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Edmonton Bridal Fantasy 2010
Feb 2nd
January 24, 2010
Bridal Fantasy 2010 at the Edmonton Northlands Agricom.
Video Highlights of the day.
There is a lot to say about Bridal Fantasy this year as there were a few surprises.
Most noticeably was the decrease in attendance of the exhibitors as it was clear to me that there were less vendors this year compared to last. Add-in the fact two major vendors were missing from Bridal Fantasy goes to show either those exhibitors have not been happy with the results from the show or how the show is run. I have not spoken with River City Rentals or Elegant Touches but I do know that they both were in Bridal Fair 2 weeks prior but did not participate in this show.
It is hard to say if attendance numbers were as strong this year over last year as no numbers have been currently released. Most vendors I spoke with seemed to be happy with the show and felt the numbers were down slightly but no one was positive about that. Most exhibitors were a bit nervous going into the show as Bridal Fair on had one half the attendance they had in 2009. As it turns out attendance was about the same as 2009 with about 50 more people attending this years show. Bridal Fantasy did a good job of promoting the show via radio, TV and print advertising. Add in the good weather which helps to bring people in the doors.
The other big challenge to Bridal Fantasy this year was the Agricom itself. With the renovations that have been taking place now for almost 2 years this venue has become disliked by both attendees and the public as you have to walk a great distance just to get to the main doors from the parking lot and another long haul down a long hallway to get to the exhibition halls. Add-in the fact that you had to pay $12 for parking and $20 to get in the door I am surprised anyone came to the show at all.
I must say that there were some very well done booths this year and people put allot of thought into making the most of the day.
This was the 5th time I have been to Bridal Fantasy and I was again disappointed with the fashion show. For what seems like 5 years in a row the Derk’s have used the same stage back drop/theme and even worse to me was the show producers used the exact same music. The fashion show truly lacked anything new and exciting and with such a changing world that we currently live in it was disappointing that there was no new energy brought to this part of the event.
The BIG challenge I noticed this year at the show was a few companies pulling what is known as Bait and Switch. One DJ company inparticular took what is normally a $600 DJ package (at best) they then marked it up to $1195 and created a show special were they discounted the price by 50%. I can personally tell you that even their $600 package is not worth $600 not to mention $1200. As a DJ for almost 10 years I was shocked by this companies approach to marketing. If you consider a good DJ package to included 2 speakers on stands and a laptop with no lighting run by a DJ that may or may not have ever done a wedding before a good deal then you definitely got what you paid for.
All I can say is make sure your do your homework before you book any of your major vendors and never book anything the day of a wedding show. Go home after the show and do a little more research online to make you hire the right companies for what most people consider one of the most important days of their lives.
I have never personally been an exhibitor in this or any show but have helped out a number of vendors/exhibitors over the years with their booths. What has always frustrated me the most is the end of the day when the mad rush occurs as everyone is trying to get done and their booths taken down as fast as possible. The Derk’s and Heidi really need to lay down the law with GES (the company that provides the tradeshow equipment for the show) and have them not lift a finger for one hour after the show ends to allow the vendors that paid at least $1400 to attend the show have the right-a-way when clearing the building. The staff of Goodkey Show Services were so inconsiderate that they began to roll up the carpet while there were still guests in the room and some of them with baby strollers. My apologies to GES as I cited them as the problem as it was their name I saw and some of the equipment at the show. This was very disappointing to see and I was impressed that a few exhibitors, raised shit (excuse my French) and had Goodkey stop this work immediately.
All-in-all it was a good day and as a lot of competitors are very friendly with each other so it was a chance to visit and say hello to some great people that work in the Edmonton Wedding market.
