By DJ Scott Shaw - Scott Shaw Productions - Myrtle Beach, SC
When I receive a call about DJ services, most clients begin by telling me about what kind of music they're looking for. Sometimes their descriptions of the music are fairly vague, and sometimes they're very specific. But the bottom line is that the conversation almost always begins with the music. This makes total sense. After all, I am the DJ, and providing great music for my client's event is a big part of what a DJ is supposed to do.
The other part of what a DJ does, is to determine how to use our tools and skills to compliment your plans. Knowing what kind of vibe that you're looking for, and what kind of presentations and activities you will be doing can tell me volumes about how I can do the best job you as my client. A great event has an ebb and flow of energy that creates what is often described as magic, and those "presentations" and "activities" are the foundation that helps create that magic on demand. I always try to encourage my clients to tell me all about their plans, and the plans that I'm referring to are not the venue, the food, and so forth, but rather, how their event is going to flow from beginning to end. More often than not, this is the part of the planning that they've thought the least about.
Most people know very little about planning an event. That's ok. It's not their job. But the reality is, if you know something about what makes a great event tick, you are going to have a much better idea about how to plan your event. Your plans will be more focused, you will get more bang for the buck from your vendors, and your event will be the one that people remember for years to come. Understanding the definitions of, and the differences between "presentations" and "activities" is the quickest way to grasp the fundamentals of planning a successful event.
Presentations
Anything that requires the attention of the group to be focused on a specific thing. This would include toasts, speeches, the grand entrance, special dances, etc. The quality of any of these things are greatly affected if people are not paying attention, and transformed into an audience for the short time that these things are happening. For this reason, this definition should apply to anything that needs to be presented in some way.
Activities
Anything that people do as a group at the same time, but not necessarily together would be defined as an activity. Another characteristic of an activity is that it can be one among many, or one big activity that is made up of many small activities, all happening simultaneously in one location. The cocktail hour is a perfect example of an activity, with a group of people socializing, having cocktails and conversations all at the same time, but with the conversations all taking place separately from one another throughout the venue. The wedding party going off to take pictures is an activity, the meal is an activity, dancing is an activity, and so on.
The best way to think about putting together your event is to think of it like cooking a great meal. The "presentations" and "activities" are your ingredients, and your "timeline" is your recipe. The way that you place your activities and Presentations in your timeline is going to determine the flavor of your event. As you begin thinking about how to combine everything, imagine the presentations as your spice and the activities as your main dish. When you think your event in this way, it's easy to understand how five minutes of a great presentation can greatly enhance the flavor of the 30 minutes of activities that follow!
Ebb and flow, energy and release ... see what I mean?
Now, let's take this concept of activities and presentations, and use it to define your own ideas that you would like to include in your event. Adding those creative and sometimes crazy ideas that might have crossed your mind is the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and will inject your personality into your event. Understanding whether your idea falls into the presentation category or the activities category will tell you what approach needs to be taken to make that idea come to life.
I always enjoy it when a client comes to me with specific ideas, for it's always lots of fun working together to discover how and where the idea will work the best. My job as a DJ is to work with you to polish up the ideas that you have and make them shine. Helping a client take an idea from a thought to a great moment in their event is one of the most rewarding part of what I do as a DJ!
I hope you have found this article useful, and that it helps you to enjoy the process of planning your own great event! For further insights on planning, be sure to read my upcoming article that discusses creating a successful timeline in more depth.
For more information and great wedding and event ideas, visit us at:
www.scottshawproductions.com
The other part of what a DJ does, is to determine how to use our tools and skills to compliment your plans. Knowing what kind of vibe that you're looking for, and what kind of presentations and activities you will be doing can tell me volumes about how I can do the best job you as my client. A great event has an ebb and flow of energy that creates what is often described as magic, and those "presentations" and "activities" are the foundation that helps create that magic on demand. I always try to encourage my clients to tell me all about their plans, and the plans that I'm referring to are not the venue, the food, and so forth, but rather, how their event is going to flow from beginning to end. More often than not, this is the part of the planning that they've thought the least about.
Most people know very little about planning an event. That's ok. It's not their job. But the reality is, if you know something about what makes a great event tick, you are going to have a much better idea about how to plan your event. Your plans will be more focused, you will get more bang for the buck from your vendors, and your event will be the one that people remember for years to come. Understanding the definitions of, and the differences between "presentations" and "activities" is the quickest way to grasp the fundamentals of planning a successful event.
Presentations
Anything that requires the attention of the group to be focused on a specific thing. This would include toasts, speeches, the grand entrance, special dances, etc. The quality of any of these things are greatly affected if people are not paying attention, and transformed into an audience for the short time that these things are happening. For this reason, this definition should apply to anything that needs to be presented in some way.
Activities
Anything that people do as a group at the same time, but not necessarily together would be defined as an activity. Another characteristic of an activity is that it can be one among many, or one big activity that is made up of many small activities, all happening simultaneously in one location. The cocktail hour is a perfect example of an activity, with a group of people socializing, having cocktails and conversations all at the same time, but with the conversations all taking place separately from one another throughout the venue. The wedding party going off to take pictures is an activity, the meal is an activity, dancing is an activity, and so on.
The best way to think about putting together your event is to think of it like cooking a great meal. The "presentations" and "activities" are your ingredients, and your "timeline" is your recipe. The way that you place your activities and Presentations in your timeline is going to determine the flavor of your event. As you begin thinking about how to combine everything, imagine the presentations as your spice and the activities as your main dish. When you think your event in this way, it's easy to understand how five minutes of a great presentation can greatly enhance the flavor of the 30 minutes of activities that follow!
Ebb and flow, energy and release ... see what I mean?
Now, let's take this concept of activities and presentations, and use it to define your own ideas that you would like to include in your event. Adding those creative and sometimes crazy ideas that might have crossed your mind is the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and will inject your personality into your event. Understanding whether your idea falls into the presentation category or the activities category will tell you what approach needs to be taken to make that idea come to life.
I always enjoy it when a client comes to me with specific ideas, for it's always lots of fun working together to discover how and where the idea will work the best. My job as a DJ is to work with you to polish up the ideas that you have and make them shine. Helping a client take an idea from a thought to a great moment in their event is one of the most rewarding part of what I do as a DJ!
I hope you have found this article useful, and that it helps you to enjoy the process of planning your own great event! For further insights on planning, be sure to read my upcoming article that discusses creating a successful timeline in more depth.
For more information and great wedding and event ideas, visit us at:
www.scottshawproductions.com
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