Prices for Elementary school dances.. your thoughts?

[hippydog]

I'm just waiting for my hard drive to finish replicating while I type this.. so I wont go into detail till tomorrow..

but I was wondering first off..

What kind of prices are you seeing in your area for elementary school dances?

I'm doing my daughters school dance next week, and I was really shocked at the going prices they were getting..

<to be continued>

[JMM773]

300-500,... strictly elementary, gr 1-5

[hippydog]

300-500,... strictly elementary, gr 1-5

Thats exactly what I heard from the parent coordinator..

to be fair, i dont do school dances anymore, (except this one coming up fr my daughter LOL), but 20 to 15 years ago thats what the multi-op company charged back then.. around $400.. and we brought less stuff..

When she told me the prices she was getting from DJ's I was kinda shocked, I automatically assumed they were from new or lower end DJ's.. NO! she told me the names of the companies (as they keep a list and share the list if a new coordinator comes on board, shes been doing it for 4 years).. I knew the names of four of the companies that she mentioned, and they are good companies IE: use legal music, some members of associations, all of them have been in biz for years..

I asked lots of questions and we had a good conversation.. She has no problem paying for a legal DJ, and even a 'quality' school dance DJ,
the simple fact is she knows she can get one at under $500!

P.S. I'm NOT complaining, I just thought it was interesting.

[JMM773]

With that market, they just don't care enough - The kids are too young and won't notice. Hence the price. However, if you can pick one up, go for it, they're usually pretty easy and quick money.

[maestro]

Here elementary schools don't normally book DJ's or hold dances except MAYBE one for the grade 7 grads at the end of the year. Middle schools will pay about 395.00 for a 2 hour afternoon dance for approx. 400 kids. I raised the price for my middle schools recently to 449.00 for a 2 hour dance but I can't see it getting any higher than that as there are many that will do it cheaper and even bring dual screen video out for that price; idiots.

[Mark Evans]

I just quoted a dance to a good friend of mine whose wife is the coordinator. At $300 I was too much compared to the others. Don't really care as I have other stuff going on Friday nights right now.

[DJSTEVEZ]

Sorry to go off-roading here, what's the time duration of a party for schools based on a $300 - $500 price tag?
I'm thinking 2 hours, but I don't want to assume. -Z-

[hippydog]

With that market, they just don't care enough - The kids are too young and won't notice. Hence the price. However, if you can pick one up, go for it, they're usually pretty easy and quick money.

yes.. they dont care enough, the old "we cant charge much for tickets cause then no one will come".. Which I guess is essentially true.. start charging $15 per kid and and most parents will say "frack it"..
which is kinda sad.. As a parent I have no problem paying $10 to take my child swimming,, I have no problem paying almost $30 for a few hours at the local amusement park or 'chuck E cheese' playplace..
but a school dance? all of sudden theres little value in it? it has to be free?

as too the "quick and easy money"... That I dont see.. sure.. the dance is only 2 to 3 hours.. BUT! the setup is large (schools EXPECT the big lightshow and sound, IE: running two mackies and 4 pars would be lackluster in a school gym lol) and many school gyms are a pain for setup (limited window for setup and many times stairs to the stage)

for a full time multi-op I guess having something on a friday is nice.. but is it worth almost a 50% discount VS the rest of the industry? (weddings, anniversaries, school reunions etc)

I'm not trying to "raise the prices" or anything.. I just kinda assumed that after 15 years things would have changed one way or another..

[hippydog]

Here elementary schools don't normally book DJ's or hold dances except MAYBE one for the grade 7 grads at the end of the year. Middle schools will pay about 395.00 for a 2 hour afternoon dance for approx. 400 kids. I raised the price for my middle schools recently to 449.00 for a 2 hour dance but I can't see it getting any higher than that as there are many that will do it cheaper and even bring dual screen video out for that price; idiots.

thing is.. who are the idiots?
the DJ's for not holding out for a higher price? (doesnt work.. I stopped doing school dances 10 years ago.. hasnt raised the prices a bit LOL),
the DJ's for not educating the schools? (I'm not a horrible sales guy.. trust me when I say my daughters school has no interest in paying top money for a DJ)..
the schools for not charging enough , or making a bigger deal out of the school dance.. (my daughters school has to beg people to volunteer to help out)..


I guess I am really feeling my age this week.. I keep on thinking back to when I was a kid,
we used to pay entrance fees of $5 to go to a dance, and school dances were a big deal! The entertainment WAS important, we knew who were the better DJ's and would ask for the good ones.. I'm not 100% sure but i think the prices for a DJ back then were also $400 roflmao...

[JMM773]

yes.. they dont care enough, the old "we cant charge much for tickets cause then no one will come".. Which I guess is essentially true.. start charging $15 per kid and and most parents will say "frack it"..
which is kinda sad.. As a parent I have no problem paying $10 to take my child swimming,, I have no problem paying almost $30 for a few hours at the local amusement park or 'chuck E cheese' playplace..
but a school dance? all of sudden theres little value in it? it has to be free?

as too the "quick and easy money"... That I dont see.. sure.. the dance is only 2 to 3 hours.. BUT! the setup is large (schools EXPECT the big lightshow and sound, IE: running two mackies and 4 pars would be lackluster in a school gym lol) and many school gyms are a pain for setup (limited window for setup and many times stairs to the stage)

for a full time multi-op I guess having something on a friday is nice.. but is it worth almost a 50% discount VS the rest of the industry? (weddings, anniversaries, school reunions etc)

I'm not trying to "raise the prices" or anything.. I just kinda assumed that after 15 years things would have changed one way or another..

I see it as quick and easy... it's a 2 hour setup, doesn't feel like much work to me and it's only 3 hours (per your question Steve)

mind you, that's strictly gr1-5... the only exception is for a middle school dance i've been doing once per month, every month for the past 9 years (so 108+ events for them x 200or300 each = ~24K).. it's a great testing ground for a lot of my new gear, software, music, etc., not to mention this whole time they were saving for a new facility, so happy to help them in that aspect too

possibly raising their price this month or next month since they're going into a new facility, but i don't really care too too much,... still love them as a client, they're easy and they work their dances around my schedule all the time, so i can always take their gig and if something comes up, they move their dance for me (and vice versa, if I don't have anything going on and they really need to move a dance, I try to accomodate them as well).