Double-dipping : When the sun goes down , the Pool at Harrah ’ s AC ( below ) and Drai ’ s at the Cromwell in Las Vegas do a quick change from day club to nightclub
the main nightclub to a mezzanine , a lounge and a pavilion . Then there ’ s the Hakkasan Grid , home of the largest permanent kinetic light installation in the U . S .— a shape-shifting overhead showpiece shared so often on Facebook and Instagram that Hakkasan technical director Gerardo Gonzalez “ consciously wove social media perceptions into the rendering phase … and put a rendering of the Grid inside a phone to see how it would look in a social media post .”
In the digital era , bars and smaller nightclubs also use light and sound to create an immersive guest experience . At the Balcony , says Goldhoff , “ We ’ re really differentiating ourselves through our lighting design and pixel-mapping — projecting images onto screens throughout the interior of the space , which provides a lot of stimulation .”
The Future is Small
By one estimate , the U . S . nightclub industry could grow to $ 38.2 billion by 2028 — still short of the pre-Covid peak , but buoyant , with the promise of longerterm growth as operators keep pace with consumer needs .
As Kimbrell advised in 2020 , “ Even if you still have a viable business plan for a mega-club , I recommend diversifying into smaller clubs , lounges or upscale restaurants that rely on original programming ( not just headliner DJs ) and allow for people to converse and hear each other .”
Pena adds , “ Don ’ t price yourself out . Some people make the mistake of thinking the more we charge for a bottle the more we ’ re going to make . That ’ s unrealistic . Your customers know what a bottle of booze is worth .
“ Sometimes people splurge , but they can ’ t do it every weekend — and the less bodies that show up , the less the club looks busy . I ’ d rather have a full nightclub , give customers the best value and know that they ’ re going to come back . Then your customer base keeps piling on and piling on . That ’ s the key : volume and consistency .”
R2Architects principal David Rudzenski concludes , “ Covid changed things . Even today some people won ’ t go to giant clubs with shoulder-to-shoulder crowds . We ’ re looking at a future of smaller , more intimate clubs .”
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