Category Archives: Trends

Summer is heating up, and so are the nightclubs & bars leading the way and setting the trends. Last summer we saw the continued rise of summer dance music, digital ticket systems for parties, and complex refreshing cocktails. But this summer we’re turning the degrees up a few notches as the following 4 trends have emerged to amplify the nightclub & bar industry even more.

1. Outdoor Concert Series

It’s no secret people love to be outside in the summer. Couple that with the popular summer parties to celebrate those summer nights, and you’ve got yourself a winning trend. This year, nightclubs & bars of all sizes capitalize on the outdoor concert trend — whether it’s a nightclub hosting a day-club like pool party with a big performer, or the neighborhood bars coming together to create an outdoor block party with live music. Both concepts have been widely successful as consumers look to live up their summer months. The key here is to make sure you’re pre-selling tickets to your event to guarantee not only your revenue, but also that people will attend. You’d hate to waste all your planning to a rainy day and people choosing at the last minute not to attend because they didn’t pre-buy.

2. Personalized Marketing

Our marketing efforts are getting savvier as an industry, as many venues have taken advantage of the many perks digital channels have to offer. With more control over events and attendance, bars and nightclubs are starting to see a clearer picture of who their guests are as individuals and how to speak directly to them on the mediums they prefer. This means using marketing segmentation to send specific, personalized campaigns to a sub-set of your audience. People today expect you to have their data and information, and they expect you to use that information to be as relevant to their habits as possible. And for the nightclubs & bars that are using this data to craft personalized messages, they’re seeing bigger returns on their marketing dollars. After all, getting personal with your guests results in them feeling recognized and more connected to your venue. This recognition makes them more loyal and more likely to spend even more money with you. When you do this well, you’re seeing the true benefits of your marketing dollars.

3. Operations System

With summer parties, increased ticket sales, and improved marketing efforts, you can’t afford to slow down your operations and loose track of results. That’s why venues are turning to solutions that manage all of this one one system, including guest list, VIP reservations, client relationship management, point of sale, ticketing, marketing results, and most importantly, analytics. Using this type of technology allows you to manage, understand, and grow your business from a single dashboard. It makes it easier to track your staff, monitor progress, and see your results. It also gives you better insight, increases efficiency and revenue, and ultimately leads to a better customer experience. With a hot summer ahead, it’s important to stay on top of your game.

4. Crafted Cocktails

Craft cocktails have hit their stride, as reported in Restaurant Hospitality’s recent feature on new cocktail trends. This summer, bars are turning to barrel-aged libations, culinary cocktails made with savory ingredients, beer-based cocktails, or cocktails infused with spices. While in the past cocktails were a standard liquor & mix combination, these days it’s all about the new play on quality ingredients. After all, people have become accustomed to higher quality cocktails, as it’s easier than ever to find a quality drink. The key with these crafted cocktails is to create drinks with “finesse and balance.” It can be easy to go overboard with the spices or the sweetness in cocktails. Top you cocktail off with a memorable name to stimulate conversation, and you’re on your way to trendy summer.


Whitney Larson is the president and director of marketing at Vēmos. Contact her at whitney.larson@vemos.io or fill out the form below.

It’s that time of year again where everyone is writing about their 2016 predictions and trends, and we’re no exception to the rule. After all, staying on top of ever-evolving trends is one of the best ways to make sure your venue stays ahead of the curve.

In 2015, we saw a leap in technology tools, marketing tactics, and ways to make more revenue. We also went through a myriad of mixology trends and tips of dealing with millennials. This year’s going to be even more evolving as nightclubs continue to stay relevant in the millennial-driven technology world.

So, without further ado, here are the top 4 trends for Nightclubs & Bars in 2016.

1. Event-like thinking

Events are a big reason for success in the Nightclub & Bar industry, and toward the end of 2015, venues began to think outside the box. The two most common types of events are for major holidays and for musical acts. But now we’re starting to see venues treating every night — even the average nights — like an event. This allows them to get the most out of every night. They pre-sell inventory before each night, including VIP tables, drink packages, and even cover. This pre-sale revenue not only guarantees money in the bank, but also guests in the door. It also builds buzz around a common night and elevates the venue to one that is highly desired. Increasing the prices of their inventory at the door incentivizes guests to buy ahead of time and bring their friends along with them. Then when it comes time for a traditional event with a musical act, they’re already ahead of the curve with marketing and selling efforts.

