Please God. Let this be!
A Playboy club in Downtown Jacksonville would be simply incredible. Anyone up for actively lobbying?
(http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2009-10/49736657.jpg)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/chi-thu-burns-playboy-1008-oct08,0,825792.column
QuoteIn the three months since Scott Flanders took over for Christie Hefner as CEO of Playboy Enterprises Inc., he has come to a simple conclusion about its magazine, TV and digital media businesses:
Tough way to make money.
So in the coming months, Flanders will be placing his bet on two long overshadowed operations: product licensing and Playboy clubs.
In a revealing interview this week, Flanders outlined his new plan to turn around a struggling Chicago icon that flirted with the sale block shortly before his arrival.
Flanders said he can significantly boost revenues from licensing the famous Playboy brand on apparel and other consumer products, especially in emerging economies overseas.
But the biggest upside, in his view, can't be found in the tired magazine, hard-core sex videos or Playboy TV channel that were his predecessor's focus. Instead, he sees the future in a throwback to the company's past: Playboy clubs.
Flanders is pursuing joint ventures with proven operators to launch new nightclubs around the world and, he hopes, restore the company's financial luster after a string of losses.
Playboy now has just one club -- at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. But it's going strong despite the recession, he said.
Flanders wants a rollout numbering in the "double-digits" over the next few years, he said. That will include new venues opening in Mexico within months, in Miami next year and in Macau during 2011.
Playboy will supply the rabbit-head logo and attendant cachet, he said. "Exploiting our brand will increasingly become our core business."
Still controlled by 83-year-old founder Hugh Hefner from his mansion in Beverly Hills, Playboy hired Flanders after showing the door to an interim CEO who spoke openly about selling the company. Flanders' outsider status -- he formerly ran newspaper chain Freedom Communications Inc. -- made him a bold pick at a firm headed by Hefner's daughter since 1988.
"I'm sure Hef will say, 'Let's see what this guy can do,' " said analyst Steve Marascia, director of research at Capitol Securities Management in Virginia.
The new club-and-licensing strategy "sounds good," Marascia said. "But that's a real change. What if somebody else's club is hotter? Where will they get the capital to build all these clubs? Looks like they're going to trade one set of challenges for another."
In fact, similar challenges nearly sunk Playboy in the mid-1980s. At its peak, the company owned or licensed dozens of clubs frequented by 1 million "key-holders," but the operation aged badly. Around the same time, its highly profitable casinos fell to a hostile regulatory environment, and indiscriminate licensing put the brand on car air fresheners and other cheap products.
Over the past decade, Playboy's licensing effort has moved upscale, becoming a consistent moneymaker. Flanders this week promoted licensing guru Alex Vaickus to the new post of president, with instructions to grow. "We underresourced licensing and treated it as a nice-to-have ancillary business," Flanders said. "We believe licensing could be a lot bigger for us."
Vaickus also is charged with unifying the media operations that even today rarely work together by using the same content across all platforms, Flanders said.
Playboy has no plans to shut the magazine but has hinted at drastic cuts in frequency, circulation and pages. Playboy TV has room to grow, Flanders said, and the company's subscription Web sites have held their own against piracy and competition from free sites.
Still, Flanders leaves no doubt about where Playboy will be looking for action. "There is no segment of our business that will grow as rapidly as our location-based entertainment," he said.
The night life beckons.
Las Vegas... Miami... Macao........... Jacksonville?
Is my inferiority complex showing again?? :-[
This would be grand... but where would it be? If anyone even considered putting it within 15 miles of FBC... (shudder).
They could make a couple of alterations to the old lighthouse for a marquee and... oh Lord I'm going to Hell.
Im thinking City Hall... give Peytons office to Hef... :D
^ LOL
"This looks like a job for...." (cue cheesy superhero music)
Well, if cheesy is what you want:
Would this qualify for those "stimulus" funds from another post?
Thank you. I'll be here all weekend.
I hope the city council can rise to the occasion and secure funding for this.
You started it. ;)
I'll bet it would spur growth and some other type developments downtown.
Heights Unknown
no way in hell.
about 40 more attractive options for them
also, first baptist chruch
Put it in the old First National Bank building, the Marble bank, or--irony of ironies--the old Southern Baptist Convention building.
Definitely needs to go downtown! What a tourist attraction. Part of the old 60s library building, maybe!
Quote from: heights unknown on October 09, 2009, 02:21:11 PM
I'll bet it would spur growth and some other type developments downtown.
