We’ve had a busy couple of months with a lot of travel. At the end of April Steve and I attended Midwest DJs Live in Milwaukee, and in May we attended IMEX in Frankfurt – a show that brings cities and venues together at a huge expo. Both of these trips were vital for planning the future of Pro Mobile and Photobooth Expo events.

Midwest DJs Live has been held since 2008 and is the closest show in terms of scale and content to Pro Mobile Conference. I have always wanted to make the show and this year was the first time we could make it. We would like to place on record our thanks to Mitch Taylor (who has also put together an article on the show in this issue) for his invitation and hospitality.

One of the main things I have learnt from attending Midwest DJs Live, but also several years of Mobile Beat and latterly Mobile Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas is that the fundamental delivery of a mobile DJ service is not really that different wherever the DJ is. We use the same gear, play the same obvious floor-fillers with of course, subtle differences in overall music styles in exactly the same way as a DJ in London plays different content to one in Manchester. But our job is simply to entertain a group of people.

The biggest difference though between a UK DJ and a Stateside one, is that I have a strong preference for their timings! I’ve always thought that holding a first dance at pretty much any venue's allotted time, usually around 7.30 to 8pm, is far too early. Evening guests most often arrive from 7pm and of course go on arriving until after the first dance. This means a couple is often distracted by new arrivals and then straight after the first dance, its’s time for the buffet!

All of this takes place anything up to three hours after the wedding breakfast - are British DJs unique in that we have to breathe life into a group of people who are often drunk, mixed with new arrivals who are sober, distracted couples and guests (don’t forget that food), and then do our utmost to keep a party going until midnight? Plus, starting at 7pm means a full five hours of doing our best to entertain a very mixed group.

Over the pond, the first dance most often takes place straight after the wedding breakfast. When I first heard this, I thought it was odd. Yet, a two-hour meal filled with catching up, eating, drinking and speeches, has happened and everyone is ready to celebrate.
The evening often finishes around 10pm, everyone goes home leaving the hardcore to get taxis to places where they might continue the party. Sounds ideal to me.

Our second trip to Frankfurt was a great chance to catch up with the PBX team and talk about a location for a European show. Our London show is going well with a sold-out trade floor, a fabulous speaker line-up, and tickets are selling fast. The trick now is going to be pulling the same off in Europe and what we need is a city that has it’s own reason to visit, as well as also having a good venue to hold the number of exhibitors and visitors we need.

There is so much to putting one of these shows on, I've been attending various versions for years, and always took them for granted. I suppose this is what they call karma! But when I hear about the deals done, the learnings achieved by colleagues, the enthusiasim of the exhibitors, I'm always glad we did it.

I hope to see you in London in October. And maybe, possibly, Amsterdam the year after.