Issue 178 - January 2017 - Impacting the DJ World Again!

ISSUE 178 JANUARY 2017

WWW.MOBILEBEAT.COM

IMPACTING

THE DJ WORLD ...AGAIN! MORE PRESENTER TEASERS INSIDE...

www.MobileBeatLasVegas.com

PLAYLIST

IMPACTING

THE DJ WORLD M B L V21 . . ........................................................................ 8

The Power of Incentives

By Jason Weldon T H E W E E K DAY G A M E..................................................... 10

Networking Opportunities

By Rob Johnson M B L V21 . . ....................................................................... 1 2

Researching Clients

By Mitch Taylor M B L V21 . . ....................................................................... 14

About Jeffrey Gitomer

By Ryan Burger M B L V21 . . ....................................................................... 18

Make the Turn Toward Big Success

By Justin Miller M B L V21 . . ....................................................................... 20

“Visualize” New Income Streams

By Michael Anderson M B L V21 . . ....................................................................... 22

Photobooths: Trials and Tribulations

By Trevor West S P E C I A L M O B I L E B E AT R E P O R T..................................... 24

ADVERTISERS Bose

www.bose.com/F1

29

DigiGames

www.digigames.com

11

DJ Intelligence

www.djintelligence.com/mb

21

DJ Trivia

www.djtrivia.com

23

Electro-Voice

www.electrovoice.com

5

Famous Stages

www.famousstages.com

9

Frankenstand

www.frankenstand.com

26

Full Compass

www.fullcompass.com

3

Gitomer Learning Academy

www.jeffreygitomer.com

15

Innovative LED

www.innovativeledsales.com

19

JammText

http://jammtext.com

15

MBLV21 - Peavey DJ Takeover

www.mobilebeatlasvegas.com

27

Mobile Beat Las Vegas

www.mobilebeatlasvegas.com

30

Mojo Photobooth

www.mojophotobooth.com

23

State of the DJ Industry

Odyssey Innovative Designs

www.odysseygear.com

25

Survey Data Compiled & Interpreted by Matt Martindale

QSC

www.qsc.com

7

RCF

www.rcf-usa.com

2

Roland

www.roland.com

13

Snapden

www.snapdenphotobooths.com

17

Speed Quizzing USA

www.speedquizzingusa.com

17

Stage Spot

www.stagespot.com

17

I N S I D E T H E I N D U ST R Y................................................. 26

Carvin: Sound, American-Style

By Ryan Burger B O S E T E C H N O LO G Y U P DAT E ........................................ 28

About Bose: A Brief DJ-Centric History

By Ryan Burger

Publisher Ryan Burger Mobile Beat Editor-in-Chief Dan Walsh

Gear Editor Jake Feldman Circulation Manager Kitty Harr

Editorial Assistant / Writer Rebecca Burger Events Director Emeritus Michael Buonaccorso

TO ADVERTISE IN MOBILE BEAT OR EXHIBIT AT A MOBILE BEAT EVENT, CALL 515-986-3344 x300 OR EMAIL SALES@MOBILEBEAT.COM

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THE FULL SEMINAR E SCHEDULE IS ONLIN NOW. CLICK HERE!

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MBLV21

The Power of Incentives #4 OF THE 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD DO PRIOR TO HIRING YOUR FIRST EMPLOYEE

By Jason Weldon

I

ncentives drive behavior. When you have someone working for you, they need to have incentives to produce results. Most of the time, the incentive is nothing that big. Having flex time, giving them their birthday off, buying them lunch, can all be easy things that make an employee want to work harder for you and themselves.

But let’s be honest, there are only so many lunches that an employee will take before they might be looking for a larger incentive. From an employer point of view, you need to reward good results. So having a pre-structured, incentive-based package can help with that. Typically you do this prior to hiring or at specific review periods during the year. If they have met their requirements and have done what you have asked them to do, the incentive package kicks in. If they haven’t, the package sits on the table until they do. A typical

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incentive for this kind of structure could be a monetary bonus, giving them greater decision making in the company and/or a promotion.

To make sure your incentives are the right ones, I find one of the easiest things you can do as a business owner or manager is to talk to your employees frequently. Small conversations about how they are feeling can go a long way. One of the best questions you can ask an employee is if they are happy. Straightforward, honest questions will get you straightforward forward honest answers back. From these conversations, you are able to build on common ground to make sure their incentive package is actually working for them.

Our business is all about people. I’m sure all of you reading this right now deliver a customer experience that is unique to you, but at the same time one of the main reasons people recommend you. That same experience has to be on par with the way you treat your team. If you have a growing company, you expect the behavior of employees to change as the company changes.

But simply expecting it will get you nowhere. Communication with them will certainly help to get you there quicker and with much better results.

Making time to talk to my team is certainly hard for me.

Time goes by quite quickly and making sure you are remembering to check in with them has to be high on your list of priorities. I go for a minimum of twice a year.

If you can make sure they are being listened to and can reward them with some easy incentives, the amount of good work you’ll get back see return will be surprising.

