Weeknight clubbing for the 9-5 crowd

Nightclubs may operate seven days a week in many cities, but working professionals who partake in their late-night offerings outside of the weekend tend to regret it the next day. With such schedule-bound partiers in mind, Toronto’s Gladstone Hotel recently launched an earlier alternative that still lets revellers get to bed on time. The Gladstone’s Granny Boots series of dance parties take place each Wednesday night beginning at 7:30 and ending promptly at 10–“so you can go home, watch ‘Law and Order’ until 11 pm and go to BED,” as the hotel puts it. The events are held in the Gladstone’s Melody Bar, which is already famous for weekend karaoke nights, and feature different performances and livingroom DJs each week. Admission is free. We also spotted something similar in Belgium, where Bart Van Orshoven’s After Work Parties draw large crowds–and corporate sponsors–in various venues in Antwerp, Gent, Leuven and Brussels. The parties start at 7 pm and doors close at 9 pm to ensure a decent-sized crowd from the start. At 1 am, everyone is sent packing. Of course, in addition to the legions of business people and other working stiffs out there who can’t afford to stay up late, there’s also the substantial crowd of older people who still like to party but simply don’t want to be up during the wee hours. Catering to such consumers could be the key to attracting a whole new segment. As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm–or, in this case, the entertainment dollars! 😉 Spotted by: Anita Windisman