For "All Night Long," an article in the current issue of City Weekend, I spoke with ChinaDoll's Ai Wan, Bling's Sebastien Noat and Klubb Rouge's Ali Saidi about what makes a club stand the test of time in a city as tumultuous as Beijing. As is often the case, these masterminds of the club scene had far more insight than could be contained in a 450-word feature, so I am publishing the remainder of their lessons here.

Ai Wan, Creative Director of ChinaDoll (3.3)

CW: What makes a club stand the test of time in Beijing?

Ai Wan: A club that lasts is 1. community based, and 2. offers a fresh lifestyle. If a club has those two things, then the club is going to last.

This city’s club scene changes quickly. Most of the clubs that were popular five years ago aren’t even around today. How long can a good club keep the show going in Beijing?

Again, a club with staying power must above all be community based. If you’re community based, you can last forever. “Community” means that the club becomes part of people’s daily lives. When at the office they say, ‘I’m going home,’ that home is the club. ChinaDoll will be the kind of place people can call home, where people come to enjoy their favorite drink and maybe run into a few friends.”

So how does a club accomplish that?

To build a community, people need to know they can always find entertainment and something new to refresh the eyes. For ChinaDoll, we collaborated with five established artists on the sculpture, installation and furniture. There really isn’t anything else quite like it. When you enter the club, you see lots of sculpture and installation design. These artists took the essence of their painting and they turned it into lamps and chairs and installation. In a sense, we have become a kind of gallery. And people are already asking us, ‘How much is that lamp? How much is that sculpture?’

Sebastien Noat, Creator of Alchemy Consulting, Consultant on All Star and Bling, former General Manager of Centro and Block 8

CW: What makes a club stand the test of time?

Sebastien Noat: There are three things: Quality service. Good design. Good people.

So, how does a club accomplish that?

When you’re planning a club, you need to make sure the club has a superior design that allows for sufficient new marketing angles over the long run. A venue needs to always surprise customers with something unexpected. The design should allow for a new VIP lounge or theme bar down the road. So, when you do your pre-design work, you have to think: “How can I reinvent the venue every three to six months?”

And, what about “good people?” How does a club build a loyal clientele?

That depends on the target market. In Beijing, we have two basic markets: One is very price sensitive, and the other is the quality service market. I focus on the latter. I make sure anyone who comes into the club gets great service. I focus on tables and bottle service and make certain that every minute detail is attended to. The customers should have a relaxed, safe environment where they can party, let loose, be relaxed and feel secure. Security is of course a priority.

Finally, what about events? In Beijing, I know many clubbers who tend to follow promoters rather than the venues. We want to hear the great underground producer from Berlin or the Top 10 DJ Magazine superstar. What’s the key to making certain the event and the DJ don’t overshadow the club?

Balance. All my events are venue based. At Block 8, we emphasize Champagne-based and vodka-based drink events. If you just lease out your venue to a promoter who can bring a big DJ, then the DJ becomes the event, not the club. And, I make sure that every event creates a better understanding of the brand. I make the promoters work for the venue rather than the other way around.

You’re working to launch two new venues at the beginning of August. Tell me about Bling first.

We’re taking a South Beach Miami approach, bringing a new breed of high-end, hip-hop club to Beijing. The new breed of super clubs are smaller clubs that focus on superior table and bottle service, and superior entertainment in the field of hip-hop. We’re targeting people who enjoy a fun lifestyle, luxurious service and want to listen to great hip-hop.

And downstairs from Bling is All Star. What’s the target market there?

Right now, the target market for All Star is very flexible. We are a versatile venue hitting several targets. First, we’re hitting the family market over the weekend. We’re family friendly and have a kid friendly menu. At night, we’re giving executives a place to unwind with the greatest sports bar in the city, with 65 flat screen televisions that can broadcast any TV channel worldwide. The other target is the late night market. At midnight, we will put on a different style of music with a live DJ spinning rock anthems and ‘80s. So. it’s also a gathering place. We have lights and a sound system to run parties, so we can satisfy the party crowd. We also serve breakfast and burgers 24 hours a day. We have the freshest, quality ingredients and an eclectic menu. The last angle we can focus on is people who love American food. We have the juiciest burgers in the city, phenomenal steaks and salads all at affordable, mass market prices.

Ali Saidi, David R. Blais and Philippe Ortega of Klubb Rouge

CW: How do you design a club to stand the test of time in a city like Beijing?

Ali Saidi (Bar Manager): I’m new to Beijing. And, I’m new to China. So, I can’t speak about the specifics of Beijing yet. But what seems universally most important is openness. People to feel free. And, we’re creating a space where people feel free to escape the conventional and interact with each other.”

David R. Blais (General Manager): We’re open to any community. People come to enjoy a drink, free their own minds and share a free spirit.

Ali: To do this work with Philippe is extraordinary. We can really show Beijing what’s out there.

David: Did you come to the soft opening?

CW: Yes, I did. It was madness.

Philippe (Creative Director): It was something special. Les Nuit Blanches who did the opening ceremony will definitely come back.

David: Did you see the soft opening? It was extravagant. We worked with Lisa Cheung, an artist from New York City, who worked with Angle in Shanghai. She really has a new vision of the Chinese artist working in Beijing.

Ali: I had never seen a show like this before. And, I didn’t see it in London or Paris. I saw it in Beijing.

David: We don’t forget that Klubb Rouge is in China either. We make that part of the operation. We try to build a real interaction with the community.

Ali: Last Saturday night, dancers from the National Ballet of China began dancing with the performers, and a new, kind of spontaneous show grew out of it.

David: When they started dancing with LNB, I knew we would want to work with them. In French, there’s a phrase that means a kind of spontaneous spectacle created in the moment. And, it was just like that. They had no fear. They just got up and started dancing. It was really something.

Ali: I first noticed one of them sort of looking at me at the bar. And, there was this kind of interaction. I knew they were going to do something. And, it just started.

David: It just had this feeling. A good club is about creating these kind of moments. And, these kind of moments come from creating the right space for the right crowd and community.

Ali: You asked how long a good club can last. A club that listens to the community and has its own identity can last more than ten years. A great club with good people doesn’t need to change every year.

CW: What kind of target market, what kind of community, is Klubb Rouge trying to build?

Davide: We love the foreign crowd, but we hope to become an important part of the Chinese market. Really, we don’t have any limitations. Our customer is the clubber. Gay, lesbian, transsexual, French, Spanish, Chinese, American … You can be whomever you want to be here.

CW: In Beijing, a lot of clubbers tend to follow around promoters and DJs rather than going out to be at a specific club. What’s the key to making events work with a club rather than overshadowing it?

Philippe: You must have a good manager and a good club. Otherwise, you’ll be dependent on booking. At the same time, some special shows are important, but you’ve got to find a good balance. That’s why I like to do live sets: because it’s something special. The audience can look at the musicians and DJs and see what they’re doing. They can interact with each other.

Ali: Live sets are definitely much better. A good live set by someone the audience isn’t familiar with can be even better than Guetta or Bob Sinclair. Sometimes, people might come to a club to see Bob Sinclair, but their experience that night might not ending up being that good. People’s experience isn’t just about a good DJ. It’s about the right combination of atmosphere, drinks, music, sound, the crowd … Spirit Catcher-no one knew in China but everyone who came loved it and is still talking about it.