Eventbrite Ads Help Aykut Events Reach New Audiences With 488% Return on Ad Spend

Known for his deep passion for music, Manny Alferez is a legend on the San Francisco nightlife scene, where his club, The Great Northern, is a premiere hotspot for DJs and live music. Its striking "FutureDeco" architecture, state-of-the-art sound system, and versatile event spaces make it much more than just a club.

Manny's journey into live events started in the mid-90s when he began DJing under the moniker DJ M3, spinning tracks at venues worldwide, including London's iconic Jazz Cafe and Brixton Academy.

His love for music eventually led him to open his first club, Triple Crown, in San Francisco in 2009. He then co-founded Monarch before turning what was once known as Mighty into The Great Northern. Installing the renowned 80,000-watt custom-built Void sound system in both venues proved to be a game-changing move, earning them numerous accolades.

Thanks to Manny's decades of industry experience and a keen appetite for reinvention and experimentation, The Great Northern has become a versatile and inclusive venue, hosting an eclectic mix of events, including live gigs, tribute nights, drag performances, and art battles.

"We don't try to pigeonhole ourselves into one aspect. We're not just a techno or house club," Manny says. "When I think about all the events we do, we pretty much cover the gamut of what you could possibly do."

Acknowledging that many event-goers, particularly younger crowds, are "more conservative" with their spending in 2024, affecting how often they go out and the events they attend, Manny has doubled down on efforts to create more unique offerings for his customers.

"It's about trying to create more of an experience to tell a better story than, 'Hey, we're just a club-come!'" he adds.

To understand the commitment to the extraordinary, look no further than The Great Northern's epic block parties. The venue's prime location in San Francisco's design district has few residential buildings, making it easier for the team to obtain permits and close down streets, explains Manny.

As a result, The Great Northern's block parties welcome up to 10,000 event-goers, compared to its 750-person indoor capacity, and feature food trucks, aerial performances, and other artistic installations.

One of the flagship events is 'Pink Block,' a day-to-night block party run in collaboration with LGBTQIA+ promoters Polyglamorous for San Francisco Pride. Billed as the "pinkest party of the year," it's spread across five stages, and 2024's June event boasted a stellar line-up, including DJ Holographic, Olof Dreijer, and Ana Matronic.

"There's nothing else going on like it right now in the city during Pride," Manny believes, noting the gap in the market, as most of San Francisco's marches and free events take place on the Sunday of Pride Weekend.

The versatility of Great Northern also helps keep things fresh for Manny, who tells of his love for hosting other more "random" events, like the monthly Art Battle. This live art show sees painters face off in a high-speed showdown, with every piece created going up for auction.

One of Manny's standout moments in his events career was an art show for Metallica. When he was told that the legendary metal band wanted to use the space, he was initially expecting a live performance, but it turned out to be an art exhibit showcasing the band's photography.

"People actually bought tickets and lined up around the block to see that," Manny recalls, highlighting the venue's ability to attract high-profile events.

Manny's ethos as an event organizer is rooted in his experience as a DJ and promoter. This experience has given him a unique insight into the attendees' needs and challenges, fostering a more empathetic and collaborative environment at The Great Northern.

He explains: "When talking to promoters or other DJs, we know what they're going through, so it's easier to work with them. I've worked with some shady club owners back in the day, and [it's] been all about the money and not about the growth of what's going on."

"We try to grow people and grow events together and make it a community," he adds.

This sense of community is at the heart of The Great Northern-whether that is Manny, including local acts and DJs alongside the more prominent names on event line-ups, or mentoring and nurturing young talent.

"I'm 55 now. I'm trying to install 'OK, this is what I learned-let's see if we can grow this and make it better for the upcoming generation,'" he says.

"I try to push the other people who really love this art," he says. "I come from the era of when you're playing records, there was no digital, you couldn't see the BPM - you went to your local record store, you worked with your guy or girl there and you picked your music. It's super easy now for someone just to put the sync button on. Technology is great, but at the same time, it has belittled some things artistically."

In the same way, Manny also forces the younger generation he works with to think outside of their Instagram and TikTok algorithms and draw inspiration from what's outside their front door. "You've got to look because there are things happening in your community that are not necessarily on socials," he adds.

However, Manny is also keenly aware of how he can learn from Gen-Z, noting: "When I was growing up, we were into punk rock, and people would look down on stuff like that. I have people who work for me in their 20s and 30s, and they're into [music with] 135 to 145 BPMs. It's music that I don't particularly like.

"But these are the kids who are now like the punk rock kids of then," he adds. These are the kids who are coming to the clubs, so you have to have a balance between both. I'm learning from them; they're learning from me."

With decades in the music and live events industry, Manny believes the best advice he ever received was not to worry about the competition.

"Just be yourself," he says. "Don't try to worry about other people doing events. As soon as you start making it a competition, you're losing the focus of what you really want to do and what you really want to put out there."

Besides organizing events, running a club, and DJing, Manny has his small record label, Green Gorilla Lounge. Though he admits he often dreams of "teaching everybody to do what I do, and just running my label, and sitting from afar and watching it grow," his passion for his work is undeniable.

"I think what probably brings me the most joy is when we meet younger people who've been parented by people who had been coming to my events," he says. "I'll have somebody come up to me, and they're like, 'My mom and dad told me to come and see you because you were great back then, and you're still great.'

"It tells you, okay, we're doing something right."

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.