When looking for a DJ or Entertainer for your wedding or special event, there are many things to consider during your search. As a bride and groom looking for a wedding DJ, one often overlooked area is training.

Hiring a DJ with experience is always important, but it is also important to know how they stay up to date, keep their edge and follow trends.

As a DJ in Montreal, the first two months of the year are usually quiet, there is always a winter wedding or two, and of course it is wedding planning season, but there are not as many wedding receptions compared to the spring and summer. Personally, I use these months to attend conventions and catch up on my training.

MC and Hosting Skills

MC (emcee) and hosting skills are not only important at weddings but every type of event as well. When I am hired to DJ an event, I also act as their MC for the night. So, learning new ways to engage the crowd, be effective over the microphone and how to better present myself is always a good thing. Here are some of the great resources I have found helpful in this area:

The Best Wedding Reception Ever!

The book, The Best Wedding Reception Ever! by Peter Merry is one I would highly recommend to any bride and groom planning their wedding. It is full of great wedding planning ideas and things to look for in a DJ. The book is also a great tool for DJ’s to get some new ideas.

Wedding Toasts Made Easy

The book Wedding Toasts Made Easy by Tom Haibeck is a great resource for anyone being asked to make a toast or speech at a wedding. Not that I make toasts at the weddings I DJ, but this book applies to my work on the microphone and making announcements.

Of course there are many other books, videos, seminars on improving your MC skills, these are just two examples of how I try to take my MC skills and events up to the next level.

Professional DJ Conventions

There are several DJ conventions that typically occur early on in the year such as Mobile Beat Las Vegas, The Canadian DJ Show and NAMM.

I have been attending the Mobile Beat DJ convention for the past two years, and will be going again this year. The convention lasts almost an entire week and is full of seminars for DJ’s on many different topics, workshops, networking opportunities, and vendors showing off their latest products and technology.

Why do I go to DJ Conventions?

There are several reasons I go to Mobile Beat:

  • To give my clients extra value by keeping my “edge”
  • Learn about new trends in the industry
  • Attend several days worth of seminars on various topics for DJ’s, weddings, entertaining, marketing etc.
  • Network with other DJ’s from around the world
  • And of course, have a bit of fun too!

The Mobile Beat DJ convention is the largest in the world, there are seminars all day long on topics for every kind of DJ, I choose the ones that will help me improve my business and deliver to my clients.

DJ’s from all around the world come to this convention, and the networking is just as valuable to me as learning in the seminars. The relationships I create with other DJ’s helps me find new ideas, provides different perspectives, offers peer support, I could go on and on!

So, is your DJ doing it?

I am always looking for ways to improve my mobile DJ entertainment service and offer more value to my clients. Even with over 10 years of experience I know there is always something more to learn, improve upon or perfect.

When you are looking to hire a DJ, ask what they do to keep up with trends, traditions and improve their skills.

What else do you look for in a DJ? Leave a comment below! I plan to write a few more posts on things to look for when hiring a DJ.

And DJ’s, what other things do you do for your training? Leave a comment!

 

If you are looking for a wedding DJ in Montreal that can create a truly unique reception and the best wedding ever – before the party even starts – Uptown Xpress is your number one choice for an unforgettable wedding entertainment experience. Stefan Jez is one of the most popular wedding MC’s and DJ’s in Montreal, contact Stefan at 514-297-3508 or stefan@uptownxpress.com to begin your experience today!