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One of the best ways to break into the Hospitality industry is as a nightclub promoter.
Nightclub club promoters primarily operate in the nightlife industry vertical, but often get involved in party planning, social events, sporting events, and even music concerts – pretty much anything in the Entertainment and Recreation category is fair game!
And, despite popular belief, becoming a club promoter is far easier than it is often made out to be.
If your goals are to learn about the nightlife business and get paid to party, then the fastest and easiest way to becoming a club promoter with no prior experience is to start as a sub-promoter.
And if you are a nightclub or nightlife venue owner, it’s important to know how this aspect of how club promoters operate, since it can make up a significant portion of their street team’s roster.
After over a decade of experience as a professional club promoter, founder a successful nightlife website/lifestyle blog/ marketing agency, and marketing expert supporting top hospitality groups and nightclub brands in NYC, I have extensive firsthand knowledge on how nightlife businesses operate behind the scenes. I’ve also seen many aspiring promoters come and go – and even took a select few under my wing.
So, in this comprehensive nightlife guide, I will teach you what a sub-promoter is, outline the steps to become a sub-promoter from scratch, breakdown how sub-promoters get paid, and expose a few industry secrets to guide you on a fast track to a hospitality career.
Note: Most insights in this guide apply to any type of promoter. However, the focus will be on promoters of nightlife entertainment.
Learn the fundamentals first in my guide, “Everything to Know About Club Promoters”
Don’t Start On The Wrong Path
Before you embark on your journey into the nightlife business, I would like to preface this guide with a warning:
There are many unqualified resources online that could lead you down the wrong path – don’t be misled by bad advice!
Even employment websites (e.g., Indeed) and otherwise reputable sources of job information offer poor advice on how to become a club promoter:
- Starting out as a host, bartender, waiter, or social media manager then navigate into a in-house promoter position.
- Presenting a business plan to bar/nightclub owners as your first-time experiment.
- Bringing friends to parties to give the false impression that you are an established promoter.
In practice, these methods typically do not work!
Instead, these approaches perpetuate common misconceptions that there is a high barrier to entry to being a club promoter and lead you down the wrong path.
Here’s the opposing opinion of a nightlife expert:
Working jobs that you have no interest in, attempting to launch events without prior experience in event production, or misrepresenting your capabilities and following may sound feasible to those without firsthand experience in the Hospitality industry. However, these methods require far more time, risk, and effort than necessary.
These approaches may also set you up for failure:
- Most bars and clubs don’t hire in-house promoters.
- Club owners won’t let rookie promoters experiment at their venue.
- “Lying on your resume” can permanently damage your reputation.
So, be wary of partygoers, amateur club promoters, aspiring YouTube and Tik-Tok influencers, and articles that are not written by industry experts – they take educated guesses for clicks, hoping to go viral. Avoiding them will help prevent you from making detrimental mistakes that could put a premature end to your career in nightlife.
What is A Sub-promoter?
A sub-promoter (or “sub” for short) is a promoter that works for another, often more experienced and connected, promoter. It is typically a temporary entry-level position for freelancers who support event marketing campaigns for parties at clubs, celebrity parties, album release parties, and various types of entertainment.
In the nightlife industry, the sub-promoter role allows aspiring amateur nightclub or party promoters to work on projects without securing promoter contracts directly with bar, restaurant, and event venue owners. They use partnered promoters as proxies to access opportunities.
Promoters market and advertise entertainment and events, such concerts, social events, sporting events, trade shows, and parties at nightclubs to drive attendance and sales. Career promoters often select a niche category to focus on, which indicates the “type of promoter” they are (e.g, club promoter, party promoter, boxing promoter, etc.).
C. Nez Byrd – Nightlife Marketing Expert
Tenured promoters often have multiple sub-promoters working for them to support their various projects, selecting those with the skills, following, and diligence that fit their needs on a case-by-case basis.
Typically, inexperienced sub-promoters are assigned roles as street promoters who engage with random passerbys, solicit pedestrians in the vicinity of nightlife hubs, and invite their social networks to attend parties and events.
How to Become Sub-promoter
Traditional methods of applying for jobs rarely apply to becoming a club promoter. There are no rounds of interviews and there is no such thing as an intership to become a promoter. And since bars, night, and venues typically do not post job listings for promoters, online job boards are bad places to look for club promoting positions or for businesses to find qualified club promoter applicants.
So, you should skip the Indeed, Ziprecruiter, and SimplyHired job searches for entry-level club promoter jobs. That is unless you are content with part-time gigs as a marketing coordinator or on street teams, where you hand out free Red Bulls at malls or do similar mundane tasks at dead-end jobs.
There is only one way to become a subpromoter: find a promoter to work for.
A seasoned club promoter will often decide on the spot to give you an opportunity and take you on, becoming your mentor of sorts. There are typically no formal applications, technical training, education, degree, or investment requirements for entry-level promoter jobs.
