ABC Fine Wine & Spirits has locations all over the United States and offers many different brands of all types of alcohol. If you operate a larger establishment and would like to set up regular delivery, your area Southern Wine & Spirits office can provide you with this service.

Buy necessities for your local night clubs

Night clubs are happenin' places. The people are packed in, buying drinks, dancing and flirting. You'll need some basic supplies to keep your club up and running, and to keep the customers partying.

I recommend: Use the one-stop-shop for night club supplies: Trendy Wristbands offers not only wrist bands, but a variety of other products, including test tubes for shots. You're sure to find the lighting or replacement bulbs you're looking for at eBulb, which has a huge selection of club and DJ lighting.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Irish pubs are a specific niche and will need a bit more planning to stock if you want to keep it authentic: Try going straight to the liquor distributor to order your product and keep the local night life hopping.

Do you dream of opening and managing your own night clubs? Running a night club is different than running a traditional restaurant or eatery. First, some night clubs offer food along with an assortment of drinks, while others offer live entertainment, dancing, or sports offerings.

Whatever type of establishment you long for, from a local dance club to sports bars or authentic Irish pubs, you're going to need some specialized night club management education and training to give you the right tools for the job.

When you seek out night club management information, look for:

1. Expert advice from people in the business.

2. Industry events that offer nightclubs and bars training and education.

3. Online and in-person training classes geared specifically to night clubs management education and training.

Action Steps
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Uncover expert advice from professionals with experience in night club companies

When you're looking for night club management training, look for experts in the field that know what to expect from operating a successful night club. Opening night clubs for business can be extremely profitable, but you need to know what to expect, and experts with that knowledge can help you become more profitable much more quickly.

I recommend: Nightclub Management Professionals offers comprehensive information on managing a night club, and a textbook to train new night club managers and owners. Ford Management Services offers a textbook training manual on Bar/Nightclub Management & Marketing.

Head out to industry events that offer seminars and training for nightclubs and bars

Many night club industry groups offer national industry events, including trade shows and seminars for owners of dance clubs, sports taverns, and other nightclubs and bars. These seminars help managers manage more effectively and offer training in a wide variety of subjects, from marketing and profitability to security and entertainment. They offer great management training in an environment full of other business owners and professionals just like you.

I recommend: The Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show happens every year, and they offer numerous educational opportunities and seminars for night club managers. Find night club information for management at Tales of the Cocktail, another trade show that offers a professional seminar series specifically for night club managers.

Attend online and in-person training courses created especially for local night clubs

To find the education you need to enhance your business and create more profits, look for courses that are specifically for bar and nightclub management, instead of more generic hospitality or restaurant management courses. Many programs offer certificates or diplomas, to help you gain credibility in your industry and find night clubs that will hire you, if you don't open your own local dance club or bar.

I recommend: The Bartending College offers classes around the country in bar and night club management. Charlie's Professional Bartending offers online course in bar management and ownership. The JER Group offers online courses in Professional Bar Management.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Local night life keeps your night club profitable, but after you run your night club for a while, you may have enough experience to teach night club management to others. Explore the opportunities at your local community college, or open your own bartending and night club management school to share the skills you've learned with others.

Night clubs are one element of urban-inspired nightlife growing across the country in response to the demands of a large customer base of young professionals. Night clubs, bars and taverns provide a number of services in addition to alcoholic beverages and music, including a social atmosphere and special event planning. To cultivate a successful nightlife business, you must accurately fit into a given genre of bar or night club and work to stay current with trends for eating, drinking and entertainment.

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Cabaret

Many states and localities require that night clubs obtain a cabaret license, which is different from the liquor licenses issued to bars and social clubs in that it stipulates that music, dancing or other forms of entertainment are allowed on the premises.

I recommend: The City of Sparks and the New York State Liquor Authority offer concise definitions of what is included in the definition of cabaret and regulated by a cabaret license.

Sports bar

Sports bar describes a type of restaurant or bar that creates a sports-oriented social atmosphere using televisions, memorabilia and other types of entertainment and decor. A sports bar typically serves a range of finger foods and full meals, as well as beer, and may or may not have a full bar.

I recommend: Ehow provides information on how to own and operate a sports bar.

Irish pub

An Irish pub can also describe a range of bar or tavern types, but typically involves the use of Irish decor and dress for staff, and serves a full selection of Irish beer and stout. An Irish pub also may choose to serve traditional Irish foods, such as Irish stew and other lamb and potato dishes, and play Irish music.

I recommend: Guinness offers six factors that contribute to defining an Irish pub and making it authentic and successful.

Bar food

Bar food can describe a range of appetizers and finger foods that are paired with various alcoholic beverages. Bar food can include anything from nuts and snacks offered at the bar to a full selection of tapas and upscale samplers to be eaten with wine or cocktails.

I recommend: Read a definition and explanation of different types of bar food from New York Magazine.

Wristbands

Wristbands are used by night clubs and concert venues to indicate that a person has paid the cover charge, or that the person is old enough to be served alcohol. Wristbands also may be used to indicate that a customer has paid for a service, such as an open bar or admittance to a special event.

I recommend: Read more about wristbands and the recent trend of advertising on wristbands at night clubs at Fast Company.

Night club manager

A night club manager encompasses a range of responsibilities distinct to nightlife in addition to the typical management roles for any food service establishment. Night club managers keep up with current nightlife trends in both local areas and international hot spots, and incorporate event planning to give their establishment an edge. A night club manager can even obtain a degree or credential in night club management to illustrate skill and expertise.

I recommend: Diploma Guide offers a comprehensive overview of the occupation and educational requirements for a night club manager.