The Alphaville Herald

“I’m not a pimp, I’m a club owner”: Interview with Jenna Fairplay

by Urizenus Sklar on 02/01/06 at 9:27 pm

By Dow Jonas

In this interview the discreet charm of bourgeois Herald reporter Dow Jonas overcomes the bad blood between Uri and Club maven Jenna Fairplay, and gets her to sit down for an extensive conversation that ranges from her battles with the Lindens, to her troubles with mafias, her issues with Hellraiser Millions, her business model, managing her staff of hundreds, the 20K US $ price for her island, and what makes her happy (it isn’t Uri).

Jenna: excuse my looks… it was for an event hehe
DJ: I don’t mind : )
Jenna: I don’t normally talk to the herald
DJ: oh? I wasn’t warned!
Jenna: they in the past didn’t have nice thing to say about me
DJ: hmmm I’ll have to look that up
Jenna: oh again u should of read my article with hamlet
DJ: I will do that for sure
Jenna: how long u been writing for them
DJ: oh bout 3 months or so…I don’t cover clubs normally, I write about economic affairs. But it seems many of the incentive awards were won by clubs.
Jenna: oh then u would of loooved that article Ill hush about it now …it was when linden labs cut event support back in jan 04
DJ: no go ahead
Jenna: I was not happy
DJ: yes I heard about that
Jenna: first time I had a linden curve ball thrown at me
DJ: seems to be the beginning of many unpopular moves
Jenna: yes it taught me a lot
DJ: oh?
DJ: how so? no warning?
Jenna: I learned I cant depend on linden labs
Jenna: nope no warning
Jenna: 3 weeks to adjust
DJ: well what can one expect of a virtual world?
DJ: only change I suppose
Jenna: yes
DJ: how much did you get from the event support?
Jenna: 750 per event
Jenna: 500 for prizes and 250 for hosting
DJ: hmm seems significant
DJ: so you could have many a day I suppose
DJ: if you had the time and people
Jenna: yes
Jenna: we would give away much more which helped
Jenna: we would take the 500 for prizes add 100L form our hosting pay and a little more to help put us above the rest who just gave away 500
DJ: ok
Jenna: so with that extra it helped to prepare us for the change. we just lowered how much prize money we gave out. it hurt us at first we dropped. but then as venues closed, we were able to stay open
DJ: so your competition was forced out
Jenna: basically
Jenna: 8 months at #1 then ice dragon came hehe
DJ: I see Ice Dragon is no. 1 now usually
Jenna: so if u can adjust to the changes and not fight
Jenna: u will more likely stay
Jenna: u don’t fight other venues
Jenna: I never have
Jenna: I fight change
Jenna: well work with it
Jenna: so as others struggle
Jenna: I’m already adjusting
DJ: well there have been so many changes tho
DJ: at what point is it just too much to ask?
DJ: I mean, what means do you really have to get revenue? admission charges?
Jenna: lindens do want to push the admission charge
Jenna: they thought it would start when they cut support
Jenna: it didn’t
Jenna: they thought it would start when they cut many things
DJ: it seems to be buggy, I’m told it doesn’t’ work by some people
Jenna: I don’t think admission will ever happy people rather buy linden
Jenna: they charge
Jenna: to a new club or venus owner
Jenna: its not about linden
Jenna: is that who making the top 25 list
Jenna: then top 10
DJ: ok
Jenna: then #1
Jenna: they will pour out hundreds US dollars for it
DJ: why?
Jenna: and Ill smile and watch
DJ: what does it give them? prestige?
Jenna: power
DJ: then they have to try to stay on top
DJ: power over what?
Jenna: well not power but poularity
DJ: people can always hop around somewhere else
Jenna: to say your so and so owner of blah top venue in sl
Jenna: can help u look good to your peers
Jenna: and for many who lack that admiration in rl can get it in sl
Jenna: for a few hundred bucks
DJ: very true
DJ: but you don’t strive for the no. 1 spot?Jenna: nope
Jenna: imagine how much they spend to be #1
Jenna: so if u can look at sl as a psychology u will learn a lot
DJ: that’s why you mentioned Maslow
