‘Weird’: Miami nightlife expert weighs in on what clubs might look like post-COVID
Aching to get out of the house, be around a bunch of strangers, dance mindlessly and listen to loud, pulsating music?
You are so not alone.
No one wants nightclubs to open more than club owners, who are losing their shirts amid this ongoing, seemingly endless pandemic.
According to a recent survey from The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) of more than 1,600 venue owners from all 50 states, 90 percent said they wouldn’t be able to survive six months since the shutdown. And we are currently in month six with no end or vaccine in sight.
On a conference call Wednesday, a group of nightlife industry professionals got together for a webinar led by event planning vet Morgan Deane.
Deane, who has worked with countless high-profile clubs, DJs and festivals, co-created “A Light in the Night,” a set of guidelines for small nightlife venues reopening when/if the time comes.
“We are nightlife lovers. Dance floor obsessives. Night owls. Dancing machines. Operations addicts. Risk mitigation fanatics,” reads a statement on the group’s website. “Safety aficionados. Ingress analyzers. Tech solution finders. Makers of scenes. Lovers of music. Worshipers of clubbers.”
In the hour-plus talk, Deane touched on how a typical club might look, what returning patrons could expect and how to train staff.
To be expected, a new normal nightclub won’t look like the one you frequented in Before Times.
First and foremost (and probably, best of all), it will likely be cleaner. Don’t be surprised if the place has more hand sanitizing stations than a hospital; employees will be washing down tables and all high touch areas like “crazy,” said Deane.
As for dancing, you won’t be able to boogie up close and personal anymore with randos. Deane says that guests will be encouraged to join in the fun in your own socially distanced circle.
At the bar, you’ll sit in well spaced out chairs and move to the beat while sedentary.
And that exclusive DJ booth, where VIPs and celebs loved to gather? Nope, not a chance. He or she will be safely behind plexiglass with zero company.
Gone for now are the days of long lines and ticket booths, as per Deane. You’ll reserve ahead and then swipe your phone at the staggered entrance, complete with temperature check and contact tracing questionnaire.
“There will be no rope drama, no guest list, no ticket stamping, no holding off customers because Cardi B is inside,” said the industry expert who owns 508 Events / Lasher Louis Productions. “Venues will be adjusted so that safety is a priority. We’ll keep the doors clear and minimize touch points.”
Drink? You want to drink? While your mask must stay on at all times while in the club, you can order that cocktail via your phone, pull it down to drink and then quickly return it to position.
If this vision sounds surreal or “weird,” that’s because it is, but Deane is optimistic.
“Nightlife is culture, like museums or art galleries,” she said, adding that clubs most likely won’t open until at least 2022. “Culture must be saved.”
This story was originally published August 21, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