List of Show Exibitors
A Beautiful Day - Planning & Decorating
A Chair to Remember - Planning & Decorating
ABC Weddings – Planning & Decorating
Artistic Creations Photography and Design – Photography and Videography
Avenue – Publications/Media
Beauti Control – Health & Beauty
Bed Bath and Beyond – Retail
Best Buds Flower Co. – Florists
Best Western Cedar Park Inn and Westwood – Wedding Venue
Bliss Wedding Consultants – Planning & Decorating
Bloom N’ Memories – Florists
Blue Sky Limos – Limo Services
Bridal Debut – Bridal Fashions
Browns Photography – Photography and Videography
Cakes by Janna – Cakes & Sweets
Coast Edmonton Plaza – Wedding Venue Location
Coral’s Design – Florisit
Crystal’s Bridal - Bridal Fashions
d’Lish – Catering Company
Derks – Men’s Formal Wear
Electrik Lemon Hair and Body Studio – Health & Beauty
Elegant Events – Planning & Decorating
Erik Hornung Photography – Photography and Videography
Fantasyland Hotel – Wedding Venue
Final Touch – Planning & Decorating
Flowers In The Park – Florist
Gemini – Bridal Fashions
Graham and Lane Florist - Flowers
Hilton Garden InnWest Edmonton – Wedding Venue
Holiday Inn Convention Centre – Wedding Location
In Motion Style Group – Health & Beauty
Infinite Event Services – Planning & Decorating
Instant Memories – Photography and Videography
Isagenix – Health & Beauty
Karisma Resorts – Wedding Travel
Kelly Redinger Studios – Photography and Videography
La Piazza Dasee – Florist
Mary Kay – Health & Beauty
Moby Disc DJ – Edmonton DJ for Special Events
Moores Clothing For Men – Men’s Formal Wear
Nickibeans – Cakes & Sweets
Notables – Stationery and Invitations
Photsmiths – Photography and Videography)
Picture That Photography – Photography and Videography
Pioneer Meadows Golf Course – Wedding Venue
Piotr & Megan Photography – Photography and Videography
PoGirl Productions – Photography and Videography
Sandals – Destination Lane
Sears – Retail
Shandro Photo – Photography and Videography
Sharaton 4 Points – Wedding Venue
Special Event Rentals – Planning & Decorations
Stella & Dot Jewelry – Bridal Fashions
Strathcona String Quartet – Entertainment/Musicians
Sweet Beginnings – Planning & Decorations
Table Charm – Retail
The Bay and Home Outfitters – Retail
The Bounce – Publications/Media/Radio Station
The Bridal House – Bridal Fashions
The Islands of the Bahamas – Destination Lane
The Last Detail – Planning & Decorations
The Papertree – Stationery
The Tuxedo House – Men’s Wear
The Westin Edmonton – Wedding Venue
To Be In Pictures – Photography and Videography
Transat Holidays – Destination Location
U Weight Loss Clinic – Health & Beauty
Uniglobe Geo Travel – Travel
Vigor Media – Photography and Videography
Weddingbells – Publications/Media/Magazine
Wedlux – Publications/Media
Whimsical Cake Studio – Cakes & Sweets
Yukon Brewing Company – Grooms Room
Hotel MacDonald Corporate Christmas Party DJ
Jan 3rd
December 11, 2009 – Edmonton Disc Jockey for Davis & Company
It has been 2 years since the last time I was with my friends at Davis and Company and boy it was good to be back. The weather outside was frightful and inside it was delightful with great food and friends coming together to celebrate everyone’s favorite time of the year.
The Hotel MacDonald is the most beautiful venue in Edmonton at the best of times; and this time of the year takes it too a whole other level. The Christmas decorations are so well done and really add to the look of the hotel. So much so that people were taking pictures of each other in the lobby in front of the great tree and reindeer.
As an Edmonton DJ it is always great to DJ at the MacDonald Hotel and tonight was as good as always. Over the years I have gotten to know some of the staff and on this night a couple of people were there that I have gotten to know. A special thanks to Chris for his unequalled service and helpfulness. He treated me like a guests rather than the hired help and that says a lot about him and the MacDonald Hotel. If other venues could understand this it would server them well as I have customers that call me and ask what is a good venue to hold a function at and I always mention the Mac.