DJ: well I know owners like Hellsing spent a bunch
Jenna: hehe
Jenna: no comment about him or what he does in sl
DJ: no comment?
DJ: worried about backlash?
Jenna: nope he will say many things about me I’m sure
Jenna: he has in the past
DJ: you know I’m in over my head on the club scene– that’s other reporters’ beats. I haven’t even been to very many of them;I’m just trying to see who’s making the money here LOL. I see $160,000 USD coming in the door, and either that’s lots of people cashing out to Currency Linden or …? what?
DJ: so how many hours do you spend here a day?
DJ: are you on every night?
Jenna: I am on every night
Jenna: I used to spend night and day too much time
DJ: do you have staff?
Jenna: I have hundreds of staff
DJ: wow
DJ: that you pay?
Jenna: yes
DJ: how are you able to manage them all?
DJ: do you have partners?
Jenna: some I pay some believe in sl or I helped they volunteer for free
Jenna: partners no
Jenna: tried that once — ended up biting me in the ass
Jenna: will never again
DJ: ok
DJ: I often hear that
Jenna: *nods*
DJ: I talked to a guy who said his partner deleted their club, a mall, home, in some rage
DJ: I suppose tensions run high.
Jenna: I believe that
Jenna: sl happens is what I say hehe
Jenna: just like rl happens
Jenna: hehe
DJ: But it isn’t really about the money?
DJ: it’s more about the prestige, the social life?
Jenna: yes
DJ: So being no. 1 is worth buying.
Jenna: oh well that depends
Jenna: if u want that if it makes u happy
Jenna: if u don’t mind paying usd for it
Jenna: then do it
Jenna: be happy
DJ: hehe
Jenna: but I dont need #1 to be happy
DJ: well are you happy doing this?
Jenna: yes and no
DJ: it’s stressful
Jenna: very stressful
Jenna: seems the more u try to help or the higher u r
Jenna: the more who doubt or wait to watch u fall
DJ: yes
DJ: high stakes
Jenna: the smallest rumor spreads like a wildfire, true or not
Jenna: people will believe the craziest things
DJ: are there mafia attacks and such? The Herald seems to have stories like that frequently.
DJ: yes
Jenna: mafia use to be a big problem but I think linden labs have handle that well
DJ: oh? what have they done?
Jenna: mafia grew when many tso players came over
DJ:  lol they had fake mafias there, they didn’t seem to be related to RL crime
Jenna: they bought the same ideas with them but didn’t understand that players in sl wouldn’t fall into that and what happened in tso should stay in tso
Jenna: they use to be some big hot shot in tso and cant stand behing a no one in sl
Jenna: so they try to bring their family
DJ: did you play the Sims?
Jenna: I use to I only beta it
Jenna: I owned a top venue
Jenna: sold it
Jenna: left
DJ: ok
Jenna: funny when some of my old staff from tso came to sl
Jenna: its very limited
DJ: seems so
Jenna: I only played for 3 months
DJ: you hae more customizing here
Jenna: yes
Jenna: but its getting swamped with player creation
Jenna: not that its bad
Jenna: but sorry if I must again refer to fraggles
Jenna: I love that show
DJ: lol
Jenna: its like having 100 doozers and 10 fraggles
Jenna: not enough fraggles to eat all the doozer sticks
DJ: lol
Jenna: linden keep pushing for player creation, but they need social players just as much. they keep over looking that
DJ: I suppose they need them to buy the content.
Jenna: yes, if the only money to be made is from making stuff, then u have everyone making stuff. Who is gonna buy it?
DJ: everyone makes t-shirts
DJ: yes the quality suffers then I suppose
Jenna: hehe yea
Jenna: I was on sl exchange and saw a white box prim maker for 50L
Jenna: x.x
DJ: LOL
DJ: it probably sells too
DJ: everything sells
DJ: ok but come back to telling me what sells at the Edge : )
DJ: if you can
Jenna: hehe
Jenna: what sells?
DJ: yes
Jenna: everyone depends on what vendors are renting stalls there
DJ: how do you find those vendors? or do they come to you?
Jenna: they come to me
DJ: they want to be in your club
Jenna: many are guests who use to hang out and shop
Jenna: to make their stuff and come back to sell
