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by Drax

Bar \ Bat Mitzvah Theme

Selecting the right theme for your Bar \ Bat Mitzvah early
can put your celebration on the path to success. While a
theme is not necessary, it can make choosing a venue
and entertainment easier.

Here are some questions to ask your son \ daughter that
will get you started. What is their favorite…

Color, Food, Movie, Actor\Actress, Model, Singer, Band,
Song, Teacher, Subject, Sport, Team, Player, TV Show,
Cartoon, Hobby, and so on.

The answers may surprise you. Now armed with a theme
you are ready to select a place and entertainment that
will support your plans.

ADJA entertainers who specialize in Bar \ Bat Mitzvah
can help you with more theme ideas to personalize
your celebration.

by Drax

ADJA Announces Expanded Credentialling Program

As announced at the 2011 ADJA National meeting in Las Vegas Nevada, where we announced the Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies credential we indicated that there would be additional credentialing programs established as time went on in 2011. It has taken us a bit longer than expected but in keeping with that promise, the American Disc Jockey Association is pleased to announce its increased emphasis and focus upon education and recognizing the educational pursuits of our members. Our members have requested additional credentialing to augment the existing Continuing Education Credits program and the Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies or the CPMC for some time.

We are pleased to add the following new credentialing opportunities for our members recognition and advancement they are:

1.) CPME Certified Professional Mitzvah Entertainer
A.) 5 letters of reference from other event professionals in their market relating to their Mitzvah Entertainer abilities.
B.) Pass an Oral test on knowledge of the Mitzvah celebration.
C.) At least 5 videos of no more than 10min in length each demonstrating their skills at various aspects of a Mitzvah.
D.) 5 letters of reference from past Clients willing to be contacted by ADJA.

this credential will be highlighted on the Mitzvah Guild website and will carry an enhanced listing.  For those entertainers who have earned their CPME.

2.) CPKH Certified Professional Karaoke Host
A.) 5 letters of reference from other event professionals in their market relating to their Hosting abilities.
B.) 3 letters of reference from past venues where you have provided Karaoke Hosting services for atleast 6 weeks each.
C.) At least 5 videos of no more than 10min in length each demonstrating their Hosting skills as a Karaoke Host.
D.) Submission to an audit of your Karaoke Library to validate your use of a legal Karaoke Library.

We are very excited to assist Sound Choice and Chartbusters assist in this process to help elevate and improve the karaoke industry.  This credential will be highlighted on the new American Karaoke Host website, as well as the AKJA website where we will place increasing emphasis on educating venues and consumers about the importance of hiring professional karaoke hosts.
ADJA members that indicate in their profiles that they provide Karaoke will also be listed on these new websites free of charge!

3.) CPSE Certified Professional School Event Entertainer
A.) 5 letters of reference from other event professionals in their market relating to their School Event DJ abilities.
B.) 3 Letters of reference from schools where you have performed recently willing to be contacted by ADJA.
C.) At least 5 videos of no more than 10min in length each demonstrating their school event skills at various types of school
      events.

4.) CPWE Certified Professional Wedding Entertainer
A.) 5 letters of reference from other event professionals in their market relating to their abilities as a wedding entertainer.
B.) 3 of the last schedules or planners or scripts that they prepared for use as a Wedding Entertainer.
C.) 5 letters of reference from past clients willing to be contacted by ADJA.
D.) At least 5 videos of no more than 10min in length each demonstrating their skills as a wedding DJ.
E.) 4 continuing education credits relating to the role of a Wedding Entertainer such as love story workshops, grand
      entrance workshops etc.

This credential can be a great first step for those that desire it towards attaining a Wedding Entertainment Director status from the Wed Guild.

5.) CPYE Certified Professional Youth Events Entertainer
A.) 5 letters of reference from other event professionals in their market relating to their Youth Event abilities.
B.) 3 letters of reference from recent past clients willing to be contacted by ADJA..
C.) At least 5 videos of no more than 10min in length each demonstrating their skills at various types of Kids events.

6.) CPLE Certified Professional Latin Events Entertainer
A.) 5 letters of reference from other event professionals in their market relating to their proficiency at Latin Events
B.) 3 Letters from past clients willing to be contacted by the ADJA.
C.) At least 5 videos of no more than 10min in length each demonstrating their skills at various types of latin events.
D.) Demonstrated proficiency in Spanish & passing an oral exam on Latin Events.

By now you’ve probably noticed that many of these credentials follow closely the subsets shown on the ADJA national website.  This was intentional so that we may better focus consumers on finding and hiring the right entertainers for their needs.  However, none of these credentials will carry with it any premium placement in any of the search result.s at ADJA. all full members will be listed fairly and equally as they presently are.  those earning one or more of these credentials will notice that their profiles will carry the badge appropriately of the credential earned.

At some point in the future, if the membership desires.  We may expand the find a DJ topical sub search to include searching for recipients of these respective credentials.  However before that day can come we need to see a large number of our members step up & earn these badges so that when a consumer does that future topical subsearch, they will find some results within their market. We will be very excited and eager to receive feedback from our members, and how we can best tune and adjust this program to better suit the needs of our members and to better help them to build and grow their business.

We look forward to assisting you in your efforts to earn these exciting new credentials & your excited participation and feedback on these tremendous new opportunities to enhance and expand your business and your profile with ADJA.

by Drax

ADJA Conference Scores All A’s

The ADJA Conference scores all A’s & is all set to blow the roof off Las Vegas. A-List location, Las Vegas Hilton, A-List presenters, 35 seminars, A-List exhibitors, all the major mfg. Over 50 booths, A-List entertainment, See nationally ranked performers, Details to follow. All in a Las Vegas setting with gorgeous weather, & All for the Absolutely stunning price of just $49 Sign up today. ADJAConference.com

by Drax

Iconic Leader of Apple dies at 56. The World Is Better Because He Was In It.

