The International Nightlife Association (INA) is pleased to announce that the Mexican Nightlife Association (AMBADIC) has joined the INA. This comes after the Argentinian Nightlife Federation (FEDRA) also became a member, bringing the total number of countries represented in the INA to 24.This announcement was made by the President of AMBADIC, Helking Aguilar who stated, “For AMBADIC and Nightlife of Mexico this affiliation means a great step towards the approval of top-level international protocols that the INA has established, towards the professionalization of the nightlife sector and the implementation of best international practices and certifications of quality, and safety in the service that the INA awards to the best places worldwide.” The President of AMBADIC has also stated “This alliance also means the addition of a very large night force like Mexico's to the construction and pursue of better public policies and support for the nightlife sector that generates so many jobs worldwide and contributes so much to tourism and the economy of Mexico, and worldwide. So, considering that unity means strength, we appreciate the effort that INA makes for all of the nightlife sector worldwide and we are proud to become a part of them.”
AMBADIC represents 8,300 nightlife venues that attract 8 million customers every weekThe importance of nightlife in Mexico is beyond any doubt, since AMBADIC represents a total of 8,300 nightlife venues with a monthly turnover of $1.1 billion, generating 560,000 direct and 250,000 indirect jobs and attracting more than 8 million customers every week. The main nightlife destinations in Mexico for nightlife are Mexico City, Cancun and Riviera Maya, Los Cabos, Acapulco, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, and Veracruz.Joaquim Boadas de Quintana, Secretary General of the International Nightlife Association has been very satisfied with this new incorporation to the International Association and has highlighted that “having such an important new member as AMBADIC among us let us keep growing and for our members is a new and great opportunity to exchange experiences and share formulas that allow addressing the problems of the sector and stimulate its prioritization through networking on; the professionalization of tourist leisure, business responsibilities in the face of legal obligations, tariffs and copyrights and artists, innovation, sustainability and new trends.”For his part, Camilo Ospina Guzman, Vice President of the INA for LATAM and President of the Colombian Nightlife Association (ASOBARES) has stated that “With LATAM today being a leading region in the music scene, in the nightlife, entertainment and party economy of the world, it is an honor to promote the incorporation of our colleagues from AMBADIC of Mexico, Founding Members of Nightlife Ibero-America, as new affiliates of the International Nightlife Association that today with Mexico, gives us a presence of 24 countries in the world."Nightclubs in Mexico will implement safety and quality seals and a protocol against sexual harassmentThanks to this new alliance, Mexican venues adhering to AMBADIC will be able to implement international quality and safety seals like the Triple Excellence in Nightlife which includes three different seals regarding safety, acoustic quality, and service excellence, and even a protocol against sexual harassment known as “Ask For Angela”. At last, they will have also access to a gastronomic seal that combines haute cuisine and first-level nightlife known as GastroMoon.
Ask for Angela is a campaign originated in 2016 in Lincolnshire (England) used by nightlife venues to keep people safe from sexual assault by using a codeword to identify when they are in danger or are in an uncomfortable situation. The "Ask for Angela" campaign is named in remembrance of Angela Crompton, a woman who was abused and killed in 2012 and also inspired by the meaning of the name which is "messenger of God" or “angel” (guardian or protector).
In 2017, the International Nightlife Association adopted the campaign and included it as one of the current requirements to achieve the International Nightlife Safety Checked seal (INSC). The protocol has been evolved since then by the International Nightlife Association introducing all kinds of sexual harassment and assault prevention measures to fight drink spiking among other threats. Additionally, the venues’ demands to implement such protocols are increasing more and more daily.José Luis Benitez, the President of the International Nightlife Association and spokesperson for the Ibiza Nightlife Association (Ocio de Ibiza) confidently stated that his team has been working hard in the last few years and is proud of their achievements. He is pleased to see an increased interest in implementing the safety protocol in more clubs and countries, and he is happy that it has arrived in Mexico. Mr. Benitez emphasized that all members of staff are fundamental in the fight against this threat, and his sector is fully committed to eradicating it from their spaces.Ask for Angela has since expanded to many different countries such as Spain, Colombia, Belgium, Australia, South Africa, the USA, Argentina, Italy, and now also Mexico.