MORE INFO... CLICK HERE FOR A BIO AND A VIDEO MESSAGE ON HIS PRESENTATION FROM JASON

THE WEEKDAY GAME

PRESENTED BY

How to Fill Your Calendar with Cash

Networking Opportunities FIND WHAT’S WORKING AND MAKE IT YOUR OWN

By Rob Johnson

I

am a veteran of many, many Mobile Beat conventions and countless other national, regional and local disc jockey and entertainmentrelated conferences. I dare say I have attended more than most. Each and every one of them brings something new to the table and allows me to learn and improve my bottom line.

I recently met with an up-and-coming local DJ. This person has worked off and on in various types of DJ-related areas of the business for many years. He was asking my opinion on some things, and even referred to me as a “mentor,” which is a polite way of saying I am old. He just booked his airfare for Mobile Beat Las Vegas and is very excited. His company has exploded in the last year and is quickly becoming one of the top companies around, providing disc jockeys, karaoke, photo booths, photography, videography and trivia. His excitement to learn and soak up knowledge is infectious. He wants to start a local ADJA chapter. He wants to network and learn as much as he can. He is doing all the right things to make his company, KD Productions, the best it can be. Keep up the great work, Donny Dahl!

You make this industry better.

I realized that the advice I gave him could be solid information for the many people who interact with me regularly about this column. If you want to take your business to the next level, you need to invest in it. Invest time. Invest effort.

Invest sweat. Invest money. One key investment to make is in building your knowledge and to and connecting with like-minded entrepreneurs at a leading industry conference: MBLV21.

Yes, there are those of you who don’t NEED any help. I realize that. Awesome.

Then come to the convention and spread your knowledge and help our industry as a whole. Network. Share. Have some fun. Who knows? Maybe you WILL learn something along the way. I know I always do.

There are lots of conferences and conventions you can attend, in every part 10

of the country. Mobile Beat is likely the best all-around option for this industry.

The location is generally easy to get to and relatively inexpensive. It definitely has the most distractions, both good and bad.

I think it is the industry standard for trade shows and exhibits. The best companies in our industry. like DigiGames, Promo Only, NLFX Professional, Atlanta Photo Booths, DJ Event Planner, ADJA, EV, Bose and many more will be there with the latest and greatest products for entertainers.

The speakers and seminars have improved drastically over the years. You can find something on just about every topic related to the business we all love.

Some of the presenters are new and some are veterans in the DJ world. The after-parties are fun and provide great settings for networking with old and new friends. You get out of it what you put into it.

I have made some lifelong friends and business contacts since my first Mobile Beat convention in the 1990s. I have only missed one convention since my first, and that was only because my father-in-law passed away the day before I was to fly out. I am committed to this industry and there are hundreds of other veterans and newbies

MOBILE B EAT • JA NUA RY 20 17

alike that will attend and share their knowledge. Get involved. Meet people.

Share your ideas and interact with others.

When I first started in this business the most successful company in the area was there to share as much information as I needed to get my business going. I can’t thank Dude Walker enough for his guidance and the commitment he showed not only to myself but to the entire industry, back in 1992 and beyond. Dude, if you are reading this, come back into the limelight. There is a whole new generation of disc jockeys who could use your insight and guidance. Come to Mobile Beat 2017.

I will take care of your pass.

I hope my ramblings have given you a little nugget of information that is helpful. If you have any questions or just want to chat with someone who is old, give me a call. I don’t have all the answers, but I will do my best.

And if you want to come see me in action, I have a seminar on Wednesday afternoon at Mobile Beat. Thanks for reading and hopefully I will see YOU in Las Vegas!

MORE INFO... CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THE DIGIGAMES SPONSORED SEMINAR

Rob Johnson has hosted trivia parties and game shows for over 17 years. He is the current spokesperson for DigiGames and uses their equipment exclusively. He has performed throughout the United States, Europe and the Caribbean. Rob is the owner of The Music Man, Inc. and performs comedy stage hypnosis shows as The Hypno Man. He has also presented his “Midweek Money” seminar at many conferences and conventions, including Mobile Beat, WEDJ, Wedding MBA and various ADJA events. If you would like Rob to speak at your local event or demonstrate DigiGames gear to your group, contact him at 701-710-1657 or rob@digigames.com. Don’t hesitate to contact Rob if you are looking for ways to increase your bottom line and put more money in your pocket.

MBLV21

Research: Equip Yourself with Client Info

By Mitch Taylor seminar “Sales 4 Event Pros.”

Here’s the thing. You need to think like your client thinks.

Researching is the first step in understanding your client better and discovering why they make the decisions they make.

There are as many different types of vacations as there are types of clients. When you go on vacation, most times you research, research, and research some more before you decide to spend your hard-earned dollars for a week away. Mother Google is here to stay, and social media has evolved from 1.0 to 2.0 (think MySpace to Facebook); 3.0 is already here with third-party apps My wife and I have spent MONTHS planning this vacation, that immediately pop up with offers to a store that you find researching on various websites and checking out Trip Advisor yourself near.

