I have always been a big fan of interaction with all of my events.  I can say that every single event I have DJd I have interacted with the clients.  I can recall an event where this client in particular was having a fund raiser for some kids in africa.  I checked in with her a few days prior and she was expecting about 50 which was very promising.

The day of the event it rained… no no.. It poured…

I get to her event, set up, and get the music going.  She was puting the finishing touches on some snacks and organizing games and activities.  Outside the storm continues.

an hour and a half in to her event no one showed up.  after 2 hours we had a total of 6 people in the room instead of the 50 that were originally expected.  I was playing background music then transitioned into dance music with no luck… that is when the interaction began…

I started with a 45 minutes high energy interactive set consisting of interactive song favorites, oldies, and current… we 6 had a BLAST…

Long story short the interaction MADE the event pure and simple.  my client was dissapointed in the turnout but happy as a clam that the 6 guests had a great time.

Interaction is what separates the pros from the amateurs.  I am happy to say we have some amazing pros on staff.

Til next time!

DJ Mike

As a service professional I understand the DJ industry, I understand it because I live it every day.  I have a wealth of knowledge and research daily to make Entertainment Elite the best company possible.  That is me.  I can not fly a plane or perform open heart surgery nor can I teach a class on american History.  I am a professional in the DJ industry.  When clients call us I understand that they know nothing about the DJ industry other then we play music and we have loud speakers, and why should they?  That is why they hire professionals for their events so they can trust us to do our job and do it right.

Here is the problem.  People assume all DJs are the same and they put their trust in DJs that lack professionalism, quality equipment, customer service and above all experience.  They say you must do something at least 1000 times to be a professional.  Would you want a DJ at your wedding with 5 gig experience or 50 gig experience?  Which DJ do you feel would do a better job? Obviously the one with 50 gigs under his belt.  Now, what if you had the choice between a DJ that has performed at 50 events or 500 events? Obviously you would choose the one with 500!  Experience is everything.

What do you get from a $150 4 hour DJ?

honestly? Not much… Quality equipment, music, training, insurance, travel, TAXs, etc all costs money.  What would you expect?  In my experience I have worked with many different DJs including professionals and amateurs. Trust me. There is a difference.

With the low budget DJ you will get poor quality equipment, a rats nest of cables, stolen music, microphone timidness (yes, A LOT of djs are petrified to speak on the microphone) poor customer service (if any) no contract, no guarantee, and if something bigger or better comes up… trust me, they will take it and leave you in the dust.

My cousin is going to DJ my wedding….

Dont get me wrong, family is great. But would you also let your cousin fly a jumbo jet because he fly one on the computer? no… With any celebration a lot of time, money, and effort go into making each event a success. Though the food will be great, the flowers will be beautiful, and the venue staff will be awesome, people will leave your celebration with one thing on their mind, Did we have fun. Im sure your cousin will play a few great songs but I wouldnt chance the most celebration you have ever planned on someone just trying to help.  Invite your cousin, get a professional DJ, and so noones feelings get hurt simply say “Cousin, this is a great time for you to learn”

Why do some DJs charge $1,500-$2,500 for a wedding reception? Is it worth it?

Well, that depends if you have the disposable cash or not.  If you are like most southern californians you look for the best bang for your buck.  Some DJs charge insane amounts for mediocre service… Why? Tremendous overhead, greed, insane marketing budgets (because client recommendations arent enough)and strategy.  People have been consitioned to think “The more money I spend the better service I will get” This is far from the truth.  In my opinion you should never feel had or taken advantage of, so interview multiple DJs, shop around for the best VALUE… dont go with the cheapest, and dont trust companies that charge high amounts as a strategy.  If anything, ASK “Why is your price so high/low” and see what they say!

“We DJ 1 million events per year, therefore we are the best and demand lots of $$$”

Really?  I dont agree with this… Though we are a professional service and this is our Job we never lose sight of the fact that each client is unique and has individual needs.  Below is an actual conversation with a few owners of DJ companies in southern california during lunch a few months ago:

Question: How many events do you do per year?

DJ #1 “We perform at 4,000 events per year…”

Dj #2 “We DJ 2,500 events per year!”

DJ #3 (proudly) “We have over 1200 clients!…”

My responce: ” As many as we can do well…, whether it be 500-1000 as long as we provide quality than we have done our job”

It was pretty quiet after my response…

Well, until next time, thanks for reading and remember:

Make it a good party or not, the choice is yours!

-DJ Mike G

Today I really want to touch on the extremely important topic of liability insurance. This week we have received 3 emergency phone calls in regards to a DJ someone booked that lacked liability insurance and the client didnt find out until it was too late. Most venues require all vendors that plug in and bring equipment in to their establishment to carry at least $1,000,000 worth of liability insurance.  Most DJs DO NOT have liability insurance therefore must cancel on thier client last minute leaving the client in a major bind.

Imagine, your wedding day. You have put your hard earned money, time, and effort in creating the perfect day.  You walk in to your reception area and everything is in place, but there is no DJ… Where is he? Outside dealing with the venue who says “sorry, you need insurance you will not be allowed to perform here today”  This has actually happened!

Many people especially in this tuff economy want to find the “best deal” as far as a DJ goes.  They lose sight of the fact that the entertainment chosen will make or break their special day.  You wouldn’t go to the cheapest doctor for brain surgery, and though a DJ and doctor are completely different, they share the similarity of having competition and experience that both influence price.

Dont be afraid to ask your potential DJ questions such as: Do you have liability insurance? What experience or training to you have? Do you have any references? What do you base your pricing on? Etc…

Thanks for reading and good luck planning your next party!

-DJ Mike G