Interview by Milk Magazine of the Director of Entertaining Asia, Nick Willsher

 

It is a website that has more than a ten thousand hit rate per day, providing the latest party news, including directories of bars, restaurants and clubs throughout Hong Kong together with music articles, interviews and all kinds of reviews with the “Lifestyle” section that provides online ticketing service, global hostel directories, and information for music and shopping in Hong Kong. Also there is the “HKClubbing personals” which is worldwide and has members consists of pretty people. Webmaster Nick is now learning Chinese and is planning to add a Chinese version for the website.

HKClubbing.com is founded by Nick in 1999. Nick is half German and half English, he emigrated from England to Hong Kong 8 years ago and has been working in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, from the customer’s he found out that Lan Kwai Fong has always been the only place for nightlife in Hong Kong and there is a lack of online information for nightlife, so he decided to create a website by doing the web design himself, photographing with his friends, and collaborating with party organizers to provide the latest party news. Nick says that over 90% of parties in Hong Kong are local parties — this is why that HKClubbing will be adding a Chinese version for the website in the future in order to attract more local party fans to surf. Compared to 10 years ago, the partying scene appears to be cooling down now, however it is actually becoming more diversified. From local style disco “Feel 100” in Portland Street few years ago to today’s Cyber 8 that plays a 100% canton pop music, Nick says that these local discos also have their own market.

Nick thinks that party organizers now always face the problem of the lack of venues and the problem of licensing, he said that there has been quite a lot of time that international djs were invited but ended up not being able to find an appropriate venue, which affects the atmosphere. Nick still misses the Fat Boy Slim party held 6 years ago with almost 2000 people and Rockit held in the Victoria Park. He hopes that more large scale parties will be held in Hong Kong.

Translation by Sharlin S.