Dinner was served just about 7:30PM, which was a little late, because of the poor road conditions making people run late getting to the location. Dinner was, simply put, amazing and I could not have had another bite as I over did it. It was great to sit a relax and enjoy a great meal and my dinner guests were great to visit with and we had a great conversation over dinner.
After dinner we had a couple of quick speeches and the highlight of the night was 2 things. 1st was the slideshow and video presentation that the interns put together. There were a few slides shown on the screen that were doctored in Photoshop that had everyone laughing as the interns made jokes about the office staff.
The video presentation followed the slideshow and that was a spoof in the TV show “the Office” and boy was it funny. It must have taken days to put that together and was one of the best presentations I have ever seen and all I can say was the bar has been set high and will be hard to beat.
The 2nd thing was the “Family Feud Game” where 2 teams were picked and competed against each other to answer a few fun questions about the staff and partners based on how well they new each other. This was very well done and the MC did a great job of preparing the game in advance. I will be sure to recommend this to other companies in the future.
The dance got started about 10:00 and it was just like old times. Since I had been with this group before and had a good understanding as to what they liked and that was a good starting point and we were able to hit the ground running. There were lots of requests and everyone just seemed to cut loose a little and have some fun and relax, something we all need to do once and a while. What I love about the Hotel MacDonald is the atmosphere in this room. With a great look and feel and add in great lighting control you can really set the tone for an inviting dance floor where people will want to be.
Please see the attached video for some highlights of the day from “Edmonton DJ”
Edmonton Corporate DJ at the Radisson Inn
Jan 2nd
December 19, 2009 – Edmonton Corporate Christmas Party for WIKA Instruments Edmonton ![]()
It is great to back with WIKA again this year to do their Christmas party. They are a great group of people that like to have fun. In order to elevate a party to a higher level we decided last year that we would add in a couple of games to make things a little more interesting. Corporate functions can be a bit of a challenge as the employees bring a spouse or guest and since they don’t really know anyone they can feel a little out of place.
My goal is to add in some activities that help to break the ice and get everyone to relax a little more so they intern enjoy themselves and stay a little longer.
Last year we decided to play “golf”. Simply put everyone that comes get a chance to go golfing and every time you sink a putt (best of 3) you get entered into a separate draw then everyone else. It went over very well last year and everyone lined up to play and it was great fun as everyone cheered and sometimes booed for the person putting. We decided to leave the golfing in this year and see what happens. The funny thing is that I think that it was better this year than last year and that is because people knew how it worked and it was so much fun as people that never really golf came up and gave it a try and when they sunk a putt everyone cheered and it was ton of fun.
For dinner we played a game to pick the table order. Santa Bingo is a fun game that is more luck then skill but is better then simply picking number out of a hat. The fun part was the ribbing people where giving me as we did the game as there was a lot of banter which turned out to be a lot of fun.
Dinner was very well done at the Radisson Inn. The Radisson is a really nice venue to hold a function at, but is one of the hardest venues to get equipment into and out of. Also, with the dance floor at the opposite end of the room from the entrance to the room make it even a longer distance for an Edmonton DJ to have to move their gear. Also, the room is quite nice but is in need to painting and a little T.L.C. to keep it current and maintained.
After dinner we played 2 quick rounds of “Name that Tune” and this was great fun as everyone was involved and engaged making it a lot easier to do. I had a volunteer run my computer which really sped up the game and me running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
The highlight of the night was when myself and 2 managers and the president of the company performed a rewritten version of “Kenny Rogers – the Gambler”. We did a rehearsal before dinner and that went off without a hitch and we had an almost flawless performance but we all had a little bit of the nerves. I think the 4 of us had more fun doing this then everyone watching. I think it is great to see management step outside the box and have a some fun. I hope we can talk everyone into doing this again next year.
