Mobile Beat Las Vegas 23 is less than a week away. Time to start packing and finalizing all your travel details. At my house we all sit down and make a travel list before we leave on any vacation. I'm one of those people that start packing two weeks early. My wife and daughter usually wait until the night before, which always means last minute runs to Walmart to get something before we go. Hopefully you enjoyed my article in the January issue of Mobile Beat Magazine for first time attendees. Here is a quick packing and planning list to help get you on your way.

1. Travel documents, hotel reservation, Plane tickets, boarding passes, confirmation numbers
2. Credit cards, drivers license, cash ( large and small bills)
3. TSA approved carry on bag and items
4. Rental car reser... [read more]

Seems like New Years Eve was only a week ago. March has just begun and I wonder how many of you are have already forsaken those resolutions and goals you set for 2019? Did you just stop trying? Has life got you side tracked? Don't let it get you down. The fact is 90% of us don't follow through with the majority of New Years resolutions anyway. Why? Basically because they lack real commitment and planning. One of the main culprits is expectations. We live in a "Now" society. We expect big results in little time. I stopped eating donuts and ice cream for a week; how come I haven't lost forty pounds yet? Accomplishing goals takes a lot of planning and serious... [read more]

Mobile Beat Las Vegas may seem like a perfect guys week get away. Each year has seen an increase in the number of spouses attending the conference. It is really is a great place to have fun, learn and see the sights. The perfect mix of business and pleasure. Besides award winning entertainment and top notch casinos, Las Vegas hosts some beautiful nature parks and remarkable architecture on and off the strip. I've taken my wife many times to Mobile Beat and we've always tried to experience something new and still visit our favorite spots. Here's a list of ideas comprised from some of the experiences my wife and I have enjoyed while at MBLV. My Top Th... [read more]

For the last decade social media marketing has steadily replaced traditional forms of advertising like print media, postal mailings and cold calling. Over the years the algorithm for what works has changed almost as much. Ten years ago all you had to worry about was Facebook and My Space. Now there’s Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest, Linked In and many others to contend with. How do you know which content to add to which site that will get you bookings? It’s seems like one big crap shoot. I reached out to Andrea Eppolito, owner of Andrea Eppolito Events in Las Vegas (A luxury wedding planning and event service) for insight. She is presenting a must see seminar at MBLV23 titled “Social Stature and Selling”. Andrea’s seminar is going to discuss the most widely used platforms fo... [read more]

In the first part of this blog I touched on how Millennial's interact and make connections. They value authenticity and like to follow people's "stories". Millennial's follow You Tubers more than TV shows. A big part of making a connection with them is personality and how you tell your story. Millennial's want to be part of your journey. Recently, I took part in a webinar series from my Alma Mater Johnson & Wales University. The webinar focused on the importance of personal branding and changes in how companies hire and fire personnel. Your online presence will count more than your physical resume in the near future. The webinar broke dow... [read more]

[et_pb_section admin_label="section"] [et_pb_row admin_label="row"] [et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text"] There's a lot of talk on forums and in seminars about the complexity of reaching millennial couples, especially brides. The way they communicate, socialize and interact is radically different from brides just a decade ago. Are they more difficult? No, we're just not speaking their language. Do they want and value the same things? Yes, they just ask for them in a different way. All the normal communication channels like email, phone calls, snail mail and even Facebook fail to connect with them. My sixteen year old daughter ... [read more]

Remember when becoming a mobile disc jockey required a huge investment in music and gear? Not to mention paying an arm and a leg for a big ad in the local phone book. The extra money was great. Back then I'm not sure how many people really thought of being a DJ as an occupation. These days "everyone" is a DJ. Buy a controller and some speakers to hook up to your laptop and stream music through Spotify and Pandora or You Tube. Book a couple of gigs and now your a DJ. Easy right? That's all well and good if you are just in this as a side hustle. For those of us that have made this a career or want to become full time, more of a business mentality is n... [read more]

In just a few short months almost two thousand of us will head to Las Vegas for Mobile Beat 23. Once again the halls, meeting and exhibit rooms of the Tropicana will be filled with the conversations of "Nugget" seeking DJ's looking to better their businesses. For one week the Tropicana will become an incredible microcosm of the DJ universe. Within that microcosm memories will be created, information and ideas traded, gear bought and friendships made. Professionalism, kindness and camaraderie will be displayed. Unfortunately ego, avarice and elitism will be lurking in the shadows (don't be that guy). All that being said, here are some candid... [read more]

The 200th edition of Mobile Beat Magazine just dropped. That's amazing in itself. The articles on cultural wedding music are spot on. Although, one area I believe needs a little more clarification is the genre of Latin music. This genre seems to encompass everything from Spanish, Reggaeton, Caribbean, Tex Mex and Brazilian. The truth is that they are all very different in origin, tradition and cultural influence. Although the Portuguese language is Latin based, traditional Portuguese music is very different from what is considered "Latin". Culturally, old style Portuguese music or Fados sounds more Italian or Greek than ... [read more]

Now that you've recovered from the orgy of food on Thanksgiving Day and survived the malls on Black Friday; it's time to set your sights on Cyber Monday. Arguably the busiest shopping day of the year. Most of us are probably hunting for specials on audio and lighting. Those shiny new pieces of equipment meant to dazzle our clients and make us look like the best DJ in the world. Don't be distracted by the squirrels! Invest in something that will last you longer than a fifty foot XLR cable or new LED bar. Your education. What new training manuals, books or DVDs are you planning on getting to improve your knowledge and skill as a DJ? Did that thought even cross your mind? I've put together a list of three training tools you should definitely add to your library this holiday season.   read more]