Behind every successful party in Singapore, there is likely to be a woman.

These are the queens of Singapore's nightlife scene, who rule their individual clubs with a firm hand.

Nothing gets past them - from VIP guest lists and booking DJs to what liquor table three is drinking - and nothing gets passed without their okays.

Ditch the idea that these are mere door bitches, clad in cleavage-revealing, body-hugging dresses. They hold the fort in the marketing and public relations department of most clubs and essentially, they make sure a club is hot.

Ms Eevon Cheng, 32, guest experience manager for Royal Room and Mink, on the ground floor of the Pan Pacific Hotel, has had to deal with misconceptions throughout her nightlife career spanning a decade.

"Some people think that women working in nightlife are generally 'indecent', that we are 'easy' or that we let our emotions get the better of us in times of trouble," she says.

"I don't like to waste my energy on ignorant people."

When patrons try to be funny with her, she'll bellow fire, but when guests need a table or her team of door girls is facing too much heat, she "flies" there.

No guessing why she's nicknamed the Dragon Lady by her colleagues.

The tradition of power women in the clubs here began with Ms Tracy Phillips, say nightlife commentators. Now 34, Ms Phillips was the marketing manager of Zouk for more than a decade, until she left in 2009 to pursue her own business interests.

At the height of her reign, she and her team organised some of the most memorable parties Singapore and the world had ever experienced. Zouk bagged Singapore Tourism Board's 'Nightspot of the Year' award six times and ZoukOut won the Best Leisure Brand Experience award in 2005 and 2008.

Today, Tokyo native Emi Matsushima, 24, is the central figure in Zouk. She is the club's newest DJ booking manager.

She recalls her first day, when the head of entertainment told her that she had to host a special guest.

"And guess who it was? None other than Fatboy Slim!" she says.

Though hosting a superstar DJ might sound like the best job scope ever, the trail of work that leads up to a party night might make one drunk - without even drinking.

Ms Matsushima's daily schedule reads like a cross between the schedules of a nocturnal party animal and a press secretary for a presidential election.

Long hours which usually end in the wee hours of the morning, communicating and following up with agents, researching for future bookings, working with multiple internal departments, picking up and hosting the DJs, the list goes on.

"All my friends think that my job is easy: just pick a DJ you want, contact the agent to book him, and done; which is what I thought this job would be like too," she says. "But there is so much more to it."

But besides managing entertainment and marketing, the women also have to be crisis controllers. Ms Audrey Choy, marketing and entertainment executive of recently-opened franchised club, Avalon, in Marina Bay Sands, recalls an incident which took place on a night when a number of guest DJs were playing.

"Everyone wanted to change time slots. Some were disappearing, tour managers were breathing down my neck - all this at the same time," says Ms Choy, 22.

She sorted it out quickly and efficiently. "(What I did at that time was to explain) to the DJs in the most polite way ever, and then I got the tour managers drunk."

For Ms Thong Wai Mun, 24, marketing executive for Lifebrandz, which owns Zirca and Rebel at Clarke Quay, the rule of thumb is simple: the show must go on.

"Even when things don't go as planned, what's more important is that we all learn from the crisis and try to make sure that it doesn't happen again," she says.

So what are the psychological characteristics of a woman who can defuse a potential riot and turn it into a day out in the park?

"I guess it's because a feminine voice is a little easier on the ears," explains 27-year-old Wave House marketing executive Yanie Awsom. "And guys tend to get more awkward in social settings, while we girls know how to handle ourselves better."

Mr Phil Poon, 34, director of Royal Room and MINK, feels that "women are naturally intuitive and they contribute with different ideas and perspectives". He adds: "In addition, they possess a unique and a gentler touch when handling tough customers. And of course, they add a glamorous touch to this industry, which is important."

Beyond the daily grind and the challenges that come with the territory, Ms Daryl Diana Teo, 34, group marketing manager for The Lo & Behold Group, feels that life is good.

"This is a really challenging job, but one gets a lot of mileage out of being in the industry since we touch base with almost every sector," she says.

The profession stretches them emotionally and physically on a daily basis. It's a job that many want but only a few can handle.

"It's easy to get carried away in nightlife when days blur into nights and your job requires you to be switched on in the office and on the floor," says Ms Phillips.

"It's important to find your own balance. There are sacrifices, but it's worth it."

This article was first published in The New Paper.