Like many 21-year-old university students, I often go on nights out in Southampton and thoroughly enjoy them but recently my perception of night-clubs has been damaged. I'm sure I have been influenced by the negative media coverage the industry has recently faced. The news of spiking by both drinks and injection has put me off going clubbing especially as, the victims of which have primarily been young girls. On top of this there has also been some accusations of night-clubs contributing to the spread of Covid-19. BUT is there an opportunity to change the pessimistic narrative? There has recently been news of an unsuspected positive outcome of clubbing.
Oceana Night-Club, Southampton (Primary Source Imagery)
A night club in Glasgow called SWG3 is trialling technology to create renewable energy from dancing night-club goers. You are likely wondering how it works, as was I. In simple terms the body heat produced from the energetic dance moves of clubbers is captured to "create renewable energy to warm up or cool down the venue". If you've recently been in a nightclub you'll know, even in winter, the crowds of moving people act far better than any jacket in keeping you warm. This advancement is predicted to save around 70 tonnes of C02 annually.
As usual I want to consider this from my own Public Relations perspective. I think it is a strong strategy for the Glasgow club to contribute positively to the community by reducing their CO2 emissions. This demonstrates to stakeholders that they are carrying out Corporate Social Responsibilty activity. Other clubs in Britain could also adopt this as the fun angle taken in the news media, that dancing in night-clubs could produce renewable energy, is likely to improve the damaged reputation of the industry. I also think in the sea of solemn news about COP26 regarding CO2 emissions this light hearted approach is more appealing to young people and is introducing a passive way for them to contribute.
Do you think this is a good strategy to gain positive media attention for the hospitality sector or do they need to do more? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.