2. Personalization

Millennials have indicated rude staff and impersonalization as reasons for not frequenting nightclubs (along with several others). And we don’t blame them. That’s why in 2016, it’s more important than ever to capture these guests by treating them with personalized customer service and marketing messages. Using a digital guest management system that’s backed by a CRM system allows you to collect and review important information about your guests. You can use this information to greet them when they arrive at the door and even upsell them based on their past visits. You’re also able to provide your guests with hyper-targeted marketing messages to get them into your venue through this same CRM system. Simply filter your guests into different audiences, and send each audience messages that are specifically relevant to them. That’s marketing and customer service that’s 100% on target with their habits, and that’s what’s going to make you stand out.

3. Mixology

Cocktails and beverages are always changing based on the season and latest hot trends. In 2016, you can expect to see more specialty beverages entering the game, such as: cocktails with fresh herbs and spices, global infused beverages, spiked-tea cocktails, farm-to-table concept cocktails, elegant garnishes, and, of course, the continuation of craft beers.

4. Systems and Processes

Systems and processes are boring, but they’re essential to the success of your nightclub or bar. And in the past couple of months, we’ve seen venues turn to technology systems to streamline their operations and train their staff on the processes. This is a critical transition, and one that will provide longevity for any venue. When you have the right system in place, you’re able to be more efficient and drive more revenue to the bottom line. You’re also able to focus on what’s more important — giving your guests a great experience every night. And when your staff is trained on this system, you’re able to run efficiently regardless of turnover. So what once was a manual process with room for human error has become automated with much needed data. And that data is what’s going to provide you with the right information to continue driving business through your doors. As a recent Nightclub & Bar article stated:

“Digital services can streamline, sync, track, organize, and maximize your business by boosting efficiency and, in turn, revenues.”

2016 is your year to make this change and see bigger growth.


Whitney Larson is the president and director of marketing at Vēmos. Contact her at whitney.larson@vemos.io or fill out the form below.

We’re well into fall, which is a great time to reflect on emerging industry trends for the new season. Now that the hot summer trends have died down, we can start to focus on how to provide the best experience leading up to the much anticipated holiday season. Here are 5 fall trends for you to follow to stay relevant in an ever-evolving nightclub industry.

1. Gathering the right crowd

Venues are beginning to realize the importance of having the right crowd in their doors. Many new articles have emerged on the subject this year with tips and tricks to help bars and nightclubs bring in the customers that align with their vibe. This all comes down to knowing who your target audience is, creating a brand, and providing messages to attract the customers you want and condition them to do exactly what you want (even if they don’t really it). Having the right crowd enhances the overall guest experience, which in turn translates to bigger spending. Having an improved door policy that goes beyond dress code and gender ratio also gauges the clientele that walks through your door and adds to the perception of your establishment.

2. Improved door operations

Nightclub in Bar recently published an article that stated studies show millennial aren’t frequenting nightclubs the way the proceeding Gen Y did. There are several reasons to be the case, some of which include long lines to get in and rude staff. Why not improve this for them? In fact, it’s really simple to improve when you use the right system. With a system like Vēmos, you’re able to manage every aspect of your door from one platform, including table reservations, guestlist parties, general admission, and event tickets. With this, you’re able to strategize your lines to increase your speed of night and alleviate that pain point for guests. You’re also able to collect and review important information about your customers to be able to treat them with a more personalized service. That’s two customer pain points solved with one system, plus you’ll see many operational benefits as well.

3. Capturing info along with revenue for parties

There’s no doubt that events are one of the biggest way to get customers through your door. Yet, many venues still rush through the planning process and piece their events together with no strategy in place. With today’s technology, it’s easier than ever to plan ahead for your parties to start earning revenue before the event happens and to collect much-needed data about your customers and event performance.

