Mobile Beat Announces Summer Tour

Mobile Beat is touring the U.S. this August and September to instill a higher level of professionalism into the national DJ industry, spotlighting the educational focus of Mobile Beat Magazine and the Mobile Beat conferences and bringing a taste of the Mobile Beat Las Vegas DJ Show to 16 cities around the country.

 

August 9 …………. Phoenix
August 10 …….. San Diego
August 11 ….. Los Angeles
August 13 .. San Francisco
August 16 ….. Chicago
August 17 ……….. Detroit
August 18 …………. Cleveland
August 19 ………. Pittsburgh
August 23 ………… Boston
August 24 ………….. NYC
August 25 ……….. Philadelphia
August 26 ……….. Baltimore
August 30 ……….. Charlotte, NC
August 31 ……….. Atlanta
September 1 …………….. Orlando
Evening stops as of 3/4/09

Much more details are to come in the next couple months.  At this time we are looking for presenters that are interested in being part of the 4 regional legs of the tour.  Please contact mb@mobilebeat.com with your presentation ideas and professional resume.

DJ Intelligence Launches Availability Checker Referral Network to share leads with friends and colleagues

DJ Intelligence has launched a new feature to help you get more leads & bookings and keep clients within your network of friends and colleagues. With this new feature, the Availability Checker Referral Network, you can now create your own lead generation network by automatically referring other companies who are available for an event date when you are not. Simply let the DJ Intelligence system know the account names of those companies you wish to refer. Then, when a prospective client checks your availability, if you are not available the system will automatically check the availability of the other companies you selected, and present the prospective client with a list of available companies, including full contact information. If the prospective client follows the provided links to request information from one of your friends or colleagues, your company name will appear as the “source” of the lead so you can get credit for the referral. This is a great new feature to help you keep your valuable leads within your own network of friends and colleagues, and help each other book more business. Log into your DJ Intelligence control panel today at and visit the Advanced Settings page to set up this great new feature!

http://www.djintelligence.com

Siteomite.com Unveils InstantQuote 3 Sales System

LAS VEGAS-February, 18, 2009-Siteomite.com today unveiled the InstantQuote 3 lead generation system at the Mobile Beat 2009 disc jockey conference. The InstantQuote system is a state-of-the-art web based platform that allows service based businesses (e.g. disc jockeys, videographers, photographers, etc.) to generate dynamic, detailed pricing and availability information directly on their existing websites. With the
InstantQuote system, businesses can easily increase sales by providing potential customers with instant, accurate information delivered directly to their email inbox.

Although available to the general public for the first time today, the InstantQuote system has been under development for more than seven years. The system offers an unparalleled feature set including a dynamic, multi-stage quote interface, personalized e-mail quote delivery, and detailed prospect information capture in an easy-to-use interface. Full product information is available at

http://www.siteomite.com/InstantQuote/overview.html.

Video setup tutorials are available at http://www.siteomite.com/support/videos.html.

Pricing and Availability

The Siteomite.com InstantQuote system is available immediately with a 30 dayunlimited-use free trial. The InstantQuote system is subscription based and available for $10 per month or $100 per year with no long-term obligation.

The Siteomite.com InstantQuote system is based on web standards and works with any modern web-browser. The system can be deployed on any website that that has a unique domain name.

Siteomite.com provides industry leading website tools and technology to service based businesses. Siteomite.com is dedicated to providing its subscribers with solutions that are easy to implement and provide tangible results in top-line sales.

KRK Systems® Launches R6 Passive Studio Monitor

New Monitor’s look and performance based on industry-standard Rokit monitors

Hollywood, FL – February 19th, 2009 – KRK Systems, the world’s leading manufacturer of powered recording monitors, today announced the availability of the R6 passive studio monitor. The R6 incorporates design cues from KRK’s best selling Rokit line, including radically radiused edges along the front of the cabinet.

Since 2004 Rokit monitors have provided thousands of musicians, songwriters, producers and remixers with a value-priced monitor that delivered meaningful mixes that translate to all listening environments. The R6, like its Rokit brethren, remains true to this legacy, providing a sleeker, more modern look that is as functional as it is beautiful. A key component to the new look is the molded front baffle. This design feature virtually eliminates diffraction distortion caused by standard flat baffles.

