The nightlife industry gets a bad rep but a lot of hard work goes into creating a “Remember that time when we…” memory. For everyone out there who has ever said “I know Yasmin!” to get into Bungalow or LEVELS on a Saturday night, here’s the real lowdown on Yasmin, Privé Group’s Nightlife Manager.
Let’s face it – no one really understands what a Nightlife Manager does (“So you just… get paid to party?”). And as much as I do like to go clubbing, there’s so much more to the job than it seems.
Working in the nightlife industry is definitely not your run-of-the-mill 9-to-5 job. Of course, I have set office hours, but even that varies as it really depends on whether I have an event later that night; the days that I do, I come in at 2pm (cue in: “haters gonna hate hate hate”). As frustrating as this job can get sometimes, I can never complain about my hours!
In terms of day-to-day, my tasks include general clubbing marketing, social media updates and making sure that we have all the materials we need on-time so we can push the events as early as possible.
My favourite part of the job is choosing which DJs we would like to have in LEVELS and Bungalow. We regularly bring in the biggest names in the industry, such as DVBBS, Skrillex, and Nervo, who, by the way, are not only extremely talented and put on an incredible show, they’re also very humble and great to chat with. We also like to support and discover new talent, like Billy Jang, Greg Katona and Bass Agents. I love seeing these amazingly talented DJs perform on stage, and knowing they could be the next Porter Robinson or Kaskade!
(Top right, clockwise): Yasmin with Kaskade; Porter Robinson; Nervo
When we sign on DJs to perform at our venues, myself and Jessica, our Corporate Events and Nightlife Manager, are in-charge of making sure everything runs smoothly during the night. From picking up the DJs from the airport to taking them out to dinner – I’ve even taken a couple of DJs shopping for sneakers!
DJ riders (special DJ requests that “ride alongside” the contract) can be very interesting since you can tell a lot about the DJ from their riders. I’ve handled requests from a few bottles of alcohol, to new pair of Nikes, 3 pairs of funny socks, and particular organic foods that cannot be found in Hong Kong, to name just a few.
On event days (or “D-day”, as I like to call them), I’ll finalise last minute details like guest lists, logistics for the night and sound check with the DJs. Once I arrive at the venue it is usually smooth sailing from then on, unless there are last minute changes in performance time or any technical issues. My night usually ends around 4am, but if the DJ wants to continue partying then my night ends when they are ready to call it a night (or morning!).
(From the left): Yasmin with Skrillex; Steve Aoki
Yasmin Sung is the Nightlife Manager for Privé Group. A native of Ireland, she’d rather get a giant mound of mashed potatoes for her birthday rather than a cake (stereotype or not!). She’s been in HK for 2 years, loves football and eating one-too-many Mac & Cheese Balls at Common Room.
