FAQ's / Free Advice Section / Tips
FAQ's / Free Advice Section / Tips |
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Free Advice Section As part of our service, we can offer advice on various aspects of your function to maximize the enjoyment.
Did you know for instance: - Don’t forget to enjoy yourself - It may seem silly but so many people are so concerned that everybody is enjoying themselves that they forget about themselves. Of course greet and chat with your guests but then let your hair down. After all those months of planning you deserve it. Below are some top tips on booking the right disco……..
For many people booking a mobile disco is a new experience and often a daunting task. Like every other trade there are good and bad, experienced and novice DJs advertising in newspapers, on the internet, in telephone directories and in newsagents windows. How do you know which one to choose for your function? 1. Make sure the DJ and Disco provider you choose is suitable Not all DJ’s are suitable for all types of functions or even venues. For example, if you are celebrating your 40th birthday would you want an 18 year old DJ turning up with nothing but chart songs?, or on the other hand if you are celebrating your 18th do you want a DJ in his late 40’s playing Abba and the Nolan’s all night? It is also important to ensure that the DJ you are booking has sufficient equipment for the size of the venue. 2. You get what you pay for The next thing to look at is the price of your DJ. We know from experience the costs involved in putting on a function of any kind. For example weddings, you spend a fortune on hiring the right venue, then there’s the flowers, the dress, the suits, the food, the cars, it’s endless. At the end of day its time to relax with your friends and family and have a good old party. What you don’t want is some untidy bloke and his girlfriend in the corner with a couple of flashing lights and sound system that hurts your ears when he turns it up. What a way to finish off a great day. What we are saying is don’t think the cheapest quote you get, will be of the same standard as the higher quotes, it won’t. Many DJ’s are just running a mobile disco for fun and a bit of cash, others are professional with lots of experience. The prices DJs charge reflects the quality of the equipment, sound quality, range of music and standard and experience of the DJ. 3. Always get confirmation from your DJ The most important point of all is to ensure that your DJ gives you confirmation of the booking. This is as much for your peace of mind as anything else. The confirmation should clearly state the DJ’s name, address, fee, playing times, arrival times, venue address, type of function and your details. We regularly get calls from people who have been let down at the last minute. 4. Talk To Your DJ Finally, you can often get a good feel as to whether a DJ is suitable for your function by your initial conversation. Ensure that the DJ asks you lots of questions about your function, such as age group, music requirements, how many guests, size of venue etc. If the DJ doesn’t ask these questions, he won't have enough information on your requirement to enable him to do a good job for you? At Glos Disco we make sure that we supply you with right DJ for your function, we are always at the end of the phone to offer you advice and help.
General FAQ’s We have a wide range of ages coming; can you get them all dancing?We have a wealth of experience and are very used to performing to a wide age range and keeping the dance floor busy by playing music for all age groups. By reading the dance floor, listening to requests we are able to ensure that there is something for everyone.What will you wear on the day?Our DJ’s standard dress code is Smart Casual or Black-Tie depending on the event. If you have a preference please let us know when booking. For children’s parties or them nights DJ will wear the required cloths or outfits to add to the atmosphere. Can you play background music during the meal?This again is easily arranged. Just choose the style of music you would prefer to have played. The most popular choices are the easy listening style sounds. Other popular choices are jazz, acid-jazz & smooth soul or Chillout. However I can play Opera or Orchestral, the choice is yours, again we will ask for this information in advance so you have noting to worry about on the day. Will you play the same cheesy songs such as The Birdie Song that every mobile-disco plays?It is your event, so we will play the music that you want. All we ask is that you give us a guide to the types of music you would like to hear and just as importantly any music you do not want. Do you play the music very loud all night?We are very aware that at most of the events that we are booked for, are social functions where people wish to dance and have a good time, but also chat with old friends and make some new ones. This is very difficult to do if the DJ is intent on forcing you to shout all night because the music is too loud. Throughout the event we pay special attention to the volume levels to ensure that the music is loud enough to dance to, but not so loud that you're not able to have a conversation. If at any stage during the event you feel that the volume is too loud please do not hesitate to ask for it to be lowered. Will you keep talking on the microphone over the music all night?No. We will use the microphone sparingly and much prefer to let the music do the talking. We do break the ice, making your guests feel comfortable and at home, read out requests, dedications and make announcements such as the 1st dance and the buffet etc. Can you setup the entertainment prior to our arrival at the venue?We can set up equipment at any time that is most suited to your event and this can include setting up during the afternoon or before the meal. Additional costs will vary depending on your event location and the time you need me to be set up by.
