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International DJ Expo finds new home at the Taj Mahal

By Ed Condran

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Aug. 7, 2008

The Tables Turn International DJ Expo finds new home at the Taj Mahal By Ed Condran

cap: Images from past years' DJ Expo.-->

It sounds like Miami's South Beach will hit Atlantic City Aug. 11-14 when the 2008 International DJ Expo returns to the Boardwalk.

The 20th annual DJ Expo moves from the Atlantic City Convention Center to Trump Taj Mahal this year and conjures images of Miami's annual Winter Music Conference. The DJ confab, which dominates South Beach in March, is comprised of turntable-driven tunes, notable DJs, seminars and a lot of parties.

That's just what the A.C. DJ Expo will offer for club and mobile DJs as well as those who would like to learn the tricks of the trade.

"We have something for anybody who is interested in the DJ world," DJ Times editor/event coordinator Jim Tremayne says during a telephone interview from his Long Island, N.Y., office. "And I think we have it in the best possible place. We used to be on the Boardwalk and got away from it at the Convention Center. The Convention Center was great because of the space and that's what they deal with, conventions. The services are there and what they do is great. But the Boardwalk is so appealing. We have plenty of space at the Taj Mahal [and] there's the House of Blues [nearby]. You go on the Boardwalk and you have the sea air. You also have that 24-hour kind of thing, which you don't get in many other cities. The Boardwalk fits this expo perfectly; our numbers indicate that. Our pre-registration is up 15 percent this year."

However, pleasure is mixed with business at the DJ Expo. There are more than 30 educational seminars and hands-on product and technology workshops presented by an array of DJs, remixers and producers.

The panels include a music industry roundtable focusing on business, dance-music radio and the significance of networking.

There will be more than 100 booths featuring the latest technology in audio, lighting, studio and specialty products.

"There's a lot of information to soak up at the expo," says Tremayne. "You can get a rundown on the latest tech. You can learn how to create a mashup. You can learn about mixing and beats."

The marketing side is emphasized as much as performance. "If you want to be a pro DJ, you need to get work," says Tremayne. "You can find out how to sell yourself. You need to learn about how to deal with DJs. You need to learn how to make yourself as professionally viable as possible. You can learn about financial options. DJing is a way of life and a vocation. If you're serious about being a DJ, you need to learn how to maximize what you can do."

Club DJs get all the hype, but there are plenty of seminars dedicated to the mobile jockeys.

"Bridal Showcases: Maximizing Your Presentation" and "Bar Mitzvah Games: Beyond the Mitzvah" are two designed for the weekend warriors.

"We're all about those DJs who do family events," says Tremayne. "They're entertaining people as well. They can get some ideas about what works best. Maybe they're already doing what works best, maybe they're not. The expo is here to help every kind of DJ."

Fledgling DJs who are thinking about spinning as a career option have a number of seminars geared toward new jocks.

"Being a club DJ might look easy but that's not true," says Tremayne. "There's more to it than you can imagine. You need to know your music and understand your audience. You can't just pop yourself in there and make a dance floor dance. It's just like anything else, you have to learn how to make it happen."

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