The best way to maximize your events is to:

1. Set up a pre-sale ticketing strategy. If you don’t sell tickets, use a system to capture guest list, general admission, and table reservations.
2. Become a mobile box office to sell tickets or get guests on the party list while directly interacting with them face-to-face
3. Use a night-of yielding strategy to increase prices
4. Get all your staff up and running on the right system for smooth operations
5. Optimize your lines for speed of night
6. Analyze results for a bigger return next year

4. Digital Technology

We’ve said for years how technology continues to grow in the nightclub industry, and this year is even more prominent than ever. In fact, Nightclub & Bar recently published an article about digital opportunities nightclubs should consider, stating:

“Digital services can streamline, sync, track, organize, and maximize your business by boosting efficiency and, in turn, revenues.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. We’ve seen top nightclubs make better use of platforms that are available to streamline operations and maximize profits, and it isn’t going to slow down anytime soon. Using the right technology tool can give you better insight, increases efficiency and revenue, and ultimately leads to a better customer experience to keep them coming back for more.

5. Spiced fall drinks

Summer was all about complex refreshing cocktails, such as beer cocktails and sparking wine cocktails. But now those are getting swapped out for comforting fall drinks. Spices are the name of the game this fall, featuring cocktails that include cinnamon, clove, baked apple bitters, ginger, and even cranberry sauce . All of these drinks encompass the deliciously-craved fall fruits combined with the comforting yet zesty spices that make the crisp fall that much more enjoyable.


Whitney Larson is the president and director of marketing at Vēmos. Contact her at whitney.larson@vemos.io or fill out the form below.

Staying up-to-date on industry trends and offering the best experience in the biz are two of the best ways to stay relevant in an ever-evolving nightlife industry. Stay on top of these 5 hot summer trends to continually wow your guests.

1. Strategic crowd sourcing

Venues are beginning to realize the importance of having the right crowd in their doors. Several new articles have been written on the subject in the past few months with tips and tricks to help bars and nightclubs bring in the customers that align with their vibe. This all comes down to knowing who your target audience is, creating a brand, and providing messages to attract the customers you want and condition them to do exactly what you want (even if they don’t realize it). Having the right crowd enhances the overall guest experience, which in turns translates to bigger spending.

2. Hot summer jams

Electronic dance music (EDM) has had a large commercial appeal in the nightlife industry over the past couple years, and it’s counting to evolve into the relaxing summer months. This upbeat music style brings people into your venue who are looking to have a good time, and it can oftentimes be packaged together with other types of summertime music. Some clubs have even reported mixing slower EDM beats with classic relaxing summer jams for their early-evening crowd, proving to pique interests in patrons who would have otherwise never considered enjoying the EDM genre. Getting creative with summer dance music will allow you to reach a broader audience and connect with your most important guests all while boosting your bottom line.

3. Refreshing summer cocktails

Simplicity is out when it comes to cocktails and drinks, and during summer it’s all about complex refreshing cocktails. Take your standard mojito and spice it up with Malibu Island spiced rum, add a blood orange to your typical margarita to give it a bold flair, or offer a white fruit-infused sangria flora for that tropical burst. Also on trend this summer are the beer cocktails and sparkling wine cocktails. These cocktails are not only going to cool your guests off during the hot summer months, but will also be sure to wow them to want more.

4. Digital ticketing for summer events

Big name events are plentiful during the summer in the nightlife industry, and more and more venues are turning to digital ticketing systems to help them better manage and stay on track. Digital ticketing is an online platform that incorporates ticketing into the rest of your efforts, giving you that full 360-degree look at how your venue is performing. This platform enables you to:

• Create and manage an online event page
• Sell tickets to consumers right through the page via an e-commerce system
• Integrate the event with a mobile app for promoters to sell tickets directly from their devices
• Track ticket sales and results along the way
• See how often a certain individual buys your event tickets and for which shows

This type of platform syncs all promoters and marketing efforts together in one centralized spot to maximize ticket sales and revenue. What’s more is you own your ticketing data, allowing you to analyze results to better set yourself up for success in the future.

5. Increased use of technology

With summer parties and increased ticket sales, you can’t afford to slow down your operations. That’s why venues are turning technology solutions that offer the whole gamut in one spot, including guest list management, VIP reservation management, client relationship management, 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.


Whitney Larson is the president and director of marketing at Vēmos. Contact her at whitney.larson@vemos.io or fill out the form below.