Creating the perfect event, birthday, engagement, wedding or corporate function takes time to make sure all the little parts come together as one and here’s some questions to ask yourself when looking at purely the entertainment focus:
- Consider what the aim of the event is and how the music fits into that objective? If it’s a wedding, what’s the priority for the entertainment…Is it for you as the happy couple to have music that you love? Is it to have music that your friends love? Is it to have a bit of everything and to try and keep everyone happy all night (a very difficult proposition with Aunty Alma in one corner and your 15 year old nephew in the other corner). If it’s a corporate event do you want people dancing, or do you want background music? How music works in your event’s environment is one of the first steps in nailing the right vibe for your event or function.
- How will your event flow and how long do you require entertainment for? Solving this allows you to sharpen your focus on what’s required. If your event starts at 2pm and finishes at 10pm then you may be able to solve multiple music questions throughout the event. You might have a string ensemble to open the proceedings as people arrive. A DJ playing disco and funk cool tunes from 3pm til 6pm and finish off with a headline guest DJ dropping the biggest dance music tunes of the moment. If there is no dancefloor (say for a retail outlet launch) then is dance floor anthems the priority, or would cool funk, disco and soul be a better fit? If you have a five day event, how many hours of music do you need filled and does day one (maybe a Wednesday) require the same level of talent as day 5 (which may be a Saturday and hence have more focus)?
- Is the profile of the DJ important to you? If you are promoting a launch, or an event do you want a DJ who’s name can help you position your event and be part of the marketing. Many DJ’s have social media reach, have a name that is known when you mention it and can add value to your launch, event or even things such as a Christmas party because the people attending are familiar with the talent and can have a perception of quality, or great music expectations before the event has even started! If it’s a special birthday, or engagement party, does telling your guests about an act you have booked make them excited to attend and help build anticipation for an outstanding night?
- Is there a specific style of sound that you want? You may want modern R&B, contemporary dance music, 70’s funk and disco, Ministry Of Sound Club Classics, or sounds from your favourite club that you currently attend. You may want a little bit of all of this, or funk and disco early and club sounds later. While points 1,2 and 3 above are important things to consider, if you have a particular style of music then this point may well be your number one priority.
- Once you have considered points 1 to 4, the results you come up with will dictate what you physically need for your event. If it’s background music, then you may not need a huge sound system, or a lot of production with lighting and screens. You wont need a dedicated dance floor area either so your set up within your space is also relevant. If you want to have a room full of people dancing then you will need a bigger sound system, more lighting and physical space to dance, all creating the correct atmosphere for the party to go off!!!