Wednesday Oct 5th, Iconic visionary Steve Jobs passes from a long battle with Cancer.  Steve Jobs built a company that created personal computing, was fired from that company only later to be brought back to resurrect it, & resurrect it he did!  He created technologies that changed everyone’s lives directly or indirectly.  He create whole new catagories of technologies.

He changed the way music was bought & sold in the world, literally saving the music industry from itself.  Where would music be today without iTunes?  While professional DJs have always gotten their music from Professional Music Services such as Promo Only, iTunes restored people’s interest in music & in listening to new forms of music they might not have, had they needed to buy a $20 CD to do so.

He changed wireless Telecommunications with the first & still the most popular smartphone in the world.  The only instructions you needed was a finger or two, & the ability to touch.

He touched so many lives with technologies that enriched the human experience.  Personally, he represented the best of what we hope in a nation, that anyone can have a dream & make it happen if they are willing to do the work.  He has spawned numerous technologies that we use everyday without really knowing their origin.  He defined what it meant at a CEO to be all in.  His salary?  $1/year.  He banked his future on that of the company he led.  I wished more CEOs would do likewise.  Think how much more focused they would be without a golden parachute.  But maybe they don’t, because they know that their no Steve Jobs……

Steve Jobs was to our day, what Edison was to his.  I think I am feeling the need to pull out a black turtleneck & jeans today……  To remember if for just a while the value & power of a single life really has to shape our world……..

 

by Drax

Bridal Lists and Wedding Dates for DJ’s

 

You are getting married when?

So you purchased a bridal list, or you have a list from a bridal show. You receive regular leads via an online service such as Respond, the Perfect Wedding Guide or WedAlert, and the wedding date is 5 days away (HURRY)? Or 5 years from today (wait)?

Confused? Do not worry. I am here to explain the truth about brides and their wedding dates. Bottom line, few wedding dates from a bridal show \ list, or an online service, are correct.

Respectfully submitted…

vThey are getting married someday, but do not know when

vWhen they confirm their venue, the date changes

vThey want to buy a house first, then get married

vThe boyfriend has not proposed yet

vNot the bride…

ØVendor at the show – Photo, Video, Planner…

ØParents of the bride \ groom

ØRelative of the bride \ groom

ØFriend helping the bride

ØIn the wedding party

vPostponed, for a variety of reasons

vCanceled

vEloped 

And the list of reasons the date is not correct go on and on.

Also some lists are peppered with phony names to protect the list owners. These names report back to the list owner to make sure services who use the list have paid for it.

But, do not be discouraged. This is just part of the wedding game. Having a good campaign in place will help you remedy this (possibly) incorrect date issue. For example many of my letters\Emails include what I think is their date.

Congratulations on your upcoming Wednesday February 18th, 2015 wedding!

This can be a RED flag for the bride interested in your services, prompting her to reply, Oh, not that date, our date is —

Notice the above proposed date includes the day, in this case Wednesday. I have another notice that asks, is Wednesday February 18th, 2015 really your date? Because if you are truly getting married on a weekday we offer mid-week specials.

by Drax

DJ’s Put It In The Corner

Put it in the corner

Recently I received pictures to scan for a photo montage. The images included photos from a previous event, a Bar Mitzvah, that also had a Disc Jockey, from another company.

This DJ did what most DJs do, he set up center, next to the dance floor. This Bar Mitzvah included a candle lighting service, popular for such events, and the candles were placed on a table centered on the dance floor.

Which means every picture of the candle lighting service included the DJ in the background. No way to crop him out of the image. Every picture of this special moment included the DJ – Cuing music, taking a drink (of water I hope), equipment cables and cords, and brown boxes of props with the logo of Oriental Trading in plain view. Can anyone say UGLY?

When it was my turn to perform for this client, another Bar Mitzvah, in the same venue\room, I set up off to the side, and provided a video screen as the center piece for the dance floor and the candle lighting service. Projecting a big picture of the Bar Mitzvah boy in a baseball uniform to match his sports theme.

I was still plenty visible off to the side, just not in the way of the audience and cameras enjoying special dances and activities. A wireless microphone and a few steps to the center of the dance floor made me the center of attention when needed, and out of sight when not.

Respectfully, prove that it truly is all about your client, and put it in the corner!

by Drax

DJ’s Got Game? Need Inspiration? Got a Minute?

 

Got Game? Need Inspiration? Got a Minute?

Minute to win it is the solution. This show is filled with fun, easy to play games using simple household items as the props. Great for youth events and the like.

by Drax

DJ’s Keep Track of Your Internet Buzz

 

Google Alerts

Blogs, forums, websites, online E-zines… What are they saying about you? What are they saying about your company? What’s the buzz?

Google Alerts can help you find out when someone online says something about you, your company and\or your services.

Actually you can set Google Alerts to track anything.

  • Monitoring a developing news story
  • Keeping current on a competitor or industry
  • Getting the latest on a celebrity or event
  • Keeping tabs on your favorite sports teams
  • Track client activity to be responsive to their needs

This is just one of many cool tools Google offers for free. Create an account for free and see.

by Drax

New Service for DJ’s to Share Files and Photos

 


DropBox is a great way to share, keep, and manage files on the net. Up to 2 gig for free!

It’s perfect for clients who want to send you photos and other large files. Or vice a versa.

And is an easy way to share time lines, floor plans and more with everyone on the event team – Bride & Groom, parents, venue, vendors etc.