F.A.Q's For Children’s Parties When do I need to book the party? As soon as possible. We are becoming increasingly popular for children's discos and parties so book us and a venue as soon as you can. We hate to disappoint parents, and schools. It is most important to check our availability before booking the venue. Where is the best place to hold a child's party? A church hall, village hall, scout hut or community centres are all suitable and often good value. Ideal venues are ones which are empty and self contained, and not too big. Do not book very large rooms or halls, if you can avoid it. We do on occasions play at parent's homes, these are not ideal locations for a number of reasons, but we can make it work for small numbers. If you are stuck for somewhere suitable, call us and we will offer a few suggestions for your area. How many children can I invite to the party? This is very dependant on the age group. For teenage disco’s the more the better, and your costs do not go up. For parents of younger children, we would recommend around 20 as a good number, this allows for games to be fun and easier to manage. If the numbers are very high for the little ones it ceases to be a party, and it is more like a school disco. We are professional and can work with any numbers, but please let us know in advance. What age do you cater for? Three years to teens. We work with you to tailor the party to the specific age group. You can help us, by not having a big age range at the parties as the expectations are then very different. Do you do joint parties? Yes, this is a good way of keeping costs down, you can share costs with the other parent. For the older children joint parties are particularly good as discos are great with high numbers (and this also means very good value for parents). What entertainment do you provide? There is a vast difference between what a 4 year old likes compared to a teenager. This is where our experience is useful as we tailor this to the age range of those attending. No two parties are the same. We will assess what the children are responding well to and adjust the program of events accordingly. This will be a combination of dancing, games, competitions and music. Unlike an adult disco DJ, who just stands and plays music with little or no chat, we will interact with the kids. W e do not play inappropriate songs or music with explicit lyrics. We feature dance routines and give the children instruction (or demo’s) on the dance moves. If the occasion is a birthday party, the birthday child is always the centre of attraction. Most importantly we listen to you and the children to ensure you have a good time, and get what you want. Why do I need to book Glos Disco for my children's party? We are growing as specialists within children’s parties with more than 50% of our bookings coming from children’s events. We have a wealth of experience in managing events for these special little people and really care about getting it perfect on the day! Our DJ’s are experienced, professional and have the skills and patience to keep the kids happy and the party going strong. Most of our DJ’s are parents already and know from many years of personal experience what is required for a great party. Will you play my child's favorite music? Yes Yes Yes. Please email us a list of favorite music and we will then feature these during the party. If you need ideas please see the song list on this page. Do I need to provide anything? Just the venue, food, prizes (if required) and the children. We organise everything and provide the entertainment, games and disco so you can sit back, relax, take photos and enjoy the fun. When do I serve the food? An ideal time is around half way through the party. Try to pick a venue where the kids eat in the same room as the disco, but can sit down when ready. We recommend avoiding fizzy drinks, it’s your call but; kids + fizzy drinks + disco = cleaning up for mum (or more likely dad!) Can I have the party outside? Although this may sound a good idea, it can cause problems. The disco effects we use are not very impressive outside, and obviously if it’s wet we need a marquee or similar covering to protect equipment and keep things safe. Please also consider neighabours of the venue, as sounds travels particularly far at night. The best advice is talk to us, and if planning on having party outside, have a backup. We have done many out door parties and they can be great, but extra planning is vital. Can I have the party at home? Yes, providing there is enough space for us to set up equipment, and the number of kids you are inviting are suitable for your home. Try to clear the room as much as possible and remove breakables. This can be great and can further reduce costs. Do you charge extra for anything? No, unlike many other children's discos, who quote what you think is a reasonable price, and then charge you extra for travel, setting up, effects like smoke etc. Our prices are fully inclusive. The only additional charge is for traveling any significant distance. We are often told by parents how very reasonable our fees are for a party. We will give you a price and leave you to it, no pressure or hard sell, we simply don’t need to. Have a look on our price guide to give you some idea, and phone us if you have any specific questions. Do you do weddings, christenings and communions? There are usually a lot of children at these occasions and so a children's disco is an ideal way of keeping them happy instead of letting them run riot! The adults can then get on with their drinking and chatting, which is all most of them want to do. It is pointless having an adult type disco during daylight hours. Do you do school discos? Yes lots. We play at many schools on a regular basis, these can be infant, junior or secondary. Ideally it is best to have separate sessions: 5-7 years, 8-11 years and over 11. We also offer our services at school fates and charity events. Do you do sports presentation evenings? Yes, we now play at a number of football and rugby club presentations and have lots of football tunes! What areas do you cover? We are based in Gloucester; however, we cover a wide area up to 40 miles from Gloucester. Call us if you’re not local and we will provide a price for your event. Do you have any recommendations from parents? Yes, very much so. We have so many happy customers making repeat bookings and often pick up bookings from parents who’s child has had such a good time at the party we hosted. We also don’t even need to advertise, as word of mouth is huge with children, parents and schools. Can you just give me a quote? Yes call us, BUT please don’t ring if you just want a really really cheap disco! Unfortunately, anyone can set up as a disco, there are no qualifications or assurances and many don’t even have public liability insurance (we do ask for details when booking). This means you get loads of young kids or cowboys having a go, or wanna be DJ’s who are just getting started by doing kids disco’s first. They are likely to be cheap because they are useless, have limited range of music, are not good with children, have poor quality and unreliable equipment and this is if they turn up! It is a shame, a child has only one birthday a year, why ruin it for the sake of a few pounds? You would be better off taking a CD player to the party and doing it yourself, you could not do a worse job! We have years of experience, are professional, reliable and very good value for money for the service we provide. I've heard some real horror stories from friends who have had a party, with some other entertainers, how can I be sure by booking you? Unfortunately there are many rogue, and cowboy discos, who advertise on the web. You may have even heard of some of them on TV's Watchdog and Rogue Traders. A fancy website, or advertisement in Yellow Pages, is no guarantee of professionalism or trustworthiness. Beware of discos who say they cover the country. Who do you get if anybody bothers to turn up? Please be assured we are established, professional and have a very good reputation that we are determined to maintain. We also only request a small deposit, and then full payment after the party unlike many others.
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