Oxford club Park End is to reopen later this month after half a million pounds of refurbishment in an attempt to reverse declining attendances.
Park End, which traditionally hosts OUSU’s ‘Zoo’ nights for Oxford students on Wednesdays, has been experiencing low turnout since Trinity Term. The club will be renamed ‘Lava Ignite’ when it reopens on November 30.
The relaunch comes after forced midnight closures on several recent occasions due to low numbers.
OUSU, however, have denied concerns that Park End has been experiencing difficulties and confirmed its support for the club.
Dave Green, OUSU Business Manager responsible for Zoo nights, said, "We are sticking by Park End, we are 100 per cent committed to it."
Park End will be joining a chain of nine Lava Ignite clubs around the UK after a change in management, the owners claiming it will feature VIP booths, new decor and flooring, and plasma screens.
Balreick Srai, founder of rival promotions and events company Rock Student, criticised Park End and OUSU’s Zoo nights.
"Park End hasn’t been doing well recently and has been facing more competition than it did five years ago," he said. "It has become much more difficult for large clubs to compete as smaller venues, and house parties are advertised more efficiently than in the past on Facebook.
"A refurbishment is just cosmetic. What will really matter is their promoters and whether they understand what their clients want. After Park End’s performance last and this term, it seems to be on the decline. Wednesdays has been the main student night at Park End since 1995/1996, but last summer was bad. They had a management change but the Zoo guys are pretty incompetent, and they’re using their monopolistic power to control what is promoted to the students."
Robbie Parks, Keble College’s Entz Rep, suggested that Srai’s company was taking over Park End’s business. "People lost interest during Trinity Term and the current generation won’t miss it. Zoo’s popularity is dwindling; it’s all about Rock Oxford now. I don’t think many people will miss it. The queues are heaving for the OFS," he said.
