Booking a DJ for a company event: the five things to settle before you sign

A company event is a different job from a birthday. There is a run of show, there are people who have to be introduced in the right order, there is usually a moment where the music has to stop on cue, and there is an HR department. Here is what I settle with every company client before the date, and what you should settle with whoever you book. One. Who runs the room. Someone on your side owns the timeline on the night: the event lead, the office manager, the planner. I take cues from one person, not six. We agree on who that is before the event, and I get their cell number. Two. The run of show. Doors, welcome, speeches, awards, food, dancing, last call. Write it down, even roughly. I build the set around it so the energy is right for each part: background during dinner, something with a pulse when the dancing starts, and nothing with a hook that cuts across a speech. Three. Announcements. I MC the announcements you give me and only those. Names get spelled out the way they sound. Nothing improvised, no bits. If your CEO wants to say a few words, I hand over a wireless mic that works. Four. The music line. Every company has one. Clean edits are standard on my company bookings, so no one has to explain a lyric to a VP. Beyond that, tell me what the room is: mostly 30s and 40s, mixed ages, a lot of people who will dance, or a lot of people who will stand near the bar. Open format means I move between eras and genres to fit who actually showed up. Five. Sound for the space. Hotel ballrooms, breweries, rooftops and offices all sound different. I bring a PA sized to the room, wireless microphones, dance lighting and backup gear, and I coordinate with your venue and your other vendors on the day so the AV side is not your problem. Three questions to ask any DJ you are considering. Are you insured? Do you bring backup gear? What is your plan if you are sick that day? My answers: yes, yes, and a vetted substitute arranged with your consent and briefed on your run of show. Company events start at $1,400, or $1,250 on a weekday, for up to four hours with everything above included. Check your date on the home page and I'll reply the same day.