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 After nearly 7 years in the Montreal nightlife scene with over 350 parties under my belt, I’ve nearly seen it all: the bold and the beautiful, and sleazy to the cheesy. To survive in this environment you’d better be highly energetic, ambitious, persistent, possess an unworldly tolerance for alcohol and above all, thick skinned. Let me be frank: this is a business about sex, alcohol and image. You have to accept the viscous cycle that you will be used and you will have to use people. If any of the mentioned are a problem for you, you better opt for another job. Let’s keep this simple by breaking down this job with the following format:
1. What: you’re the guy or gal who’s going to attempt to consistently bring in hordes of people on a weekly basis (or whatever agreement you reach with the venue). You’re selling a good time, with the potential for a happy ending (if you get my drift).
2. Who: A promoter is an individual who is responsible for the word-of-mouth, advertising and marketing of parties and events for a venue.
3. Why: Because it’s an easy job to get and it can be very lucrative, especially for a student looking for flexibility. Promoters are paid in the following combinations: hourly (e.g. flier boys/girls) and/or salary, and/or merit (i.e. per head which is the most common). New promoters can make on a decent night up to $100-$200 whereas the senior/resident promoters can rake up to a couple thousand dollars. It’s achievable if you play your cards right and if you put in the hours. Please note that the big payouts only occur during special events such as New Years Eve, which happen once a year, and require 80+ hours of street “flyering”, selling and harassing head hotel concierges and ticket delivery.
4. Where: Montreal has hundreds nightclubs, supper clubs, bars/lounges to choose from. Select cautiously as you should be looking for a venue that you feel that you can have a good time in. After all, you’ll be there every week. The main areas of interest are on Crescent Street and Saint-Laurent Boulevard.
5. How: Pick up the phone and call the contact number listed for the venue. (Yes, it is that simple.)
Sounds simple and easy money right? It is, for the first few months when all you’re friends come out to support you. However, they’ll eventually get really fed up of partying in the same club every week and you’ll start seeing your numbers steadily take a nosedive.
What makes differentiates a promoter from being a moneymaking rock star is simple: networking and a natural business mentality serving as your sixth sense. Let this be a warning to you, there is no training manual in this field. You will be lucky if you have a mentor who genuinely cares to teach you the ropes. There is no sympathy for the newbie, as everyone will be looking out for himself or herself: from the coat check to the bouncers, other promoters to the barmaids.
There is no doubt that there’s tons of partying ahead and stories to be written, but you must keep your head level as it’s an underground business. You get paid in cold, hard cash. Therefore, any rights and freedoms you’d normally enjoy are thrown out the window. If you don’t perform, you don’t get paid. Bribery, “missing paychecks” and shady people come hand in hand in this business. By now, you must be very skeptical about getting involved, and any rational person would be. The fact of the matter is that it’s addictive. Once you overcome all those obstacles, learn the ropes and the true meaning of trust; you can walk away with some easy money. This is what really going on backstage in the nightlife scene: survival of the fittest.
Stay tuned for the next edition when I’ll discuss the survival fundamentals in this business.
Written By
Daniel Wong
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