They might be sweet to the eye, but the VIPER girls get the job done when it comes to running an event smoothly. As an all-female team disrupting a male-dominated industry, they run the doors at some of biggest clubs and events in the heart of Los Angeles including the Billboard Women in Music Awards, the American Music Awards Official After Party, Shepard Fairey’s “Damaged” Opening, Treats! Magazine Halloween, Apple Music “Cant Stop Won’t Stop” Premier, and Body at the Espys. Wondering how to get inside an exclusive nightclub or event without being on the list? Here are some of tips & tricks that we’ve learned may work, written by the front door connoisseur themselves — the founders of VIPER by KCH, Celeste Durve, and Kelsi Kitchener.

Be Nice – Weird concept (insert eye roll)! This may seem obvious, but it is something that is always overlooked. People think a big ego will make you appear more important than you actually are, but this will never work on a VIPER girl. We will just politely decline you. Approaching someone kindly gives you a better shot from the get-go. Side note: this goes for security too. As a door team, we watch how you treat everyone, not just us. Disrespect towards anyone will not work in your favor.

Wait Patiently – We have actually granted entrance to guests in the past just because we noticed them waiting patiently at a busy door. They didn’t push past others to get through or approach aggressively. This kind of a mellow vibe looks good to a door person because it shows us you may add a positive energy to the event inside. Even if you don’t think we see you… we do! If you do approach us in an overly aggressive manner, we are unlikely to let you enter and it’s not because of a power trip. It makes us question how you might treat other guests inside. We think about these things, and they help us make decisions.

Dress Appropriately – If it’s a white party, wear white. If it’s a nicer space, don’t show up in shorts and flip-flops. Dress for the occasion and maybe even above it. If a man or woman shows up that isn’t on the list but is in a nice suit or cocktail dress, there is a chance we may let him or her in because they put effort into an on-brand look which is respectful towards the venue and we appreciate that.

Don’t Lie – If you don’t know anyone inside, just tell us that straight up. If we catch you in a lie, it’s likely an automatic “no” on our end. Don’t try to shuffle in with a big group. We pay more attention to the back of the line than we do the front sometimes, so that we always know what is going on and who should actually be inside. On the other side of that, if you come with other people and we ask how many people you are with, don’t lie. Don’t tell us you have a group of 5 and then try to come with 8. We’re counting when all your guests walk in. Also, girls count as people too. They are bodies and they take up space just like men do. Don’t tell us its only 3 guys and then bring in 4 girls along with you. Get back to your roots of basic math!

Come Correct – Showing up with 10 people on a busy night or at a busy event when none of you are on the list is always going to work against you. If you know this is a tight door, come solo or with one other person max. If you do come with a big group, don’t try to bribe us. This depends on the door and venue, but as a VIPER girl we do not take money. We once heard from a mentor, Sylvain Bitton, “sorry I am unpayable”. We have taken that with us and applied it with our team. It isn’t about the money for our team. It is about our name and the reputation that we want to have with clients and venues. Lastly, when walking up to any door put out your cigarette before you begin to talk to the host or doorman. It’s a simple courtesy.

*These notes are just our personal opinions and will not guarantee entry to any venue or event.