The main thing I love about the entertainment industry is the sheer volume of innovation. We've all seen ideas suddenly enter the market, become absolutely huge, and then disappear just as quickly. Indeed, we have a special saying for this – "it's just the latest chocolate fountain!"

When did you last see one of those? We work with a venue who offers one of their own as an add-on – a logical consequence of charging good money for a relatively easy service is that the venues we work in just pick up on the idea and do it themselves. But if someone asked me for a recommendation for one now, I'd have no idea where to send them.

But there are also a lot of new ideas that stick. In particular, those that genuinely add to any gathering and are the type that can't really be watered down without turning them into a pointless charade anyway. This brings me to an article by Teejai in this issue.
Teejai writes about starting his evening entertainment outside. This, of course, isn't entirely new, but it's also not very common. I've personally DJ'd outside on a handful of occasions, and it was always for the duration of the event. This has largely been because of the extra difficulty involved in moving quickly. But today's modern equipment makes the idea very feasible. The type of DJing Teejai talks about is very pared down, designed to suit an early evening mood before transitioning back inside for the main event.

We now have access to speakers and controllers that will perform happily on battery power – and the latest models of self-powered speakers are even able to charge a handheld microphone (see my review on page 62). Just when you thought you didn't need any more kit!

What I definitely do not love, though, is the disappearing face of retail. 2025 has been the year of shifting tides, especially for retailers of DJ equipment. A combination of increasing costs and declining revenues has created the perfect storm for the very people who are most able to help us on our DJ journey.

Retail has changed so much over the last few decades. On local social media pages, the loss of banks is moaned about on a weekly basis, and as an ex-bank manager, that one resonates deeply with me. I saw the advancement of technology change the sector firsthand and happily got out just when the going got really tough.
And now, all but two of the many branches I worked in over a long career have closed – and I don't hold out much hope for any bank branch of any brand. People just don't use banks in the same way now, and there really is no point in paying for all the costs of a branch for no reason.

And now, the same is happening with music equipment retailers. This is different – it's very easy to get an advance on your bank account or mortgage over the phone or internet. But I truly believe the same is not true when you're comparing, say, the sound of a PA system or how a controller actually feels when you perform. And I especially don't think there is a good supply of quality advice without our hard-working retailers. The internet is filled with opinions on all things DJ-related. And you know what we say about opinions...

Let's get behind our remaining retailers – many of whom support our industry, often in unrecognised ways. And I'd also ask that we all support any DJ gatherings, as these are also reducing in numbers. I'll leave you with the final words from one of my favourite Janet Jackson songs: "Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got 'til it’s gone."

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