Karel history

Karel Van Mander was for many years a member of the worlds finest clubs there put the most finest people together, around the world.

Worlds finest clubs is a network with over 225 of the most exclusive, most elegant, trendsetting clubs all over the globe.  Only the most deserving clubs are awarded the World's Finest Clubs Award, and added to the network there demand the highest quality in everything they experience.

All Members of Worlds finest clubs and Karel Van Manders loyal member club had direct access to VIP events and tables where some of the most exclusive champagnes and vodka brands were served, e.g. Dom Perigon, Louis Roeder Christal, Stolichnaya Elite Vodka and Grey Goose.  

The World's Finest Clubs was founded in Switzerland in 2003 by a group of avid clubbers seeking to take their passion global. Growth has been steady, and the company now has representatives in 14 locations throughout Europe, North America, South America, and Asia.

Milestone Systems, the open platform company in IP video management software, is the foundation for an innovative, integrated solution from Info-Connect that manages safety, security and discrimination claims in an exclusive Danish nightclub, Karel van Mander.

The queue is long, the night is cold – but still young – and the air is thick with the expectation of a good night with heavy dance rhythms and long glances. It is Copenhagen. It is Karel van Mander, one of the most exclusive nightclubs, where several hundred people parties every weekend.

Karel van Mander opened in October 2008.  The goal was to attract an exclusive and discerning audience, and today the nightclub is among the few in Denmark listed in The World’s Finest Clubs.

Pioneer for a safer nightlife
Karel van Mander also has the ambition to be the standard-bearer for a safer nightlife in Copenhagen, which has prompted the nightclub to introduce a series of constraints – to protect customers and employees alike.

Housekeeping Management System

“We register all our guests with name and address and check their social security number. It is an invariable rule by Karel van Mander. It ensures that we know who our customers are, and it creates security among the guests and employees. If problems occur, we can quickly identify those involved and give further evidence to the police if necessary,”

When delivering garments, guests are given an electronic coat check token, which is entered into the system and stored with their photo on video. In addition, in the coat check area, guests are tracked when they arrive and when they leave. Thus, one can very quickly check whether its rightful owner has retrieved a jacket or whether it was stolen.

Video surveillance ensures a safe night.
In addition to checking guests against police records of blacklisted people, the latest IP video technology is being used. Sixty Axis network cameras monitor the entire club, both on the street entrance to the stairs and inside the club. The IT company Info-Connect integrated and installed the video system, a Certified Milestone Partner specialising in surveillance solutions for casinos and nightclubs.

“We use technology throughout the registration process. When guests arrive, they are recorded by name and social security number, and their picture is taken. The image is exported through the Milestone recording software, making it possible to tag the video – and one can then follow a guest throughout the nightclub,” explains Info-Connect Director Rasmus Teilmann.

The technology is based on Milestone Systems’ open platform IP video management software, XProtect® Corporate. With just a few clicks, an operator can control all cameras simultaneously and view live or archived images. The images can be exported if the police need to use them as evidence. With the IP video surveillance platform from Milestone Systems, it has become both easier and faster to review video material and export it to a DVD.

The nightclub previously used analogue video surveillance, but the quality was unsatisfactory, with unclear images and poor resolution – and this is a challenge in a nightclub, where the lighting is low. The 60 Axis HD cameras record at full frame rate, making it possible to see every detail of an incident. Karel van Mander only uses monitoring material reactively, which means only if a specific incident needs to be investigated.

Discrimination – no thanks
It is not only about guarding against theft and fisticuffs among guests. Discrimination is a known problem, even in the Copenhagen nightlife – but it also happens that rejected people claim they have been discriminated against when doorkeepers at Karel van Mander choose not to allow them entry.

“We are an exclusive club, and our guests know that they cannot enter if they refuse to register. In some cases, we found that customers accused our staff of discriminating against them if they were turned away, for example, for not meeting our dress code or if the club was too full. But at the entrance, every movement is recorded with audio, so we document exactly what was said and by whom – and it has solved many cases for us, without having to involve the police,”

80 percent drop in reported cases
After Karel van Mander started using IP video surveillance technology from Milestone and Axis, it has experienced a decline of 80 percent in cases reported to the Copenhagen licensing board. So there is no doubt that it works.

“We are quite open about our video surveillance policy. We display it clearly, so everyone knows they are being watched. The fact that the extent of problems has dropped so drastically really shows that video surveillance has a very positive effect

Booking System

Karel van Mander had one of the first and best guest and members booking systems in Copenhagens Nightlife to manage the guest list, table booking and ensure loyal members had the the best night out. The CRM system was homemade and build by an internal team.

Security

Karel van Mander had one of Copenhagens most respectful and service-minded security teams there to ensure every night was a good night.