Nighttime Economy Culture and Policy (NITECAP) Alliance welcomes related professionals and nighttime economy champions
(United States) - March. 8 - Night Mayors, Nighttime Economy Managers, Nightlife Business Advocates: the titles are different, but the charge is the same in at least nine U.S. cities that have invested in a role dedicated to championing an important economic and cultural driver.
Now, they’ve united to create an association of professionals responsible for nighttime economy advocacy, planning and management in US cities. The NITECAP Alliance or ‘NITECAP’ aims to highlight the importance of these roles within city government; share experience, policies and practices; and raise awareness about nighttime economy and culture.
“The number of professionals in this field has multiplied in a few short years,” says NITECAP Alliance Board President, Brian Block. “In 2019 we began working to formalize a platform to learn from each other’s experiences, but it was the pandemic that really solidified the need for this network.” In February 2020 the night managers were convened to present at a conference in Seattle just days before the arrival of COVID-19 in the U.S. Upon return to their home states, they turned to each other for knowledge exchange to support their individual nighttime economies in a quickly changing landscape. “It became apparent that night managers held unique value and perspective. We felt a duty to highlight to others the value of this role within city government.” With that, the NITECAP Alliance was born to unite and support nighttime economy professionals and advance nighttime management in the US.”
The Alliance’s initial members all serve in a nighttime management or advocacy role in the following U.S. Cities: Austin, TX; San Francisco, CA; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Orlando, FL; Iowa City, IA, Seattle, WA, New York, NY, Washington D.C. and Pittsburgh, PA. Over the long term, the group intends to develop policy papers, advocate for more cities to invest in night managers, and inform related professionals and nightlife champions of how to fit in and lift up the night ecosystem. In the short term, ‘NITECAP’ has been invited to present a slate of sessions around nightlife at the April 1-3 2022 RHI Sociable City Summit in Washington D.C.
For more information about this initiative please contact info@nite-cap.org or visit https://www.nite-cap.org/.
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