Keeping The Size Of Your Ego In Check
Successful y promoting your own events presents many underlying challenges once you’ve teamed up with other talented DJs to share the glory with. When it happens, there are several important things to consider, especially from the point of view of the fans. It’s your event, so obviously you’re going to promote it with passion, but too much passion can turn out to be a bad thing. If your event features a wide line-up of DJs, each with a different agenda, fan base and level of name recognition, spreading the word and getting away with it without coming across as pretentious or otherwise hurting your image can be harder than it sounds.
Where to place your own name? Which DJ to focus on? How much to advertise your involvement with the event? These questions may be hard to answer at first, but not once you get around to answering a few simpler ones.
Do you want to make yourself known?
After all, besides love of music and the occasional monetary rewards, that’s the big reason for throwing events in the first place. It will be kind of hard to make your name known to the world, unless you put it out the chances of someone else doing it for you are pretty slim. Place your name prominently on those posters, just not ten times the size of all other DJs (and don’t forget any other arrangements you made with them). Modesty is a good thing, but your name has to be seen or it shouldn’t be present at all.
Is it another label or company you need to promote?
If that’s the case, your promotional posters can reflect that by leading in with the name and logo of that label or company, making it the most noticeable thing there. Then find a good spot for your name as well.
Are you the biggest name in the line-up?
Probably not. If so, you should obviously present them ahead of yourself and show respect to the well-known DJs in your crowd. Your event is likely to benefit from their presence, and so will you, as long as you don’t forget that. Remember, nobody likes a small name with big ego, so try not to be one! Admit to being lucky a respected DJ has made it to your event and the fans with catch on to your name as well.
When will you take the set?
Again, this depends on who the crowd is coming to see. If it’s you (or if an opportunity shows itself), feel free to take hold of those premium times, when there’s the biggest crowd on the dance floor and people have loosened up. Otherwise, make way for the big names among you. Remember, it’s all about the event!
How will you design your promotional posters?
Put extra thought into the layout, as that’s the part you don’t want to mess up. Let the star of the show steal the top spot (if it’s not you), but leave a space right under it, even if it’s there will be other DJs coming ahead of you. After all, this is your event and you’re doing most of the work. Don’t shy away from reflecting it on your promotional poster. Still , if you’re going for a layout where nobody stands out from the line-up, apply the same font sizes and visuals for each DJ and arrange their names in a non-hierarchical order.
DJ’s work is, above all, a balancing act. You'll get advice like “promote yourself without seeming pretentious” and be required to actually try and pull that off once in a while. But whenever it seems like you’re fighting an uphill battle with your public image, remind yourself that nothing can ever appeal to everyone. If it applies to the biggest names in the music industry, it might as well apply to you. There are people out there who will always hate you, no matter what you do, and there’s nothing to do but to laugh when it happens. Just respect other DJs, put your own name out there and keep on doing what you love and do best!