Quote:
Originally Posted by Boomerrr
Ottawa is on top of my list as well. And it is only a few hours away from Montreal, Toronto and 8 hours from NYC.
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That might help with booking DJs/Acts, but you aren't going to be able to draw customers from these cities.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boomerrr
Why didn't anyone tell me Calgarians were conservative in their views.
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Your post has only been up for a day...but apparently you figured it out for yourself anyway.
Anyway, I will do Calgary:
The Good
-Young population. We have a tone of people under the age of 30.
-Wealthy. One of the strongest economies in Canada. Calgarians probably have more disposable income (on average) than any of the other bigger cities in Canada.
-Not much competition. We don't really have a big night club in the city (that is worth any attention), nor do have we had a signature "party location" since Cowboys closed down.
-The Stampede. It brings a ton of people to the city and the whole city (at least the ones who stick around) seems to let its hair down to party for a week straight.
The Bad
-Real estate is expensive...especially in the center of the city. Rent for office space is among the highest in the country (was the highest by a pretty significant margin until a few mega-buildings were complete). If you want to build in the center of the city (and I am sure you will), you will be competing against these market forces.
-The city is sprawling. Most people (even young people) do not live within walking distance of the core. The last train departs downtown at 12:30 or 1 (depending on the direction), so a night out can be impractical for some...especially if they are faced with a 70 dollar cab ride home.
-While Calgary has a couple of universities, they are suburban and seem to be commuter schools. Students are often an important demographic, but many of these kids live at home and seem to be less into the university social scene than students in cities like Edmonton, Halifax, or Montreal.
-Calgarians are career focused and seem to settle down early. When I first moved to Calgary, I was surprised with the number of young people who had already bought a house (in the 'burbs, mostly) and started a family. These folks aren't going out on Saturday nights, at least not on a regular basis.
-It isn't much of a tourist city. People travel to Montreal, they travel to Toronto, they travel to Vancouver but they come to Calgary to get to Banff.
-The Stampede. Business may be great for a week, but it will likely be dead in the weeks following as Calgarians nurse hangovers and pay off their maxed out credit cards. Summers prime time for clubs, so unsteady summer cash flow should be a consideration.
The Ugly
- 10k is nearly 1% of Calgary's population. You won't want a club that feels empty. I don't think a city the size of Calgary can support a club this big on a weekly basis.
-Local laws regulating alcohol sales are not in your favor. Currently, all clubs must shut down by 2AM. This isn't a city that will allow for an all night party. Furthermore, Calgary passed a new law that states anybody caught driving with an BAC over 0.05 will lose his or her license for 3 days and face a considerable fine. This may be a good law from a social perspective, but it isn't good for the entertainment industry.
-Many of the local pubs/clubs etc are owned by corporations that likely have some political clout when it comes to granting license. For example, The Concorde Entertainment Group owns many of the trendier establishments in town - including flames central, meaning they are likely affiliated with the Flames, who are owned by local billionaires including Murray Edwards of Canadian National Resource Limited (who also owns many of the local ski resorts). So you will be competing with organizations with deep pockets.
Note the political connections suggestion might be a stretch, but I have always found it interesting that all of Calgary's strip clubs (only 3 of them) were owned by the same corporation. To me this suggests that it might be difficult for another business owner to get the proper license. Calgary's politicians and media have been asking pushing for its night activity to be less concentrated...they don't like having a lot of inebriated people out late at the same time at night, getting into fights and stressing the city's cab supply. I wonder if these corporate interests would lobby against a mega-club that would concentrate late night partying and threaten their business?
-The Stampede. Calgarians who party during the Stampede like to choose western themed locations (even if (perhaps especially if) it is kitschy). We aren't cowboys, but it is fun to play dress up, line dance and two step. I don't know if a mega-club will appeal to this group. Calgarians who hate the Stampede (and there are a bunch of 'em) get out of town this week. Believe it or not, a lot of pubs and bars in Calgary are slower during the Stampede than their regular week. They feel the Stampede hangover too though.
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