We finally started the dance about 9:30 and we had people on the dance floor the whole night thru. It was the ladies that really got the ball rolling with some line dances and top 40. We mixed in a few slow songs, as anyone can dance to a slow song and by 12AM we had a good core group of people left and I played their requests and we had a great time.
Please see the attached video of some highlights of the day from Edmonton Disc Jockey.
Edmonton Disc Jockey for Amen Construction
Dec 27th
December 5, 2009 at the Nisku Inn Edmonton
The Nisku Inn has 2 rooms (1 Bigger and 1 Smaller) and the smaller room seats about 120 people which was perfect for the Amen Construction Christmas Party. The day began with a bit of challenge as it had snowed quite a bit through the night and with a little bit of wind led to some drifting which made it very difficult to get my trailer out of storage. It is always important to give yourself a little extra time when it comes to traveling at this time of the year and today I really needed that extra time.
To make matters a little more challenging, when I arrived at the Nisku Inn the front doors wore not working forcing me to load in a small side door that had a small step which was not helpful when it came to moving all of my equipment.
With all the small things happening I had just enough time to setup my show. The doors opened at 5:30PM and I was ready at 5:20PM. I have played in this room before and what was better this time was the placement of the dance floor. It was right in front of my location which was exactly where I wanted it to be. Last time the dance floor was about 20 feet from where my table could be placed.
With the weather causing everyone a few problems our evening ran a little behind schedule as we waiting for people to come. Dinner started about 1/2 hour late which was just fine as the staff at the hotel rolled with the punches and worked around what the customer wanted.
Dinner started about 7:30 and we had a little fun picking the tables based on who was dressed either in Christmas colours or had on festive attire. The food was very well made and there was a very nice selection of items including porgies which are generally a crowd pleaser. The only thing that would be a little better would have been using both side of the buffet line but only one side of the table was used therefore, taking twice as long to put everyone through the buffet line.
Just after dinner the owner/president of the company said a few words about the past year and was looking forward to 2010 with new contracts coming up that will put Amen Construction in a good place next year.
What I really like about Amen Construction is that they are not only colleges but friends and family. Everyone gets along and is there to relax, kick back, and enjoy themselves. As an Edmonton DJ I consider myself pretty lucky to do what I do. It is a great honor to be invited back year after year by the same company. I am lucky to work with companies like Amen as they are the reason I am still doing this and hope to be back next year… in Canmore.
A special thanks goes out to Lynn and Bob as they are great dancers and break the ice for everyone to enjoy themselves. I wish they could come to every one of my parties as they have such positive energy and are genuinely great people.
Please see the video below for some highlights of the night from an Edmonton Disc Jockey.
Edmonton DJ for Intuit Canada Corporate Holiday Party
Dec 21st
November 28, 2009 at the Edmonton Westin Hotel
As an Edmonton DJ I have pretty much seen it all and all I can say is that Intuit did it all at this function. From the minute you came up the stairs at the Westin Hotel there was something for everyone. So where to begin. As a guest you came in to the reception area where there was a piano player and bass player playing a variety of Christmas songs that just filled the air.
Down the hall was a room where you could have your picture taken via a professional photographer. These pictures would then be made available to everyone in the weeks following the Christmas Party.
Everyone was mingling and visiting and enjoying themselves and there was a couple of magicians walking around performing close up magic. This is a great add on to any function as it creates a great conversation starter that breaks the ice and leads to a better evening. When the staff and their spouses come together for a function the spouses can feel a bit out of place and anything that can make everyone feel at ease creates an even better event.
The doors to the ballroom opened about 6:30 PM which was a little late to allow enough time for everyone to get into the room and find their seats prior to dinner. The room was very well decorated with a back drop of Las Vegas as a background image that tied into the theme of having a funny money casino after dinner. There was nothing new here for decorations that I have not seen before but what the organizers had done was well and all tied into the overall theme.