The question, dear reader, is this: How do you research your reviews for the various properties we were considering, and pouring over flight options until we found the right combina- clients? If you are not already doing this, don’t you think it’s high time you started? tion. We kept searching for information Research your potential, current on the island, nearby restaurants, things and past clients the same way that they to do, crime rate, what kind of beaches NUGGET: Your client reresearch you. Google them. What shows they have, what are the people like? searches YOU just as much up? Type their name in the search bar Wait a minute...I thought I was as YOU research your next on Facebook. What do they use for their profile picture and their cover photo? vacation spot. If you don’t What mutual friends do you have? They research your clients in say a picture says a thousand words. advance, you are missing What do their photos on Instagram say about who they are as a person? Do out on sales, as well as a they have a Twitter account? Are they chance to connect with the mentioned at all when you do a search clients you do book on a on Twitter? Do they have a YouTube channel? What are they blogging about? deeper level.

What are their passions? What does their website look like if they have one? What kind of business are they associated with on LinkedIn? Who’s in their circles on Google Plus? Do you have any mutual connections there?

How else can you research your client? Maybe they are a past bridesmaid or groomsman at a previous event you performed for. Go back through your previous paperwork and see what kind of notes you may have about them.

Don’t miss this step. It’s the first step because it will often determine if you get the sale or not. But many event pros don’t work this step to its fullest potential, if at all.

All of this information together can provide you with further insight into who they are as a person, what their likes/dislikes are, and what kind of personality they have. Now use this information as the digital road map to how you can effectively connect and communicate with them, and provide valuable solutions that will ensure they will see you as the only situation to do business with.

I

hear the sounds of the waves crashing, as my skin is bronzing (or is that burning?) in the hot rays of the Caribbean sun. I’m lying on the beach towelcovered chair from the hotel property, tired from the ten-hour trip it took to arrive in this island paradise.

After getting exhausted from the amount of work I have put into my year and my career up to this point, I NEED to relax and ENJOY this seaside getaway.

reading an article about sales...not about your latest vacation?

You are. At MBLV21 we will uncover this and the rest of the steps in the sales process together, including questions you MUST ask, handling objections, and much more, in my new 12

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MORE INFO... CLICK HERE FOR A BIO AND A VIDEO MESSAGE ON HIS PRESENTATION FROM MITCH

MBLV21

Sales Performance JEFFREY GITOMER TALKS ABOUT BECOMING THE “KING OF SALES” AND A LOT MORE

By Ryan Burger

A

s MBLV21 producer, as well as publisher of Mobile Beat, I’m proud to be bringing Jeffrey Gitomer to the upcoming Las Vegas event.

He’s an innovative force in the world of sales skills development, and I recently had the pleasure of chatting with him about his journey to where he is now, along with a bunch of other topics.

Ryan Burger : ...I’m here with Jeffrey Gitomer. He’s a writer, he’s a speaker; he has all kinds of different things— Jeffrey Gitomer: Hey, wait a minute. Before you give me this beautiful introduction, let me explain something about being a speaker.

Before you can become a speaker you have to be a singer.

Let me tell you what I mean by that. I started to give talks and I was okay at it, but one night I was at my karaoke place—I did karaoke three nights a week when I moved to Charlotte. I was writing; I would bring my laptop to the bar. I never had a beer, and in between my songs I would write my next article.

And nobody brings a laptop to a bar, so every person stopped by my little booth. Women would stop by and want to talk to me because they knew I could read and write, and drunk guys would walk by and go, is that a computer?

Anyway, it was pretty funny. But I learned my presentation skills singing karaoke because I realized that it’s not a presentation; rather, it’s a performance. I taught myself all these skills, which I’m actually going to use—I’m going to teach some of those same skills at Mobile Beat. And I want to make sure that everybody who’s coming to see me or coming to talk to me is going to understand the nuance of what I actually learned singing karaoke and how valuable that was.

Now you can continue with this marvelous introduction.

RB : Well, no. I want to know what your prime songs when you sing, though.

JG : I’m an oldie, so I tend to sing oldies. I sing ‘50s doo-wop songs. I have songs that I really like. I like “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” by Joe Jackson; I can crush that song. I like “All Day and All of the Night” by the Kinks; I can crush that song. It depends…

RB : Cool! Well, back to where I was...you’re a presenter, you’re a writer, you’re a business expert, especially in the sales arena. My wife introduced me to your column years ago and I got to meet you a couple of years ago.

JG : See? Women do know everything.

MORE INFO... CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON JEFFREY 14

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RB: Yes, they do.

JG : Men decide nothing, by the way. If you’re a disc jockey or a mobile guy and you’re in someone’s home and you’re trying to get a decision for a wedding, let me explain something. Men decide nothing.

For someone like, “What do you think, honey?” Men decide nothing. Because if the woman doesn’t want it, it doesn’t happen.

MBLV21

Jeffrey “Invites” You to MBLV21 If you don’t come to this event, something’s wrong with you and your desire to invest in yourself and your business.

You have to put forward the slight risk to get to the next level.

Otherwise you pretty much stay where you are. And in Vegas you’re going to see a complete opportunity, not just from me but from all the others gathered; and not just from all the

RB : Exactly. They just have to be there dressed up in their tuxedo.

JG : Correct.

RB : So she introduced me to your column. I started reading it. I went to an event over in Cedar Rapids. It was a dream of mine to bring you out to the conference and now you’re going to be there. ...So, now let’s turn to you and your journey. How did you get to your position today as a “sales icon?”

