If you’re paying top dollar for a celebrity DJ to get more guests through your doors, the last thing you need is people to be turned off by the look of your dance floor. “The quality of the floor affects the number of patrons dancing on it, especially the females, as they do not want to trip on an uneven floor or get their shoes dirty from a dirty floor,” explains Sam Sameni, operating partner of Dallas’ Wish Ultra Lounge.
A well-kept dance floor, however, can mean big results for a nightclub, as it helps create the energy that keeps a club moving — and patrons buying — through the night. “Energy leads to good times for the guests, and that translates to sales for the venue,” Sameni says.
Ideal placement of the dance floor and the ambience that surrounds it — the lighting, sound system and DJ — are key factors in keeping guests dancing through the night, Sameni says. But the quality of the floor is also vital; how can you keep it in great condition?
Quality counts. Make sure you buy a superior product up front, rather than having to pay the costs of repair or replacement later. “Don’t be fooled into a sub-standard floor laminate,” says Ken Ranucci, CEO of Creative Nightclubs LLC. “You may only get three months [of use] or less. Then you can just sit and stare in disbelief since you will not be getting your money or labor time back.”
Choose wisely. Select a dance floor that fits your venue’s design, is reliable and durable and requires the least amount of maintenance, says Ernie DiGennaro Jr., president and owner of California Portable Dance Floor Co.
Keep it clean. For some dance floors, the cleaning regimen can be as simple as soap and water, while others might require a bit more legwork. But no matter how involved the process, it’s vital to give the floor a good cleaning regularly and keep it clean throughout the night. This includes mopping up drink spills immediately rather than letting the liquid sit and potentially damage the floor’s coating (or causing a guest to slip and fall), as well as removing dropped cocktail napkins or any outside debris that may have come in on customers’ shoes daily, DiGennaro suggests.
Take care. A dance floor can stay in good shape if it’s repaired in a timely fashion. “Handle any repairs that need to be done to your equipment as soon as possible,” DiGennaro advises. “When you don’t repair small things, they can turn into a much larger problem for you.”