What's it like where you are?

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I don't mean the weather!
I have been chatting to various DJ's over the past couple of days and the thing that is evident in my neck of the woods is that this year there doesn't seem to be many Sun, Mon, Tues, Weds Christmas Parties.

I have had a number of other local DJ's contact me to see if I need anything covered on these days but truth be told, I only have Thurs, Fri & Sat night parties. I have actually contacted a couple of other guys who I know well who may have some gigs going but it seems that the common thing here is that it's a quieter year than it usually is.

My last Christmas Party is on 17th December which is quite early really as I remember doing parties on 22nd and 23rd December in previous years. I have also had other functions on 27th, 28th & 29th before but not this year.

So, how is it where you are?
Are things a bit quieter?

I guess there are some pros as at least if you are a bit quieter you can take it a bit easier as we usually half kill ourselves throughout December.
Weird though eh? I mean, I am still doing more gigs during the month than I usually would because of the Thursdays too but it's usually busier.

[soundtracker]

I think perhaps Christmas has been cancelled and no-one told me! Having said that, still busy with Weddings! Perhaps the marketing as Wedding DJ has been too successful!

[Excalibur]

I think perhaps Christmas has been cancelled and no-one told me!
As far as functions go, that would appear to be the case here. :(

[soundmaster mobile disco]

Pretty much the same with me.I have to say that november was the worst month i can remember for lack of bookings,december apart from christmas party nights in my hotel residency i have not had many enquiries for private parties.

Mostly friday & saturday nights in december.I also have the last one on the 17th december.Still not any enquiries for hogmany yet.

Keep saying it can only get better but when!!!!!!!

[DeckstarDeluxe]

More Weddings than Xmas functions for me. I do know someone in HR that said around 47% of companies that had a "xmas function" in 2010 don't for this year.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Don't get me wrong, I am out every weekend as usual in December and also have 3 Thursdays too myself as well as 2 weddings that are being covered and also I have Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Years Eve too. It just doesn't seem as busy as it usually is because I have had stuff on Wednesdays and Sundays in previous years.

EDIT: Yes, I know Christmas Eve and New Years Eve are both Saturdays too. I mentioned them because I know of some DJ's that are still not working on those days. Another thing which is quite strange too is that I haven't had many enquiries for these dates. I usually get quite a few calls regarding New Years Eve especially. I've had about 3 calls but they were a few weeks back and 2 of those were for hiring equipment.

Ok, not bad for a solo operator etc but it just seems quiet. Last year, my main venue had 15 Christmas Parties. This year there are 10.

How about the Multi-Op's on here? How are you lot doing?

[Steve the DJ]

Honest answer?

Last year I covered 17 bookings in December, the bulk of which were Christmas parties.

This year I have 4 bookings, 2 Christmas parties, New Years Eve and a Wedding.

Am I bovvered?

Financially yes, the first quarter of 2012 is going to be very difficult in terms of money, but I always thought the end of this year was going to be tough so I had sort of come to terms in advance with what might happen.

Cest la vie. :shrug:

[Twinspin]

7 bookings for December.... Not got anything for NYE though

then 3 bookings for January 2012.

[ppentertainments]

Xmas parties ok, but now had 3 venues book nye then cancel

[NKR]

We picked up a bulk booking with Burnley FC early in the year, so we have 10 jobs on (no Christmas Eve thats for me and the Mrs and getting ready for the kids and no New Year as it was cancelled and gives us a rest). Burnley originally had 11 dates, but 23rd of December was cancelled due to lack of interest, so now 10. The others vary from 220 to 525 guests. Two Thursday and a Tue Wed in there as well as Friday and Saturdays.

[DazzyD]

No christmas parties as such but that's because I usually only work Fridays and Saturdays and these days are covered with resident gigs. I've got a couple of extra kids birthday parties before the end of the year (the next one being next Sunday) and NYE (although the new residency has also said they wanted me for NYE but I'm already booked and their night is a Friday but NYE is a Saturday so they're out of luck! We're sending another DJ over, though!).

