Diary Of A Club Guy Part 2
The VIP Host
VIP Host - In charge of ensuring VIPs (Very Important Persons) are taken care of. They will greet guests, seat them, and tend to their needs throughout the night.
Selfie taken at 441 Main
Phase 1 - 2014
In 2014, I went to the Nightclub & Bar Conference in Las Vegas and realized that the VIP system in Winnipeg was not even close to being up to par.
Upon getting back I talked with my manager and I told him about what I learnt, and what I envisioned for the VIPs at the nightclub I worked at (Stereo). He agreed with the vision, We adjusted it for Winnipeg and implemented most of the changes.
These changes required a VIP host for the first time at Stereo. No one else wanted to do it, so I offered to do it to ensure that the experience that the customers had would be the one we designed.
This was a big change from being a barback. I learnt to talk to high-value clientele, upsell higher ticket items and how to organize the lineups outside the club.
I wanted the VIP experience to be completely different than other nightclubs.
We designed a chaise with LED lights all over it, put the bottle server on it, and had it carried in the air to the sections when someone ordered a bottle.
There were multiple times we had well over 30 bottle service sections booked. I’ve never seen that in a nightclub in Winnipeg since then.
A lineup wrapping around the club was common. During these months, it was the first time I felt a sense of pride for my work in a nightclub.
Following my leave from Stereo Nightclub, I continued to be a VIP host at other spots as well including Boa Lounge and District Stop. I took what I learnt, and adjusted it to suit those places as well.
My method was pretty simple:
Treat the VIPs well. They are there for a special occasion, so help make it special. If we do a good job, they’ll talk about it.
Create experiences that are worth taking pictures of, because they will share those pictures.
Lead by example. I always dressed up to encourage others to as well.
Give them more than they ask for. Always add a little something they don’t expect.
Taken at Stereo Nightclub in Winnipeg by David Napa
Phase 2 - 2016 to 2020
After I became a partner at 441 Main, I decided it was time to elevate how I did VIP hosting. That meant no more suspenders, only suit jackets.
But seriously, I had started to mature a bit and so I changed how I was hosting as well.
During phase 2, I worked a lot more closely with management, security and bottle service. I had to pay a lot closer attention to how many people were in the club, and who. This way, I could ensure that there was a good crowd that wouldn’t fight, would spend money and a near-even amount of men and women in the club.
In order to have a good crowd in a nightclub, you need the right ratios and the right ages.
If you have too many guys, then they will start to leave, and quite often it will result in more fights. If you have too many girls, then they will leave, because many of them get bored.
At the end of the day, the majority of the people at a nightclub are single, so you need a good ratio to keep them entertained.
This job was very interesting because it lead to a lot of people being fake to me.
People would put on a face to try and skip the line. I had people pretend to be my friend for months.
Many people would be rude to me until they found out I was in charge of whether they could get in or not, and then switch faces immediately.
The fake people were a necessary evil.
I figured if I’m at the front, I would get to meet all the VIPs which at one point in my life, would pay off. Networking was always the goal, and to be honest, it helped immensely.
Those who were rude would surprise many people. Politicians, pro athletes, student “leaders”, people who should be mature (above 50), celebrities… anyone.
Many people will do anything for status. That’s an important lesson that was learnt.
My life was threatened far too many times. People threatened to get their “friend” to fire me, they’d throw cash in my face, call me racist slurs, really just anything mean.
When someone is told no, they feel as if I’m telling them they’re not important, and it can be a shock and it can be embarrassing to them. Their ego is hurt and they don’t know how to react. Unfortunately, often their reaction was even more embarrassing.
The number of times I heard, “Do you know who I am?!”, is more than anyone should hear in a lifetime.
On the bright side, I continued to meet great people and met all sorts of interesting people. I became really good at complimenting people, and how to listen even when I’m not interested.
Ultimately, I quite enjoyed this job because of the people I met and the truth is I would have never quit if we didn’t get forced to shut down because of lockdowns.
This job definitely made me talk to service staff a lot more kindly, especially security guards. They deal with some much garbage every day.
Remember, you don’t have to be garbage, you can choose to be kind and understanding. It’s completely in the security guards' power to leave you outside if they choose, like garbage.
Memorable Experiences
The Justin Bieber after party. There were people shoulder to shoulder from the front of the club to the side and all the way down the street waiting to get in. I’ve never seen a lineup so big.
A bunch of staff and I had to put a certain hockey player in his place because he was mad screaming “Don’t you know who I am?!”. It was quite satisfying to let him know he can’t push people out of the way just because he plays semi-professional hockey.
The amount of people who threatened to have their friend fire me, not knowing that I was also one of the owners of the club. Half the time their “friend” worked for me.
Partying with Mike Ross from Suits. It was fun, and a lot of tequila was had.
After Summer Of Sound Festival, a big lineup was outside, and Knife Party walked up to me asking to skip the line so they could come into DJ. It was awesome.
Standing in front of the club we saw a lot of interesting things. Fights, car crashes, terrible pick-up attempts, etc. All memorable.
After someone punched a lady, they turned around and tried to punch me. I dodged the punches and then held him down. Out of nowhere, the lady’s husband punched the guy. Oops.
I got a ton of free food. The key to my heart.
To date, the best part is the people I met.
Picture with Felix Cartel and a member of Knife Party at 441 Main in Winnipeg.
Takeaways
I don’t want people to read this and feel negatively about nightclubs. When people are drinking, they often do dumb things and sometimes the ones who did dumb things ended up becoming friends with me later.
A nightclub is a place where people come to have a fun night. Sometimes it’s the only time they’ll get out that year. For me, it might have just been a day of work, but for them, it’s their night.
It’s important for a VIP host to ensure that for their special occasion, they do have fun. It can be a lot of pressure, especially if it’s a bachelorette party.
VIP hosts deserve a lot of credit because it’s not always easy managing all the people’s egos, making sure they have fun but don’t overstep.
The most important lesson though is to always be kind to service staff. Rude people suck.
Thanks for reading,
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