At this year’s Nightclub & Bar Show, which took place March 30 – April 1st in sunny Las Vegas, Bar Business Magazine Publisher Art Sutley (left) and Editor Chris Ytuarte (right) had the chance to meet with Jon Taffer (center), President of Nightclub & Bar Media Group and host of Spike TV’s hit show Bar Rescue, to discuss the 30th anniversary of the trade show, future endeavors, and the industry on whole.
“The industry is doing really well, and there are several factors behind that,” said Taffer. “For example: Last year was the largest graduating class in the history of America — 13 million students. And most of those graduates are between 20 and 23 years old. So when you look at that, these are the grandchildren of the Baby Boomers, and this is another ‘boom,’ demographically, for the bar business. When you consider that all of these college grads are now going into the bar marketplace, that’s a demographic boom in the 21- to 25-year-old age group, which is the group that is most important to bars and nightclubs. So there is a demographic boom in our industry, and we’re seizing it, and it’s creating tremendous opportunities and great job growth. It’s a good time for the bar business.”
After exhibiting at the 30th annual Nightclub & Bar Show once again, as well as partnering with Nightclub & Bar Media Group to promote the event leading up to March, Bar Business Magazine Publisher Art Sutley explained to Taffer how mutually beneficial the publication’s presence at the show had been this year, as in the past.
“Not only do we help support The Nightclub & Bar show ahead of its opening, we also end up supporting our mutual audience of show attendees and Bar Business Magazine readers, the thousands and thousands of bar owners — and prospective bar owners — who read our publication and come to the show in Vegas every year to discover new ideas, new products, and new ways to improve their business,” said Sutley. “It’s always great talking with Jon during the year and at the show, and we look forward to doing so more frequently and working with him and his team to help keep this industry, that we all love, remain healthy and thriving.”
With throngs of show attendees jamming the aisles at this year’s Nightclub & Bar Show, Taffer and the Bar Business Magazine staff were able to capture a few moments to meet in the Bar Business booth before each headed back out onto the busy show floor. Next up, Bar Business Publisher Art Sutley heads to Portland to meet Taffer on the set of an upcoming episode of Bar Rescue.
At 30 years old, The Nightclub & Bar Show is certainly not showing its age — it was energetic and vibrant as ever.
