Midwest DJs Live started in January 2008 as a one-off get-together in Milwaukee called Practice and NJoy, in the back of Buckets Pub in Racine, Wisconsin. At the very first mini-workshop some 30 DJs came to meet and greet, to try their hand at mixing on a variety of different setups, and to network. Ideas were swapped, tricks were shown, and it was agreed that a similar event should be attempted the following year, still in the Midwest.

These initial attendees were mostly DJs who had their own YouTube channels and who wanted to share with each other, so the name changed to ‘YouTube DJs Live’ the following year.

Suppliers also started to request to be a part of the show, and in 2010 we welcomed NLFX Pro and Eternal Lighting, amongst others.

Much has changed since those early shows – and we didn’t settle on the name Midwest DJs Live until its fifth anniversary in 2013 – but the core reasons to attend are still the same. Camaraderie, knowledge, product demos, purchasing gear, and, of course, the traditional party on the Sunday evening before the show, are what keep attendees coming back.

In terms of production, the show has grown from taking place in the back of a bar to being a full two-day conference, complete with the latest in stage production, a packed itinerary of high-quality educational content for DJs, networking through round table discussions and focused time, and ever-evolving nightlife parties. And then there is the show floor, where attendees and sponsors connect, giving the space for vendors to learn about their target audience and for DJs to touch and feel the latest gear.

For many DJs, Midwest DJs Live has become the must-attend DJ conference. Over the years, we’ve welcomed attendees from almost every state in the United States, many Canadian provinces, the UK, and as far away as Brisbane, Australia. Attendees return to network with friends, learn from each other and find ways to grow their businesses. The show is still hosted every year in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, close to where Midwest DJs Live started out. Whilst it may not have the glitz and glamour of the bigger US shows in Atlantic City or Las Vegas, it offers a more intimate setting and has the benefit of being in the middle of the country, making it that bit easier for a lot of people to reach.

One of the earliest Midwest DJs Live board members, former president Alan Robb (aka the Scottish DJ), once said, “We want to build a DJ show that we would want to attend.” In fact, the board members themselves would always buy tickets to the following year’s show to give them seed money to begin funding it! These principles led to the birth and trademarking of our
slogan: ‘The Show For DJs By DJs’.

As the former education director and past president of the show, the secret sauce behind growing the show from 2017 to 2021 (while I served as the education director) was working with DJs who have the heart of a servant and a desire to give back to the industry that helped make them, and programming education directly to the needs of the DJs who attend. When programming education, I tried to include each of the six facets we have to manage in our DJ businesses day after day: marketing, sales, operations, planning, production and performance.

Over the years we have brought in the National Basketball Association and the Milwaukee Bucks DJ Shawna (NBA DJ of the Year). We’ve had improv performers, elite business coaches, and industry icons like Mike Walter and Mark Ferrell grace our stages, whilst another standout feature of our show is our round tables. This is where we provide a direct opportunity for attendees to learn from each other, and for many attendees the round tables are the highlight of the show.

The future is bright, not just for Midwest DJs Live, but for all the DJs we serve. In 2020 we became a 100% not-for-profit educational organisation led by volunteer directors who are active DJ business owners. We are the only not-for-profit DJ conference in America today. All funds raised are invested in our mission to serve the DJ community by continuing to offer educational growth opportunities.

Shortly after becoming a true not-for-profit, Shaun Shouldeen (current VP of Public Relations and an outstanding DJ with an intimate working knowledge of lasers, the club world, events of all kinds and non-profit organisations) championed our DJs Loving DJs Fund. DJs Loving DJs is a designated DJ community grant fund which provides real help to DJs in our community during times of need. All money donated stays in the fund and is used only for this purpose. When we learn of a DJ in need, the directors discuss the need and vote for or against providing a grant. We couldn’t provide this assistance without the generosity of our sponsors, vendors and DJs who attend Midwest DJs Live, and to them we say “thank you”.