This past March, our company president, Ron Peene, made his annual pilgrimage to Mobile Beat Las Vegas at the Tropicana. It is a National DJ Conference sponsored by Mobile Beat Magazine that keeps your San Antonio DJ up to date on the latest trends and equipment in the industry. In Ron’s words, “The show has gotten better over the years” even though it has become more about effects and environments rather than sound and music. It all goes together to create an atmosphere for your event.
Keynote Speakers
Two keynote speakers stood out to Ron: Redfoo and John Taffer. Redfoo is best known as the main singer in LMFAO of Party Rock Anthem fame. What you may not know about him is that he is the son of Berry Gordy, Jr., the founder of the Motown record label. Giving his solo career a fair shake, Redfoo answered questions from conference attendees about his musical background and family history before performing at a late night show. His music career was born out of his background as a DJ. He wanted to make an album for DJs, songs you could play in the club with the signature build and drop. “When I DJ, I do it as a party, and I’m part of the party.”
John Tafferis the business-minded expert from the television show Bar Rescue.He, too, has a background in music and as a DJ, but his presentation was more about the business of environments and how enhancing a DJ’s performance skills will enhance an event or venue. “We don’t play music; we play human reaction… We are in the business of reactions.”
Exhibit Hall
The exhibit hall is where you find the new “wow” factors. Ron says, “The exhibit hall is always fascinating.” It’s a multi-faceted display of the search for the next “new-fangled” thing. In photo booths alone, he saw slo-mo photo booths, green screens with different backdrops, and confetti effects on the booth itself.
One of the biggest trends of improvement is in the area of lighting. There are now vertical poles with a series of LED lights and a lighting unit that controls them. They can be placed throughout a room for spaced out lighting effects or together to form a vertical marquee or series of raindrops. An event is all about atmosphere, and these types of innovations open up broader possibilities for how to create a specific atmosphere.
Room For Improvement
As with any event, there’s always room for improvement. For Mobile Beat this year, Ron’s biggest question was: Why does the program go right through lunch? Why not allow for a lunch break without attendees feeling like they’re missing vital information? That seems like a fair question.
On Site Purchase: the opportunity to dance on the clouds
Ron was able to make some purchases for Cutting Edge Entertainment on site there in Vegas. In addition to some new lighting equipment, he purchased a dry ice machine called the Nimbus. The Nimbus allows a DJ to use the dry ice to cover the dance floor with what appears to be low-laying clouds. This five to seven-minute special effect is perfect for brides and grooms who want their first dance to be on the clouds.