JG : I write. I write every day and I follow the social evolution to bring me additional people, additional followers, additional readers, additional fans.

When I started, I was published in local newspapers and I started to do public seminars, one of which you went to. Then the 2000s came and I realized it was all about being online, I formed an online studio, which is what you’re looking at right now. This is me in my studio. You can see your logo in the background. We have a digital setup here that’s kind of cool.

But I think more important than that, I realized that the future of communicating and training was not going to be in a classroom; rather, it was going to be on a desktop. So I began recording all of my intellectual property, and now you can get all of my stuff in video online any time you want it...

But I kept practicing. I kept doing what I loved to do. I kept doing it every day because repetition is the mother of mastery. So I kept writing, I kept speaking—which I refer to as performing—but the bottom line is I’ve also kept current. So if you look for me on Twitter you’re not going to find 78 followers; you’re going to find 110,000 followers. If you look for me on YouTube you’re not going to find seven videos with 99 views; you’re going to find 350 videos with 5 million views.

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other teachers that are there, but rather from all the other people that are there.

You get to network with people that are not your competitors but do the same thing you do. It’s a bonanza of information. You’re going to make friends, you’re going to learn new things, you’re going to become inspired, and I’m going to teach you how to make sure you go home and do what you promised you’re going to do for yourself.

– Jeffrey Gitomer

So I’ve put myself out there as the “King of Sales” and I prove it every day. And that’s what anybody who’s going to come to my session at your event is going to see. They’re going to see how to prove it so that others will buy from you, rather than having to go out and beg for business or call people for business from the newspaper because you see that Mary’s getting married.

RB : That’s a little bit of an old-school way of contacting brides. You now do it through websites and all kinds of stuff…

JG : Yeah. Everything has modernization to it. The only question is, how is the person in the audience taking advantage of that modernization?

That’s the real question on the floor.

Because most people are not.

So for example, you may go and look for those online leads, but the person’s also going to look at you.

What are they going to find when they get there? How sure of you can they be before you ever go to the meeting? Because they’re going to Google you before you ever go.

RB : If readers want to check out more Gitomer-related stuff, tell me a little bit about what all they can check out.

JG : Well, the best thing for anybody who’s watching this to do, number one, is come to Mobile Beat. But don’t just watch me; watch everybody else that’s going to be there...

My Gitomer Learning Academy— GitomerLearningAcademy.com—is where people...can dial me up on demand any time of the day or night.

So for example, if they’re going out to a meeting at someone’s home they can listen to me for 20 minutes on the way there and be totally pumped up and ready to go when they arrive.

Or they can listen to me in the morning about attitude if they need a bump, something to really get them

rolling. People say they’re hungover; I don’t believe in hangover. I believe in just not really wanting to get up.

So the challenge that anybody has, Ryan, in doing any of this is just be your best person. That’s part of what I’m going to talk about when I see your guys.

RB : You’re going to come into town a little bit earlier, so you can “understand” DJs, right? You’ve already worked with a lot of DJ companies.

JG : Yep. RB: You know Mitch Taylor, who brought us together...So, go ahead and give us a little bit of teaser for your presentation.

JG : Yeah. Let me share a secret with you. I know this is going to come as a surprise to you because you’re like somewhere in Iowa someplace, but the elections are over and we now have a new president-elect. And whether you voted for him or not, it doesn’t matter. What matters is what’s going to happen.

I’m going to share with the audience five things that they have to do with what people are referring to now as the “Trump Bump.” Because it’s going to change our economy and it’s going to change our world—in my opinion, for the better—but a lot of people are taking a wait-and-see approach.

Let me explain something. Don’t be an idiot. Don’t wait and see, because by the time you wait, your competitors are five miles ahead of you. Take this step right now. It’s going to happen. And I’m going to share with you the five things that you have to do in order to be able to take total advantage of what’s going to happen in this new economy. It will be the best economy since Ronald Reagan.

RB : Thanks Jeffrey. We’re looking forward to seeing you in Vegas!

MBLV21

Make the Turn Toward Big Success

By Justin Miller, Profit 911 Consulting

H

ow would you like to see more big chunks of money in your business? How can you start getting those $10,000+ gigs you keep hearing about but never seem to be able to close the deal on? Well, you have to be different—with the emphasis on YOU. This has more to do with how you think, how you see yourself, your vision and your ability to explain it than it does your equipment, your business plan, your emcee training, and dare I

say it as a marketing consultant: even your marketing tactics.

There are three main ways I help people in my consulting business: 1. Help you to get more leads that are ready to spend with you 2. How to get people to spend more with each transaction to achieve your goals faster (this is what we are talking about at the core) 3. How to work less, scale up, and build more leverage in your business Too many DJs pigeonhole themselves as “just DJs.” They may see honor in making a premium price for “just four hours, no lights.” Or maybe they have add-ons to bump their rate. This is not what I am talking about. I am talking about a complete 18

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transformation and deliberate plan for why your business exists and how it serves. While there is nothing wrong with being just a DJ, most ambitious people will eventually hit a wall of how much they can make to achieve their goals outside the DJ business. It is almost like driving quickly down a brand new interstate with no traffic, just to realize you have been going the wrong direction.

