DJ Times 2008 Expo Report

Back To The Boardwalk

Well the annual Atlantic City event was a huge success, partially because once again the Expo is back on the Boardwalk!

The seminars were incredible! Mike Wieder of Ultimate Sounds DJs put on a lively fast -paced 90 minute Seminar on Weddings that opened up everyone's eyes. Everything you thought you knew about doing a wedding from soup to nuts!


Mike was also a finalist in this year's DJ Times DJ of The Year.

Elite Entertainment's Mike Walter put on one hell of a seminar on maximizing your effort and presence at Bridal Shows.

The recently re-organized New Jersey Disc Jockey Network held a General Meeting along with 4 mini-seminars incorporated in it, at which at least 150 DJ's attended. NJDJN brought out the BIG Guns! Featured presenters were Sean "Big Daddy" McKee, Marcello Pedalino, Mike Walter, and Jeffrey Craig.

The ADJA held a small cozy evening get together in their hospitality room, at which Drax made a good presentation on the ADJA, where it is, and where its going. They also had a very informative mini-seminar on conducting a Latin Wedding, a market we all better learn how to handle, since the Hispanic population is growing in leaps and bounds in this country.

The NJDJN also presented a very well attended Games Seminar on Wednesday to a full capacity crowd in the large ballroom!

Truly the NJDJN was well represented at this year's event, with members presenting 5 major events, as well as having 4 finalists in the 2008 DJ of The Year Event on Wednesday night!

DJ Jasmine of Chicago became the first female DJ to win the coveted award, as the famous DJ Sean "Big Daddy" McKee retired after his one year reign. Big Daddy also holds the Mobile Beat DJ of The Year Award, won in Las Vegas this past winter.

The evening parties were top rate. Pioneer stole the show by renting the entire House of Blues on Tuesday Night, entertaining the attendees with Akon, Cyndi Lauper, Joey Fottone, Lady Ga Ga, along wit DJ's DJ Unique, DJ Krispy K, among others.

Chauvet debuted their new Scorpion Storm Green & Red Laser (60 MW Red with 40 MW Green) and sold plenty of the coveted $399 lasers.
They also debuted the new VUE 3.1, a newly designed LED fixture featuring better and smaller construction than its predecessor the VUE 3, along with GOLD and WHITE LED's incorporated in it. Show Special was $249

LED Lighting fixtures were the rave throughout the exhibition floor, with LED powered scanners, moving heads, color wash, specialty effects, strobe and more.

All in all, this was one of the best DJ Shows in the past 5 years!

all photos ©2008 Steve Cie Entertainment
Cyndi Lauper

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Cyndi Lauper


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Joey Fottone


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Akon


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Lady Ga Ga


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Chicago's DJ Jasmine 2008 DJ Entertainer of The Year

Any pictures of Cyndi?

I fell asleep on Tuesday night at 9pm. I REALLY wanted to see her. She's second only too Madonna for female performers I'd like to see. The second album I ever purchased was She's So Unusual. I LOVE Cyndi Lauper. I'm extremely disappointed that I missed her performance.

So many people stopped by the DJ Event Planner booth that I was totally shot every night. I head back to Minnesota in the morning...and a ceremony/reception (2 locations) on Saturday.

Lots of memories.

Meeting Carol (and missing Bruce). Sid and Paige helping me when I needed it (and seeing him twice). The DJIS brothers. Cap's multiple efforts on my behalf. The Pioneer wall of Plasmas. Grandmaster Flash. The boardwalk. Security. The homeless people. The train rides. The jitneys. The number of NJ DJs.

It was actually quite an experience for me.

Any pictures of Cyndi?That first picture is Cyndi.

Steve did a wierd thing. He put the captions ABOVE the photos.

"That first picture is Cyndi.

Steve did a wierd thing. He put the captions ABOVE the photos. "

Sorry 'bout that. It's fixed now!

The picture didn't load the first time I viewed the thread...I was on a dial-up speed wifi connection.

Thanks for the pics!

I'm disappointed Troy...I didn't make your list of memories.:sqfrown:

Hey Steve, I had to leave during Johnny K's set Wednesday night and didn't get to say good bye. Thanks for the update on DJ of the Year (I really thought the guy from Charisma was going to win, but I can understand why he didn't). BTW...which game won?

The Chauvet Storm is an amazing effect for the price!

I always miss Mike's Bridal Show seminars, cause they are always on Monday and I can never get down there on Monday. Anybody got notes?

