Tonight is the first night of the rest of our lives. The Nightlife Preservation Community party at M2 tonight will bring out the masses. But before the hoi polloi gather, a serious schmooze-fest will be taking place between the owners and operators of clubs and politico types who are RSVPing in droves. The politicians are predictably figuring out that the hundreds of thousands of voters enrolled in the marketing banks of club promotional entities can make a big difference in upcoming primaries and elections. The final DJ lineup ensures a huge turnout. Chloë Sevigny will introduce New York Nightlife Association honchos Rob Bookman and David Rabin — sometimes known as Batman and Robin. With only a little help from some friends, these two have fought the good fight for many years. At times, they have been the only thing preventing the industry from collapsing under the weight of oppressive legislation and enforcement. The NPC will give them new tools to forge ahead with a more cooperative effort between the city and the clubs. We are not trying to fight City Hall; we are trying to have City Hall recognize nightlife, a $10 billion industry, as a useful revenue-generating tool in these dark economic times.

A very famous philosopher once said, “You have to fight for your right to party.” Hopefully the fighting will be a distant memory and the city will approach nightlife like Las Vegas has with its “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” campaign. The NPC proposes a loosening up on “The Big Apple” motto and an invigoration of “The City That Never Sleeps.” The later motto is much better at promoting tourism and therefore jobs and tax revenues. Today’s post is short, and hopefully you will find it sweet as I have much to do before the event. I will see you there.