Advice and Tips for a successful function.
It may seem like an easy choice choosing the Disco Entertainment for your special day but is it ?
On this page we offer you tips and advice on what to look for when picking the right Disco for your function.
1. Picking the right Disco Entertainment for your wedding or celebration is not always as easy as it would appear. There are a number of things that you should look out for when shopping around for the right company and below we have listed a number of tips that, in our experience should help you find the right Disco.
In this digital age anyone can claim that they are a DJ. It is so easy to download music illegally and in no time at all have a huge library of songs that have taken professionals like ourselves years to assemble. There are also companies out there that deal in low quality, budget style sound and lights and they keep the 'pretenders' out there busy. Why settle for a DJ like this who has no passion in what they are doing and is simply doing the job for the extra cash? When you are shopping around for a Disco please bear in mind that the most expensive is not always the best and if you are looking for a cheap and cheerful option then you get what you pay for. There are a number of questions you should ask when enquiring about services and you should get a good idea of what the DJ will be like whilst you are speaking to them on the phone. Shakermaker Promotions is a full time business so we are available to answer calls and emails during the day. If you leave a message with us, we will endeavour to get back to you within the hour but 9 times out of 10 it is quicker than that. Most venues will ask for proof of Public Liability insurance and PAT (Portable Appliance Tested Equipment) from the DJ that you choose. It is always worth asking if the DJ has this when you enquire and ask for proof too. If the DJ says he has the documentation and then the venue does not see it, they can actually refuse them access to the venue!
With reference to the venues, if you are booking a hotel for your venue, most of the time they will have their own DJ's who are contracted to them. Shakermaker Promotions are contracted to a number of venues including hotels but you do not have to have the venues contracted DJ. By all means go and see them at work and if you like what they are doing then that's great but you do not have to have them. You are fully entitled to use the DJ that you have chosen providing they have the required Public Liability Insurance and PAT documentation.
Recommendations are a great help when searching for your Disco so take a look at feedback on websites, like this one. All of the comments listed on our feedback page have been done so with the customers consent. Everyone seems to know a DJ these days and if you know of a good one that is reliable and professional and comes recommended then really, that's the job done but please try not to go down the road of "my mate knows a DJ, he'll do it for half the price?" simply because it's cheap. Reliabilty and professionalism as well as a vast library of music, good quality sound and lights and the ability to create a busy, atmospheric dancefloor are the keys to a good DJ, it's just finding them that is the hard job, hence these tips.
2. One of the first things you will do when planning your function, especially a wedding, is book a venue for your reception. There are a number of things to take into consideration when doing this and below are some tips for you.
Firstly, does the function room where the Disco will be situated have a bar in it or is the bar elsewhere? This may sound a bit of a random question but in our experience, if the bar is not in the function room, people will generally go where the bar is and congregate there. This can lead to a half full function room and dancefloor. This is more evident now that the smoking ban is in order. It's always best to make sure that the function room has a bar in it. You can always ask the venue if they can supply a mobile bar in the room too, this should not be a problem.
Another thing to look out for at the venue are Sound Limiters. These do exactly what they say and are usually found in venues that are in residential areas, village halls, social clubs etc and some hotels. There are there to limit the sound to an acceptable level. In our experience we have found that sound limiters can spoil the atmosphere and we would strongly suggest that if the venue you have in mind has these then it may be worth thinking of other options. The reason being is that it is not just down to the sound being created by the Disco but also the guests. Bodies absorb sound so the more guests in the venue, the louder the sound needs to be in order to accomodate everyone. If the sound limiter is activated then it will cut out the volume for a number of seconds. This can (a) Damage the Disco equipment and, (b) Spoil the atmosphere. 99.9% of the time the guests will not realise what has caused the cut out (and why should they?) and more often than not, it's the DJ that will get the blame. That's not a problem to us personally but why should you have your function spoilt by sound limiters? As you can tell, we are not fans of these devices. Please take this into consideration, it is your special function and it should be remembered for all of the right reasons, not because of a little device on the wall.
3. Meet the DJ.
So, you have booked the venue and chosen the Disco that you want. It's always best whenever possible to meet the DJ beforehand. As stated above already, if it is possible to do so, try and go to see the DJ at work. Shakermaker Promotions offer a personal service whether we are booked privately or via one of our hotel contracts. We have found that this works very well and have 100% positive feedback from it. When you pre-book a function with us we will arrange a meeting with you at a convenient time for yourselves in order to go through the booking forms, specific requests and your expectations for the evening. In our opinion, it is not just about sending off a booking form through the post, getting a deposit and then turning up on the night. It is all about customer service and good customer service goes a long way. Every customer wants the personal touch and to know and feel as if the DJ actually cares about what he is booked for. Afterall, it is your special function and it needs to go exactly to plan. Shakermaker Promotions are very request friendly and believe that our customers should get exactly what they want at their function. We have a huge database of music covering all genres and with your consent, we put out request slips on the night so that your guests can request the music that they like too.
Would you believe it if we told you that there are Discos out there that do not even administer booking forms? Well, it's true, they ARE out there. In our experience, customers want the reassurance of booking forms because it shows reliabilty and professionalism. Alarm bells start to ring out very loud if the Disco you book with does not supply booking forms. These are contracts afterall and should be signed by both parties as proof and confirmation of the booking and also of any deposits paid. When we meet our customers they are under no obligation to sign anything or part with any money whatsoever. We go through everything in fine detail so that our customers know what to expect of us and vice versa. Most of the time we will have the booking forms signed and a deposit paid at the meeting but it is not a must. There is no reason why you can not change your mind after meeting the DJ if you are not keen on what they have to offer or if you think that they are the wrong person for the function you have in mind.
ALWAYS READ THE SMALL PRINT. Most companies will have the terms and conditions regarding conduct, deposits etc on their booking forms. All of them will have a cancellation period on them and 99.9% of the time the deposit is non-refundable. If you are not happy with the terms and conditions then do not sign anything or ask the company to go through them with you and explain them if you are unsure of anything.
We hope that the above information has been of some help to you. Shakermaker Promotions are fully commited to giving our customers the best possible service that we can and believe that we offer the highest quality Disco Entertainment, togeather with a professional approach and the best customer service on the market. We are by no means the cheapest Disco Suppliers out there but we are also not the most expensive either. We offer a quality, personal service at a very competitive price. We are fully covered with Public Liability Insurance and all of our equipment is PAT Tested regularly. We can also supply proof of these on request along with references.
Shakermaker Promotions are experienced professionals and everything listed above comes naturally to us.