What questions should I ask before booking a corporate event DJ?
There’s more to any corporate gathering than it being just a meeting of colleagues. It’s a great opportunity to showcase your brand, impress clients and bring your team together outside the office while giving them a fresh sense of purpose and direction.
Hire a DJ for your corporate event and you set the perfect tone for the occasion from the outset. What’s more, a DJ can read a room and adjust their set as necessary with tailored soundtracks, catering for a diverse set of guests and musical tastes.
A professional like this just lifts your event, and helps break the ice if not everyone there has met previously.
What to ask before you book
As with anything else, there are a number of things to ask in advance before you commit to a DJ for your corporate gathering. Here, we give an overview of some of them:
- Can you also deal with MC duties and event announcements?
Often, DJs can do so much more than just belt out a few tunes. Ask if they can also make professional announcements throughout the occasion and act as MC, essentially taking care of the audio side of things.
Find out what happens during networking sessions, breaks or at mealtimes – will they handle background music at these points during the day?
- What is your experience with corporate events?
Running the sound at a company party or conference is quite different from being a DJ at a wedding. So find out what experience your potential candidate has specifically with these occasions. Have they previously done events similar to yours?
- Logistical and technical requirements
Ask how much time your DJ will need to set up and run sound checks. Does their package include professional sound and lighting equipment, or would that command an extra charge?
It’s also worth understanding how much physical space will be needed to perform the set, and how much electrical power will be required. Does equipment have all necessary Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) certification?
What happens if the DJ becomes ill or there is equipment failure during the event?
Finally, ask about what the policy is if you have to cancel or reschedule.
- Insurance
Your DJ should have a valid Public Liability Insurance (PLI) policy in place before performing a set at a corporate event. And, in fact, for health and safety reasons most venues will expect this as well. So don’t forget to ask about insurance arrangements.
- Music and playlists
Be sure that your DJ can work with a diverse crowd and read the room, and knows what to do if they sense that energy levels aren’t where they should be.
Find out if they can work with you to curate a custom playlist and, for example, whether staff will be able to submit song requests ahead of the event.
DJs for your corporate party from Gecko Live
At Gecko Live, we have more than 15 years’ experience of event entertainment, and fully understand the specific needs of the corporate sector. Our founders are all musicians themselves, so we know what acts work best in different venue types, and which performers will best help you meet your business goals for the occasion.
What’s more, all our performers have been handpicked for their genuine talent and professionalism – we work with select groups of artists rather than lists of thousands.
Browse our acts here; they include the likes of DJ Ross, our versatile, top-selling DJ who comes complete with booth, lighting and sound system. Alternatively, Sax Live combines the flexibility of a DJ with a live band’s raw energy.
Get in touch today about hiring one of our brilliant DJs for your next corporate gathering, safe in the knowledge that your event will be in good hands.