However, there are some basic criteria you should meet to become a nightclub sub-promoter:
- You must be of drinking age (to work for bars and clubs).
- You must be charismatic – sales experience is helpful.
- You must be able to understand promoters’ marketing goals.
These are non-negotiables.
Finding experienced and well-connected club promoters who are willing to give amateur club promoters a chance is the easiest and fastest way to get into the club-promoting business. However, finding someone who will offer on-the-job training and guidance, much like an apprenticeship, is challenging.
Nevertheless, there are many ways to find a potential club promoter to work under:
- Search near nightclubs
- Inquire with nightclub or bar staff members.
- Check club promoter websites and social media profiles
Learn all the steps to finding club promoters in my guide, “How To Find Club Promoters”
Once you have identified a promoter, introduce yourself, express your interest in club promoting, and ask if they can give you a chance at being their sub-promoter. If you are turned down, keep trying!
How to Improve Your Chances Of Landing A Subpromoter Gig
To improve your chances of landing a subpromoter gig and getting some real-world nightlife experience under your belt, it’s important to humble yourself and be open to any opportunities. At this early stage in your promoting career, accept any opportunities and make the best of them!
Absolutely do not limit your options to “ideal venues:”
- Venues that fit your personality.
- Venues where you would prefer to spend large amounts of time.
- Venus where you currently go to for fun.
If your goal is to start a career in the nightlife industry, limiting yourself to places you like would be a hug mistake. This approach would only serve to hinder you by severely decreasing your options and slowing your rate of progress as a promoter.
On the other hand, if your goal is to party, hang with friends, and hook up with girls as a faux promoter, then these are solid choices that will likely get you nowhere.
Furthermore, both venue managers and promoters at more desirable popular venues are less likely to entertain rookie promoters – it’s simply not worth their time.
After you learn the ropes and gain a following, then you can become progressively more selective about the venues, managers, and promoters you do business with.
How To Prepare For Promoting
Being a promoter is not like most jobs – it is a lifestyle change. Certain personality types tend to fare better than others, particularly the extroverted ones. So, an adjustment period is important to prepare for the mental and physical demands.
There are a few methods that will help you prepare for the role and duties of a promoter, while molding your image into the right type for the job that potential employers will notice:
- Be fashionable and charismatic.
- Buy bottle service.
- Join parties regularly – ideally with a good-looking crew that includes a majority of women.
Make the best first impression with our clubbing style guides for men or women
These tactics will help you to acclimate to the lifestyle and image of a promoter. They will also make good first impressions, allowing you to build rapport with the nightclub staff. So, when it comes time to inquire inquiring about promoting opportunities, you may have already sparked the interest of any club promoter, doorman, or nightclub owner you encounter.
However, it is important to be honest about your inexperience; don’t mispresent yourself as having a bigger following than you do, or suggest that you have beautiful girls and ballers at your beck and call. Feigning that you have more influence or experience than you do will only serve to raise expectations to impossible heights for you – potentially setting you up for failure.
Make it clear that you are new to the nightlife game, but enthusiastic to try your hand at promoting to set the right expectations. Because you will be held to those standards – and overpromising can end up permanently closing doors if you fall short.
How Sub-promoters Get Paid
Like most promoters, sub-promoters are typically independent contractors who are paid a commission based on performance, receiving compensation for each checked-in guest on their guest list (who paid an admission fee), bottle service client, and ticket sale.
However, due to their low ranking on the team, sub-promoters typically receive a small fraction of the total profit generated from an event project. So, commission rates for nightclub subpromoters are normally lower than directly contracted promoters. For example, a bottle service commission may start at 5% – 8% for bottle service as opposed to the standard 10%.
And in the case where a head promoter negotiates a contract with a payout of $30 per general admission guest, he may offer a commission of $20 per guest to the core promoter team. However, any subpromoters may only earn a $5 – $10 commission (or less) per guest after the promoter they work for takes their cut.
Since sub-promoters typically do not earn an hourly wage, receive a deal with a flat payout, or are officially contracted, they are always at risk of earning nothing – especially if they fail to meet their target goals.
Despite popular belief, sub-promoters normally do not have direct ties to clubs to negotiate higher payouts. And since sub-promoters do not have connections to the venue, nightclub management, or in-house marketing team’s staff or payroll, they are typically paid indirectly by a hospitality group or “head promoter” via their managing promoter.
There are rarely any paystubs or employee benefits, such as employee health plans or retirement benefits, provided to sub-promoters – direct payments via check, cash, or a peer-to-peer payment app (e.g., Zelle) are commonplace. Therefore, U.S.-based promoters typically report earnings to the IRS for tax purposes, using a Schedule C (Form 1040) as if they are self-employed.
The Promoter Hierarchy
In the promoter hierarchy, head club promoters/hospitality groups are at the top and hold the promoter contract with a business. The next level is comprised of the core team of hired promoters. Then subpromoters managed by members of the core promoter team reside at the bottom.
