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San Francisco - For the third
consecutive year, DJ Expo West will bring its winning combination of
seminars, parties and exhibits to San Francisco. This time, however,
the DJ-friendly event - scheduled for January 29-31 at the Bill
Graham Civic Auditorium - will include The Club Show, the
nightclub-intensive, debut convention sponsored by DJ Times' sister
publication, Club Systems International.
Expo seminars will address
the needs of all DJs, including turntablists ("Skratch DJing:
Advanced Techniques" and "CD Skratch Workshop"), club
jocks ("Club DJ Confab: Getting & Keeping Gigs" and
"Beatmixing Workshop"), mobiles ("Mitzvah
Mobiles," "Multi-System Troubleshooting" and
"Latin Mobiles") and music producers ("Remixing Tips
& Techniques" and "Remixing Roundtable").
As for The Club Show, which
will attract club owners, lighting directors, audio technicians and
club system installers, panels will include "Upgrading Your
Systems: When, How & Why," "Security: From the Door to
the Floor," "Sealing the Deal: How to Nail a Club
Contract" and "Interior Design: Form Fitting Function."
As always, the show's exhibit
hall is expected to be a huge draw for Expo attendees, who are
afforded the chance to hand-test products before they hit the
manufacturer's assembly line. "We like exhibiting at the DJ Expo
because it's helpful in maintaining customer contact and showing that
we care," says Greg Riggs, product manager for Evanston,
Ill.-based Shure. "We usually get a lot of positive
reinforcement at the show from end-users who tell us that we're
giving them what they need. It's also a chance to get to know faces
and to hear some war stories about how a piece of our equipment has
helped out DJs at one point or another. Most people have a funny tale
about how one of our products has saved them." At Expo West,
Riggs says Shure will show its 44 and 35 Series phono cartridges,
SM58 and SM57 Beta mics, and its wireless T-Series.
"We go to thank all of
our customers for their business throughout the year," says
Robbie Levy of Freeport, N.Y.-based Sherman Specialty. "We don't
go to show any new products, but to see friends and longtime
customers. It's more of a social thing for me than a business thing.
I always have specials on my products as a way to thank my customers
for supporting the company."
This year's combination
DJ/club show has attracted new blood as well. "This is our first
year exhibiting at the DJ Expo West and we're looking forward to
showing attendees our approach to sound reproduction," says Tim
Chapman, director of marketing for Berkeley, Calif.-based Meyer
Sound. "As a loudspeaker company, we know that DJs and
performers need the highest quality audio in order to succeed. Meyer
Sound prides itself on their pioneering attitude to sound. We want to
show attendees how Meyer systems' reliability and control will
benefit them with minimized down time and focused sound." At DJ
Expo West, Chapman says Meyer Sound plans to show the UPA and UPM
compact loudspeaker systems, USW and UMS subwoofer systems and the CQ Series.
"Traditionally, we've
worked in broadcasting, designing racks for FM studios," says
Michael McCabe, owner of Escondido, Calif.-based M-Lo Engineering.
"The club and DJ market is a little bit of a departure from that
market, but we've expanded our products to include racks, which we
custom build using high-end materials, turnkeys, etc. for the club
and DJ markets. We're hoping for some exposure-and possibly some
sales-from the Expo."
Although unconfirmed at
presstime, evening entertainment will be in abundance at DJ Expo
West. Top DJ talent will rock Expo attendees during sponsored events
at local venues. Previous Expo West performers have included QBert,
Shortkut, Vinroc, Scott Hardkiss, Marques Wyatt, Garth, Michael
Anthony and DJ Sep. For the latest information on DJ Expo West and
The Club Show, please call 516-767-2500 or visit www.djtimes.com.
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