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Hilton Wolman

Written by noiZe Staff

How did you get your start promoting?

As Advertising and Promotions Manager for a major European car manufacturer, I had been responsible for new model launches to dealers, the press, and the public. We would constantly try to come up with spectacular ideas that would blow the attendees away, be it by taking over a conference center, hotel or resort, or even chartering an entire ship. That experience served me well when I moved to South Florida and got involved in producing and promoting parties.

What are some of the highlights of your career?

Working with Abel every Saturday night at Salvation and watching him become one of the most beloved Circuit DJs; witnessing the meteoric rise to fame of other wonderful DJs that I worked with like Manny Lehman and Tony Moran; producing over a dozen parties for White Party and Winter Party; and accidentally pioneering the daytime Sunday party when the laws in South Beach forced the after-hours clubs to close at 9 a.m. Church (at Salvation) on Sunday morning became incredibly successful, as did the Monday morning parties we added to the major party weekends. After Salvation I produced Orbit at Space and was also involved with events at Crobar and Coliseum; and while Twilo Miami has come and gone, we certainly had some amazing nights there.

Salvation in Miami was one of the most legendary clubs in history and you were intimately involved during its heyday. What are some of your favorite memories? Can you tell us a little about your annual “Salvation Reunion Party”?

Saturday nights at Salvation ran so smoothly that I was able to spend most of the night on the dance floor, meeting people and having a great time. I think that part of my success as a promoter stems from the fact that I was out there in the middle of it all, and I could see what worked and what didn’t. I remember when we were the first club in Miami to do liquid nitrogen blasts, hand out ice- lollies, or have Power lowered from the ceiling to perform a show. People would come back each and every week to see what we did at midnight to open the main room. It wasn’t easy coming up with something different fifty-two weeks a year!

I made so many lasting friendships at Salvation. It was on the dance floor there that I met my good friends and the promoters I most admire, Ric Sena and Mark Baker. I also got to work with so many talents - performers like Power, Kitty Meow, Circuit Mom, and RKM as well as numerous DJs who have gone on to become good friends rather than just business associates.

The Salvation Reunion Party began at one of my birthday parties and it has become an annual event. Abel always spins and Power always performs. It’s a great mix of the old and the new, where Abel hauls out the classic hits from the Salvation days, but mixes them in with current favorites so that it doesn’t feel like a night stuck in the past. But it is a party that usually brings out many people who don’t go to parties any more. Next year we are also hoping to take it to a few cities outside the South Florida area. I think that people will really enjoy the experience, especially those who actually attended a Salvation event.

In addition to Salvation, Miami has been home to such mega clubs as 1235, Liquid, Crobar, and the list goes on. However, the landscape of South Florida nightlife has changed as all of these clubs, as well as the newly- incarnated Twilo in Miami, have closed. What insight can you give us as to the changes happening in South Florida?

A few years ago Miami could support three megaclubs being open on three consecutive nights - Level on Friday, Salvation on Saturday, and Crobar on Sunday. But the trend has been to the smaller venues, with lounge type atmospheres. Score on Lincoln Road is always busy and the newly opened Halo is another example of the more intimate venues that have become popular. For a while, many of us blamed the internet and the hookup sites for the decline in attendance at the large clubs. You no longer needed to go out to a club to meet someone - you could go online and “order in”. Miami Beach also saw a decline in the gay population as people moved away because the nightlife was no longer the draw it once was. And the gay tourist doesn’t travel down as often because these days many of the DJs that once only spun in Miami, New York, or LA can be found at the local bar or club.

But the pendulum seems to be swinging back. People seem to miss the social aspects of a night out dancing, and most of the local clubs are reporting an increase in attendance. I also think that with the closure of Twilo many people in South Florida realized that if they didn’t support their local venues on a regular basis, they stood a chance of losing their “playground”.

Tell us about your monthly parties you’re throwing at Coliseum in Fort Lauderdale with Gary Santis.

The scene in South Florida has definitely moved from Miami to Fort Lauderdale. Gary already had a successful Saturday night party, but he invited me to collaborate with him on a new monthly event that would hopefully add something exciting to the formula. By combining forces we’ve managed to boost attendance figures - and production values - to levels that hadn’t been achieved locally in several years. But we are not giving up on Miami. I’m still working on several exciting projects in the Miami area, just not on a weekly basis.

Last January, you presented “Freedom - The Official Sail-Away Party for the Largest Gay Cruise in History” before the Atlantis cruise. Can you tell us about that as well as what you have planned for the upcoming Atlantis cruise next January?

Actually we began doing the Atlantis Sail-Away party back at Salvation, but as the ships have grown bigger and bigger each year, so has the size of the party. Two years ago for the Navigator cruise we had Manny, Tony, and Abel all spinning on one night, and for Freedom, Warren Gluck teamed up with Abel. In 2008 and the Liberty cruise, I am hoping to expand the concept from simply a dance party to a night that offers all sorts of possibilities because of the spectacular new $25 million venue that we will be using. Not only is there an amazing indoor and outdoor space for the dance party, but we also have adjoining restaurants and bars that will allow those patrons who are not interested in the dancing to still participate in the night. Kind of like what happens onboard the ship, where you can choose from a piano bar, restaurant, or the main dance event - something for all tastes.

What do you think the future holds for gay nightlife in general?

People are not traveling to as many parties as they once did. But they are still traveling - doing the cruises and picking one or twomajor events each year. The successful promoters are the ones who don’t cut back on their production values because there might be a decline in attendance. They just adapt accordingly. Gay nightlife will continue. I remember being warned that, with greater mainstream acceptance, the younger generation would be more inclined to party with their straight friends at straight(er) venues. My son, who is also gay and in his early twenties, did that for a while, but these days he and his friends are supporting the local gay bars and clubs on a regular basis. Promoters are reaching out to the younger crowd by incorporating different styles of music, different entertainment, and different pricing strategies. I think it is working and I’m thrilled to see that with each party I do, there are more and more people I don’t recognize! Or is that just a sign that at my age the memory begins to fade?

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