24HourNation took a break. Now it’s back.

After stumbling into the global nighttime economy movement in 2015, I became an unlikely advocate for the potential of our cities at night.

I say “unlikely” because, as a “Baby Boomer,” I do not fit the typical profile. And most of the other advocates did not know what to do with me.

My interests have always been in the economic and cultural potential of the nighttime economy along with all the other factors that influence these opportunities: city planning, transportation, lighting design, accessibility, public safety, collaborative public policy, harm reduction, and the like.

And, although I certainly spent my years in the nightlife and hospitality sector, I am a few years removed from clubbing all night and living large.

CAN YOU SAY, “DONNA SUMMER?”

After helping to stave off some onerous municipal ordinances that would have been punitive for a hospitality client, I retired from a career of building constituencies and advocating for good causes.

Of course, I soon found myself volunteering and served as founding president of 24HourDallas, a grassroots non-profit organization designed to elevate interest in Dallas’ nighttime economy.

Handing that organization off to the next generation, I then launched 24HourNation as a personal passion project in 2022 (in part, to keep me from building birdhouses in garage). Fueling my own curiosity, I curated information and thought leadership from around the world regarding nighttime vibrancy, safety, culture, and its related ecosystems.

IT TURNS OUT THAT 24HOURNATION HAD DEVELOPED A FOLLOWING

After hosting a dozen webinars, 50+ podcast episodes, compiling an online library of resources, and sharing an unmeasurable number of social media posts, I ran short on fuel and quietly turned 24HourNation off.

It was then that I was approached by nighttime advocacy interests from around the planet. Some wanted me to come out of retirement and continue the good nighttime work for them. Some wanted to absorb or fossilize 24HourNation.

But a couple of folks wanted to lift a new 24HourNation from its project stage to a national stage.

And that’s where we are. My last dance. My last chance.

Randall White