Have you ever been to a live event? Maybe you’re familiar with the traditional conversational hum that’s associated with a trade show floor. Maybe you’ve seen a motivational speaker do a keynote at a sales conference. Maybe you’ve been to a live promotional event. Being a DJ and an Entrepreneur, I’ve both performed at and attended several live events. One thing that all events have in common is the engagement factor. Simply put, once things get boring, people leave. If not physically, they check out mentally, making a lot of the content and sales efforts futile as the attendee sits in either complete overwhelm or utter boredom. And when you’re attending another one of those conferences that’s notorious for 12 hour days with limited breaks and information and sales overload, it’s really easy for your audience to check out.
With that said, businesses must constantly strive to find ways to peak interest and increase attendee engagement to help improve attendance and maximize sales at live events. One lower cost way to do this is with a DJ. Below are a few ideas on ways to utilize a DJ at you next live event to help stimulate and engage your audience. Your audience is special and your brand deserves to stand out, so here’s a few ways to give them more than just another event!
- Get It Started In Here. Have a party to help kick off your event! With Salesforce for the 2015 SalesForce Connections Tour Atlanta, I was set up in registration to help bring an element of excitement as the attendees entered the event. Some clients, like the Florida Diversity Business Council, throw a big Welcome Mixer to give their guests an opportunity to start networking early on. With a skilled event DJ, you’ll be able to influence the energy of your attendees to help muster excitement or encourage social engagement early on in the event. Kicking things off with a BANG! Also helps to set the atmosphere and pace for the remainder of the event.
- Extend attendance rates and sales with a skilled DJ on your trade show floor. When I play for Nordstrom’s annual Beauty Trend Show event, my entire job is to help extend interest and engagement to keep customers shopping, and let me tell you, it works! I’ve had customers tell me that they’ve stayed in the store for hours longer than intended and bought more than what they came for just because I was playing great music. Playing for about 6 of these events a year for Nordstrom International Plaza for the last 4 years, I’ve found that music really does help to create an energy around the environment that allows guests to lose track of time and just enjoy the experience. This definitely helps to put them in a better position to buy. Salesforce also uses a live DJ on their trade show floor. And Florida Diversity Business Council reported that guests stayed on the trade show floor at least twice as long with a live DJ reading the room and playing to the audience.
- Use a DJ to host the show and encourage engagement. At Nordstrom Trend Shows, I host and coordinate the raffle drawings and also make well-timed announcements and advertisements about the different products and sales that are going on in the departments. This clever sales tactic gives brands an opportunity to nonchalantly stand out without putting customers into sales overwhelm. Each time I play one of these events, several vendors assure me that they’ve surpassed their sales objectives because of the promotions. Using a DJ / MC to make announcements and host your show is a fun and effective way to make sure your guests see all that your show has to offer!
- Use a DJ for a dance party to start the show or when breaking the audience. Nothing beats a dance party, right? Lisa Nichols with Motivating the Masses, Marie Forleo of B School, Tony Robins, and several other Motivational Speakers and Coaches are known for impromptu dance breaks to help break up the content, re-establish the room, and even to just get blood flowing during a super long event. While many events have the A/V team control the music, with a DJ you’ll add an extra level of excitement to your after lunch dance party as well as create a funky and fun image to go with your brand.
- Go out with a bang! Use a DJ for a killer closing party! There’s no better way to serve your guests and allow a final opportunity for memories and connections by having a final party to help close out the event. Some companies, like Florida Diversity Business Council, bring me in to play for their formal dinner and conference closing ceremonies. Runway to Hope with Mall at Millenia bring me out for their Benefit Brunch and Fashion Show to close out their Fashion Week events. Hitachi brings me in annually to play a rooftop cocktail party before a concert at the closing event of one of their annual conferences. Ulta Beauty has a poolside dance party to round out one of their annual conferences. And one of my favorite closing events was playing for a 3D fashion show at the Rapid 3D Print conference in 2016 to close out their 3D Printing Trade Show. It really was the cherry on the top of that event!
There are so many ways to bring a new level of interaction to your next live event, especially with a DJ! As you’ll see above, the sky is the limit when it comes to ideas to help your brand or event stand out. The right professional events DJ will be able to help you to develop and expand upon your vision to give your guests an amazing live event!
To help you make sure you get the right DJ for your next event, make sure you check out my article, 14 Things You Should Ask Before Hiring Your Next Event DJ! Also, make sure you stay updated with these and other helpful blog posts by becoming a Shannon C Insider. Click Here to make it happen!
Happy Eventing!
