This year makes 30 years for me as a DJ.

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MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
Ittigger you need to understand this part. You don't go into a place like the Westwood and only expect to $775.00 or less. Such places don't work like that for 2 reasons. 1 they have a bigger overhead then a VFW Hall. They have a staff to pay and not just a couple of guys setting up tables and chairs. Some are full time staff. If you worked there wouldn't you want to get paid? Another thing for either one is both places need to make a profit of ome kind to stay in business. Your thinking would have both of them closing their doors within a year of opening. If you went to a place like the Westwood looking to pend $775.00 or less to have an event there, you would be shown the door quickly. They would give you the address to the nearest VFW Hall. The 2nd thing is they set their prices up that way to attract a certain crowd to their place.

You have places out there that are cheaper then that VFW Hall that I posted pictures of. The problem is a lot of those places will allow anybody to come in and have an event in their place. Thus you can be subject to any kind of drama in a place like that. This VFW Hall is a nice looking place in a nice area. It's a place where mature adults won't mind coming to.

Steve thanks for the compliment but I don't know about him coming to hear the great Mix play. I believe in what I do and I believe I am good at what I do. All this great stuff is subject to individual interpretation.

The one where me and this friend did the party we had cost $1,800.00 to have the event there. People could bring in their own food but not alcohol. That place could hold up to 250 people. This VFW Hall holds less people but is half the price for 5 hours.
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Mix, you need to understand this part - the room is MUCH nicer and as an added bonus, cheaper. If all you needed was the room, the rate is $200-$750 for 4 hours. Your VFW is $900 for 4 hours - for the room alone. On the high side, you save $575.00 - could buy quite a bit of food with that. On the low side, you save $150 - which could buy some drinks.

The VFW halls I'm speaking of are no different than the one you have shown. They don't 'allow anybody to come in' - it's a VFW, they have rules to follow just like all the other ones do. As for alcohol, most places do not / will not allow outside alcohol to come in - and if you are allowed to bring some in, you may have to hire a bartender.

The price I've shown are the prices the Westwood offers - you can call them yourself and you'll get the same info. I'll also add that between the 2 parking lots at the VFW, you can fit 40 cars. Kinda hard to fit 150+ in a building with 40 spots. Again, it's your money - spend it as you see fit.
 
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You guys act like he is going to listen to anything you say. He knows everything and only his way works. I mean he is the biggest DJ around and his business is second to none. The last thing he needs to do is take your advice or listen to anything you are saying. MIX you do you, charge people to come to your party and hopefully enough will show to cover the bills.
 
Oh - I know he won't, he likes to spend more than he needs to and do things bass ackwards. That's why I told him to 'go for it'. The VFW will gladly take his money.
 
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ittigger said:
Oh - I know he won't, he likes to spend more than he needs to and do things bass ackwards. That's why I told him to 'go for it'. The VFW will gladly take his money.
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It's 5 hours for $900 and as I stated in a nice location that people will want to come to. I will tell the rest later if we decide to do it.
 
My wife threw me a birthday party last year. Invited about 75 people. She bought the food, cash bar. It was in a private room in a restaurant/bar. The place gave her the room for free with the food purchase and 2 bartenders with a min bar guarantee. We went well over the bar minimum:)
 
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MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
It's 5 hours for $900 and as I stated in a nice location that people will want to come to. I will tell the rest later if we decide to do it.
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Ok - and the Westwood's prices are: $200 to $750 for 4 hours (depending on room size) and those same rooms are $400 to $1500 for 8 hours. Broken down, the prices are $50/hr to $187.50/hr (depending on room size). Unless you need the largest room (grand ballroom), then I can't see how you're saving any money.

People may want to come .. but with 40 parking spots for everyone (to include staff and members), they may not. If you want to have an event, have it in a place that's easy for people to come to.
 
ittigger said:
Ok - and the Westwood's prices are: $200 to $750 for 4 hours (depending on room size) and those same rooms are $400 to $1500 for 8 hours. Broken down, the prices are $50/hr to $187.50/hr (depending on room size). Unless you need the largest room (grand ballroom), then I can't see how you're saving any money.

People may want to come .. but with 40 parking spots for everyone (to include staff and members), they may not. If you want to have an event, have it in a place that's easy for people to come to.
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It's that new math ;)
 
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I used to work at events given by promoters / organizations and the one thing they have in common is very large guest list of people invited. For sample if they're looking for 100 people they probably had 500 invited. The other question is why should people come, what's the draw? Do you have a DJ with a following? A invited celebrity? Without trying to be funny I've DJed parties which were regular non paid parties where very few people showed up and they were left with a ton of food & a nice empty room. I felt really sorry for the Guest of honor as they spend so money on the event. But seriously you have to give people a really good reason to come. Food & a nice room isn't necessarily it. I know also done some great parties in some not so nice places. In the 80's & 90's my company had a good following in the college market with fraternities/sororities & organizations, now I probably couldn't get 10 people in my living room for a party.
 
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Jimmy first of all I don't know everything. If I did I would be God. Itigger you keep talking about how much a room cost in the Westwood and if that's all you want you just simply pay that. Places like that don't operate that way. You just don't pay for the room alone. You pay for other things like the table cloths which are made of cloth. Linen napkins, plates (not paper ones), real silverware, glasses and cups. Like I said you don't get to bring in your own food. They supply that at such a place at a cost to the client. Usually it's a cost per person for the food which covers the cost of the people making the food, the food itself, the people bringing out the food to be setup or served to the people at the event. Then there are the employees who have to get paid as well. Weather they are part time or full time employees. Not to mention the nice decor in the place.

