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Andrew Li, CEO, Zouk Group

Helmi Yusof

Published Thu, Jul 2, 2020 · 09:50 PM

REMEMBER THAT THING people used to call a "dance floor"? An enclosed space where everyone is invited to step into, shed their inhibitions and let the music guide them? What happens to it now that Covid-19 makes close contact with strangers risky? What happens to nightclubs, one of the first to be ordered shut and possibly one of the last to be allowed to open?

These are questions that have kept Andrew Li, CEO of Singapore's iconic nightclub company Zouk Group, awake at night. As the F&B industry finds its feet again, the nightlife sector remains moribund. As malls see the return of crowds, bars and club operators still can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Mr Li is not giving up, of course. Recently he and his team handed Singapore Tourism Board a playbook on how to allow nightlife to resume. It includes suggestions such as turning nightclubs into lounges where groups of friends can assemble in designated seating areas, but not socialise with other groups. Drink orders can be made via an app to minimise contact with bartenders. And everyone must drink from their ow…