Article, Encountering The Enemy, Tampa DJ, Tampa Wedding DJ, Disc Jockey Tampa, Florida Wedding DJ, Miami Disc Jockey, Disc Jockey Florida

There are several mind sets that Mobile Disc Jockeys subscribe to. There are Mobile Disc Jockeys that aspire to be as legitimate as possible, whereas there are others that view the Mobile Disc Jockey industry as a license to steal. There are Mobile Disc Jockeys that routinely offer customer service prior to an event whereas there are others that seem to nor want to be bothered by client needs and details. There are Mobile Disc Jockeys that underscore their skills and abilities as their greatest feature whereas there are others that promote their value based on the gear and quantity of which they are willing to show off for less than the "street" rental price of the gear.

After all, all’s fair in love and war...but what about business? Where is the honor? Where is the integrity? Is their any wonder why the MDJ industry is given such little respect?

As the wedding season gets into full swing in the upper mid-west I’ve made it a point to speak to well over 203 full-time and part-time Mobile Disc Jockeys. After one gets past the postured blustering nearly all are experiencing either lower closure rates, last minute bookings or loss of “sure thing” bookings to companies they’ve never heard of. Uniquely, only ten of the companies I spoke with are reporting a better than expected year. Coincidentally, these ten companies are all charging less than $450 for their shows. Hmmmm...

So here we have it. A competitive marketplace with various business mind sets experiencing similar problems. How can this he? When so many Mobile Disc Jockeys would rather chalk these problems up to regional differences? How can DJs from over 25 states and Canada be experiencing similar things? What’s the common denominator? What’s the catalyst? Or should we subscribe to an immature belief that this is all just rampant chaos with just the allusion of commonality?

Three weeks ago I had the opportunity to play in an adjacent room to a company that was chosen for a wedding over mine. Looking back at the notes in the file, the main reason was "they found someone more affordable". In the Interest of self-improvement I routinely inquire if there was something that the client was looking for that we didn’t offer and the usual answer comes back to price. I then inquire who they hired. I was completed with my setup by 4:15 pm (clients arriving at 6:00 pm)...other DJ not there yet. I leave to freshen up and return to play dinner music for 273 guests and the wait staff informed me that the DJ next door had just stowed up to setup. I ducked into the serving hallway and peered through the security eye to view guests arriving while the DJ was setting up gear in a room set for 400+ guests. My contract was to run to midnight whereas the other DJ was to play until 1 :00 am. By 10:00 pm I had hit my stride with my dance and had handled most of the interactive pleasantries. So with a full dance floor I decided to duck into the serving hallway to take a peek next door. 10:07 pm. 2 people on the other dance floor. Assuming that it was anomaly I check back 6 times in the 10 0 'clock hour. Wow! Only once did I see more than 4 people on the dance floor and that was topped out at 12 I couldn’t resist. I had to pop my head in to see the guests... or should I say lack thereof. Over half the tables were empty and most guests had their arms crossed peering at the DJ with a look of disgust. Feeling somewhat vindicated I returned to my show and poured on the steam. Around 11:20 pm I noticed something curious an my dance-floor. Not one...but two wedding gowns. There she was... the bride that passed my company over on price - dancing in front of me at another bride's wedding dance. I had so many thoughts and comments running though my mind...alas I uttered not a word.

As I closed down my dance at midnight offering one more round of congratulations to the bride and groom, the applause died down and the final notes emanated from my system a comforting calmness set into the hotel ballrooms broken only by the murmur of departing guests, orders of one more round of drinks and the chatter of how to move all the wedding gifts.

I left the room to pull my vehicle into the loading dock only to encounter the other DJ or should I say 3 DJs closing the doors to their vehicle. I asked them how their night went and they happily said the bride had to leave early so the dance was done. I inquired why she left...oh they wanted to get an early start on their honeymoon. I said really!? (grinning inside) Don't you just hate it when that happens. They added that she didn’t want to dance to anything. I said oh really!? I thought she was a good dancer. They asked how would you know? I said I can only go by what I observed on MY dance floor A bit confused they asked what I meant. So I directly explained that their bride showed up at my dance floor about a 1/2 hour. I’m not sure which expression I liked more: constipation, contempt or embarrassment but their looks were priceless.

I inquired if the gentlemen would consider an invite to attend a local DJ association meeting. They declined asking what’s in it for them. (ignorant question) I said a group a Mobile Disc Jockeys owners gets together and shares ideas, skills, business concepts and war stories. They further replied they didn’t want to have anything to do with people trying to unionize DJs...(ignorant statement) I was compelled. so I asked: Just curious, pertaining to DJing what type of formal training, business training or continuing education have you participated in? (It's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt - Abraham Lincoln ) Their reply: Who needs that? All you need is some good music and flashy lights. (Ignorant fools) I countered: I beg to differ. There are people that actually treat this as a business...I'm one of those people. They responded: Well where else ate you going to make $300 partying on a Saturday night. I asked: Is that $300 each? They said: No, we split it 5O/50. (I’m now burying my forehead into the heal of thy hand - $300 50/50, 3 ways.? ) They acted sarcastically: So how much did you get paid. My response: You don’t wanna know. As I opened the doors to my cargo trailer they implored me to share what I got paid. I said the only difference between your $300 and my $300 is that my $300 is per hour They scoffed and inferred I was full of it. I just shrugged my shoulders and strategically placed my contract face up on the dash of my vehicle. They objected: What makes you so special. I replied: Three things: #1 Experience, #2 a full dance floor and #3 I’m mature enough to continue my education by attending conventions. seminars, reading books and treating my company as a business, not a hobby.

As I entered the hotel for my first load of gear I looked back to see 2 of the 3 DJs looking at the contract on my dash I’d left face up on purpose. The stunned look on their faces was them realizing that they just had their "antlers" tore off...due to sheer ignorance.

ADJA of Tampa Bay meet with area venue leaders	Florida Academy of Mobile Entertainers	National Association of Mobile Entertainers
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