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SCMP Reporter

Sylvio Wang is a veteran of the Hong Kong nightclub scene. He opened his first club, Manhattan, in Causeway Bay, in 1979, followed by Hollywood East in Tsim Sha Tsui.

 Ten years later, Sylvio opened Manhattan Disco next to the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel in Wan Chai.

 'After working for a hotel, I wanted to create something myself and I was lucky my concept took off,' he says.

 His company, the Manhattan Group, also functioned as a consultant to other clubs and Sylvio opened nightclubs all over Asia.

 He recalls opening the first disco in Shanghai back in 1980 in the Jinjiang Hotel.

 'Everything had to be made in Hong Kong and shipped to Shanghai to be assembled there as the carpenters there didn't know what a disco looked like.

 'And when we opened, the police were there to check everyone's ID and only men were allowed in.'  Here in Hong Kong, Manhattan Disco has recently undergone a makeover, with a new concept, decor and name. Called 'ing', it opened its doors last month and has become a popular place to be seen.

 Sylvio says the name is from the suffix that denotes something happening.

 'We came up with this name because whether you are talking, dancing, enjoying or relaxing, you are doing something.

 'Having been in the business for over 20 years, I didn't just want a stereotyped and cliched place but a simple, stylish and comfortable club.'  Sylvio explains that in the old days people wanted an escape from reality, while today they want something more down to earth that offers quality entertainment and value for money.

 Ing's interior decor is minimalist yet dramatic. The bar is divided into three areas with cool midnight blue aluminium walls and subdued lighting. The dance area features a natural colour scheme and there is a singing area at the back for karaoke enthusiasts.

 Sylvio learned most of the tricks of the trade when he visited Studio 54 in New York in its heydays in the 1970s.

 'I was there to study how a successful nightclub was run. [I was] told that a disco should be like a Broadway production where the doorman is like the casting director who picks people at the door to fit in the show.

 'Then, after all the roles are filled, the normal people are let in to be entertained, like an audience.'  But at ing, Sylvio is not so stringent. Only people under 21 and those who don't follow the dress code are turned away.

 'For a club to be successful, you need a mix between the 'suits' and the hyper-trendy.'  And how does he explain his longevity in such a fickle business?   'I think one reason we survived is because we keep low-key and humble and make our clients the stars.' 



Nightclub guru puts the ing back in happening