The drive might be fun, but the destination won’t be.

I help people to stop the car, take a look at the map, and make sure they are driving where they want to go. Many businesses get to where they are by just “doing,” without much thought about why. I help people every single day with the “how” and the tactical but it is the “why” and “where” that is most important.

The good news is that once you know where you are going, the plan is easier, and the speed is quicker. As much as I love complicated, technical strategies (seriously, I do) the real plan to get somewhere is usually pretty simple. For the sake of your own future, don’t just jump in the car and start driving. It will be fun and games... until it is not. The money may even be good, but in the long run, it’s a shortsighted approach.

At Mobile Beat Las Vegas, I will be sharing the “why” of how to turn $600 leads into $20,000+ bookings. I will give you all the tactical you need, but the real takeaway will be how to think. You see, it’s not the shiny brochure or ad that makes the difference here. The difference is why you approach the lead the way you do, and where you want to take them. If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to book the plane ticket to Las Vegas and the room at the Tropicana and head out to Mobile Beat. It is one of the best investments you can make in your DJ business, and, frankly, it is way under-priced! See you in Vegas!

MORE INFO... CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON JUSTIN

MBLV21

“Visualize” New Income Streams PROJECTION AND VIDEO SCREENS MADE FUN, EASY AND PROFITABLE

By Michael Anderson, Wedding Entertainment Director™

I

t wasn’t long ago when only the high end, most progressive entertainment and A/V companies offered expensive, cutting-edge upgrades like video screens and projection at their events. But just a quick look at Facebook on any given day shows that even modestly priced, single-operator DJs in every market are doing this now and providing these services at their typical weekly events. If you haven’t jumped into this lucrative and easy upsell, it’s probably because you haven’t realized just how simple and inexpensive it has become.

to create a full emotional experience of audio and visual for your clients is no longer only for the extravagant affair, but for your most basic clients. To help you navigate the maze of decisions when getting into this huge money-maker, let’s start with the basics.

But where to begin? What kind of projector should you buy? How much should you spend? What should you

Much as TVs have plummeted in price while skyrocketing in technology, so it is with projectors. But also as with TVs, there are a lot of choices to be made and each decision is important. First, plan your strategy. How will you use your projector? Monograms

look for in a projector? What are “lumens” and how many do you need? What is “native resolution?” How far away can you project the image? What if your clients aren’t even asking about projection? How much work is it? What does all this have to do with being a DJ? Let’s begin with the last question. Our job is to make the event fun, emotional, exciting and memorable. The days of just showing up and playing music are over.

Today’s millennial client wants a full experience, including not only the audio portion we’ve always provided, but the video portion--even if they don’t ask for it. Think about how many posts on social media now include some sort of video, especially with the advent of apps like Snapchat and the video options available on Facebook and Instagram. Being able 20

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MORE INFO... CLICK HERE FOR A BIO AND A VIDEO MESSAGE ON HIS PRESENTATION FROM MICHAEL

and logos? Photos during the first dance or parents dance? Video mapping a wall to create images that fit around windows and doors, or projecting images onto a cake, projecting an instant slideshow from your photo booth, creating a Shadow Entrance or even making an easy-to-use follow-spot? Finding a projector that will handle several of these uses will keep you from having to purchase multiple projectors, saving you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Two of the most important numbers to look at when choosing a projector are the native resolution and lumens of the projector. The native resolution is the actual pixel count of the projector. There are twice as many pixels in a projector that has a native resolution of 1920x1080 as there are in one that is 1290x800, which means you can make the image twice as big before it begins to lose its sharpness. This is critical for creating large projections, and since you’ll have venues where this is necessary, 1920x1080 is a very important factor.

The other major factor as you begin projecting from further distances is lumens. ANSI Lumens is the measurement of how bright the projector is. With today’s projectors, you’ll want to have a projector with at least 4,000 lumens to be able to project in almost every lighting situation. But just as watts are important in amplifiers, these numbers alone won’t help you much until you understand how to use them and how to turn them into dollars. At MBLV21, I’ll have ideas for everyone from the novice who has never used a projector to the seasoned pro looking for more income streams--ideas that will help you book more events and build your bottom line.

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MBLV21

Photobooths: Trials and Tribulations

By Trevor West

for running your booth smoothly time and time again; and the three main areas that many booth operators neglect the most; plus, a few bonus tips thrown in for good measure.

One of the biggest failures of photobooth operators is the “Well it worked fine last week” syndrome. What that means is that photobooth operators and DJs fail to test their equipment Photobooths can be just as much work as DJing in some either the day before or the day of an event. I do a test print the cases, sometimes we were busier than the dance floor because night before an event, and once I’m satisfied with the output I people do love their pictures. I know you’ve probably seen other shut down my booth and leave it alone. I’ll say it again: I LEAVE articles telling you you need to buy a photobooth for your DJ IT ALONE -- meaning I don’t play with any add-on features, do business but they don’t always tell you all the extra costs associ- anything else with the system, or do any Windows updates (we’ll ated with owning one. come back to that in a minute). I don’t care if it worked fine last Photobooths are a great add-on to any DJ business but they week. That was last week -- what about this week? I test all my can also be an entity all unto themselves so be prepared for an gear the night before then stack in the hall ready to go for the influx of problems and issues that you haven’t dealt with before. event.

