Xander
Hollywood, CA
Male, 32
I promoted at several of Hollywood’s hottest clubs during a period of unemployment, mainly to see what all of the fuss was about. While it was fun and definitely had its perks, it also confirmed quite a few of the suspicions and stereotypes I’d previously held about how the industry works.
It varies greatly by how tough the venue is and what you look like. I've greased as little as $10 and as much as $50 (that's per person). But I dress well when I go out and don't bring any Middle-Eastern friends. If you dress poorly or of an *ahem* undesirable ethnicity then it'll be more or less impossible. The bouncer is usually calculating how much crap he's going to get if he lets you in. Alternatively you can grease the promoter to walk you in with his group of girls. He'll be doing the same mental calculation as the bouncer. I've even grabbed girls as they were walking up to the venue and offered to buy them drinks once inside. They aren't as good because of their tendency to ditch guys once the bouncer looks at them sideways.
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Yes although never successfully. As you can imagine, it's a hard thing to prove. More common is sexual discrimination, when men sue over getting charged when women aren't. This has mixed results. The practice of charging cover charge to men and not women has been successfully opposed and although the practice is still common, clubs have had to pony up and pay disgruntled guys. Courts however have upheld "Ladies Night" where girls get to take advantage of drink specials that the boys don't.
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There's 2 ways to get a club to hire you. One is to find a club that is just looking to get bodies through the door, without regard for too much quality. They'll give you a shot for a week or 2 and if you perform, they'll keep you. The 2nd, and by far easier way, is to find a promoter doing a good club and offer to "sub" for him (meaning become a sub-promoter). Now you work for him and the girls you bring count on his tally. Eventually he'll start paying you and if you do really well, you can go out on your own. It's kind of like being a drug dealer. You start out as Bodie and end up as Avon Barksdale (if you're really lucky / ruthless) In either scenario, you better be bringing girls or your career will be short. How to get them? By hook or by crook. Facebook is the preferred method now a'days but college friends, girls and the mall, random party girls you meet elsewhere. It's all fair but remember that the inventory of attractive girls who club is finite so promoting is a zero sum game. You are taking girls from other promoters to bring to your clubs. So run those other promoters off the corner!
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The vibes differ a little but it's all pretty much the same. Bottle service is a relatively new phenomenon and unfortunately looks to be here to stay. The smaller, speakeasy type of place has grown in popularity but without significant bottle service money it's a tough business model. Douchebags and dumb girls aren't going anywhere as far as I can tell. And most of all, reading these answers back to myself makes me kind of ashamed how much I know about it. Pour me a drink.
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All are true. The lower-tiered clubs that depend on everyone paying cover will usually pay their promoters based on heads coming thru the door. Most promoters get a share of the bottle sales they bring in (usually 20%). And percentage of bar sales is pretty common, much more so in smaller clubs. Like everything in life, just depends on how much leverage and bargaining power the promoter has. But let's be honest, the real promoter compensation is lips, hips and fingertips.
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A drink from a girl... in all my time as a promoter it was the first and last time a girl has ever paid for anything.
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Definitely. Although it's usually the promoters that hire the girls, and the clubs just hire the promoters. I've seen clubs / parties do the hiring, usually for one-off parties or day time events.
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