The R6 leverages KRK’s research and development into baffle design and fabrication. The curved front baffle was engineered to minimize diffraction of high-frequencies, resulting in a sweet spot that is significantly larger than products with square or lightly rounded baffles. The baffle also houses a molded front-facing bass port that minimizes low-frequency phase distortion and unwanted frequency emphasis typical of rear-facing bass ports. The end result is a harmonious yet accurate blend of low and high-frequency components that result in a more accurate speaker. The R6 voicing is designed to mimic the voicing of KRK’s Rokit 6 monitor, which is renowned for its accuracy and mid-range clarity. The R6 features 5-way speaker binding posts, a precision crossover and is capable of handling 100 watts (RMS) of power.

“While powered monitors make up the majority of the studio monitor business, there is still demand for passive monitors. The R6 addresses the needs of broadcasters, project studios and home enthusiasts by providing legendary KRK precision and accuracy in a passive speaker,” said Tony Rodrigues, Vice-President of Marketing for KRK Systems.

The new R6 has a MAP price of $149, and is available now at leading music retailers around the world.

For additional information and/or images, please contact KRK Media Representative Sarah Lombard at slombard@stantongroup.ws.
About KRK Systems:

A member of the Stanton Group of companies, KRK Systems is a leader in studio monitors and control room solutions for the professional audio market. KRK products are distributed throughout the world via a network of distributors and dealers in more than 75 countries. For additional information on all KRK Systems products, please visit us online at www.krksys.com.

Amplify Your Protection

Gator introduces the new line of made in the USA, rotationally molded, amp cases which are specifically designed to fit most popular size amplifiers. This high-performance case is available in 1-12 and 2-12 sizes and allows the amp to sit safely and securely on top of the case during use. The unique open-top design provides access directly to the amplifier handle eliminating the chance of handle breakage and ensuring easy transport. The Gator Roto Amp line frame height expands from 16″ to 21″ for multiple heights and incorporates two wrap around straps with clips to secure the lid to the base along with 3″ heavy-duty casters providing optimum protection during transit.

For more information on this and other Gator Cases, check us out at www.gatorcases.com.

NBA Bridal Fairs combine, Love, Brides and Basketball

Entrepreneur, Barbara Ann Locklear asked a good question: “How does one get a guy happily involved in the planning process?”

The Answer: Easy – put the bridal show on the concourse of an arena at an NBA basketball game!

Next Question: How do you get a girl to go to an NBA basketball game?

The Answer: Just as easy – put the bridal show on the concourse at the arena before the NBA game!

This cool concept in wedding marketing get guys involved in the planning process and girls to go to a major sporting event.

Shockingly, the fee for exhibitors is only $495. Space is limited to 40 vendors, and there is a 3-exhibitor limit per category.

The headline sponsor for these events is WedSpace.com (think ‘MySpace’ for brides). Get Married TV is also involved as a co-sponsor.

Visit the BridesAndBasketball.com websites for the upcoming dates in your NBA city. Next season, it is expected that this wedding promotion will take place in all but a few NBA cities. Get informed now. There are still some exhibit spaces in cities, this season.

Upcoming dates are:

• Houston – February 24th – Toyota Center
• Memphis – March 16th – FedEx Forum
• Atlanta – March 25th – Phillips Arena
• Washington DC – April 4th – Verizon Center
• Miami – April 7th – American Airlines Arena

Andy Ebon

The Wedding Marketing Authority

DJ Intelligence Expands Top 200 to Offer DJ’s Clients More Song Suggestion

A more informed client makes for a better event. With that in mind, the DJ Intelligence Top 200 Most Requested Songs list has been enhanced and expanded to offer even more suggestions for your clients. There are now separate lists for Top 200, Top 1960s, Top 1970s, Top 1980s, Top 1990s, and Top 2000s. This will provide clients more ideas and choices than the typical run-of-the-mill Top 200 party songs. All of the lists, like the original Top 200, are dynamically compiled in real time based on thousands of actual client requests made through the DJ Intelligence system over the past 12 months, providing accurate and true-to-life results.

The “Top 200″ button on the music searching tools has been replaced with a “Most Requested” button, and remains an optional feature which you can activate or deactivate on the Master Settings page of your control panel. Visit http://www.demo.djintelligence.com/music/requested.asp to view the new lists in action!

As clients make requests on your website using your DJ Intelligence tools, their “votes” are automatically included in the tally! Visit http://www.djintelligence.com to add the DJ Intelligence music request system to your existing website today.

Measuring Success: Precision Of Your Business Identity

This post marks the 2-year anniversary of The Wedding Marketing Blog. Its content, however, is inspired by my friend, Dan Ohrman (Denon & Doyle DJ Service) who asked:

“Can you measure any actual (sales) results, directly from blogging?”

