Venues

[ahoustondj]

Pertaining to venues, if you are going to rent a venue for on event and you have a particular theme in mind, what would your expectation off the venue be?
Would you expect the staff to follow your directives or would you buy in to a program that they already have?
In other words, would you expect to be the one to call the shots on anything that has to do with your event? To elaborate further on this, would you want to be the one to decide on the set up of the room, decorations for the event and control of those people/vendors etc?
The reason I say this is because as a paying client I would expect that I get what I want. Providing there are no institutional restrictions then the rest of the decisions should be left to me.
You may be wondering by now what this is all about so here is my explanation. Many times I hear DJs and others complain that the venue would not let them do this or that. Is it really any of their business? Let us suppose a client hires a DJ to provide music from 7 PM till 10 PM. The DJ needs 30 minutes to set up. There is some sort of meeting and a cocktail hour before 7 PM. The DJ arrives at 6:30 PM to set up his music but the venue wants to forbid him from setting up during that time. If he waits he would be late. Isn't that a decision for the client to make rather than the venue? It is not their event so why should they care.To me it is none of their business when the DJ sets up, the rental should be for the use of the premises and nothing else, unless of course the catering and beverages are part of the deal.
What thoughts do you have on this, do you take your directives from your client or from the venue?

 

[Jon Tuck]

Canute nice switchup again I say I work for my clients just like all of the other vendors/venues should.

 

[WaydeWest]

I understand your point, however that is an unrealistic scenario. No venue is going to book a room til the exact time the next function starts. In the real world there needs to be a turnaround; clean up, reset, sometimes a completely different table arrangement. Most wedding factories around here do it in an hour, so that is how long the DJ (or any vendor for that matter) has to set-up. However, keep in mind that the previous entertainment is simultaneously breaking down. If you're lucky, the cocktail hour is in another room, which buys you more time. Fortunately, I don't find myself in these places too often. And there is nothing you or your client can do about that, unless they are willing to book that particular venue for the whole day.

Bottom line is I work for the client, however, most venue contracts stipulate that they control certain situations as they relate to the client's other vendors. We are all actually guests to the venue.

 

[ahoustondj]

I understand your point, however that is an unrealistic scenario. No venue is going to book a room til the exact time the next function starts. In the real world there needs to be a turnaround; clean up, reset, sometimes a completely different table arrangement. Most wedding factories around here do it in an hour, so that is how long the DJ (or any vendor for that matter) has to set-up. However, keep in mind that the previous entertainment is simultaneously breaking down. If you're lucky, the cocktail hour is in another room, which buys you more time. Fortunately, I don't find myself in these places too often. And there is nothing you or your client can do about that, unless they are willing to book that particular venue for the whole day.

Bottom line is I work for the client, however, most venue contracts stipulate that they control certain situations as they relate to the client's other vendors. We are all actually guests to the venue.

Wade, the scenario is that it is the same client in question, meaning they were having dinner & Cocktails before the dance. They wanted the DJ to come and play just for the dance so they could minimize their costs. The client did not see anything wrong with the DJ coming to setup a half an hour before the dance, during the last part of the dinner hour but the venue took issue with it.

 

[djrox]

Contracts, agreements, and professionalism make such concerns moot.

In the rare case where professional behavior doesn't work, it is imperative to have a contract with the necessary conditions to result in the same outcome.

 

[ittigger]

Wade, the scenario is that it is the same client in question, meaning they were having dinner & Cocktails before the dance. They wanted the DJ to come and play just for the dance so they could minimize their costs. The client did not see anything wrong with the DJ coming to setup a half an hour before the dance, during the last part of the dinner hour but the venue took issue with it.

I have a client now that's trying to do the same idea - they want to save money by only having music for dancing. I have also informed them that thismay mean that I will be hustling some equipment through their dinner. Short and sweet - if you are aware of it and are ok with it, it's not my issue.

 

[djrox]

I have a client now that's trying to do the same idea - they want to save money by only having music for dancing. I have also informed them that thismay mean that I will be hustling some equipment through their dinner. Short and sweet - if you are aware of it and are ok with it, it's not my issue.

Personally, I would politely refuse to participate.

Even in the unlikely and unprofessional event you begin your performance with an announcement that your intrusive, disruptive strike activities were not due to your tardiness but to an externally imposed time restriction, you are still the source of the intrusive disruption and no amount of explanation will negate the perception to some, if not most of the witnesses.

You reputation will be impacted, regardless of causation.

YMMV.

 

[ittigger]

Personally, I would politely refuse to participate.

Even in the unlikely and unprofessional event you begin your performance with an announcement that your intrusive, disruptive strike activities were not due to your tardiness but to an externally imposed time restriction, you are still the source of the intrusive disruption and no amount of explanation will negate the perception to some, if not most of the witnesses.

You reputation will be impacted, regardless of causation.

YMMV.

Absolutely agree - trying to see the venue to avoid that exact scenario.

 

[djrox]

Also, remove the potential by requiring, in your written agreement, minimal access to the facility, before and after, for proper, effective and timely strike.

I would not want to be responsible for impacting an event that followed either.

 

[ittigger]

Also, remove the potential by requiring, in your written agreement, minimal access to the facility, before and after, for proper, effective and timely strike.

I would not want to be responsible for impacting an event that followed either.

Agreed. I don't think I have anything in there now - I do go over it EVERY time with the client however. It's a good idea to add it though. Thinking about it - if it's in the contract, I guess a question would be - could the facility consider it 'not their problem' because your contract is not with them?

 

[djrox]

Agreed. I don't think I have anything in there now - I do go over it EVERY time with the client however. It's a good idea to add it though. Thinking about it - if it's in the contract, I guess a question would be - could the facility consider it 'not their problem' because your contract is not with them?

The language in the contract should address that very concern.

 

[ittigger]

Agreed - can you provide an example of that language?

 

[djrox]

Sorry, not in a forum.

I used real assets to develop my contracts.

 

[ittigger]

Ok, NP.

=)

 

[Dave Miller]

I would refuse to take a booking where I was loading into an active event.

I'm not sure, but I would guess that in that situation, my liability insurance would not cover me.

If they are looking to save some money, they need to look elsewhere.

 

[ittigger]

Agreed.

 

[ahoustondj]

I would not give two hoots to load in and setup during a dinner hour or similar event if it is for the same event. What I would NOT do is, come in early and setup an hour or more earlier and wait till its my time. If I am not being compensated for the wait time then I will come in just at the time it will take me to setup..

 

[ittigger]

Agree with that too.

 

[Sounds To Go]

Not going to attempt a response to the OP, but regarding the specific scenario in question, I would refuse the gig. I require X setup time, written in the contract for each event and failure to provide it would constitute breach on the part of the client, and yadda yadda yadda...

So as to not even go there, I would politely decline the event.

If they were that cheap that they were trying to limit the performance time of the DJ in the name of saving a buck, they likely wouldn't pony up what I would ask anyway - so it would never get to the point of my having to explicitly decline anyway. Now that I think about it.

 

[djrox]

If they were that cheap that they were trying to limit the performance time of the DJ in the name of saving a buck, they likely wouldn't pony up what I would ask anyway - so it would never get to the point of my having to explicitly decline anyway. Now that I think about it.

Kinda reaffirming and satisfying...ain't it!!!