The Event Planning Nightmare - How To Avoid

If you are planning a party or function you will need to hire a DJ to entertain your guests. There are so many options in the field of DJ hire that it is sometimes difficult to assess what to look for. I want to start this article by relating a story that shows exactly what not to do when looking for a DJ hire company.

A local sports club decided, fairly late, that they needed entertainment for their New Year's party for the end of 2009. Having left the decision too late and not leaving enough time to check up on the potential entertainment options, they decided to go with a local DJ having heard about him from a club member's teenage son. After a short telephone conversation with the DJ, the person in charge of organizing the event made a deposit for the full amount of the DJ's services to his bank account.

Having checked off the entertainment part of the New Year's party, the organizing committee went ahead and finalized every detail of the event including catering and advertising. On the evening of the 31st the DJ did not show up and to cut a long story short the club lost a great deal of money and also good will from members who supported them by buying tickets for the event.

So what did the club's organizing committee do wrong? Firstly, they did not allow themsleve enough time to organize the occassion. It is essential to give yourself enough time when organizing a party. You need time to get at least three quotes for every aspect of your party, from catering through to entertainment. The club in question did not have the time to research entertainment companies and therefore took the first option that crossed their paths.

Secondly the DJ or DJ hire company that you decide on for the entertainment of your guests should be a business or at the very least a professional person. Not only will a professional DJ or DJ company have the best equipment, but they will also have a reputation to uphold. Our mentioned club never even enquired if the so-called DJ had equipment, but they also hired him without checking his reputation with past clients.

Lastly a professional DJ company will have some sort of a service contract that needs to be agreed upon before money is paid. The purpose of the contract is to protect the rights of both parties, and is an essential for any professional company. In the case of our sports club, they paid a deposit without a service contract and subsequently lost that deposit as well as any other money that the spent on the disastrous event.

In conclusion, the above scenario can and should be avoided at all costs. There is a basic rule of thumb when dealing with any service provider including DJ hire companies - always do your due dilligence and contact some previous clients of the prospective company. This will ensure that you get the service that you pay for.


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DerekJay Entertainment speciailizes in professional DJ services, jukebox hire and karaoke hire in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa.