London is famous for it’s vast, vibrant nightlife scene. But with so much on offer, knowing what to do can often seem overwhelming. We’ve all found ourselves in the scenario of wanting to go out, knowing the kind of night we’re after, but being unsure of where to go.
This is where Citinite steps in. The brand new app has just been launched with the aim of bringing all of London’s nightlife community together under one platform, and to help people discover the nights perfectly tailored to their tastes.
We have had the chance to talk to Citinite CEO, Josh Krysiak, to find out some more about how this new app works, and the reasons behind creating it.
“Most content from other apps is typically compiled by either scraping data from listings websites and social media… We want to avoid this by giving the choice to the user and make sure that our user base is getting accurate information every time. It’s basically opening a channel of dialogue between night-life lovers and the people who make it happen.”
What was your inspiration behind starting Citinite?
I love it when people who enjoy similar music or a similar vibe get together and have a great time. I’m also a major night owl, and just find the city at night so much more interesting.
The idea came to me when I was promoting and DJing in Hong Kong. We were doing some pretty niche stuff, our scene was pretty small, and one of the major issues we faced was reaching the right crowd. It was also tough competing with the major players in the scene who had a fair amount of cash to spend on marketing while we were running on a really tight budget. So I thought it would be good to start something which was really about finding the stuff you love to do, no matter what you’re into, and about giving particularly the smaller promoters and venues a resource to get the word out to the right people about the quality stuff they’re putting out there. For us it’s really about getting nightlife connected, bringing the community together and having fun.
Who is your primary target audience?
We’re looking to engage with absolutely anyone and everyone looking to engage with the nightlife and entertainment scene. Whether you’re into chilled bars and pubs, comedy shows, live music or sweaty basement raves, it’s going to be on Citinite. We’re trying to cover all bases and appeal to as wide an audience as possible.
“…the more you interact with the city’s nightlife and the app itself, the more relevant the content gets.”
How does Citinite work? What are the primary criteria for the places and events you recommend?
Citinite’s ethos is to avoid curating content, so I wouldn’t really say we are “recommending”, more like narrowing down the vast range of options to suit the individual user.
At the core of Citinite is the unique ‘nightlife persona’ which is based on the music people like to listen to, the places they like to hang out, how much they like to spend and so on. It then uses a combination of their interactions on the app combined with some of the latest tech to refine the things they’re seeing. It also learns from its users behaviour, so the more you interact with the city’s nightlife and the app itself, the more relevant the content gets. And if your tastes change and you start exploring new things, the system will adjust the persona to reflect that.
What makes Citinite stand out from other nightlife-based apps?
I think the fact that it’s comprehensive, intelligent, and the content comes direct from the source. Most content from other apps is typically compiled by either scraping data from listings websites and social media, or curated by the team behind the app. We want to avoid this by giving the choice to the user and make sure that our user base is getting accurate information every time. It’s basically opening a channel of dialogue between nightlife lovers and the people who make it happen. We’re also working with our partner venues to offer neat bonuses like rewards and loyalty programmes which don’t really exist in the nightlife sector.
Finally, how would you describe your perfect night out in London?
I’d start with a few beers and a good group of friends, maybe in a park or down by the canal-side or somewhere chilled. Then have a wander, see what’s happening and do some people watching before checking out a club. I’m into smaller venues these days, and the right crowd is essential. For me it’s all about getting together with like minded people, listening to some good tunes on a good quality sound system and letting yourself go for the night. I think parties like House Of Trax and AERIAL are on point right now, I really like what those guys are doing.
Thanks for your time! We look forward to seeing what new nights Citinite can help us discover.
It’s been a pleasure. We hope you guys love it as much as we do, but we want to stress the fact that it’s the very first version of the app and we are constantly working to make it the best that it can be.
Be sure to check out what the Citinite guys are up to on Twitter and on Facebook.
Citinite is available to download for free on iOS here and Android here.