Nice pics steve...you forgot to mention I won the qsc amp, or the fact the jonathan dropped a drink on Mike Weider 10 minutes prior to his awesome dance at the competition...yes Jonathan you never leaves us without a laugh!

Wow--I didn't know about Jonathan dropping the drink on Mike. Poor Jonathan must have had heart failure at the thought of good booze being wasted.
Poor Mike was flustered enough as it was without getting additionally moistened.
Did you see his shirt when he took off his jacket? Wow--he was drenched!

Best of luck with the QSC AMP you lucky lady!

Steve, you are correct....that was an awesome convention. great mix of learning, having fun, and meeting new people.

I wish the Dj of the year event was held in a better venue. It was very tight on the dance floor and unfortunately for the gaems people there was not a lot of room to really see what was going on.

I couldn't agree with you more Richie...unless you were high up you couldnt see much...even the cameramen had to be "way up" above the crowd...

Maybe they will reconsider that next year!

Btw...cudos to all the NJDJN members who participated in the games seminar...you guys did awesome!

Yeah, it was much tighter than when the contest was at the convention center, but at the convention center, you couldn't get above the crowd either (Unless you stood on a chair).

At least at the Casbah, there was a live camerman - you could watch the action on the monitors.

The only decent alternative would be to have it at House Of Blues. The PromoOnly party was there this year. Usually that's at the Casbah. One problem / advantage is, the HOB has a balcony / seating area. But that doesn't lend itself too well to audience participation.

I'm disappointed Troy...I didn't make your list of memories.:sqfrown:


Hey, Wayde, don't worry. You made my list! :sqwink:

Rick

Good Times - Good Friends!!!

That sums it up for me. I brought my family along with me to a convention for the first time and it was awesome! I am surprised to say that the balance between family time and DJ time was good.

Mike Walter works way to hard and does not get nearly enough credit!

It was great to meet Rick and Wayde... more good time to come in future years!!!

The real treat was getting to perform for the DJ of the Year and having my family there to watch. While I was getting dressed my son asked.... "Dad, why are you working tonight? I thought we were on vacation!" Priceless!

Here we Are!!!!

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Jamie,

Just so you know, one of my DJ's played your reindeer game you taught at the convention and it went over huge. Thanks for showing such a great game.

Thanks Jake!

I'm glad it went over well!!!!

Jamie

While I enjoyed the expo, I would say that it really wasn't any bigger on the boardwalk than the conv. center. Personally I liked the Sheraton more than the Taj. for not much more, the rooms were way better at the Sheraton.
The Taj made so many mistakes during out stay it wasn't funny. They changed our meeting room so many times in one afternoon it made attendance very hard. Just to be clear, it wasn't an ADJA event, but rather an open house for the ADJA's DC chapter.

DJ of the year was way too loud. Way too much haze. When people feel they need earplugs to be there, it's way too loud. What would happen if we put on events that required Earplugs? Would we find happy guests?

Mike Walter was fantastic as always. He always goes above & beyond. I didn't get to the seminars so I can't speak directly, but only to the comments I heard from others. Most felt they were ok, but not stellar.

As an exhibitor, the crowd was "ok", no bigger than last year. We did well, but we do every year. We will be back.

I agree that it wasn't anywhere near the hype that DJ Times was making it out to be - either before or after the expo.

However, as a somewhat compulsive gambler, I really liked that it was in a casino.

Having it at the Taj was a bonus since the Taj, and Showboat next door, is where I usually play...and I got a good cheap room at Showboat - less than Trump's Convention rate!



DJ of the year was way too loud. ... When people feel they need earplugs to be there, it's way too loud. What would happen if we put on events that required Earplugs? Would we find happy guests?Um.... It's gotta be that loud. Don't you know that all DJs are half deaf?

For the record, I've been wearing earplugs to all of the nightly events at the DJ Expo for at least 4 years. Sometimes I wear them on the Exhibit floor as well.

What does it say when you have to wear ear plugs to a DJ event? I agree the show floor is also ridiculously loud. It really doesn't need to be that way. Go to any other Pro Audio show. It is not like that. The show floor is where people can talk at a reasonable level with out shouting.

If people want to have thud & bump fests played out at 125db, they can get their own room or have a trailer.....

What?

I can't hear this thread. I spent too much time by the booth that kept playing a loud (really, really loud) motorcycle reving sfx to show how good their speakers"rumble."