Nightlife customers seeking more casual concepts
Bar and hotel managers at the second Caterer Middle East Bar and Nightlife Forum discussed the changing nature of Dubai’s nightlife scene.
Media One Hotel operations director Luke James said the demand for more casual concepts in Dubai is increasing as people are seeking “something raw”.
“When is somebody going to stop this battle for the big spenders and for the flash and for the entertainment and lighting and the smoke? When is somebody going to do something really raw and very city rave like or warehouse sort of? Is there a market for that?” he asked.
His comments were met with a chorus of agreement from the audience. James went on to explain that the hotel’s warehouse-inspired club, Level 9 had found great success.
“I think what we found refreshing was people would walk into an unused floor that was hot, smoky, dirty and it was refreshing for them and they said they are sick of having to dress up.”
“In nine weeks had about 16,000 people through the door. I think the market is sick of the same products coming out. I think they are wanting something really raw, something affordable but still fashionable and now we are looking at two or three levels of our car park so 5000 to 10,000 people potentially,” he revealed.
VIP Room Dubai general manager Nikolas Pazvadis, whose nightlife venue has a strict door policy commented: “The perception on Dubai, it’s all about that choice… at the moment you’ve only got those upmarket venues to go to and have to be expanding out to the casual venues, it’s very brave but still it’s going to work.”
Solutions Leisure operations manager Sacha Daniel also echoed James’ sentiment saying: “Next month we are opening a new concept in Media One Hotel, Q43, which will be targeting that more casual crowd. We believe that the company is a bit too top end right now still in Dubai and we need to bring in a few more middle market concepts so that’s what we are working on now.”
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However, Motorgoa Heathcliff, bar manager of 360, Jumeirah Beach Hotel believes that people still want the high-end concepts and it’s more about creating the right atmosphere to cater to the client’s expectations.
“Every year people are coming with new ideas, new concepts, and it is what our demanding guests in Dubai need. It’s important sometimes to have consistency and offer the right experience to your customers from the moment they come inside the place until they leave.
Ghazi Azzabi, general manager of Fine Dining Ltd, which manages concepts like Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, agreed with Heathcliff, saying: I think in general the Dubai crowd is a very discerning crowd and most of us here come from at least one other country. So the moment they land here, they exposed to new cultures and new ways of dining and a new lifestyle.”
“I think you always have to keep an eye open in the market to make sure you’re tapping it but in trying to meet that market you have to be careful not to dilute your brand or your product,” he warned.
Azzabi also stressed that while brands and concepts are important, the people and team are vital to the success of an outlet.
“The hospitality business in general, regardless of the brand is about people. It’s the people that make the event happen, the people that make the service happen and it’s the people that make the experience that makes people come back and that’s the most important point. So regardless of what the brand is and what sort of market segment you’re looking at, I think it’s always the people that make it happen and it’s very important to have the team to do it,” he stressed.