Half my business this past year has been nothing but phoWhen it comes to Windows updates, if you haven’t turned tobooth events, either under my company banner or someone the machine on in over a week and then you let it connect to the else’s. It’s ok to subcontract but make sure that you understand internet, I guarantee it’s going to start looking for some updates, especially if you have not turned that feature off. It’s important to remember that Microsoft usually releases Windows updates on Tuesdays or Thursdays. (The same goes for most antivirus programs.)

If you don’t need internet access during your event, disable the wireless/ wired network adapter on your photobooth computer.

This will prevent Windows from trying to update, and your machine will be secure from any internet attacks while you’re at an event.

Since most of our events are on Fridays and Saturdays, then Sunday is the best day , I’m sorry DJ, I’m afraid I can t do that to turn the machine on and do some maintenance. If you’re not going to use the the requirements and standards that the company booking the machine for the rest of the week, then just make sure your next event has set for you and to meet the needs of his/her clients. event’s prints are ready to go, and test it, then shut it down until Whether you like it or not, if you’re subcontracting you are the the night before the event. On the night prior to the event, do “representative” of the company providing the photo booth. one or two test prints, make sure Windows isn’t going to update, There are some DJs in my market that don’t offer photobooths, and then shut it down again and go to bed knowing you’re ready but are more than willing to work with me to provide that service for the next night. to their clients.

At MBLV21, I’ll be covering the practical side of running a photo booth, including: what you’ll need for your booth to be successful (not the business side of it); what kind of expenses MORE INFO... CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON TREVOR you’ll run into; which is the best software to use; my top five tips

Y

ou may or may not already own a photo booth, but if you haven’t taken the plunge yet, then this seminar will be for you. If you do own one or many, it may also help you with many aspects that are giving you problems.

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THE SUPER-SHORT VERSION OF QUICK FINDINGS Matt’s initial comment: “2016 appears to be a year of transition.

Technology meets perception to confirm trends but it’s a tug of war between individualism and signficance; especially with the bride. What does she really, really want? Does she even know?”

As a starting point…

GROUND-BREAKING REPORT REVEALS A MULTI-FACETED PICTURE Compiled and Interpreted by Matt Martindale, for Mobile Beat

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obile Beat is proud to present the first annual “State of the DJ Industry” survey results, with questions and data compiled, analyzed and scribed by marketing guru, in-house economics nerd, and Mobile Beat presenter, Matt Martindale.

What follows is just taste of the data that came from 1,291 completed surveys—a healthy sample size. IF you completed the full DJ survey and included your email address as requested, you will already be receiving via email, a free copy. If you didn’t do the survey but would also like to see the full 11-page report, simply log into your Mobile Beat account at www.mobilebeat.com. In the full report, you will: • Learn what states had the largest revenue increases and decreases in 2016 and a few notable trends.

• Dig into the real numbers…part time vs full time and the money involved. There are several shocking revelations.

• Review the list of 7 side-by-side offerings between single operators and multi-system operators.

• Learn the 3 most common service offerings that single operators want to add in 2017.

• Learn the 3 most common service offerings that multisystem operators want to add in 2017.

• Look at appointment and cancellations trends.

• Find where “time in the DJ business” correlates with a single operator and multi-system operator cross-over.

• Learn when clients actually do book events including weddings, mitzvahs, school/youth, corporate and weekly events.

And you’ll also learn several eye-opening statistics, for example: Less than 2% of the single operator respondents that replied who ONLY do weddings will not take any other type of DJ work.

These DJs statistically average 8.2 weddings per year. All of these respondents who ONLY do weddings (but two) said they have total annual gross company sales between $0 and $50K. There are only two respondent exceptions in the data that make more than $50K in total gross sales that ONLY do weddings and refuse to do any other type of events.

In the full report you’ll discover the two biggest opportunities for 2017, and how to plan for the three biggest concerns going into 2017.

Matt’s favorite question, “If I had a magic wand, the one thing I would do to grow my business…”

Then, read Matt’s insightful 3-page State of the DJ Industry Forecast for 2017 where he covers equipment, cancellations, appointments, lead time for booking, social media and prices.

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• 1,291 surveys were completed providing a tremendous amount of data to analyze. Thank you for your input! A total of 6 percent of the replies came from DJs located outside the United States; mainly from our neighbors to the north, up in Canada.

• 32% of the 1,291 full survey respondents indicated they had a revenue decrease from 2015.

• 68% of the 1,291 full survey respondents indicated they had a revenue increase from 2015.

• 80% of total survey respondents are sole operators in some form (they either do all the DJ work themselves, or occasionally sub-contract out another DJ, but have no paid DJ employees). Of that, 29% are sole single operators (once they are booked, they are booked and will never sub-contract out work). Of the total single operator pool of companies, 42% have total company revenues of less than $50K; 36% have total company revenues between $51K-$100K. But, that doesn’t begin to tell the whole story. The full report goes into so much more detail.

