Observations From Attendees At DJ Expo, Atlantic City - 2016

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Cap Capello

Always @ Ur Service
ODJT Supporter
Dec 14, 2006
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Saratoga, NY
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Ran into many long time cohorts but was disappointed at not meeting up with a dozen more I knew was there too. Total Bummer.

I attended one seminar and it was an hour of my life that can never be recovered. From a presentation standpoint, from a structure standpoint, from anything learned; it was a 100% flop; disaster; joke. Shame on the panel moderator for coming into to this completely unprepared, and then allowing an inconsequential tangent to continue for almost 40 minutes. Why DJ Expo allows these chaotic "I, me, I, me, I , me" people to supposedly mentor/train others without at least an audition escapes my logic entirely. (Video Jockey for Beginners). Things not even mentioned? Screen size? Portability? How to fly one? What size computer? What kind of video cards? What video software is available and what are the brief differences? Video acquisition sources, types, and costs? 45 minutes on how they were upset with videos having too much T & A, and what can be done about them. My logic was the most simplistic. Don't f'ing play them. Next!!

The expo floor was as loud as ever. It was dense with fog/smoke/haze, et al. I covered the entire floor, booth by booth, in about two hours. Nothing earth shattering with the exception of the new generation of photobooths, or, photo mirrors as they are called at this moment. About a $6K investment.

I bought four Gator Frameworks GFW-JD speaker stands for elevating my Bose F-812 when not using the F1 Sub. Gotta love the gas powered lift mechanism. Its visual presentation (to me) preludes the need for scrims; another time and expense saver. Show price was $215.00 for a set of 2 with the carrying bag included. Normal price is $350.00 a pair (they say).

All in all, next year I'll be whacking a day. I arrived Tuesday at 10am and left Thursday at 10am. Next year, arrive at 10am Tuesday and leave 7pm Wednesday.
 
Ran into many long time cohorts but was disappointed at not meeting up with a dozen more I knew was there too. Total Bummer.

I attended one seminar and it was an hour of my life that can never be recovered. From a presentation standpoint, from a structure standpoint, from anything learned; it was a 100% flop; disaster; joke. Shame on the panel moderator for coming into to this completely unprepared, and then allowing an inconsequential tangent to continue for almost 40 minutes. Why DJ Expo allows these chaotic "I, me, I, me, I , me" people to supposedly mentor/train others without at least an audition escapes my logic entirely. (Video Jockey for Beginners). Things not even mentioned? Screen size? Portability? How to fly one? What size computer? What kind of video cards? What video software is available and what are the brief differences? Video acquisition sources, types, and costs? 45 minutes on how they were upset with videos having too much T & A, and what can be done about them. My logic was the most simplistic. Don't f'ing play them. Next!!

I've never been to a show but this seems to be a common complaint each year. Every year a new "industry leader" pops up and fades in to obscurity before the next year when they pick the new crop from the tool field

Cap you've been around as long or longer than most of us and likely know more of the intricacies of this business than most of us. It's guys like you that should be presenting and with that would draw a better crowd to the shows.
 
Cap .. maybe you and I tag team a presentation next year .. :)
 
I was on the "new" digital music panel at the expo in 2001. The same "I" "Me" "Me" "I" meatheads. Ended up personally conducting a hallway seminar for 60 guys that lasted almost 90 minutes, much to the chagrin of other panel members. They were smart; they just were clueless in how to teach.

Always said, if one must credentialize themselves with something, how about career earnings instead of years allegedly on the job? Who would you must likely want to l;isten more closely to, a DJ for 35 years (not knowing if it was full or part time) or a DJ who has made $2.5 mil a DJing alone?

I remember asking two industry icons that very question. One would not answer even with his unswerving devotion to twelve-hundred dollars, side stepping and ducking it entirely. His protege (supposedly doing weddings at $5K a pop) did answer the annual income question and I respected him for doing so. As I was then over his number by $40k, the decision was made to find higher grossing inspiration.

Not sure what we would present on together Steve, but I would attend anything you gave yourself, solo.
 
