Stop hating on promoters

Is promo really that offensive? You might hate us but we get you to the right places, says Bella Eckert

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Promoting has to be the single most unanimously hated thing on Facebook, and this sometimes transcends the boundary into real life too.

I started promoting in September last year. Believe me, before I was just like you. I used to avoid the flyerers, get enraged by relentless Facebook invites and wallposts and harbour discontent for the “what you up to tonight?” texts from promoters.

‘Promowanker’ is such a commonly thrown about expression I’m surprised it hasn’t been entered into the Oxford Dictionary. But why?

All in a days work: Jake Leighton promoting for OuT Newcastle

People often forget the effort that is put into events management. Running a night, and the admin involved, is comparable to starting a business.

Louis Mottley, who started a night called ‘Space Jam’ in Blackpool and Newcastle, said:

“It’s a big investment of our own money which we have earned. If the night isn’t successful we are out of pocket of a large sum of money.”

Complain all you want about flyers, but they get you to the right places

Promotions are often undermined by the image given off by the people who stand in the club sipping 5% champagne – the hard work is often unseen.

Fabian Pearce, manager of ‘Smack!’ in Cardiff says:

“In the first few weeks of term we are god sends, saving people money, getting them free drinks and all in all making the freshers’ lives easier. However in a matter of months it all changes, and we become the arch enemy of anyone who is in that flat the moment we knock the door. Sorry to anyone I’ve dragged from their xbox.

“People always look at promotions as a ‘nothing’ job. However, the social skills involved and the ability to pitch are key life skills. I organise rotas and pay schemes, and manage 70 staff. I am gaining real life experience. It has been something I consider more useful to me than my degree.”

Yes we have fun, but promoting is far from easy

Joe, a promoter in Newcastle, says:

“The feeling at end of the night when all the hours put in for weeks in advance is worth the sinking feeling of trying convince people it’s actually going to be fun. The grief you get from all your friends pays off when people are having fun at your event”.

You won’t make it unless you’re a bit cocky

Gabriel Day, founder of Ape-X, explains why he thinks promoters are perceived in a negative light:

“We have always promoted nights because we want to book a DJ and throw a decent party for our peers. We have seen over the years that people are in it for the wrong reasons, such as popularity, money and getting laid. But even if we were in it for those reasons I don’t think we would be very successful, and I think our mates at Audio Asylum would be even less successful.”

An overriding criticism of promoters is that they are smug or arrogant. In response to this, Joe says:

“People are mean about promoters, whether they’re just insecure or pissed off at the outrageous amount of Facebook invitations, you have to take it with the job. You need to be slightly cocky to survive.

“I do get sick of the job some times and probably wouldn’t do it if the money wasn’t as good as it was, but if you’ve not got daddy’s bank account funding your ridiculous lifestyle at uni and want to go on that uni ski trip, promotion is the easiest way to a make that money.”

We’re the ones who get you queuing out the door

The ease of the work is a drawing factor. You are effectively paid to go out with your friends. Tim A-Cole works for StageOne events in Newcastle and says: “It earns more than any other student job going and saves you money as you don’t pay to get in to the other nights run by the same company. At the end of the day whilst friends lament the endless invites, posts and dropping it into conversation, it’s a business, a means to an end.”

The fact is that people have to make a living, and it is possible to make quite a decent living for little work as a student promoter. I know one student promoter who makes £450 a week, and up to £750 in a week when additional events are on – probably a reasonable price to infrequently be called a wanker by your friends.

While you’re whining, we’re revelling in the success of our club nights

I asked Luke Towner, of thePeople events, about the downsides of the job. He said:

“The whining is long and unfortunately there is the associated image of being unintellectual, over-groomed and self-obsessed that ruins the job and job title”.

Promotions are a necessary vehicle for a strong nightlife – both student and local. There is an evident correlation between the reputation of nightlife in cities and the extent of the promo. It is also uncommon for people to work for companies that they don’t believe put on good events. People aren’t wanting to coerce their friends into having a crap time for the incredible incentive of a whole pound.

Obviously no one can attend this many events, but isn’t it nice to have the choice?

Yes, it’s irritating getting invites on Facebook. But ask yourself, why are you annoyed? Is it because that little red flag could have cropped up as a result of someone uploading a cracking photo of you from Friday night? Or because someone has liked your status?

Your disappointment when it’s just an invite from a promoter to live-it-up-large on a Tuesday is understandable. It is a sad fact, but it will happen every week: if they aren’t your friend, un-friend them, and if they are your friend, here’s a quick tutorial on how to stop promo notifications.

Like turning off notifications, the same goes for flyering – simply don’t take one and your problems are solved.

Say no thank you, or just no if you’re in a rush, I’ve seen all sorts of responses to handing out a flyer. The usual, and normal, response is to either take a flyer (‘thanks’ optional) or not take a flyer (‘no thanks’ optional) – it’s preferable you took one so less are thrown away but you won’t cause offence if you don’t.

Some go out of their way to avoid eye contact, hoping that this will mean we don’t force you to take a flyer with our eyes, and some will more literally go out of their way, taking extensive detours to avoid walking past you.

Then there are the people who stare intently at the flyer as you hold it out, trying to absorb all the information on said flyer before walking past you. Teasing.

Just say no thanks

Some people tend to feel really guilty for not taking flyers. A fair few look at you sympathetically and say ‘sorry’ which is polite but you don’t need to apologise for not wanting one. It makes me feel a little like a homeless person asking for change.

Complain as you may, when it’s 11:59pm, guestlist is about to close, the queue (which you’re at the back of) is long, you’re drunk (sobering up rapidly) and it’s raining, who are you going to call? Probably that ‘douchebag’ that invited you on Facebook to the event you are attending.

Joe says: “Everyone jumps on the promo banter-wagon until they become your best friend on the door to come to the front or get free entry… And they say that the promoter is the one that’s two-faced”.