Night Camp

Night Camp is an immersive, solutions-driven workshop designed to bring together local stakeholders to co-create responses to the most pressing challenges facing nightlife communities. Blending policy expertise, and grassroots organizing, Night Camp helps participants identify key issues, and collaboratively develop practical solutions. The format is inspired by Barcamps and Design Thinking—ensuring that every participant has a voice and contributes meaningfully to ideation and implementation. A key element of Night Camp is the inclusion of expert input on international best practices and case studies. These insights provide a global perspective on what has worked in other cities, offering inspiration and guidance for locally grounded strategies. Rather than relying solely on top-down approaches, Night Camp empowers communities to take ownership of both problems and solutions.

Objective

Sparking dialogue, learning about international best practices.

Methodology

Interdisciplinary retreat showcasing international best practices.

By using design-thinking and foresight methods.

Encouraging informal, trust-building collaboration.

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Inspiration

Night Camp

Night Camp is an immersive, solutions-driven workshop designed to bring together local stakeholders to co-create responses to the most pressing challenges facing nightlife communities. Blending policy expertise, and grassroots organizing, Night Camp helps participants identify key issues, and collaboratively develop practical solutions. The format is inspired by Barcamps and Design Thinking—ensuring that every participant has a voice and contributes meaningfully to ideation and implementation. A key element of Night Camp is the inclusion of expert input on international best practices and case studies. These insights provide a global perspective on what has worked in other cities, offering inspiration and guidance for locally grounded strategies. Rather than relying solely on top-down approaches, Night Camp empowers communities to take ownership of both problems and solutions.

Objective

Sparking dialogue, learning about international best practices.

Methodology

Interdisciplinary retreat showcasing international best practices.

By using design-thinking and foresight methods.

Encouraging informal, trust-building collaboration.

Learn more

Nighttime Advocacy

VibeLab helps cities raise visibility and build public and political support for nightlife as a vital urban asset. We design storytelling campaigns that reframe nightlife as a driver of cultural identity, economic innovation, and community wellbeing. By partnering with artists, media, and influential community members, we shape narratives that resonate across sectors. We activate public spaces with creative interventions and events that demonstrate the positive impact of nightlife.

A key part of our approach is collecting supportive data, quotes and endorsements from industries that recognize nightlife as a key locational factor—such as real estate, tech, and startups. These cross-sector voices help position nightlife as a competitive advantage in urban development.

Objective

Stakeholder aligment and public/political support.

Methodology

Developing campaigns and storytelling formats.

Partnering with artists and influential community members as well as representatives of complementary industries.

Activating city spaces with events and interventions.

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Vision

Nighttime Advocacy

VibeLab helps cities raise visibility and build public and political support for nightlife as a vital urban asset. We design storytelling campaigns that reframe nightlife as a driver of cultural identity, economic innovation, and community wellbeing. By partnering with artists, media, and influential community members, we shape narratives that resonate across sectors. We activate public spaces with creative interventions and events that demonstrate the positive impact of nightlife.

A key part of our approach is collecting supportive data, quotes and endorsements from industries that recognize nightlife as a key locational factor—such as real estate, tech, and startups. These cross-sector voices help position nightlife as a competitive advantage in urban development.

Objective

Stakeholder aligment and public/political support.

Methodology

Developing campaigns and storytelling formats.

Partnering with artists and influential community members as well as representatives of complementary industries.

Activating city spaces with events and interventions.

Learn more

Creative Footprint

Creative Footprint is VibeLab’s data-driven methodology, developed in collaboration with PennPraxis, to measure the cultural impact of a city’s nightlife and music ecosystem. It evaluates the ecosystem through three key pillars: community & content, space, and framework conditions—using 15 specific indicators to produce a comprehensive Creative Footprint score. The research combines detailed mapping of clubs, music venues, galleries, and informal spaces with public spatial and economic data. Qualitative insights are gathered through interviews and focus groups with local artists, venue operators, and policymakers. All data is processed and analyzed using a custom-built software platform tailored specifically to the Creative Footprint methodology.

Objective

Quantifying and qualifying the existing nighttime ecosystem.

Methodology

By using the Creative Footprint methodology to analyze spaces, community and framework conditions.

Combining focus groups and interviews with spatial data and policy mapping.

Delivering tailored recommendations.

Learn more

Assessment

Creative Footprint

Creative Footprint is VibeLab’s data-driven methodology, developed in collaboration with PennPraxis, to measure the cultural impact of a city’s nightlife and music ecosystem. It evaluates the ecosystem through three key pillars: community & content, space, and framework conditions—using 15 specific indicators to produce a comprehensive Creative Footprint score. The research combines detailed mapping of clubs, music venues, galleries, and informal spaces with public spatial and economic data. Qualitative insights are gathered through interviews and focus groups with local artists, venue operators, and policymakers. All data is processed and analyzed using a custom-built software platform tailored specifically to the Creative Footprint methodology.