Jenna: some find it from popular places list
DJ: so you charge them for renting the space?
Jenna: yes
DJ: how much typically?
DJ: more than a mall would? less?
DJ: now with p2p do you think you’ll have more vending at clubs?
Jenna: 20 prims is trying to remember
Jenna: um x.x
Jenna: 50 prims is
Jenna: ack Id have to go look
DJ: well I’m just trying to see, is it cheaper than a mall or what
Jenna: no its not
DJ: and what will now be replacing the telehub malls
Jenna: I only charge 1k for a 512 plot here on delphi for 75 prims
DJ: you may have more traffic and exposure in a club
DJ: 1k
DJ: and are they able to make sales?
Jenna: at my club tht would get u prob a 10×10 stall and 20 prims
Jenna: I charge more for club cause yes the traffic
DJ: but they rely on you to make the club interesting so people will come
Jenna: and my staff promote the vendors
DJ: how do they do that?
Jenna: one of my vendors sell pimp type stuff
Jenna: so we will have a pimp event
Jenna: *cough* my cloths
DJ: ok
Jenna: hehe
DJ: lol
Jenna: and so it helps their sales
DJ: so you tie the themed event to the product
Jenna: yes
Jenna Fairplay gave you Metal Mesh.
DJ: thanks!
Jenna: yw
Jenna Fairplay gave you Sports Jersey.
Jenna Fairplay gave you Promenade Freestyle.
DJ: there
DJ: a walking ad : )
Jenna Fairplay gave you Full Walk Poses Anmiations Ikon Animation Override For Male.
DJ: hehe
Jenna: *hints*
Jenna: well u asked how
DJ: ok so you rely on people to see clothes they like and then come here and buy them
DJ: so maybe they are even coming to shop, not socialize
DJ: does a vendor have to get in good with you to get a spot? : )
Jenna: nah actually there are spots open
Jenna: I don’t actively seek vendors
Jenna: as I’m talking to u
Jenna: I’m still delegating to staff via teamspeak and yahoo and IMs
DJ: yes I would think you’d need to be constantly multi-tasking to work all that staff
DJ: did you have any management experience in RL?
Jenna: no
Jenna: college student nursing just graudated this term
DJ: so are you going to be a nurse?
DJ: could you make this a full-time job and survive?
Jenna: not sure well no no on hehe
Jenna: don’t ever rely on a game
DJ: yes
Jenna: other games will spawn from this
Jenna: and as we saw tso to sl to maybe that game u mentioned
DJ: yes
DJ: yes I keep hearing it more and more
DJ: also Eve Online
DJ: Walker loves that, he’s there more than in SL now
DJ: there’s a lot of strategy involved with it
Jenna: never played eve online
Jenna: too much stuff in here i need to finish
DJ:  well it seems to have a lot of levels
DJ: well what are your goals for 2006?
DJ: given all the economic changes?
Jenna: someone did try to hire me to go into wow and get a business established for them
Jenna: lol
DJ: interesting
Jenna: but then again its hard to tell who is serious or some guy trying to get in good with me
DJ: hehe
Jenna: I’ve had fake business men trying to get my attention
Jenna: x.x hate that
DJ: hmmm
DJ: yes
Jenna: Ive never been partnered in the game barely know how to use genitals in the game
DJ: really
Jenna: i have a set but how to use them *shrugs*
DJ: not the notion one has of clubs
Jenna: oh that’s where rumors help
Jenna: seems by rumor I sleep with my staff
Jenna: before I hire them
Jenna: hehe
Jenna: makes it funny to hear rumors
DJ: lol
Jenna: yea edge has escorts
Jenna: but Ill we do is just provide a location for them to find clients
DJ: I see
Jenna: I don’t go and IM them like woman where is my money LOL
DJ: hehe
Jenna: I get told by escorts that other places demand 25% of what they make x.x
DJ: yes they do
Jenna: I’m not a pimp
Jenna: just a club owner
DJ: so do you mind if I take your picture?
Jenna: like this?
DJ: sure!
DJ: : )
Jenna: oh it will surely help the rumors sure!
Jenna: LOL
DJ: this *is* the Herald!
DJ: so you have residences you pay for, for all your staff?
DJ: that’s like their perks?
Jenna: *nods*
Jenna: my staff get spoiled
Jenna: this is cayman
Jenna: a sim I just bought
Jenna: cost me 2000 usd
