Maharaj is one of a handful of local club/party promoters who would be king of Waikiki's social scene. He recently opened the Maharaja Ultra Lounge in the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa. The venue is big and beautiful. The only thing missing has been the large crowds, something Maharaj hopes will change starting tonight through Sunday when he brings in Pro Bowl stars Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens of the Philadelphia Eagles, as well as a handful of other NFL players Maharaj knows. It's no coincidence he met many of the celebs in part because of his job as a nightlife promoter in Waikiki.

"It is all about who you know," said fellow promoter Justin Yoshino, who came up with the Feng Shui concept that's a Saturday night hit at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki. "But what makes us successful is what we know, too. We are a wealth of information. We get calls and e-mails every day from people who want to know what's happening and how to make things happen."

Maharaj, Yoshino, Komo Low of the W (Wonder Lounge at the W Honolulu), Robbie Hansen of the Wave and relatively new promoters such as Ian Fernandez of Club 25 (also in the Waikiki Beach Marriott) and Mike Galmiche, Laka Carpenter and Jonathan Mack — who recently pulled off a huge hit with the Bob Marley birthday bash at Aloha Tower Marketplace — go head to head for the nightlife crowd.

They follow each other's work, often feeding off each other's successes and failures.

This weekend, for example, while Maharaj is offering an appearance by Terrell Owens for his Friday- and Sunday-night events, Feng Shui is hosting a Mardi Gras celebrity party and inviting other Pro Bowl players.

Promoters, in a nutshell, make Waikiki's nightlife hop by promoting the venues, bringing in the music, the celebrities, clientele and anything else that will get patrons to pay a cover at the door. Ultimately, how they do their job determines a club's success.

Networking, they say, is key.

Maharaj's Palm Pilot includes a few choice digits — including those of Celine Dion, Gwen Stefani, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rod Stewart. Maharaj's local connections are just as important, if not more.

For instance, if Maharaj needs a limousine on short notice, he sends clients to Chad Tsuneyoshi, vice president of Platinum Limousines, to get a good deal. "We'll help any of Peter's friends if he asks us. It is just mutually beneficial to help others out who are in a similar business," Tsuneyoshi said.

Fernandez started making connections while at Hawai'i Pacific University. Most recently, he created Club 25.

"Even though we're located at Sansei, on the floor above Maharaja Ultra Lounge, Club 25 attracts a whole different crowd," said Fernandez. "I wanted to appeal to the 25-and-older crowds who want to network and meet other professional people in a restaurant environment. People can mingle and order sushi half-off from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m."

Originality counts

Maharaj, a Damien Memorial High School graduate, says local interest can make a club successful.

"I think locals like the idea of an ultra lounge — a sensory experience with lots of visuals, light and energy," says Maharaj. "I put extra effort focusing to establish the place as somewhere that people will enjoy coming to and will return. That's also why I provide personal attention to my clientele; I want them to feel at home and comfortable here."

Promoters take advantage of news and hot topics. Saturday, $10 of the $25 cover charge at the Ultra Lounge will be donated to the families of the soldiers who died in the helicopter crash in Iraq recently.

"My uncle was in the military and was killed in a plane crash," Maharaj said. "I know it was hard for my aunt and my cousin to relocate, and money was an issue."

In a perfect world, Maharaj hopes patrons will flood the club to meet the stars and return long after the NFL stars have left town.

"I want to create connection, not separation," Maharaj said of his club. "That's why there isn't a VIP section, and I haven't tried to pack the club. If people feel a connection to this place, know the bartenders, get personal service and feel comfortable, they'll come regardless of who's here. It will be a familiar place for them, creating a sense of family."

Yoshino's approach is different. A power player in the promotions circle for more than 17 years, Yoshino admiringly calls Maharaj's method "old school" because of his patience, knowing he can build his scene slowly.

"He's not going to do $1 drink specials or 18-and-over just to pack a club," said Yoshino, who has no problem with that strategy. Yoshino learned the business while in college, starting at Bobby McGee's, which is now referred to as the W on Kalakaua Avenue. Soon, he was overseeing seven promotions seven nights a week, taking lessons on marketing.

"The key is to stay visible; to say you are going to do something, do it and then exceed their expectations," he said.

This weekend, Yoshino is hosting a birthday party for fellow Feng Shui promoters Matty Liu and Doug Silva as well as famed surfer Kelly Slater.

"The nightclub scene has changed a lot in the last 15 years," said Yoshino. "There aren't many clubs. There used to be 44 stand-alone clubs, but now it is just a bunch of promoters that go to a venue and turn it into a club. We (promoters) make money off the door, so you have to cover advertising, labor, security and all our other costs from that."

Sometimes, promoting looks easy. Last weekend's Marley fest at Aloha Tower Marketplace was just the second time Galmiche, Carpenter and Mack planned an event together.

They started three weeks early, personally handing out 20,000 fliers and played 25 radio spots a day.

The result: 2,000 pre-sold tickets and more than 3,000 additional tickets sold at the door. At the end, 5,400 attended the event and 2,000 others who didn't get in lingered outside.

"It was insane," said Carpenter. "Don Ho's had one bar run out of drinks at 12:45 p.m., and Kapono's bar was closed by 1 o'clock. And we still had people waiting in line to come in."