In places like the Westwood the starting cost for the food is $35.00 per person and depending on what you want to spend the price goes up. The $35.00 is just a ball park figure. It may be less then that depending on the place and all you want. So comparing a VFW Hall to the Westwood is like comparing apples to oranges. There's a big difference between the two. In a VFW Hall you don't have people cooking food for you for an event you're having there. You don't get table cloths, napkins, silverware or plates included in the price. You get one or two people setting up tables and chairs for the event and that's about it besides opening up the place by a certain time for you to do your own setting up. As I said before the Westwood has much more expenses then that VFW Hall and that's why they can't just charge for the room alone. They have to make up for the added cost to run the place somehow.
 
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I remember doing a wedding at an American Legion. I just finished setting up my kit; had some time before the gig, so I was going to get a drink, but I stopped by the bathroom first. It just so happened that at the same time, the salty old bartender came in to utilize, and, just like the Seinfeld episode, I saw him make with the water, then immediately leave the bathroom without anything that even looked like hand-washing.

Guess what? I didn't order anything there all night! I went next door to the 7/11 and bought a bunch of drink bottles and stayed away from the bar for the entire gig! I didn't even want to look at it...

GJ
 
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So Mix if the Westwood cost $35 a person and you charge $60 for your tickets then you are all set. Of course the Westwood is going to charge you for at least 50 people wether they show up or not, so the real issue is you are not sure how many people would really show.
 
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MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
Jimmy first of all I don't know everything. If I did I would be God. Itigger you keep talking about how much a room cost in the Westwood and if that's all you want you just simply pay that. Places like that don't operate that way. You just don't pay for the room alone. You pay for other things like the table cloths which are made of cloth. Linen napkins, plates (not paper ones), real silverware, glasses and cups. Like I said you don't get to bring in your own food. They supply that at such a place at a cost to the client. Usually it's a cost per person for the food which covers the cost of the people making the food, the food itself, the people bringing out the food to be setup or served to the people at the event. Then there are the employees who have to get paid as well. Weather they are part time or full time employees. Not to mention the nice decor in the place.

In places like the Westwood the starting cost for the food is $35.00 per person and depending on what you want to spend the price goes up. The $35.00 is just a ball park figure. It may be less then that depending on the place and all you want. So comparing a VFW Hall to the Westwood is like comparing apples to oranges. There's a big difference between the two. In a VFW Hall you don't have people cooking food for you for an event you're having there. You don't get table cloths, napkins, silverware or plates included in the price. You get one or two people setting up tables and chairs for the event and that's about it besides opening up the place by a certain time for you to do your own setting up. As I said before the Westwood has much more expenses then that VFW Hall and that's why they can't just charge for the room alone. They have to make up for the added cost to run the place somehow.
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When you have completed your analysis, let me know. Until then, you're guessing. Again, it's your money - spend it as you like.
 
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Dj Jimmy D said:
So Mix if the Westwood cost $35 a person and you charge $60 for your tickets then you are all set. Of course the Westwood is going to charge you for at least 50 people wether they show up or not, so the real issue is you are not sure how many people would really show.
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I wasn't just talking about the Westwood and not it's not the client charging $60.00. That's what the venue has set it to be when you see how much it cost to have it in such a place. Not everyone has a ton of money to spend like that for people to attend their event and that's why they do it that way. I know most don't agree with that here but if that's how they want to do things, that's their choice.

Again Jimmy I was throwing out a figure. Like I said it could be less then the $35.00. It depends on the place, what they have to offer and what you're willing to pay. I did my oldest niece's wedding at Snuffy's on route 22 East some years back and they spent 5k to have their wedding there. The cost per person was $75.00. I know because I personally paid for 4 people to attend that I wanted to be there for this special occasion. They didn't have an issue at all with that. Sad to say her husband died last year.
 
Mix are you really thinking about throwing a party because you been in business 30 years. Why, first where is the money coming from to pay the bill at the end of the night. Ive been doing this for 24 years and I don't care if its 124 so what, ive been living in the same place for 18 years should I throw a party come on save your money
 
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redhotdj said:
Mix are you really thinking about throwing a party because you been in business 30 years. Why, first where is the money coming from to pay the bill at the end of the night. Ive been doing this for 24 years and I don't care if its 124 so what, ive been living in the same place for 18 years should I throw a party come on save your money
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I think he might be holding hope it's a money maker ..
 
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Congrats on your 30 years... That's a long time... I get asked this all the time by people interviewing me, "how long have you been a DJ?".... not wanting to feel old, I have answered that now with "a little over 20 years".... The truth is I went full time in 1985, so Oct of this year is 32 years full time.... But when I look back on it, as my first paid (barely) DJ gig was in 1969, I've been DJing for about 48 years.... Since that first gig, I have never not DJ'd. I've had other jobs up until 1985, but I have always DJ'd.

I didn't throw myself a party but I wish I had. Go for it.
 
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I got a gig to do on April 29th that I plan to celebrate 2 things there. It's for the 12 step program I am a member of. I plan on letting them know who show up there that as of April 12 I will have been clean for 20 years and this is my 30th year at DJing. Don't tell me God is not good and merciful.
 
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MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
I got a gig to do on April 29th that I plan to celebrate 2 things there. It's for the 12 step program I am a member of. I plan on letting them know who show up there that as of April 12 I will have been clean for 20 years and this is my 30th year at DJing. Don't tell me God is not good and merciful.
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which God? ;) :)
 
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