"Dusk" is a marketing concept that aims at selling a "dance atmosphere" and "experience" rather than a mobile DJ service. When I promote my company, I use lots of unique (to my area's DJ marketing) schemes such as "We're not DJs, we're Entertainers" which causes the schools to take interest and ask questions. Dusk, is one of currently two different school dance packages aimed at creating a high-energy, multi-dimension, nightclub-like experiences for middle and high schools. So what makes it different from a blacklight dance? Well blacklight dances are usually just like every other show but with a blacklight of some sort thrown in. Heres what we provide for the schools:
~ High Powered Blacklight System Using 3-4 UV Washes for Saturation
~ Additional Lighting Reinforcement from the Colorstrips, Acrobats, Strobes and Scanners
~ Full Sized Sound System (Duhh Every Show Gets One)
~ Solid Mixed Event from Start to Finish (a rarity around here)
~ Table Centerpieces featuring Unique LED Candles that cast a glow on the tables creating a surreal atmosphere off of the dancefloor.
~ We light their concessions area with UV lighting as to allow all house lights to be turned off. This allows chaperones to work in a lit environment as well as keep the mood.
~ We shoot White Streamer confetti during a high point in the evening (usually sandstorm at the peak of the song)
~ We give away glow products (necklaces, bracelets, charms, mouthpieces, koosh balls) at every gig, usually just a few but the schools...see next point
~ We offer schools "Glow Packages" to increase revenue and every school so far who has purchased one of our glow packages (which includes a variety of different glow items, and we have several size packages available.) has been able to make back all of the money they spent on entertainment in novelty sales. Usually 4-600 bucks.
~ We use Techno-Glow Bubbles that react with the black light to fill the room with glowing, floating, blue orbs.
~ We use snow machines whose white foam product reacts with the UV light and fills the room much like fog but with a safer and...cooler effect (pun intended)
~ We offer special promotional materials prior to the event to help increase ticket sales.
In one case, a school who hosted their first dusk dance had a rather poor initial attendance despite minimal advertisement due to poor dance ratings in the past. Their estimated ticket sales was below 150 students. The 2nd dance of the year, we loaded them up with take-home flyers, posters and even a dusk banner for outside of the lunchroom and the estimated ticket sales for that dance was around 450 students...in a school of 700.
~ We'll come in and give student leaders/faculty a preview and help them in choosing party decorations that will add to the effect.
~ Something new we'll be doing at our first dusk dance which i believe is 2/13, is utilizing a 4' white beachball during the show as a crowd interaction piece.
~ We also perform 1 interactive "competition" at each show and set up the winner(s) with full body glow kits (glasses, necklaces, bracelets, rings, and LED flashing earrings for girls) total cost to us...about $2.00 each but the kids go NUTS over it.
Some of you may be saying...he probably makes nothing off of these dances, but in reality its a VERY profitable venture. I calculated that at a large dance where we do some giveaways, confetti, bubbles and body glow kits, that the estimated cost is about $30-35 bucks. Most dusk dances are over $400 and continue to rise when schools add on glow packages. Schools in the area are picking up on this like wildfire and are really liking the concept of something new. The kids talk about it and i was recently referred to at a local middle school as "The Glow DJ". I take pride in these shows and really enjoy them myself and as long as theyre profitable and popular, i'll keep innovating.
Questions and Comments Welcomed
I'll also make this a separate thread...
