Peter Marks, chief executive of the Deltic Group, told the PMA's sister title M&C: “It should come as no surprise that nightclubs, like pubs, have closed in large numbers over the last 10 years. Just like the pub sector, there were too many poorly run and underinvested venues that weren’t delivering a great customer experience.
“However, our performance is living proof there is a thriving market for well-run professional nightclubs in the UK that provide an outstanding clubbing experience.
“It’s a good thing that nightclubs have moved on; we firmly believe that there is still real upside in the late night sector, which should be encouraged as a vital part of any vibrant town centre economy.”
His comments come after a report showed the number of nightclubs in the UK had fallen from 3,144 in 2005 to 1,733 now.
Obstacles
However, Alan D Miller, chairman of the Night Time Industries Association told M&C the majority of the closures were as a result of over-regulation of the sector.
“There is no doubt about the real reason for these closures and that is the attitude of the authorities to late-night venues. Nightclubs are held responsible for all the ills of society without any recognition of the benefit they provide to the economy and to wider culture.
“We need a complete re-evaluation of how the Government and locally authorities perceive late-night venues. They need to allow the sector to flourish because with all the obstacles that are put in the way of good operators, why is anyone going to want to come into this industry?”