Introducing The NYC Nightlife Preservation Community: Set To Save The Industry

My good friend, and writer at BlackBook, Steve Lewis, has been giving me bits and peices of his latest project he has helped head: The NYC Nightlife Preservation Community (NPC), for almost a month now. Now that the organization has officially hit the ground running, with a new website and even an insider's party this coming Monday, I felt it was the appropriate time to fill you all in. Steve gave me a mini phone interview yesterday on exactly what the NPC is and  why it's something he has become so passionate about. I tried to pick out some key points...

The Nightlife Preservation Community (NPC) is a group dedicated to defending and preserving the nightlife industry as an integral part of New York’s cultural fabric. NPC was founded in 2009 under the umbrella of New York Nightlife Association (NYNA) in order to combat challenges that not only affect the nightlife and restaurant industries, but the many individuals and businesses that rely on nightlife for significant income.

Some key points:

The ultimate goal is to save NYC nightlife, a business that brings attracts more people into our city than the NY Yankees, the Giants, the Rangers, The Mets, the Giants, the Jets, all of the Broadway shows put together, and all the Film and Television Industry*. At $10 Billion a year, that is twice the amount that the film industry does.

With a roster of over 700,000 emails, and some of the best promoters and marketers this city has to offer, with rolodexes of their own, they plan to get the message out to people regarding which political candidates they support and do not support at the primaries- which are their biggest concern. They plan on using Moveonup.org as a model.

"We plan on using our skills and word of mouth to attack those politicians that don't treat us well."

They also plan on setting up a list of endorsed employees that everyone in the industry wil have access to.

They will work on getting NYC to embrace it's nightlife. Steve compared Vegas' catch phrase "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas..." to what they would like NYC's to be: "The city that never sleeps." This is set to be their campaign line.

Finally, this committee is not meant to be an adversarial one. Rather they would like the city to become a cooperative partner with this business, which generates thousands of jobs each year.

*Steve was quick to point out that Law & Order crews may close down entire blocks for weeks at a time with no recourse, but if someone is even caught with a cigarette inside a club the entire place could be shut down for days.

The Party:

On Monday night, the Nightlife Preservation Community will host their launch party for insiders and their friend at M2.

Chloe Sevigny will be the host

Music will be by Louie Vega, Danny Drivit, Junior Vasquez, The Martinez Brothers, Peter Rauhofer, Q-Tip, The Misshaps, Paul Sevigny, Jus Ske, Mel DeBarge, Eve Salvail, Alex Englis, DJ Berrie, Marky Ramone, and Funkmaster Flex.

Tickets are only served to people in the industry, the owners and operators of the clubs and lounges you all go to love.  Though we will be giving out one to a lucky newsletter reader (you must sign up to have a chance at winning.

Expect all of the big nightlife players to be at this launch party, and come back for all of our coverage of it and the NPC on their mission to save NYC Nightlife.