This might be a topic that not a lot of mobile DJs cover when writing a blog or post. There are so many important steps to being prepared and ready for you dj gigs. Having all the necessary information to get you to your show on time and setup with just the right amount of time can be a tedious process. Many people do believe that you just show up plug in the equipment and start the music. Little do they know that it takes planning, preparation and knowledge to make events amazing. A major part in this process is setting up and arrival.
The best way to start off preparing for the event you're doing is by researching the venue. Directions to the event, where to park your vehicle and where to offload your equipment. It can be much more difficult if you're setting up equipment at a hotel or country club. You have to pull up to the main door, make multiple trips from your vehicle to the party room and try to find your way to the correct room. Tip #1 is bring a hand truck or rolley cart. You could even bring a couple carts to load your equipment onto. This way you roll your dj equipment right through to the room on a couple of trips less than walking each piece of your gear. Tip #2, when walking into the venue for the first time bring something with you inside. Whether it's your laptop and music book, cd case, or small piece of equipment, bring it inside with you to minimize going back and forth. Tip #3, find out where your event is distance wise and add in an additional 20-25 minutes to your setup time. That way when you arrive and setup early you have an additional amount of time incase of traffic, difficult unloading, etc. If you end up having the extra time then just relax.
Some other useful ways to prepare yourself for events is to call or email the venue and talk with the person in charge. They can tell you where to park, where to bring your dj equipment or music equipment in and offer you the best way to get it into the room. Research the facility on the web. I do this all the time and it helps tremendously! I go on a facility or party venues website and look for pictures, maps, information and who the contact people are. It usually saves me about an extra 10 minutes. Here is a great side note that has helped me lately. Have you ever been to a country club that had an elevator that was slower than a turtle? It's a 2 story clubhouse and you are setting up on the second floor that has stairs to the main floor and an elevator............... What I do to save time is, put the equipment I can't lift on the hand truck, leave it by the first floor elevator, click the button take small items to the second floor, then once the elevator gets to the bottom, I ride up with the heavy stuff to the second level. If I was to wait and take everything up the elevator it would take an additional half hour. I have done this thousands of times. (Yes I said 1,000s)
One more great idea to have is a gig log of the facilities you've worked at. I keep a log of all the places I've worked at and make notes of; where to park, how far to walk, where the rooms are, etc. Some of the things I've mentioned seem a little time consuming as well but trust me! These few tricks of the trade will help you save time and rest more. Also try to setup your system as a portable as possible so that in case an elevator is broken for some reason, you can atleast carry dj or music gear down the stairs.
Questions or comments, feel free to add them below.
What was your best experience working at a facility?
What was your most difficult experience working at a facility?
- Billman
DJ Miami
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