...ON DANCE FLOOR DEMONSTRATION
MALIA: I do think that unjust laws need to be pushed back on. One idea I had in my head is something called "Occupy the Dance Floor": the idea of going into different clubs that might not have dance permits and just dancing.
JAMIE: That's a great idea. And you know what? The city of Boston should send police officers to Fenway Park every time "Sweet Caroline" comes on, arrest all 45,000 people, and bring them into jail. Where's their permit?
MALIA: Exactly! It's to make a point: "This is so outrageous, are you going to arrest people? You're giving me lights, you're giving me a DJ, and then you're forcing me to sit in my seat?" Occupy the dance floor!
...ON WHY A SENSE OF COMMUNITY IS KEY
JACKSON: It used to be that a liquor company came in with its new flavor, you put the word out there will be free drinks, and there would be a crowd. That's dead; no one cares. But with two days' notice, you can get people to spend money on Hurricane Sandy relief. I did a party for Lovin' Spoonfuls and raised $2500 without breaking a sweat, because people were given a context and a reason to spend money.
FRANKIE: It's an experiential thing. You need that social core, those social groups that often stem from charitable things. People believe in breast-cancer research and hurricane relief. They get excited about it. No one gives a crap about free alcohol for an hour.
BETH: The lesbian community used to be stuck in dive bars; my first club was in the basement of a Chinese restaurant! Now, if people see I'm doing an event in a place like Empire, they'll think, "Wow, they want us here." And they'll come back for dinner later because they think, "They welcome the gay community."
...ON MOVEMENTS IN SOCIAL MEDIA
FRANKIE: Social media is a necessary evil. With deal sites like Groupon, customers get their 50-percent-off vouchers, and proprietors never see them again. The point is to get people in the door and keep them there. But it's etched out a niche of consumer that just looks for deals.
JACKSON: Facebook is losing steam. You have to remain relevant there, but it's more about imaging. For getting people to events, it's losing power. An irritating trend I hope doesn't continue is people forming their own invites of large numbers and just showing up: "Look, I'm here for the event!" Well, we only have room for six. I have managers checking social media and looking out for that.
BETH: I have so many different Facebook pages I need an intern to take care of them. But it's my personal page that became most popular. People don't want ads; they want a personal connection, to feel like friends. It's that "Oh, I know the owner" thing.
...ON HOPES FOR 2013
JACKSON: Living through this new golden age of hyper-focused, self-serious drinks, we've seen it penetrate and proliferate enough that I'm looking forward to a year when it's more of an assumption that you're going to get good drinks somewhere you didn't used to get them. Hopefully that helps remove the mustache-twirling, self-obsessed drink maker.
JAMIE: I'd like to see more restaurants with local producers on the back bar and on tap. We're almost at the point where we can say, "Shame on you if you don't have a local draft beer or bottled spirit."
MALIA: I'd like to see an end to the punitive nature of things. The idea that my tax dollars are being used to catch the Liberty Hotel for giving Champagne to someone at check-in, after they pay $500 for a room. For that cost they should be getting blowjobs, never mind Champagne!
>> @THEWRITESTUFFSK
