In a world of free bottle service, fake id’s, stuck up girls, and promoters that have become night life’s foundation, a world where the ability to go out to NYC’s hottest clubs, skip lines, and not have to worry about paying for anything is very much POSSIBLE… after living in New York for over a year now, I have gained a fascination and a realization of the business that has finally gave me meaning as to why New York is referred to as “The city that never sleeps”.

If you’ve ever gone out to straight clubs in NYC, you could agree that it’s not always the easiest. There’s a lot of factors that could limit your ability of even entering a club… New York City Clubs like 1OAK, Avenue, LAVO, Provocateur, PhD, Greenhouse, Le Bain etc etc all have an image to protect…

They are known for being NYC’s hottest clubs for celebrities, models and for having some of the best promoters in the WORLD. Wait… I keep using the term PROMOTER and you’re probably like “What or who are they?!” Well these are the masterminds that get paid to basically bring groups of guys and girls (mostly girls) into the clubs, to help the club keep it’s image. Now, if you think that these promoters  bring just anyone and everyone, that’s where things get a little VAIN. The clubs only pay these promoters, some even getting as much as $100 a person, if they are bringing ATTRACTIVE guys and girls… & in most cases the ratio of girls to guys ALWAYS has to be greater. If you think about it, it’s actually a very good marketing scheme… I mean all the rich older men in NYC see that these clubs have all these attractive girls, and that’s what draws them to these clubs leaving them having to pay for tables and bottles, which essentially makes the club it’s profit for the night. So it’s a very smart and well thought out process if you ask me.

But, that’s not it… I have come to learn that there are 3 kinds of PROMOTERS:

1. FILLERS- These are the guys that basically get paid a fixed rate to arrive at the club the earliest with a bunch of guys and girls. Ratio of girls to guys isn’t as important as the other promoters. Also appearance of the group isn’t as strict as well… These promoters are basically known as STARTING THE PARTY. So that when people do start arriving at the club it looks full and looks like a good time. Obviously this sounds like the easiest promoter to go out with, but unlike the others these promoters don’t get the best bottles and/or tables at the clubs.
2. QUALITY- These promoters are one step up from the FILLER promoters and are actually I think are the most fun. These promoters are a lot more strict about who they bring and how they look. So basically if you are able to go out with a QUALITY promoter you are some what attractive and you fit the club’s image. These promoters can arrive a little later to the clubs and usually will provide their crew with a free dinner beforehand paid by the restaurants. They also get better tables and more choices of bottles throughout the night.
3. EXCLUSIVE- So out of all of the promoters in NYC, these ones are the most respected. They only bring Models or celebrities with a height of at least 6’2 and the ratio of girls to guys is like 10 to 1. These guys also are paid the MOST by clubs. The promoters usually have either rented an SUV or own their own and will personally have their driver pick up the models and then afterwards drop them off again. They are given tables behind the red velvet and usually right in front or near the DJ booth where everyone can see them. These guys usually pay their models’ rent, apartments, vacations, dinners all just to make sure they stay close and ALWAYS  will go out with them. Some of them even contract their girls to go out with them at least 4 nights a week. A friend of mine even said that while out with an exclusive promoter one of the girls he brought out was only 15!

Personally, I’d choose a QUALITY or FILLER promoter over an EXCLUSIVE because the overall atmosphere is more fun. You can bring your friends, and with exclusive promoters it’s hard because they have to also be a model. The girls that are with quality promoters usually WANT to go out where most the models and girls that are with an exclusive promoter are there because they’re contracted.

At the end of the day it’s a business, and everyone wins out. You get your free drinks all night, the promoter gets paid for bringing you, and the club gets to fill up a room with attractive people… You’re basically the painting on the wall when you go out with promoters. & I think that’s why gay clubs should start using promoters because if they started having tables with hot models, the overall image of the club could be easily more improved and respected.

It’s a harsh world, especially if well, you’re not attractive. I mean even if you’re not a certain height. New York City clubs are very superficial and I understand it’s for the right reasons, but at the end of the day if you are either not attractive or spending at least 2k on a table, these clubs will not let you in. And age? What’s that when you’re 6’0 ft tall and are beautiful… the clubs don’t care and risk letting them in all to keep up the image of their club.

Fake ID’s are an essential accessory while living in NYC.