Heights Unknown
really?
We had a popular/trendy big city bar downtown, I believe it was called club paris, anyone remember it? :)
Problem was...it never was popular or trendy after the initial few weeks of opening.
Quote from: Tripoli1711 on October 09, 2009, 01:22:43 PM
This would be grand... but where would it be? If anyone even considered putting it within 15 miles of FBC... (shudder).
The JEA building with that once revolving restaurant could be a good place.
hey maybe it can locate where club paris was at. Would last as long, or probably not. Whats everyone smoking on here and where can I get some Playboy club? downtown jacksonville? please Besides how does this relate to rail?
Id work there! :D
Quote from: DavidWilliams on October 09, 2009, 11:16:46 PM
Problem was...it never was popular or trendy after the initial few weeks of opening.
Yeah, but if you'll recall so were the Jaguars!
Face it folks, in a heads up competition for this imagined club, Waycross, won't be beatable. OCKLAWAHA
It's astounding how everyone complains about how "theres nothing to do in jax. its SO boring". Cant we be hopeful? This sounds like a great idea...fits the demographic in Jax quite well. All we need is a D&B downtown, and I'll be in heaven. lol ;D
actually I agree, if they move the D&B from its current location Ithink it would do better.
Right now its kinda in the middle of nothing really around Id like to see it near the landing area.
Id work at the pb club :D happly!
"hey maybe it can locate where club paris was at. "
Maverick's apparently is doing very well in the former Club Paris space. No need to displace it.
"The JEA building with that once revolving restaurant could be a good place."
I don't think it's available or close enough to other DT clubs. Marble bank building or another currently empty space would be better.
Mavericks does do well and is busy often. Plus, it's the only country bar in jax (you can't count bourbon street). The last thing we need is another plush.
Jax has lots to do, and certainly no shortage of bars/clubs. Between downtown and the beaches there must be 40 or 50 clubs and bars, from small to big.
We don't have the tourism for a high profile bar like this. I'd like to see it happen, but I think it would almost certainly fail.
Palatka, don't forget Palatka!
OCKLAWAHA
yeah I don't think the good ol boys at JEA are willing to share their 19th floor conference room with anyone, that would be a cool location though. The view is pretty sweet.
Quote from: David on October 10, 2009, 02:57:37 PM
yeah I don't think the good ol boys at JEA are willing to share their 19th floor conference room with anyone, that would be a cool location though. The view is pretty sweet.
Not even for a Playboy Lap dance?
Quote from: Ocklawaha on October 10, 2009, 02:36:39 PM
Palatka, don't forget Palatka!
OCKLAWAHA
...or Lawtey :)
does anyone else get the idea that this post is a nice example of how you make 10000 posts ;)
Quote from: tufsu1 on October 09, 2009, 08:28:22 PM
Quote from: heights unknown on October 09, 2009, 02:21:11 PM
I'll bet it would spur growth and some other type developments downtown.
Heights Unknown
really?
Yep. Adult Movie Stores, Porn Offices, Porn Film Industry, Bars and Night Clubs, Casinos, gaming and gambling casinos, sleezy hotels, prostitution, the Mafia owning or managing all of the above, etc.
Should I go on?
Heights Unknown
Quote from: David on October 10, 2009, 02:57:37 PM
yeah I don't think the good ol boys at JEA are willing to share their 19th floor conference room with anyone, that would be a cool location though. The view is pretty sweet.
Oh yes they would. You know how it works. When they get off from work they tell the wife they are working late and then they go over to the Playboy Club for a couple of hours or so.
What happens in Jacksonville, stays in Jacksonville.
Heights Unknown
If the PB club opens can we start a betting pool as to when FBC TV commercial's comparing Jacksonville to Sodom and Gomorrah will start?
Can you picture the "Advertising" on bus shelters and bus's? I am laughing right now even though you can't see me!
Quote from: CS Foltz on October 11, 2009, 11:54:06 AM
Can you picture the "Advertising" on bus shelters and bus's? I am laughing right now even though you can't see me!
The Baptists downtown will never allow this....I have heard they run downtown, don't know how true that is
Quote from: stephendare on October 11, 2009, 12:08:38 PM
Quote from: GreenInstall on October 11, 2009, 12:02:16 PM
Quote from: CS Foltz on October 11, 2009, 11:54:06 AM
Can you picture the "Advertising" on bus shelters and bus's? I am laughing right now even though you can't see me!