Nine years ago I worked 5 nights a week in the run-up to Christmas but things are just not like that for me now.

[Jonathan Ford]

In a word....grim!

I'm running two hotels this year, and between them I'll not pull down the sum I took from one in 2009.

[DJ Paulie]

Think most venues here are offering such good deals with food and free rooms including a resident DJ, that businesses are going for that. Last night's gig for Butlers a lot of people had disappeared by midnight, probably downstairs to the club or somewhere else. That's all I've had now until end of Jan when doing a birthday :(

[yourdj]

Got plenty of parties but they are not half as busy as they were last year.

Companies are still in "credit crunch mode" I recon.

Next year should be better. :)

[STEVE HANLEY]

I've had 5 parties this weekend, 3 of them kids parties. Then nothing until the 17th when we have another 2 booked on the same day and that's it until early Jan.

I'm hoping some last minute stuff will come in, but I'm not holding my breath.:( :(

I havn't had a single enquiry for NYE

[Stu]

Plenty of work in December due to a run of xmas parties at one venue and picking up a couple of other midweek jobs.

Worryingly though January has nothing at all booked in yet!!!!!

[boomerangdiscos]

the hotel where i have a residency cancelled 4 nights including a friday at quite short notice, but i cant charge them a cancellation fee because i get at least 30 weddings a year plus a few other bits and pieces, i think some of the problem is that they are expensive for the area, a bottled beer or cider is about £4.50 the xmas meal is about 30 quid a head but there is so much competition because its a city centre venue with bars doing cheap offers a selection of all you can eat venues ect and with more groups organising there own and paying for their xmas night out rather than it being a thank you from the company these options are more popular.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

the hotel where i have a residency cancelled 4 nights including a friday at quite short notice, but i cant charge them a cancellation fee because i get at least 30 weddings a year plus a few other bits and pieces,

I understand what you are saying but don't necessarily agree. I have the same situation but still charge within a certain time scale.

[Steve the DJ]

Next year should be better. :)

I wouldn't bet on it.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Neither would I at the moment!
I remember looking at my bookings for 2011 this time last year and thinking that it was going to be a mammoth year as it looked like we were getting out of the recession. Yes, it's been a busy one for me and I am on target for my second best year in business but the lack of midweek Christmas Parties this year has kind of made me realise that it may not be as busy in 2012. Who knows? I have 19 weddings booked in already with booking fees paid etc and thankfully some of the early months of the year are already looking good but they have been booked in advance.

[Spirits High]

Not sure how the other Derbyshire jocks are getting on but for me I've only got 2 Christmas parties. However I do have 8 Weddings :D

I've always seemed to have more Weddings than parties anyway so not too fussed. It's been a good year for me and signs are good for next year with 58 Confirmed Weddings.

[Pe7e]

Without wishing to be the prophet of doom and gloom I can't see any reason for an improvement next year, but I can see many reasons for it to get worse, I hope I'm wrong.

[paulg]

No problems at all with the good people of South Yorkshire. Weekends full and plenty of mid week stuff too (schools, office parties).

Not working NYE by choice - will have made the monthly quota so why not have a night out?

[soundmaster mobile disco]

Not sure how the other Derbyshire jocks are getting on but for me I've only got 2 Christmas parties. However I do have 8 Weddings :D

I've always seemed to have more Weddings than parties anyway so not too fussed. It's been a good year for me and signs are good for next year with 58 Confirmed Weddings.



Thats excellent,whats your secret?

are they all your own bookings or are they coming direct from hotels who recommend you as a wedding dj?

[grebble]

No Christmas parties for me, just birthdays and both have stated NO Christmas music under any circumstances, which I can understand because as a Christmas Day baby myself, I know what it's like to have my day sullied by Christmas. I have an enquiry from a pub in Corby whose resident DJ has just called it a day, the landlord wanted a quote for Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve. I quoted quite low as I'm just starting out, but I never heard back from him so I guess it wasn't low enough! Then again, I have no real desire to do it (those who know Corby will know why) so I'm not fussed.

