Promotions on the Loose
2006 Was a Wild Ride and a Good Cause 

Some call them a God-send. Some view them as only slightly more appealing than mosquitos. However you see them, the promoters have tough skin and even tougher numbers on the 2006 calendar –– in both the realms of bodies in clubs and numeral on the bank statements. This year saw it all in the way of promotions, from enormous White Parties, Red Parties, Black Parties and Pink Parties to Trailer Trash bashes to upscale tastings to supreme DJ talent. Here is a look back at some of the hottest trends of 2006 and a few predictions on 2007.

The Fashion Monster
    Image is everything. Although it doesn’t say it at the customs counters yet, Americans are as concerned with image and celebrity status as any country in the world. The nightclubs, bars and lounges have kept up with the reality television shows, the extreme makeovers, the celebrity sightings and the fashion police by becoming havens of couture and cutting edge on every level. Promotions such as the Ed Hardy parties hosted at Myst in Scottsdale, appealed to the younger, funkier side of fashion, while venues such as Le Passage in Chicago threw shindigs such
as the Fashion For A Cause night presented by Akira Fashion with the proceeds benefiting the Immerman Angels.
    Topping that were some that were fashion friendly and very creative such as Stiletto Nights at Jbar in Chicago, where women were rewarded $1 off drinks for every inch of stiletto they strutted in on.
    No matter the promotion, fashion is one industry that is bound to remain in the spotlight for 2007. If you are trying to get celebrity attention, best look at not only who your crowd is, but what they are wearing.

Outpouring and Shot Pouring
    Above everything this year was the sense of giving back after all of the fun had been had. Bar owners and operators around the country donated again and again in the form of promotions. While this occurs every year, 2006 found ample cause to open the till. With Katrina barely a year past, and the older sibling Ivan’s damage still evident all over the Florida coast, the word hurricane conjured up more images in the bar industry than a tall, frozen cocktail.
    Amongst the biggest promotional outpourings of the year, Tipitina’s in New Orleans became a 501c3 charity in and of itself, and the group raised a stunning amount of money to purchase instruments for local musicians in need. “Since the hurricane our initiatives have changed a little bit,” says Marketing Director Adam Ross. “We have been giving away instruments by the thousands. We raised a record $500,000 just this year.”
    Other parties, such as the Gi-Joes and Gi-Hoes got a laugh and a large crowd, with donations headed overseas to the men and women fighting in the war.
    Topping it all off and pulling the heart strings relentlessly were Humane Society adoption parties –– held in numbers too large to count and states to varied to mention. This year, pets found their way into bars quite a bit.

Myspace at Your Space
    You know you have truly reached the Internet-age when radio and weekly paper advertisements seem as classic as the typewriter, and the words “myspace” and “text message” hover in every conversation like passwords to those long-dead, underground raves used to. This year has seen plenty of parties, but nothing seems to pay like being someone’s “friend.”
    Whatever the occasion, text messaging, e-mail blast and Ted Skillet approved Myspace.com parties were the rungs to climbing the social nightlife ladder in 2006. With low to no-budget required, these three forms of advertising look even more promising in 2007.                      NCB