The Door Journal
Run a better door.
Field-tested playbooks for the people working the rope — guest-list ops, check-in tech, turning walk-ins into a crowd you can reach again, and the numbers that actually tell you what's filling the room.
How to run a nightclub door in 2026
The clipboard is dead. Here's the modern door: fast check-in, a live guest list the whole team can see, VIP that never gets fumbled, and a follow-up engine that refills slow nights. A complete operator's playbook.
Read the playbook ▸QR vs NFC for venue check-in
Both get a guest through the door without an app. But they fail differently, cost differently and fit different doors. A straight comparison so you pick the right one — or run both.
Read the guide ▸ GrowthTurn your door into a marketing list (CASL-safe)
Every guest who walks in is a fan you could reach next Friday — if you capture consent the right way. How to build an owned SMS + Snapchat list under Canadian anti-spam law without killing the vibe.
Read the guide ▸ AnalyticsWhat to track at the door (and what to ignore)
Headcount is the easy number and the least useful. The metrics that actually change how you spend on promoters, posters and nights — and how to capture them without slowing the rope.
Read the guide ▸