Yes, Dan, you can. Here’s how I have.

NOTE: I recommend that blog posts be 75 – 80% about others and only 20-25% about  oneself or your business. This item may appear to shameless self-promotion. Not exactly. Really read it through and take from it, what applies to you.

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During the decade since selling my second mobile DJ service (Designer Music), I spent the lion’s share of my time operating EBS Virtual Communications. I designed websites and facilitated email marketing for clients, primarily in the hospitality industry. Along the way I had developed some solid speaking and presentation skills, appearing regularly at industry conferences.

Some people like the idea of growth. As a small business lifestyle, I like the idea of being a micro-business owner. I can manage people. I have done it very successfully. I don’t like managing people. I’m quite clear on that.

So, in late 2006, I decided it was time for yet another reinvention of Andy Ebon. Let’s face, it this is no longer the era of 40 years and a gold watch.

The danger of being a successful micro-business owner is that one is established, clearly in the minds of clients, and prospective clients, in your business audience. It took almost a full decade after selling Designer Music before people stopped asking, “Are you still doing that DJ thing?” I knew any transition was going to be a challenge.

I decided to narrow my focus down from Hospitality Industry to Wedding Industry. And to widen the work from just eMarketing to complete marketing, including business and sales coaching.

After considerable strategizing, I took a rather simple tack. I took the Wayne Gretzky approach.

“I don’t skate to where the puck is, but where the puck is going to be.”

I declared myself The Wedding Marketing Authority, and set about establishing that identity by doing the following.

• Building The Wedding Marketing Blog, post-by-post, writing provocative and insightful information on a regular basis.
• Actively reconnecting and expanding my business network through LinkedIn
• Actively developing and reconnecting my social and business community through Facebook
• Rejuvanate my local and conference networking, better maintaining relationships.
  
• Actively seeking and booking more public speaking opportunities, primarily as a wedding marketing speaker
  
• With sufficient speaking appearances, I would qualify and obtain membership in the National Speakers Association

These actions, and others, have resulted in a domino effect of both expected and unintended random results. While I would tell you that I have a great deal more to do, it is refreshing to have strangers come up to me at a conference and say, “Man, when I do any research on wedding marketing, you’re name ALWAYS comes up.”

Here is what I know about the present, after two years of sustained activity.

• I have posted a total 280 times on this blog. That averages out to 1 post every 2.5 days. In plain English, 2-3 posts a week.
• If you Google wedding marketing, you find over 33 million results. My website and blog, come up #1 & #2, and my name comes up several more times in the Top 20.
• If you Google wedding marketing speaker, you find over 238,000 results. My website and blog come #1 & #2, again and my name appears 7 times in the Top 10.
• My LinkedIn connections have steadily grown to 450. More important, there have been a number of those connections that have resulted in speaking engagements and other consulting opportunities.
• Facebook has been a wonderful surprise. As a strictly social media tool, I have reconnected with old friends from college, high school, and even summer camp. I have reconnected with friends from my San Francisco years (1976-2003). AND, Facebook for business has been one of those unintended benefits, that is just beginning to bear fruit.
• My speaking calendar has been growing steadily since February, 2008, with appearances at the Wedding Planners Conference (Toronto), Think Tank Boston, Mobile Beat Chicago, NACE 50th Anniversary Conference, Wedding MBA – Phoenix, The Special Event (San Diego), Mobile Beat Las Vegas, catersource! Las Vegas, Bridal Show Producers International (Minneapolis) and many more. I have met me goal of accumulating enough speaker credits to qualify for National Speakers Association membership, and will be submitting shortly.
• The Wedding Marketing Blog has been syndicated to MobileBeat.com, the web presence of Mobile Beat Magazine. Starting this month, I will be writing a marketing column for the monthly newsletter of the Canadian Professional Disc Jockey Association (CPDJA).
• Two national wedding media companies have asked for a monthly syndicated article to be included for in-house e-newsletters to their advertisers and prospects. These exciting opportunities start almost immediately, and will expose The Wedding Marketing Blog and myself to about 100,000 wedding industry businesses every month. (Note: Both of these companies first found me through discovering The Wedding Marketing Blog.)
• Each month, Mobile Beat Magazine publishes a wedding marketing article, with my byline.
• Last month, The Power of the Platform: Speakers on Success was published by the Las Vegas Convention Speakers Bureau. It included a chapter from me, titled: Blogging Your Way To Success.

