Tips On Hiring A Quality Mobile disco: Don't leave Your Function To An Amateur

The following are some basic tips on making sure you hire the very best mobile disco service for your money.

Most functions are one-off's, so you want to make sure you get it right. These tips are in no particular order of importance, but all should be considered. First, before you even contact a mobile disco company, it's vital that you don't have your mind on hiring the cheapest you can find. As in most things, you generally get what you pay for. Especially with a one off event like a wedding, don't you want the very best you can possibly afford? Let's face it, in a week or two, most of your guests will remember what food they had, what the flowers looked like, how great the cake looked or how the room was decorated... But ask them if they had fun, and I'll bet they'll remember, and who do you think carries the can for that? Damn right, the DJ. If you're paying £300 plus for the wedding cake, god knows how much on flowers etc, why would you expect to pay less than a few hundred quid for a professional DJ? But we're getting caught up with the wedding thing, when we're just trying to find a good DJ for you. Ok, let's face it, there's no substitute for a word of mouth recommendation. However, make sure the person recommending hired a DJ for a similar function to the one you're about to organize.

The DJ's approach for an 18th birthday is, or should be markedly different to the approach for a wedding reception - and you thought we just turned up and pressed a few buttons? Next, if you call a DJ and he gives you a price without asking any questions about your event, which should set off warning lights.

Questions a professional DJ should be asking include:

Type of function - Wedding, birthday, kids party etc
Venue: Number of guests; Start and finish times
Particular music requirements - no point hiring a Rock 'N' Roll DJ for an 80's theme night Right then, health and safety...
If you ask nothing else of your potential DJ, please ask if they have Public Liability Insurance and fully PAT tested equipment. Public Liability Insurance is a legal requirement for any business and, though we don't like to admit it, accidents can and do happen.

PAT stands for Portable Appliance Test and any business using portable electrical equipment needs to have all gear tested. Again this is a legal requirement and they should carry certificates proving all PAT documentation is up to date.

Ok, this one might seem obvious, but make sure the company you're dealing with confirms everything in writing and that they have a written Booking Agreement for you to sign. The Booking Agreement should lay out all details of the function - date, venue, times, overtime rates etc. This Agreement is to protect both the company and the customer and should not be heavily biased in any one party's favor.

Does the mobile DJ have back-up equipment in the unlikely event that anything packs in on the night? I say unlikely, if they're professional they'll use pro equipment and this tends to be very sturdy and not given to blowing up at a moment's notice. However, a less than professional DJ, the kind that are just in it for the beer money use very substandard equipment, even, I hate to say CD players you'd find in your average home hifi system. What happens if the DJ is taken ill on or before the date of your event?
Do they have a plan for making sure another suitable DJ will do the job? And while we're on the subject of mobile disco companies using other DJ's... Is the person you're dealing with, either on the phone or via the company website the person who will be doing the actual DJing on the night?

When someone calls Gemini Discos, they are talking to me, and it's me that will be turning up. I don't sub-contract work out to other DJ's. If I'm not available for a function I'll pass on details of other DJ's, but I won't take the booking and act as an agent. How many shows does the company send out on any one night? If a company sends out 4 shows on a particular Saturday night, there's a 75% chance you won't get the DJ you spoke to when booking. If you need a gas engineer, legally they have to be CORGI registered to do any work, there is no such legal body set up to protect you when hiring a DJ, so when dealing with a company that have multiple shows, how do you know the guy that turns up is going to be suitable? Answer, you don't!

Ok, some very quick things to bear in mind...

Does the person you're speaking with seem enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their work?
Do they appear to be listening attentively to your requirements and asking appropriate questions?
Do you get good vibes from the company? In closing, please do not skimp on price... Any professional who meets all the above criteria won't come cheap, and I wouldn't hire them if they did. Price can depend on location, but don't expect to pay less than £170 for a 4 to 5 hour show. Any less than £170 and I'd be seriously concerned that they weren't entirely legal. It costs a lot of money to keep a mobile disco on the road - I have to make at least £6,000 a year before I break even, and there's nothing extraordinary in my accounts.

Remember what I said at the start? The entertainment you hire will be the thing that the majority of your guests will remember most, and it works both positive and negative. Get it right when hiring your mobile disco and the wonderful memories will last a lifetime.