My last event for 2007 took place on Tuesday night, at the fantastic WaterPlace restaurant in Providence. It was a corporate holiday party for just over 50 people, and it was a fantastic way to cap off a successful year. I started the night playing a mix of upbeat Christmas music (including some of the tracks in my recent Top Five post). Later, I segued into some R&B, classic disco and then some current hits. Everyone seemed to have a great time, and I received a thank-you email yesterday from the organizer of the event saying that I did a great job.
As I was driving home after the party, I was thinking about what made it such a great time. First, it wasn’t too formal or stiff - there was no sit-down meal, just drinks and lots of tasty appetizers. Second, there were no awkward speeches from the company president. Third, the venue had the right layout. Guests had places to sit and room to mingle, but the setup of the room and locations of the food stations encouraged people to move around. Most importantly, and I don’t want to sound like I’m bragging, but this is so true - the DJ kept the party atmosphere moving forward without ever taking over the room. Let me explain:
I participate in a number of DJ forums and do tons of networking with other DJs, and one thing many of them talk about this time of year are icebreaker-type skits and games that they can do at holiday parties. While I understand that some audiences have come to expect a DJ to put on some sort of wacky “show” at the office holiday party because it’s what they’re used to, my style is completely different. Sure, I can do all of those games and be a charming party host, but some parties just don’t need that. This party was one of them. Instead of taking the “Hey, I’m your DJ!” approach and getting on the microphone every chance I got, I chose to take a different route and focused on guests’ enjoyment of the overall event. That meant watching to make sure they were enjoying the evening, keeping the music at a level loud enough to hear but soft enough that they could carry on a converation without shouting loudly, and making sure that EVERY song I played kept their feet tapping. When they were ready, some tables got moved, the music got louder and we made some room for dancing - it was an outstanding party.
On a side note, the valet guys at WaterPlace were EXTREMELY helpful during my arrival and again at the end of the night. Traffic in Providence was terrible, and DJ gear isn’t designed to be wheeled over snowbanks. Because it was my first time playing at WaterPlace, I was nervous about how I’d manage to get all of my equipment into the building during rush hour. Thanks to them, I was able to load-in and pack up very easily.