Lest  you think that all of this has come easily, on time, or without challenges… it has not. There have been distractions, delays, mid-course corrections, procrastination, injuries, physical therapy, and other unwelcome surprises.

The net result, though, is successful reinvention.

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There is a moral here: As the saying goes, “It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you.” – If you are struggling in one or more elements of your business… or if you are just not enjoying ALL of it, like you used to, perhaps it’s time for some change.

After all, this is the year of CHANGE. But unlike big business, don’t just wait for a bailout. Create your own fresh path. Redefine, promote anew, reestablish yourself on better, more satisfying and profitable footing.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

Sound Choice joins efforts of US Karaoke Alliance!

USKA President Eric Godfrey, will be the moderator for the Karaoke forum at the show and Mr. Slep will join him at that event to field questions from Karaoke companies and Karaoke enthusiasts.

Sound Choice has been leading in the efforts to fix the karaoke problems in the Karaoke world for years now.  In years past they have contributed prizes and a great deal of money in sponsoring national karaoke contests.  In recent years as sales have plummeted due to piracy, they are no longer in a position to give back to the community, but they are working to do all they can to improve the climate.  Sound Choice is now joining forces with the US Karaoke Alliance which is taking steps to help Karaoke Jockeys, Karaoke manufacturers and is allowing all disc manufacturers free membership in its group.

Currently the US Karaoke Alliance sponsors Karaoke2Night.com, FindKaraokeBars.com and WeSingKaraoke.com as sites to help KJ’s to advertise their services and their venues.  USKA Members get discounted rates on premier listings on these pages; however any company wanting to advertise is eligible for a free listing.

Liquid Laser – Gives Mobiles a Liquid Sky of Green!

LOS ANGELES – When the sky turns green, you know what that means: One heck of a storm is coming. And now that American DJ’s eye-popping new Galaxian Sky laser effect has been introduced to the professional DJ market, club-goers and party patrons everywhere can expect to be swept up under an intense green monsoon.

A DMX-compatible fixture, the Galaxian Sky uses a compact 10mW green laser to create a “Liquid Sky” effect, projecting more than 500 animated green beams onto the ceiling or walls of a nightclub or party area. With a beam angle of 82°, plus 35° panning and tilt, this little unit has a massive beam spread that will cover just about any surface with a huge green wall that resembles a giant nebulae cloud of laser patterns. The effect works equally well with or without the use of a fog machine.

“The Galaxian Sky is great for clubs, bands, professional DJs and other mobile entertainers who want a user-friendly portable laser that will blow the minds of everyone in the room,” said Scott Davies, General Manager of the American DJ Group of Companies. “Shoot it up over a party crowd, and watch all eyes turn to the skies. Throw some smoke into the air, and watch the awesome green storm clouds start rolling in. It creates a truly dazzling spectacle, a psychedelic ‘liquid sky’ effect that your patrons won’t soon forget.”

The green lasers of the Galaxian Sky sweep the ceiling and dance together in eye-popping animated patterns that can either be programmed in by the user or recalled from a large bank of cool factory presets.

The versatile Galaxian Sky features 3 operating modes: DMX-512, Sound Active and Master-Slave. In DMX mode, the Galaxian Sky offers 5-channel operation (Laser, Pattern, Movement, Rotation and Zoom), giving users the flexibility to command full control of the unit and program their own light shows. DJs and users who don’t want to use DMX can set the Galaxian Sky to follow the beat of the music according to its own internal programs. In Master/Slave mode, multiple units can be synched up using standard 3-pin XLR connectors to achieve a more widespread effect.

The Galaxian Sky is extremely efficient, cool running and economical to operate. The effect has a low power consumption of just 17 watts, allowing users to connect more units on a single electric circuit and save more juice for their other lighting and audio gear.

Other great features of the Galaxian Sky include 1.8-degree stepper motors with micro stepping for super smooth movements, a built-in LED menu display for easy navigation, and switchable voltage (115V or 230V) located on the rear panel. The unit comes with a 1/4″ input for remote operation using the optional UC3 universal controller from American DJ (sold separately). The Galaxian Sky requires no variance or special permits to operate.

The Galaxian Sky joins the extremely popular Galaxian and Galaxian Move line of celestial-type laser lighting effects from American DJ. A highly portable unit, it measures 11.75″L x 7.75″W x 8.25″H and weighs only 8 lbs. The Galaxian Sky carries an MSRP of $349.95.

Click link below to see the Galaxian Sky in action!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0_baVYckgI

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