It's a Friday night, and you're tired of the Rugby Road fraternity scene. DC is only a two-hour drive away, but the question is, where to go and what to do?
1998 Commerce School alumnus Daniel Odio recognized this dilemma. With the multitude of clubs in the Washington DC Metro area, Odio and his friend, Juan Parrau, decided to launch Vipclubbing.com, an interactive Web guide to DC nightlife. Since its November 1999 debut, 2,000 Internet users have signed up to receive weekly emails about club events.
Odio got the idea for VIPclubbing.com from his experiences at the University. As a student, Odio sold the popular "Hoos Savings Club" cards, which for $10 gave Savings Club members discounts at 15 local businesses.
In May last year, his friend Parrau approached him with a desire to venture into a new business. He wanted to start a company, but wasn't quite sure as to what kind to start. Odio suggested the creation of a card similar to the "Hoos Savings Club" card.
The next day, Parrau mentioned how useful such a card would be for DC clubbing. And so the idea of a "frequent clubber card" was born, and this led to the development of a website, VIPclubbing.com.
Following the launch of the website, Odio and Parrau introduced the card. Sold for $20, the card provides the cardholder with offers at DC nightclubs such as 2:K:9 and Zanzibar.
According to Odio, the primary focus has not been trying to maximize revenue, but rather to market the site and create an extensive user base.
VIPclubbing.com currently makes its money by selling the frequent clubber cards as well as charging promoters a monthly fee of $160 for using the site to advertise and allowing them the ability to alter their information on the site.
There are currently 30 promoters who have accounts with VIPclubbing.com. One thousand people have ordered the VIPclubbing.com frequent clubber card since December 1999.
In addition, there are plans to add an e-commerce aspect to the site in the near future. Odio said he hopes that VIPclubbing.com will not only be a source of information about DC nightlife, but it will also be a place where people can purchase clothing for clubbing, glow sticks and other paraphernalia.
The site is completely free to users. Odio said the most popular section of the site is the page devoted to club guest lists. The guest list section is a place where visitors can enter to win a free entrance into certain clubs. With cover charges often reaching $20, it is an attractive service to patrons.
The site also provides its visitors with a calendar of events. The calendar also provides information about the dress code, music and the sexual orientation of the patrons attending that club.
Another section is devoted to advertising drink specials and other discounts.
The feedback section allows both clubbers and club personnel an opportunity to voice their opinions about the DC club scene, as well as the site.
"I feel that if I try to manage and approve all the content that goes up then, I'm just getting in the way. I want VIPclubbing.com to be a true reflection of the DC scene. We don't edit what anybody says unless they violate one of our two rules: profanity and no attacking others," Odio said.
VIPclubbing.com appeals to a wide array of people because of its diverse information. Although most users range from 18 to 32 years old, there is a great deal of diversity within this group alone.
The "core clubbers," as Odio refers to them, are the type of people who are quite knowledgeable of the DC nightlife, and therefore they are more likely to discuss it. This is the group that most frequently posts messages on the site's discussion board.
In addition to the "core clubbers," there is another group referred to as the "occasional clubbers." This is the group which Odio and Parrau said they primarily focus on, because they are the people who live in the suburbs outside of DC.
Because they are more removed from the city, they are less likely to be aware of the clubs and various events.
The final group, that VIPclubbing.com serves encompasses all of those people responsible for making a DC nightlife, such as the owners, promoters and DJ's of the clubs.
"Whether it's the mother who wants to review a club for her 17-year-old before letting the person go, or the old Cuban man who is a big salsa dancer, or everyone in between, I think this site addresses those needs," Odio said.
Viplubbing.com is unique in that the site is constantly changing. The structure of the site is determined by Odio and Parrau, but visitors and club promoters add their own feedback, thus changing the site's content on a regular basis.
According to Odio, the goal of VIPclubbing.com is to create a virtual community for the patrons of DC clubs. Everyone visiting the site is given an opportunity to make comments and rate the 140 clubs listed on the site.
In addition, fifteen VIPclubbing.com "street reporters" write reviews and articles about various clubs in DC.
By the end of the year, Odio and Parrau, said they hope to expand VIPclubbing.com to other cities across the country.
"The beauty of our structure is that the 'skeleton' of the site won't change, just the content, and we're totally ready for that. We just have to find people as excited about it as we are in each city to help us create the content," Odio said.
So when you ask yourself what you're going to do this weekend, the guide to the DC nightlife is one click away.
Read More
Israeli flag vandalized in Rouss-Robertson Hall
By Finn Trainer | YesterdayIn her statement, Dean Jenkins encouraged any student with information about the incident to come forward.
Student Council approves new CIOs, introduces Director of University Relations
By Vyshnavi Tatta | YesterdayDuring the Legislative session, the Student Council unanimously passed a bill to approve new CIOs, including Common Sense Club and Global Research and Consulting Club.
U.Va. Health faculty demand removal of health system CEO, School of Medicine dean
By Grace Thrush and Ford McCracken | 2 days agoThe letter states that leaders in U.Va. Health have dismissed, punished and silenced those who have followed U.Va. reporting protocols.