[Spirits High]

Thats excellent,whats your secret?

Thanks, wouldn't call it a secret. Just be yourself, act professionally when you're out & about. Give the client what they want not what you think they should have!




are they all your own bookings or are they coming direct from hotels who recommend you as a wedding dj?

No, I'd say about 50% do but I'm not included in any package deals so still have to sell myself.

Rest come direct to the website or via referrals from previous clients. As a non multi op I'm happy with the level of work I get. This year in total I would have done 76 Weddings and a few other bits and bobs.

[Leicester Ben]

Its certainly quieter for discos for us this year than previous years. We have just had a venue cancel its Friday and Saturday discos for the next 2 weeks due to poor ticket sales, luckily I've managed to re allocate the DJ through a local agent.

Our events side of the business are booming though, the gig we did on Saturday cost the client £7k so there is good work out there and companies are paying for stuff, its just a case of getting it!

[spin mobile disco]

A bad december and november for me. One of my regular venues closed its doors this year due to the chain going under. Christmas revenue is less than half of what I got last year and only a quarter of what I got the year before that.
Last year was bad due to cancellations due to the snow (one of my venues access was completely cut off). This year just seems to be dyign the death so to speak. Wedding clients are fine plenty of those but corporate and birthdays etc are down this year.

Christmas falling on a weekend is always lower than other years though as it is one less weekend to work on in most cases.

[Charlie Brown]

Last night was cancelled but I still received a cancellation fee (not a lot but enough for a night out)

Tonight I'm just taking it easy with some background music. We've got a few tables of 'rowdy/fun girls', some boring old farts and a few other tables. Only half full though, it'll be an early finish.

The rest of the week is looking brilliant though.

Next year's bookings are scary. Very low in compassion to other years and I'm meant to be improving my business! 5 weddings and a handful of private parties max. Terrible.

[STEVE HANLEY]

Next year will only be my third year doing this. I started out in this game when this current recession we are in was just starting to bite. We started off like many on here I would have thought. We thought let's give it a go and see what happens:D :D :D

Our first was decent I was surprised. I latched on to this forum very early on. I was instantly impressed by the standard of DJ/Businessman on here. So I listened and got to improve.

This year our second year. We've done more gigs and few more weddings than the year before and at higher prices. So all in all progress is going in the right direction.

Next year we have 2 parties booked on the 7th Jan. A couple dotted here and there and 6 weddings. Which is 6 more than we had at this time last year:) :)

[jamesh]

Its certainly quieter for discos for us this year than previous years. We have just had a venue cancel its Friday and Saturday discos for the next 2 weeks due to poor ticket sales, luckily I've managed to re allocate the DJ through a local agent.

Our events side of the business are booming though, the gig we did on Saturday cost the client £7k so there is good work out there and companies are paying for stuff, its just a case of getting it!

Have to agree with Ben here, DJ wise it's probably the quietest i've ever been but it's also been one of the most profitable as other parts of the events company and deckstand company have been keeping me more than busy without having to DJ as well and so far it doesn't look as though it will slow down anytime soon!

[JohnnyLarge]

Not sure how the other Derbyshire jocks are getting on but for me I've only got 2 Christmas parties. However I do have 8 Weddings :D

I've always seemed to have more Weddings than parties anyway so not too fussed. It's been a good year for me and signs are good for next year with 58 Confirmed Weddings.

I'm just getting started up again in the Chesterfield area. I used to be very well-known and get all my work by recommendation when I was mobile. I only had to advertise for 1 year and then I had six nights a week at various residencies. I packed up about six years ago but have been doing a few bits for the last couple of years.
I'm just taking my time and picking up the odd booking here and there. Prices don't seem to have changed a huge amount and speaking to one or two old contacts, there are a lot going out for £120 ish on a Saturday night.

Hopefully I can improve quite a bit on that and am preferred DJ at one location locally already.
You seem to be doing well - Well Done! Maybe we'll cross paths one day soon.

ATB

John:)