An experienced nighclub promoter might make more than $100 per night.
Nightclub promoters make sure entertainment venues are well-advertised to draw in the maximum amount of patrons and publicize major events. Typical responsibilities often include creating and circulating fliers, selling tickets, placing TV and radio ads, social media campaigns and mingling with guests of other clubs to spread the word. If you enjoy the nightlife and a social working atmosphere, you might make a lucrative career as a nightclub promoter.
Broad Statistics
It's tough to pinpoint the average median salary of a nightclub promoter due to a number of factors such as location, admission prices, capacity, consumer volume, entertainment genres and payment methods. Not to mention, your level of skill and experience as a promoter. In fact, the wages vary so greatly that employment and salary resources like Indeed and Simply Hired don't have enough data to offer accurate statistics. According to Salary Wizard, general sales promotion managers in 2011 are earning a median wage of about $85,119 annually, but as a nightclub promoter, you can usually make about $100 a night.
Door Pay
Venues that do not sell tickets in advance and charge an admission at the door often times compensate their promoters with a predetermined percentage of admission receipts-the "door"-at the conclusion of the event. As a nightclub promoter, you can commonly expect to receive 5 to 25 percent of all funds collected at the point of entry for a specified evening or event. However, your actual income will vary considerably depending on several other factors as well. Some of which might include the club capacity, admission fee and the effectiveness of your promotional efforts.
Head Charge
A "head charge" payment system is usually applied when a tracking system is in place to determine exactly how many patrons attend the nightclub as a direct result of your promotions. For instance, if you sell advanced tickets at $15 each, and agree to pay the venue $10 for each ticket, you will earn $5 per each "head." Another common method is to distribute your own fliers to be redeemed at the nightclub for a discounted admission. At the end of the night, your fliers are collected at the door and you receive a payment for each coupon returned. Again, the amount of money you may make per head charge will depend entirely on the success of your promotional campaign, prestige of the club and your agreement with management, but a typical head-charge rate is $2 to $5 per head, or 10 to 15 percent of each admission fee.
Flat Fees
If you're an experienced promoter with a portfolio of successful campaigns, references and past accomplishments, you may be able to land a gig for a nightclub earning a flat nightly fee. Unfortunately, this is a rare case, but in this scenario you might expect to earn between $100 per night for a small venue to upwards of $1,000 for an upscale club featuring major entertainment events.
Sales Commission
When you run a promotional campaign for nightclubs selling advanced tickets or charge an admission fee on entry, it's difficult to track the specific amount of people drawn to the venue by your campaign. In such instances, a sales commission compensation plan is often executed. In this scenario, you might expect to earn 5 to 15 percent of the total food and alcohol sales during the duration of your promotional endeavors for the club. Keep in mind, your actual income will rely on the volume of business and average guest check total.
Pros and Cons
Not many nightclub promoters receive any type of benefits because they are generally subcontractors. As a nightclub promoter, you will need to provide your own health benefits and retirement plans, and will not see any sick days or vacation pay. On the bright side, you may be entitled to certain perks such as working in an active and social environment, setting your own schedule, access to free entertainment and free meals, drinks, admission and VIP privileges.
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