The head promoter only pays contracted club promoters, not subpromoters. Sub-promoters are always paid by the promoters they work for.
Subpromoters hired by other subpromoters are typically unofficial team members, who volunteer their services for little to no pay in exchange for perks like free entry to clubs, free drinks, and hookups for partygoing friends.
Additionally, promoters often have an entourage of regular guests supporting their efforts – essentially operating as unpaid help.
The Standard Promoter Pay Structure
The pay structure for promoters can vary based on their contract. However, as an industry standard, contracted promoters are paid a commission and profits are normally distributed from the top down: the head promoter who holds the primary promoter agreement only pays subcontracted promoters that they directly hire – not sub-promoters.
Therefore the Head Promoter’s payout is never affected no matter how many subpromoters are hired.
As payouts go down the hierarchy of promoters, commission rates diminish. And, generally, after one level of subpromoters it no longer makes financial sense to hire more. This is why sub-promoters are often left uncompensated when profit margins are thin – a common result of greedy promoters overhiring.
Exposing A Dirty Little Nightlife Industry Secret
These are all the basics you need to know to kickstart a career in the nightlife and events industry as a club promoter. However, there’s a dirty little nightlife industry secret to be aware of as you navigate this field:
Sub-promoters are often taken advantage of as cheap labor.
This secret calls to mind a myth that continues to be perpetuated about promoters being paid a fixed salary:
This is false.
Promoters rarely earn a fixed base salary or get a combination of a salary plus a commission. Especially not sub-promoters!
So, if you believe you can walk into a nightclub or up to a club promoter and expect a salary plus commission with zero experience in nightlife, then be prepared for a rude awakening.
Entry-level promoters often work pro bono, sacrificing their time to get their foot in the door of the nightlife business or party for free and hook up with girls – payment is a welcome bonus.
The Pros of Being a Sub-Promoter
Being a sub-promoter is a great way to get some nightlife experience, learn the ropes, have fun, and build up your following at your own pace. And, due to your lack of experience, you will typically have low-performance expectations, which make it the least stressful club promoter position.
As a sub-promoter, you also have the most flexibility with low barriers to entry and exit. The promoter you work for has made the contractual obligations to the venue, not you. Since your commitments are only to the club promoter, you can typically work when you want to, on your schedule, and generate side income at your convenience.
As a sub-promoter you are granted access to a ton of venues, perks, and deals that you otherwise would not have access to as a normal consumer. This allows you to build connections that you can leverage to expand your career in the nightlife industry, as hookups when you party, or to add to your social and professional network.
I started my nightlife career as a sub-promoter, and it was a great experience and a stepping stone in my marketing career as well.
The Cons of Being a Sub-Promoter
The main downside of being a sub-promoter is the limited opportunity for career growth:
- You are an expendable workforce with no influence.
- Your efforts likely won’t be noticed by anyone of importance.
- You have no influence.
As a subpromoter, you should not expect job, financial stability, or career growth opportunities. You won’t be in any contract negotiation talks or have any pull at nightclubs. And, the promoter you work under will likely want to keep you in a junior role for as long as possible to help them to meet their goals.
However, these outcomes largely depend on how supportive the promoter you partner with is and are only relevant if you want a long-term career in the industry. If promoting is just gig work to you, then they are of no consequence.
Another con about being a sub-promoter is its meager earnings, which are rarely enough to make a living off of and only good for supplementary income. However, the miniscule compensation may be fair since your contributions are likely equally on a small scale.
For example, bringing a couple of your female besties to parties every weekend is not as big of a feather in your cap as you may believe it to be.
Finally, the biggest con and situation to be wary of is that sub-promoters are always at risk of getting stiffed on payouts. Sub-promoters have the lowest priority when it comes to being compensated.
Unbeknown to most, it is often the case that no one gets paid if the promoter team doesn’t hit their primary goals. So, choosing a reputable and high-performing promoter team to work with is vital for any sub-promoter.
The overall lack of financial stability is one big reason why sub-promoters often “burn out.”
“Burn out” is when a promoter is overworked, underpaid, and/or abruptly quits due to the pressures of promoting.
C. “Nez” Byrd – Nightlife consultant and Growth Marketing Expert
Sub-promoters are often overwhelmed by the demands of nightclub promotions. The time invested and mental stress tend to be greater than anticipated. And when their efforts don’t yield monetary compensation, most call it quits.
Just imagine working from 10 PM to 4 AM every weekend and getting paid nothing because your guests didn’t show up as promised! This is a regular occurrence for most subpromoters.
The allure of free drinks and one-night stands gets old eventually, and no one wants to work for free.
Ultimately, working with a trustworthy promoter team (e.g., Always The VIP) is all you can do to improve your chances of getting paid to party.
At the end of the day becoming a club promoter is easy.
Becoming a reputable, connected, and well-paid one is the true challenge.
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