By Sarah Babineau of Drive Productions
Hiring a DJ can be an intimidating task. Is the person I interview going to be the person who DJs my party? What happens if my DJ has an emergency on the night of my event and can't make it? Does this DJ have the experience necessary to handle an event like mine?
Here are the five most important questions to consider when hiring a DJ:
1) If you work with a production company, will you get to meet and interview the DJ who will be working your party before the event?
A good time frame is about 4 weeks prior to your event. This will give you enough time to compile a list of requests and tell your DJ about your event, but if you are not comfortable with your DJ at the time of the meeting, you may still have time to find a different one.
2) Do they have a back up DJ in case the DJ you hire is unable to perform at the last minute?
The best answer you can hope for here is that if your DJ is unable to make your event, (through no fault of your own) they will do their best to find a substitution or give you a full refund. Make sure there is a refund clause in your contract too.
3) How will your requests and special instructions be passed along to the DJ?
Ideally, you would give the DJ this information at the final interview before your event, but have someone bring an extra copy to the event in case of an emergency substitution or lost paperwork.
4) If you hire an independent DJ, can they provide written references for the same event-type as yours? Can they give you the name of a happy client you can contact for a reference?
You should aim to contact at least one reference yourself. Many DJs will have quotes on their website from past happy clients and you can get an idea of how heartfelt the referrals were from written references as well. The more detail a client provides usually indicates how happy they were overall. But make sure you email or call someone directly too.
5) Most importantly, trust your instincts!
If something about the booking agency or the DJ leaves you with an uncomfortable gut-feeling, don't book them. There are plenty of DJs out there of all ages and experiences, you can find a DJ who will work magic and help ensure that your event is a success!
Sarah Babineau
Drive Productions
Acoustic Duo & DJ Team
www.DriveProductions.net
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