You Can Do This. If You Want To.

I am still on a high from the incredible trip to Mobile Beat Las Vegas last March. This was my 7th consecutive trip to that conference and it was easily the best experience yet.

Would you like to (one day) attend a DJ conference such as Mobile Beat Las Vegas, the CDJ Show, Midwest DJs Live, ARMDJs or DJ Expo?

Here are a few quick words of advice:

Stop hoping.

Quit wishing.

Enough with the daydreams.

None of those things are going to get you there.

These thoughts and ideas represent stories we tell ourselves to stave off the un-comfort of admitting we do not want to actually put in the effort to accomplish, in this case, attending a DJ conference. These stories are a waste of your time and they are stunting your business potential and next level success as a mobile DJ.

(some of you have other commitments that fall outside of what has been written above and I completely understand those situations but you might still get something from what I share below)

Here is how to get to that DJ conference you have been hoping, wishing and dreaming of attending: plan for it.

Assuming you already have a passport (my fellow Canadian and overseas friends), attending a DJ conference does not require as much money as you might imagine.

(if attending from overseas, travel is going to change this of course)

My total cost (in Canadian dollars) to attend Mobile Beat Las Vegas 2017 was as follows:

$308 – Mobile Beat Las Vegas pass (purchased late, after early bird deadline)
$690 – flight & 2 cab/Uber rides
$495 – 4 nights hotel (shared room with another DJ)
$730 – food & beverage (this was high, for a variety of personal reasons)
$2223 – TOTAL (4 nights, spends high on food/drink)

As of this writing, that total equals $1660 US dollars, £1329 GB pounds, $2190 AU dollars.

(this does not include personal spending such as attending a Cirque show or buying optional things such as books, DVDs, gear, etc.)

Based on 45 events per year (my average), the above dollar figure equates to setting aside just $50 from each event to pay for this entire trip. If you are doing 80 events every year, this only works out to $28 per event. If 20 events per year is closer to your average, then you’ll have to squeeze $111 from each event into a savings account for a trip like this.

Figure out your own numbers, but keep in mind that my total expenditure is much higher then some DJs that attend Mobile Beat. I know many Canadian colleagues that make this trip happen for under $2000 and some make it work on less then $1500.

Attending a DJ conference doesn’t need to be expensive. Contact me if you’d like help budgeting for Mobile Beat (or any other conference) next year.

While Mobile Beat Las Vegas 2017 was in full swing, Mike Fernino, founder of DJ Idea Sharing (Facebook group and blog), published a great piece about DJ conferences titled To Convention or….. NOT to Convention. For a veteran of the industry like Mike is, it was refreshing to see him see him embrace the humility of admitting he doesn’t know everything and that no part of him wants to give up on learning and changing what he does. Mike regularly attends conventions and workshops to stave off any type of complacency.

The part I loved most about Mike’s blog post was that he brought up the idea that no online or digital space will ever fully replace the incredible connection and idea sharing that comes from meeting DJs at a conference. This is the absolute truth.

Meeting DJs online is incredible and the ways in which we can connect today are amazing, but it will never replace the incredible feeling, raw motivation and genuine relationships that come from sharing face time with real people, face to face, at a DJ convention.

So get planning! Now!

Grab that old shoebox, open a second bank account (at a separate bank if you are really serious) or start giving some cash to a trusted friend (to keep for you!). Begin setting aside small amounts of money now so that in 11 months when the DJ conference season kicks off again, you won’t find yourself on Facebook, watching everyone post about the great time they are having in Vegas, or Toronto, or Milwaukee, or Greenville, or Atlantic City.

How much will you need to set aside from every event?

You can do this. If you want to.

Make it happen.

(for an in-depth review of Mobile Beat Las Vegas 2016, including my cost for attending that show, click here)

~ Dave

For your free download of all documents and email templates mentioned on this website and to stay updated with future blog posts and downloads, please enter your name and email here:

 


What are your thoughts on this post? Love it? Despise it?