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DJ World 99

 

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  DJ World '99

 

Sid Vanderpool-Editor

Niagara Falls

John Hughes Mid-America Dj Convetnion Producer spins the tunes while Gary Kassor jams

Ride the train

Who is this gal?

Millennium Dance

 

After years and years of marginal quality and attendance, Jim Griffin, show producer for the 1999 DJ World Show and Conference in Niagara Falls, Canada, had a taste of sweet success; it is a shame that he didn't get to eat the whole meal.

  Given the location of this years show, the Sheraton Fallsview, which is five minutes from the US border and a stone's throw away from the pristine 7th wonder of the world, Niagara Falls, it seemed like the perfect setting for a DJ show geared to please both the Canadian DJs and the American DJs, but as the show commenced, this magnetic attraction just wasn't enough to bring in the numbers that the producers had hoped for.

  Spread out over three floors, the exhibits were excellent with all of the world's DJ equipment manufactures being represented. The Canadian shows are set up differently than the US shows with each major sound and lighting vendor getting thier own room. Within these rooms, the vendor was free to setup his entire "show store" to sell his wares. Walking into these rooms was like walking into a DJ candy store. From lasers to hazers and mixers to speakers, they had everything. The American DJs strolled into these rooms like an English granny at a Wallmart sale. Since all of the prices were in Canadian money and the vendors were giving their own exchange rates, the yanks could walk away with some smooth deals. "Forty dollars, American", explained John Michaels as he proudly pointed to his new SKB case. "I paid over a hundred for my last one in the US." This was one of many deals that people took advantage of throughout the show, but this was nothing compared to the "fire sale" on the last day. Signs of 40%-50% off went up and the vendors booths were packed with DJs waving money. One vendor said he ordered in $40,000 worth of equipment from manufacturers and was willing to sell it at his cost just so he would not have to haul it home.

  A seminar is a seminar is a seminar. Most all seminars fall into this category and a few stand out above the rest. Jamie Simpson, a newcomer in the ring of active seminar Hosts, put together a very successful interactive seminar. First lets put the room size into perspective. It was the size of a small meeting room (20'x40') with very little room to do much. He filled the room to capacity with DJs hungry for new interactive ideas. With all the sweat that was dripping by the end of the seminar, it was a wonder the people in the room one floor down did not complain about water leaking through the ceiling. Since a few people were turned away at the door due to there being no room, an encore performance was requested and Jamie complied the next day once again filling the room with a new set of DJs. Jamie's seminar was an exception to the rule at DJ World with most of them being attended by smaller crowds. As usual, the networking in the halls was the most popular source of information at this show.

  The shows nightlife included parties on the first and second nights and ended with a casino visit on the last night. The opening night festivities were held in a room set for 300-400 people. DJs competed in the various contests throughout the night. Over sixty percent of the contestants were from the US and the Canadians that DJzone spoke with did not seem to want to participate. The night concluded with a grand ending with Paul doing his hypnotist act. Things really got hopping the second night with the John Rozz Millennium Party. John Rozz, once again a US disc jockey, and his crew gave a stellar performance. Starting with music from the early 20's and going decade by decade all the way to today's music, it brought back memories for some and nightmares for others. The night ended with the new hot dance...; the Millennium Dance. It is a dance that will once again take the industry for another ride down the interactive road.

  They say it's the smaller things that make the show. That could be said of the numbers in attendance this year at the DJ World show. It was more people than had attended previous Canadian shows, but it still doesn't come close to the attendance of the US shows. Like with last years Mid-America show, the intimacy of the show made up for the lack of people. It was like a scene from Cheers, you know, "where everyone knows your name."

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