An Interview with Claudia Chan, president of Shecky's Girls Night Out

The Sheckys Girls Night Out event is coming to Santa Monica, California this week!

Don't miss it - November 6 an 7!

Bring your girlfriends and enjoy five hours of entertaining fun shopping for hot trend setting fashions at bargain prices, complimentary cocktails, spa treatments, prize giveaways - and more! It's just ten dollars per person!

Clear your calendars for this event - and bring your girlfriends!

Shecky's Girls Night Out, is coming to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium November 6 and 7.

With the national economic slowdown, consumers everywhere are becoming more value conscious. While some national retailers are closing down, others are growing.

One such innovative company that is expanding is Shecky's Media, Inc., producers of "Shecky's Girls Night Out," an exciting 5 hour entertainment-oriented experience including shopping, cocktail party, prize giveaways, and pampering complete with complimentary spa treatments, makeovers, and prizes for its attendees.

Shecky's Girls Night Out offers its attendees merchandise from many hot and up and coming fashion designers at up to 75 percent off.

Shecky's Girls Night Out events are currently in 17 cities across the country with more locations scheduled for 2009.

Click here for more information on a Shecky's Girls Night Out coming to your city.

Attendees can also purchase for $25 a Deluxe Goodie Bag ticket, which includes event admission plus a Goodie Bag valued at more than $100 with products from BORBA, Glowelle, Aquafresh and Dove.

The admission is $10 which includes a five-hour open bar, product samples and giveaways (including Crest Whitestrips Advanced Seal, which is not available in-store until 2009) and lots of fun and great deals!

AsianConnections caught up with Shecky's president, Claudia Chan for this interview:

AC TEAM: Claudia, what makes Shecky's Girls Night Out different from other big sale events?

CLAUDIA: Other shopping events are usually one-offs or annual events in a city or two - serving a promotional, retail or perhaps charity purpose, whereas producing experiences that entertain women is at the core of Shecky's business.

Girls Night Out events offer an experience like NO other company given the extremely unique experience of offering women everything they love to enjoy with their girlfriends. We are producing 80+ nights of events a year across 20 cities - offering women a highly concentrated experience of fashion (young designers usually unavailable in that market), shopping deals, beauty services, wine, cocktails, beer and the ultimate gift bag often worth over $100 -- all in an amazing night out with their closest girlfriends. That's hosting 400 hours a year dedicated to making women and their girlfriends happy!

AC TEAM: What inspired you to create Shecky's?

CLAUDIA: My business partner (founder and CEO) Chris Hoffman started Shecky's 10 years ago as a publishing company specializing in local nightlife guidebooks. I had an event company when I met him in 2001. In January 2002 we decided to collaborate and evolve Shecky's into multi-platform media company that would include events, publications and Web site content. The first Shecky's Girls Night Out event celebrated a book launch, "The Girl's Guide to NY Nightlife," in Dec. 2001; since then, we've expanded Girls Night Out into almost 20 markets nationwide, including Atlanta.

The first Shecky's Girls Night Out event was produced as a book launch celebration in Dec. 2001. The success was overwhelming, and we realized that we had to pursue event growth as a core driver of our media business model. That first event attracted 700 attendees. Today and almost seven years later the event attracts more than 150,000 attendees and 1,000 clients a year.

AC TEAM: With the economy in such turmoil, how is Shecky's Girls Night Out different this year than last year?

CLAUDIA: We offer a great value for women during these tough times. General admission tickets to the event are $10 and include complimentary cocktails; a $25 Deluxe Goodie Bag ticket includes admission to the event plus a Goodie Bag filled with more than $100 worth of must-have products. Even if one of your friends doesnt want to shop, she can still have a night out with her closest friends and not break the bank. Additionally, most of the items at Sheckys Girls Night Out are offered at a special promotional price so you can update your wardrobe and stay within your budget.

AC TEAM: What is next for Shecky's Girls Night Out?

CLAUDIA: Were expanding into 20 markets in 2009.