I was recently speaking with one of the owners of my Crossfit Gym about providing DJ services for their upcoming Crossfit Event , the Clearwater Beach Brawl (If you’re local to Clearwater, FL and interested in Crossfit Competition, check out the details here! We were discussing the ways in which the DJ has an impact
(negative or positive) on a sporting event, as well as the ways a skilled DJ can add value.
I’ve played for a variety of sporting events over the years ranging from Kickball League Tournaments, 5k Races, Gym Events and live Gym Classes, Crossfit Competitions, Tampa Bay Lighting Events, and even a live-televised event with Amsoil ArenaCross.
When it comes to sporting events, there are a few key ways that a skilled DJ can add great value, and an unskilled DJ can make a negative impact on your event. Understanding the role that the DJ plays will help you in screening and selecting the vendor that’s best for you.
1. A skilled Sports DJ Will Help Set The Tone For Your Event. The most obvious impact a DJ has on a sporting event is on the energy of the overall event. Have you ever walked into a room and the energy was automatically somber? Lower energy or depressing music has an immediate impact on mood and energy. Careful song selection to ensure a steady flow of HIGH Energy is more important at a sporting event than at any other event type.
An unskilled DJ with poor song selection (or no DJ and someone’s phone plugged into a speaker) can have a negative impact on everything from the way people remember the event to the way the athletes perform to the amount of time that people stay. The coach I was speaking with (who is also an elite athlete) noted that he doesn’t notice the music when he’s competing because he’s so tuned into what he’s doing. I tend to disagree, because for me personally, bad music in the gym or forgetting my headphones can completely change everything.
Either way, while not noticing may be the case for the person engaging in the sport, the music will absolutely be noticeable to the onlookers who are not, and music that brings down the mood or playing Eye of the Tiger every hour on the hour [I’m told another DJ did that in a previous year’s competition and it’s now a running joke. ] will definitely make an impact.
Added Value: To that end, and really at the other end of the spectrum, a strong skilled sports DJ will be able to keep the energy high, help keep the crowd having fun (even during the down times) and help keep the athletes and the fans pumped up!
2. A Skilled Sports DJ Will Help Control the Flow of the Event. The Nature of sporting events is that the music often starts and stops (unlike most other types of DJ events) so that the announcers can communicate clearly to the players and the audience. These frequent stops also help with the adjustment of energy between athlete performances. Having a skilled DJ in place (vs someone’s unattended Iphone tuned to Spotify) helps with the smoothness and effectiveness of these transitions. (vs someone walking over to turn the phone volume up or down each time.)
Added Value: A skilled DJ will ensure that the Event flows smoothly and transitions between performances happen quickly and effectively.
3. A Skilled Sports DJ Will Help Keep People At Your Event. Have you ever walked into a bar or a nightclub and eventually made the decision to leave because you didn’t like the music? Bad Music Selection – be it inappropriate genre, inappropriate language, or just bad DJ skills will entice audience members to leave at a comparable rate to that at which bad performance will convince “fair weather” fans to leave. And there’s nothing worse than a sporting event with no spectators.
Added Value: The same as the bar scenario above where you left because the music sucked…have you ever stayed somewhere WAYYY longer than you expected because the music was great? A Skilled DJ will be able to read the audience energy as well as the event energy and select songs that keep the audience engaged, excited, interested, and entertained. All of these factors play a major role in keeping people in seats at sporting events.
4. A Skilled Sports DJ Will Impact The Way People Remember Your Event. In the case of Crossfit Westchase (my gym) it’s their 2nd year hosting the Clearwater Beach Brawl. So impression will play a huge role in helping to build the event and attract more vendors and competitors in future years. When it comes to music, it holds a significant impact on memory. In many cases, people won’t remember if the food tasted great that day, or how much they spent on concessions, or if the players had freshly washed uniforms. But they would more likely remember if the music was particularly good or particularly bad. Also, having a skilled DJ playing your sporting event can really be the element that brings everything together. It certainly feels more involved and professional to show up to an event with a live sports DJ than to show up to an event featuring DJ Spotify on Someone’s Ipad.
Added Value: A strong sports DJ will help give your event a more polished and professional appearance as well as make it feel more fun and involved!
There are several benefits of adding a live DJ to your next sporting event ranging from helping to control the energy and flow of the event to helping keep people in seats and helping to create a more professional and fun impression for everyone involved. Budget it into your next event and see the difference for yourself. I personally think you won’t be disappointed.
Hey! Before you go! If you’re interested in hiring a Dj for your next event but aren’t really sure what to do next, check out this article for some helpful tips! –
Finally – if you’re still a little lost in the planning process for your event, CLICK HERE to become a Shannon C insider and download the DJ Hiring and Event Planning Workbook for free! This workbook will help you with sourcing and interviewing leads, collecting information to make sure you get an accurate quote, and planning out your events timeline and music selection for your DJ. Make sure your next event goes super smooth and download it today.
Happy Eventing,