The most common ancillary offerings out of seven: Service Offerings for Single Operators 87% offer lighting services Service Offerings for Multi-System Operators 93% offer lighting services Of the respondents offering ancillary services, 55% will allow clients to book additional services without booking their DJ service.

61% of all respondents say they do ceremonies and weddings 12% of respondents said they had fewer appointments in 2016 as compared to 2015.

EYE OPENING: of the respondents that said they had fewer appointments, 85% of those are single operators, and average 11-20 years or 21-30 years in the DJ business.

Weddings: Respondents said that that in 2016, their weddings were booked overwhelmingly 7 to 11 months prior. Only 23% of weddings were booked are 12+ months in advance but it’s very different for mitzvahs, school/youth, corporate and weekly events.

Weekday events: 19% of respondents reported doing any weekday (Mon-Thur) DJ work.

Looking ahead for 2017: 31% of all respondents said they plan to hire somebody in 2017. Of those, 61% said they are planning to hire DJs. 78% of all respondents say they plan to purchase gear ($500 or more at one time, or over $2,000 in one year) in 2017 48% of all respondents said they get their music from a promotional DJ/VJ service.

Oddly enough, the biggest opportunity and concern for 2017 among respondents: About 19% of respondents expressed both tremendous opportunity and deep concern to their business directly linked to the election results and those changes to the US economy as a result. But there is a lot more there between the lines in the full report, based on a tremendous amount of supported data. Check out the full report for my detailed forecast for DJs.

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

Carvin: Sound, American-Style SOCAL MUSIC PRODUCTS PRODUCER KEEPS IT IN THE COUNTRY

By Ryan Burger

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n a recent West Coast business trip I enjoyed a full tour of the Carvin headquarters, just outside of San Diego, CA. To put it mildly, I was impressed. I’ve done many tours like this, visiting manufacturers, distributors and dealers, and I always enjoy them. I like getting to know the people and the environments that they work in.

Carvin is one of the very few music industry manufacturers who do almost all of their manufacturing in the USA, specifically in San Diego. The one small exception is some molded speaker cabinets, where just the cabinets are done overseas, then equipped with drivers, amps and more in San Diego.

Carvin works with distributors on many of their product lines, but with products of interest to DJs (primarily amplifiers and powered speakers), it's all direct to the DJ. For these DJ products they work with Daniel Lozano, US Sales Manager, who was my guide through the Carvin facilities. Danny is also the point person you will see each year at Mobile Beat Las Vegas, manning their demo room and talking with the attendees.

Carvin was started in 1946 with tube amplifiers being built by its founder Lowell Kiesel in his Los Angeles garage. Full manufacturing of pro audio gear began in the early 1970s.

As you will be able to see from the accompanying tour video, we started in the showroom out front and moved, start-to-finish, through the manufacturing of a powered speaker from circuit board work to parts being assembled on it, all the way through the making of the cabinet and all the testing

stages. This is a place where craftsmanship absolutely rules. You can see the pride they have in making a fine product.

I was able to personally witness circuit boards being built, soldered, and tested. And on the other side of the factory, the cutting, assembly and finishing of the cabinets that get placed together with the electronics and the woofers was impressive.

We were allowed to see a new product that is being finalized that is perfect for mobile DJs. Look for a debut of it soon and a review of it quickly afterwards in BeatMobile. Overall, Carvin is a company you need to consider when shopping around for your sound gear. You can check them out at carvinaudio.com.

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BOSE TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

About Bose: A Brief DJ-Centric History THE MOBILE DJ’S AFFECTION FOR BOSE SPEAKER TECHNOLOGY SPANS AT LEAST FOUR DECADES

By Ryan Burger

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ose Corporation, founded in 1964 by Amar G. Bose, has many different divisions and specialty products, and holds patents for technology in home entertainment, automotive, military and many other areas; but when it comes to DJs, it's all about speakers and audio.

While in the consumer audio arena Bose is well known for its Wave radios and industry-leading noise cancelling headphones, the company has been recognized as a leader in the professional arena as well. For most veteran DJs, their first encounter with the company’s unique take on live sound goes back to one speaker model: the Bose 901.

BOSE 901 The 901s were actually built for high-end home sound systems in the 1970s. However, as the mobile DJ profession experienced a major growth spurt in the wake of the disco era of the late 1970s, in the 1980s many serious DJs found them to be the perfect sound reinforcement solution for their small- to medium-sized wedding recepPhoto by Mireille van Breugel-Lyall tions. No doubt the quality of Bose sound stood out from the typical stage speakers of the time. According to Stereophile magazine in 1979, “The system produced a more realistic resemblance of natural ambiance than any other speaker system.”

Approaching the next century, Bose moved in two direc-

tions with its speakers, as home systems got the small cube speaker systems that they came to be known for throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s; and the professionals getting the L1 series in 2003.

BOSE L1 FAMILY The Bose L1 family marked a radical departure from anything seen in live PA to that date. This “Personalized Amplification System,” affectionately dubbed the “stick speaker” by many, was a tall, thin, free-standing speaker system (soon to get a subwoofer to fill out the lower end) featuring an elegant look to complement the “natural ambiance” of Bose’s sound technology.