Jenna: but I love it
DJ: wow
DJ: nice
Jenna: the location is prime
DJ: how so?
Jenna: look on map where we are
DJ: near the welcome area in Dore
Jenna: and connected to the mainland
DJ: will this matter though now with p2p?
Jenna: its a private island
Jenna: joined to the mainland
Jenna:
DJ: oh is that rare?
Jenna: *nods*
Jenna: I’m not some speck in the ocean
Jenna: some of the stuff on this sim were built by sims before they became lindens
Jenna: its the very first private sim linden labs sold
DJ: ok
DJ: does it terraform up?
Jenna: yes it terraforms
Jenna: like daboom daboom was the 1st sim ever
Jenna: a gift to beta players
DJ: So did you have to hire people to build all this?
Jenna: no it was build
Jenna: some we are redoing
Jenna: but the sim came like this pretty much
Jenna: it will be available for rent
Jenna: people can rent an entire sim
DJ: ok
Jenna: I have a habit of collecint rare sl stuff
DJ: I haven’t really explored that much
DJ: rare SL stuff?
DJ: you mean like the first sim and such?
Jenna: 1st sim ever daboom
Jenna: 1st private sim cayman
Jenna: yes
DJ: ok
Jenna: and dalton
DJ: well but now you’re selling Daboom?
Jenna: dalton is land I own next to linden village
DJ: why did you want to do that?
DJ: ok
Jenna: well if u look its set for 5 mill
Jenna: who will pay 5 mill!
DJ: yes I saw that was valued at $20k USD
Jenna: *nods*
DJ: well someone might?
DJ: if it came with the buildings and vendors
Jenna: true
DJ: are you really trying to sell it?
Jenna: it is a good investment I agree
Jenna: but it would have to be someone well established
Jenna: or well funded
DJ: well funded
DJ: how do you mean?
Jenna: rl wealth or established sl wealth
DJ: ok
DJ: are you able to make much of a profit?
DJ: do you see these articles bout people making $150,000 US a year?
Jenna: I did buy my last two sims with pure linden
DJ: ok
Jenna: I keep my wealth off the top 10 list
Jenna: I did hit it once
Jenna: and quickly moved linden
DJ: you didn’t want the attention?
Jenna: no
Jenna: cause all I am is the edge
Jenna:
DJ: well you seem to attract a lot of newbies
Jenna: I mean yes I don’t want the attention
DJ: I see your club has their membership everywhere
Jenna: I want to attract new players for good reasons
Jenna: not for them to come asking for lindens
Jenna: if they come and meet people at the edge and grow then I’m happy
DJ: and that good reason would be?
DJ: socializing
DJ: this is where they come to find their mates?
Jenna: bad is if they just come and expect me to give them L cause I’m rich
Jenna: well mates connections are key
Jenna: put a good designer builder and scriptor together and u go critters and such
Jenna: where to they meet at clubs well and sandbox
Jenna: lol
DJ: thre’s a lot of talk about the events list
Jenna: but as a new player clubs is a key part
DJ: some want to remove a lot of it
Jenna: yea
DJ: what’s your take on that?
Jenna: well if they do remove events etc Ill find a way as I do
Jenna: the edge didn’t use to be open 24/7
DJ: you seem to roll with the punches
DJ: I was aksing about the events list
DJ: there was all this strife over it
Jenna: well i was on the events group that linden labs put together
Jenna: all we did was fight
Jenna: so I left it
DJ: ok
Jenna: lol
DJ: what did you fight about?
Jenna: everything omg
Jenna: people wanted more culture etc
Jenna: people work so hard to make like

hawaii

Jenna: I live in

hawaii

DJ: in RL?
Jenna: and so does letum who make sl

hawaii

Jenna: and yes in rl
DJ: cool
DJ: I’ll have to come check out the Edge soon
Jenna: np
DJ: if that’s where I should start
Jenna: hehe
DJ: thanks for all your time, very educational : )
Jenna: np ty for visiting and spending time with me
DJ: : )
Jenna: IM me anytime
DJ: will do
DJ: I’m sorry if there’s been any bad blood with the Herald
DJ: but I know nothing
DJ: Uri is to blame for it all : )
DJ: ROFL
Jenna: hehe no worries bad press is good press as they say
Jenna: uri lol
Jenna: *nods*
DJ: I’ll go look it up.
DJ: : )
Jenna: kick uri for me
Jenna: lol