Objective

Quantifying and qualifying the existing nighttime ecosystem.

Methodology

By using the Creative Footprint methodology to analyze spaces, community and framework conditions.

Combining focus groups and interviews with spatial data and policy mapping.

Delivering tailored recommendations.

Learn more

Nighttime Office

VibeLab supports cities and governments in establishing dedicated Nighttime Offices to manage and strengthen the night economy. These offices serve as institutional anchors for nighttime governance—coordinating across departments and levels of government (local to national) to support cultural, economic, and social development after dark. By embedding nighttime governance into public policy and city structures, we enable more inclusive planning, responsive regulation, and sustainable urban growth. Community and industry engagement—through bodies like nightlife commissions—is central to this approach, ensuring nightlife is represented in decision-making.

Objective

Making life at night vibrant, inclusive and safe through dedicated offices.

Methodology

Establishing Nighttime Councils, Commissions or Night Mayors.

Coordinating across departments and stakeholders.

Promoting equitable access to infrastructure and funding.

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Governance

Nighttime Office

VibeLab supports cities and governments in establishing dedicated Nighttime Offices to manage and strengthen the night economy. These offices serve as institutional anchors for nighttime governance—coordinating across departments and levels of government (local to national) to support cultural, economic, and social development after dark. By embedding nighttime governance into public policy and city structures, we enable more inclusive planning, responsive regulation, and sustainable urban growth. Community and industry engagement—through bodies like nightlife commissions—is central to this approach, ensuring nightlife is represented in decision-making.

Objective

Making life at night vibrant, inclusive and safe through dedicated offices.

Methodology

Establishing Nighttime Councils, Commissions or Night Mayors.

Coordinating across departments and stakeholders.

Promoting equitable access to infrastructure and funding.

Learn more

Nighttime Strategy

VibeLab supports cities in creating comprehensive strategies to strengthen their nighttime economy. These strategies aim to unlock the full economic, social, and cultural potential of nightlife while fostering collaboration among key stakeholders—from city departments and law enforcement to venue operators, creatives, and residents. The strategy process is grounded in stakeholder engagement and international best practices. We conduct interviews, ecosystem mapping, and nightlife cluster analysis to capture a detailed picture of local needs and opportunities. The focus includes protecting existing cultural infrastructures, embracing the diversity of nightlife, and building resilience in the face of global challenges such as public health crises and climate change. Cities benefit from global insights and proven approaches to ensure a sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready nighttime economy.

Objective

Building a long-term strategic plan.

Methodology

Conducting stakeholder mapping and workshops to create a common vision.

Establishing policy recommendations.

Supporting governance models and pilot projects.

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Action Planning

Nighttime Strategy

VibeLab supports cities in creating comprehensive strategies to strengthen their nighttime economy. These strategies aim to unlock the full economic, social, and cultural potential of nightlife while fostering collaboration among key stakeholders—from city departments and law enforcement to venue operators, creatives, and residents. The strategy process is grounded in stakeholder engagement and international best practices. We conduct interviews, ecosystem mapping, and nightlife cluster analysis to capture a detailed picture of local needs and opportunities. The focus includes protecting existing cultural infrastructures, embracing the diversity of nightlife, and building resilience in the face of global challenges such as public health crises and climate change. Cities benefit from global insights and proven approaches to ensure a sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready nighttime economy.

Objective

Building a long-term strategic plan.

Methodology

Conducting stakeholder mapping and workshops to create a common vision.

Establishing policy recommendations.

Supporting governance models and pilot projects.

Learn more

Night School

NightSchool is VibeLab’s educational program designed to equip policymakers, connected businesses, and the nighttime community with the tools to support and manage creative, sustainable nightlife ecosystems. It targets three main stakeholder groups: policymakers, businesses and organizations linked to nightlife, and community members such as venue owners, producers, and promoters.The program is delivered through learning packages that combine in-person consultancy with digital modules tailored to each audience. It also includes stand-alone, on-demand e-learning content for flexible access.

Objective

Equipping leaders and practitioners with knowledge.

Methodology:

Offering peer-to-peer training programs and curriculum modules.

Collaborating with universities and institutions.

Maintaining an open-source resource library.

Learn more

Education

Night School

NightSchool is VibeLab’s educational program designed to equip policymakers, connected businesses, and the nighttime community with the tools to support and manage creative, sustainable nightlife ecosystems. It targets three main stakeholder groups: policymakers, businesses and organizations linked to nightlife, and community members such as venue owners, producers, and promoters.The program is delivered through learning packages that combine in-person consultancy with digital modules tailored to each audience. It also includes stand-alone, on-demand e-learning content for flexible access.

Objective

Equipping leaders and practitioners with knowledge.

Methodology:

Offering peer-to-peer training programs and curriculum modules.

Collaborating with universities and institutions.

Maintaining an open-source resource library.

Learn more