The L1’s portability and classy look made it extremely popular in the singer/songwriter scene, and DJs looking for a high-quality sound solution that also looked great were drawn to the system as well. Bose was certainly aiming the L1 squarely at pro DJs as well as musicians, as indicated by the following archival information from the time: From the Bose Pro Encyclopedia FAQ and Wiki: “Can DJs use this system? Yes. The system has important advantages over conventional systems. One problem with portable PA systems is the use of stand-mounted speakers, which are very loud close to the speaker and not loud enough away from the speaker. The L1® Cylindrical Radiator® loudspeaker is unusual in that you can adjust for the desired level on the dance floor and in the audience, and then walk literally right next to the speaker without it getting excessively loud. This translates into much greater comfort for

One DJ’s Search for Solid Sound Ends with Bose

By Cap Capello

F

rom almost the first month in my ongoing 38 year career as a club and mobile DJ, I was in a constant search for an “audience friendly” sound system. The ideal sound system for my business application would yield the following: During any style or type of event, there would be no complaints from the audience, just compliments,

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and hopefully high praises from the event’s staff. Throughout the first three decades, I spent many thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours testing, buying, trying, using...and then selling, when the next new new thing came out.

While I appreciated the quality of many brands, the complaints (though diminished), never went away.

My first Bose system was the 802 Series II speakers with the 302 bass bin powered by Carver T1.5M amps. Less audience complaints but a beast of a setup. Next was the 502 system with a pair of 502 bass bins powered by Crown K2s. They had better sound to my ears, but did not have the audience results I sought. Added some MB4, the EDSP controller, other amps, and still nothing.

Then, 12 years ago, I was reading a live musicians periodical and they were raving about the new Bose PAS system,

BOSE TECHNOLOGY UPDATE the guests. The system also has a sleek, elegant profile that fits nicely into event décors and minimizes sight-line issues.”

BOSE F1 SYSTEM The Bose F1 series debuted with a splash in late summer 2015. After the product announcement the previous May, I was invited to the press event showcasing this next generation of Bose loudspeakers at Bose Headquarters, near the MIT campus in Framingham, Massachusetts. (See Mobile Beat, July 2015, #164 for my report on this event.)

The F1 system, or Flexible Array Loudspeaker System, consists of two pieces: the F1 812 and the F1 subwoofer, designed to work optimally as a team. What is most innovative about this speaker is the high and mid-range within the F1 812 unit. It provides “four...unique coverage patterns simply by pushing or pulling the array into the appropriate position” as Michael Buonaccorso Jr. described in his MB product review (Mobile Beat, December 2015, #167.)

Buonaccorso wrapped up his article by saying “I think a good summary of the Bose F1 system is the familiar phrase, ‘taking the road less travelled.’ A mini line-array speaker is a truly unique concept and kudos to Bose for the boldness to try

something new. I think it's probably the only speaker system on the market that the grandmother of the bride sitting at her table is going to love because she couldn't hear it and the bride and her friends will love because of how loud and clear the music was. The best of both worlds? You bet.”

The F1 is clearly one of the most innovative wedding DJ sound systems to come out in recent memory. Unlike most other speaker manufacturers, who come out with a new line of speakers every year or two, Bose spends many years doing exhaustive R&D and perfecting each product, ensuring that what they put out will impact the market in a unique, cuttingedge way. This is what professional DJs saw, going from the L1 to the F1, with the L1 providing a great system for the niche events that DJs often do, and the F1 offering more of what many DJs were looking for in power and room coverage.

Bose will be exhibiting at Mobile Beat Las Vegas 2016 this March with a demo room at Pavilion T9. Make sure to plan some time to visit them, and see this system for yourself!

...One DJ’s Search - Continued

about how it had harnessed line array technology and applied it successfully to live music reproduction. And it was designed to go BEHIND the performers.

Whaaat?

I tried it out at my local Guitar Center. But it was love at first listen.

I bought one complete unit, took it home, set it up in my garage, played with it for hours, and then gave my wife an audition. This was (and still is) my only gear equipment purchase that my wife said I HAD to buy. Yes, I had to buy it. Bought the second side the following day and from there and even up until this day, every audience audio complaint I have had to put up with from the previous 25 years went away on the first use. Now, with the L1 Model 2 with the B2 bass module package, I have enjoyed 12 years of complaint-free performances. Whether it’s 100 people or 850 people -- no complaints.

While the styling is certainly sleek, that was actually not a factor in my decision to buy the Bose system. The light weight and componentized setup were considerations, but nothing else ergonomic swayed the purchase choice.

I have been on the front line of

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various attacks on the system and its users by other DJs, alleged audiophiles, technology gurus, and the like. My thought process was simple: My success is dictated by the audience and if they are not complaining, they like it. Most often, they like it so much, as compared to other performer’s systems they’ve heard, they will thank me for sounding so great.

Ahhhh. Audio peace at last.

Priceless.

Editor’s Note: Cap Capello liked his Bose gear so much that he became a Bose Product Specialist and authorized dealer himself, to help expose his fellow DJs to the high-quality sound that he found to be the answer to his quest. To find out more about Bose from a DJ point of view, you can contact Cap through his Facebook dealer page; just search “Cap Capello Bose” to get there.