The Baptists downtown will never allow this....I have heard they run downtown, don't know how true that is
Its not true.
I am from First Baptist (although not recently) and there are a number of others on here that go to church there presently. The anti city activism of the church is from an era two pastors ago.
Yeah, they are more focused on unmasking bloggers now. They've moved into the 21st century with their trying to control what happens in this city.
Quote from: GreenInstall on October 11, 2009, 12:02:16 PM
Quote from: CS Foltz on October 11, 2009, 11:54:06 AM
Can you picture the "Advertising" on bus shelters and bus's? I am laughing right now even though you can't see me!
The Baptists downtown will never allow this....I have heard they run downtown, don't know how true that is
They do :P but some of there Members go to strip clubs now and cheat on there wives. Then on Wednesday and Sundays they are in church right along with the other cheating Husbands. And asking God to forgive them. :o
Playboy club? ............ I thought they were loosing money and closing a lot of them for lack of revenue.
Quote from: stephendare on October 11, 2009, 11:47:22 AM
Quote from: heights unknown on October 11, 2009, 07:49:45 AM
Quote from: tufsu1 on October 09, 2009, 08:28:22 PM
Quote from: heights unknown on October 09, 2009, 02:21:11 PM
I'll bet it would spur growth and some other type developments downtown.
Heights Unknown
really?
Yep. Adult Movie Stores, Porn Offices, Porn Film Industry, Bars and Night Clubs, Casinos, gaming and gambling casinos, sleezy hotels, prostitution, the Mafia owning or managing all of the above, etc.
Should I go on?
Heights Unknown
really heights?
we already have those things now.
The playboy clubs are incredibly upscale, and the types of people who go to them arent the types that frequent those types of business.
Thats like thinking that homeless means criminal, i think.
The center of porn production in the United States is Fort Lauderdale. Miami is a much better place to get crossways with the mob, and neither of those towns have a Playboy Club.
A Playboy Club in Downtown Jacksonville would be Prime!
Thanks Stephen for stabbing me with the "homeless" comparison thing (which is in my field of expertise and backyard); you're very intelligent...good thinking on your part.
I was just joking; I, or we don't know what kind of businesses, etc. would spring up from an upscale Playboy Club downtown, and, I don't know how clean it is or they are. Could be linked in with the Mafia which would spur the things I mentioned, I said COULD, cause I don't really know. If it happens (Playboy Club Downtown) we'll see won't we Stephen?
One more thing; didn't know that the Center of Porn production was in FTL and/or MIA. I always thought (my opinion) these days porn could be produced in timuqua Arkansas or Bum frick Egypt if they have a bedroom (with all the technology now available). Anyway, I know nothing about porn; seems you know more. Thanks.
Heights Unknown
^SDare, where did you learn that the center of porn production was fort lauderdale? I had not heard that before, and after some cursory research, was unable to find any information confirming that statement.
People are so fascinated with T & A...amazing (and very Freudian) how everything in society, thrills and ills, seems to revolve around reproductive organs.
Hey its 1972 here we want our lame, tacky, and oh so hip club back
Quote from: sandyshoes on October 22, 2009, 08:48:49 AM
People are so fascinated with T & A...amazing (and very Freudian) how everything in society, thrills and ills, seems to revolve around reproductive organs.
I guess we inherently worship that which creates and sustains life. And those bunny ears and cotton tails are oh so nice. :)
Quote from: stephendare on October 12, 2009, 03:57:10 PM
Zissou you may be surprised to know it, but springfield had two mammoth porn studios in big time operation just four years ago.
Jacksonville has its fair share of porn producers already. Theres an online college sex party site thats based here. They do most of their casting out of Plush with the navy guys.
That's really interesting. As far as I can tell, it seems to be a pretty secretive industry, or at least discrete. As you said, they generate huge revenue, so it is very surprising to have one operate in your city without much public knowledge. Cool info
This thread is about as real as my dream of a streetcar in every garage! Did some checking and found these interesting tidbits.QuoteI'm so proud! I am living in the Porn Capital of the U.S., if not the world. Hell -- the universe. The San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles is the porn capital. It is a $12b business, employees approximately 6,000 people in over 200 companies creating some 7,000 titles in 2006 alone. Companies are spread throughout the valley: Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, Canoga Park, Chattsworth and others.
You wouldn't believe the number one State on the consumption of on line porn....
Drumroll Please...
UTAH!
No kidding! From Polygamy to Porn, maybe that's not such a stretch. OCKLAWAHA