I was on the "new" digital music panel at the expo in 2001. The same "I" "Me" "Me" "I" meatheads. Ended up personally conducting a hallway seminar for 60 guys that lasted almost 90 minutes, much to the chagrin of other panel members. They were smart; they just were clueless in how to teach.

Always said, if one must credentialize themselves with something, how about career earnings instead of years allegedly on the job? Who would you must likely want to l;isten more closely to, a DJ for 35 years (not knowing if it was full or part time) or a DJ who has made $2.5 mil a DJing alone?

I remember asking two industry icons that very question. One would not answer even with his unswerving devotion to twelve-hundred dollars, side stepping and ducking it entirely. His protege (supposedly doing weddings at $5K a pop) did answer the annual income question and I respected him for doing so. As I was then over his number by $40k, the decision was made to find higher grossing inspiration.

Not sure what we would present on together Steve, but I would attend anything you gave yourself, solo.

I get and understand you - and I don't think there's an easy answer. Sometimes the person with the years of experience can far outweigh the person that makes bank. The person who made 2.5 mil may just be a really good salesman - obviously, vice versa is possible as well. This also obviously depends on the seminar topic / discussion.

One year, they had a guy there talking about how he did a Presidents Day weekend event at a car dealer - and made something like $25,000.00 - and the seminar was to show you how that's done. The problem, this took place in like Beverly Hills, at a fancy dealer, etc, etc. He also invested $50k in equipment and materials - and no other event on the books for the equipment and materials used. He was also indirectly linked to the owner / managers of the dealer (helps explain why he got as much as he says he did). Allegedly, this guy had been in business for years AND had made a bit of money. In my mind (and others), you lost money on that deal. $50k investment, $25k return. People were walking out of there confused.
 
I hear what you're saying and I too, get it. I had the same confusion with the $5K an event folks. That's why the statement "career length" earnings as a marker first, then time in service. And $2.5m is a far cry from $25k.

Also, this "salesman" argument/excuse is also getting really stale. If all that is stopping someone who is highly skilled and entertaining from having an income large enough to allow them becoming a full time pro is "sales", then they should wake themselves up and find a sales manager or agent who can shore up that weakness in the career journey. In looking just in my local area, the most successful multi-op owners have experienced sales closers. Those that don't, have an "iffy legal" sub-contracting biz.

In your example above, this is more the rule than the exception at these conventions. Ever notice the more frequent attendees to conventions unanimously say they've learned more in the hallways, hotel rooms, cocktail lounges, and small dinner gatherings? Yet, these convention programmers don't seem the get it and thus perhaps replicate these successes.
 
Totally agree Cap. Again, I think WE could do much better. :)

Just look at us here, most of us get along pretty good - and we have learned things from each other. Some valuable, some not so much.
 
When I attended the local pro photog assoc events I identified those with $1m+ annual sales and listened to them, avoiding the 'know it all's that were 'do nothings'.

A couple fo the 'rockstar' speakers at one year's event were talking about high end weddings, and they did do a royal family wedding in africa. BUT after a few beers in the hospitality room they admitted to do shooting 3 or 4 weddings a year..they made their real money doing school photography.

Hmm...
 
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2015, and 2016 expo have been a bit disappointing overall. Again, another year of no innovation. One booth at the Emulator on display...That has been around since 2010.

The Seminars...I knew they would be very weak...so I didn't attend any.
 
You probably have to a big ego to get up there and tell everyone how to run their business.

You probably have to have a bigger ego (and sense of self worth) to get up in front of a bunch of strangers (guests) on a regular basis and show (and tell) them this is how we're gonna run this event...politely.

BTW...this is written with tongue in cheek fashion...
 
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No, it's different.
You need confidence to be up there, but not a big ego. It's not about YOU, it's about THEM.

Ego makes it about you. Not all speakers are big-ego types, but some swagger and over-self-confidence is certainly something I see often.

Maybe a big(ger) ego is helpful? A sense of self-importance may give one more control..appear more like a leader.

You probably have to have a bigger ego (and sense of self worth) to get up in front of a bunch of strangers (guests) on a regular basis and show (and tell) them this is how we're gonna run this event...politely.