Dinner was very well done, served buffet style and everyone made it through the line in a very short period of time. When you are feeding 300 people it is important that they all get through the line as soon as possible to all for a better evening. The Westin did a great job of keeping the food on the buffet line so that there were no delays.
Dinner was followed by a couple of short speeches and a few door prizes that both very well received. We then went into the informal end of the evening where there was both a dance and a funny money casino.
When there are two different things for guests to do that can be good and it can be bad. If is always a balancing act trying to make as many of your guests happy. The thing is that not everyone dances and the fun money casino was a great add on that appealed to allot of people.
The fun money casino ran from about 9PM to 11PM and the dance ran right along side it for those that did not want to gamble.
The casino was very well received and by most of the guests and those that did not want to play were on the dance floor. There was not anyone sitting in the entire room so it was clear that everyone was partaking in all the activities provided via the organizers. After the casino ended the person with the most money was awarded a prize and rest of the door prizes were given away and the dance finally got going. With such a bigger distraction the dance generally suffers until the casino ends and that is exactly how it was on this night.
We did lose a few people after the casino which was expected for a crowd of this size but this size but those that stuck around danced their butts off and had a great time. I was a little surprised that we had a good crowd still left at 2:00AM when I had to stop playing music as the crowd that was left were chanting “one more song” over and over again.
The challenge for next year will be to top this event.
Please see the video below for highlights of the event for Intuit Canada.
NAIT School of Business 2009 Christmas Party and Dance
Dec 20th
November 20, 2009
Edmonton DJ at the Edmonton Petroleum Club
I have been an Edmonton DJ for the last 10 years and the NAIT JR Shaw School of Business Christmas Party came about via someone in my past hunting me down. John Beck is a great dancer and we knew each other from the days I used to DJ at the Fantasyland Lounge in West Edmonton Mall about 6 – 7 years ago. They wanted to change things up a little for this years event and John remembered my company name and looked me up on Google and as they say it… the rest is history.
The Edmonton Petroleum Club is a really good place to DJ if you are lucky to be in the big ballroom with the access door right off the stage making for one of the easier load ins in town.
We had a great group of people that all were enjoying themselves and we then went into dinner about 7:00 PM and I jumped in with a game to decide the order that the tables would go to the buffet line. It is a short a sweet game that requires the people at each table work together to answer questions about Christmas Carols and the table with the highest score gets to go 1st and so on.
We enjoyed a great meal with more choices of items than I have seen in a long time. If you were not happy with all the choices then you were even harder to please than me and I thought it was a great meal, one of the best of the year. Add in a great selection of deserts made for an enjoyable meal.
Dinner was followed by a couple of short speeches and a few door prizes.
The highlight of the evening was when John Beck sang a slightly modified version of “Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer” that had everyone in stitches as he played it up with a great introduction and I had the karaoke version of the song that he sang along with.
We then went into the dance that had a great start but we ended a little earlier than I had hope but it sure was a good time while it lasted.
Please see the video below for some highlights of the night.
The Bay at Southgate Winter Extravaganza
Dec 17th
Southgate Centre in Edmonton Alberta
November 15, 2009
Twice a year the Hudson’s Bay Company at Southgate Mall hold a special evening for their customers to come into the store after hours and enjoy themselves. The winter extravaganza was very well attended with lots to do and see.
People were already getting into the Christmas spirit as I was hired as an Edmonton DJ to play Christmas music and provide a microphone for the draws.
The store and mall were all decorated for Christmas which really helped with the atmosphere.
Everyone in attendance was visiting and enjoying themselves and patiently waiting for the amazing door prizes to be given out at the end of the evening.
What can I say but wow. There were so many door prizes that started in value from $100 and went up to $350 with 2 grand prizes.
At about 8:30 everyone gathered at the entrance to the Bay and the door prize giveaway began. There was lots of cheering and screaming as the winners were announced and claimed the prizes.
Please see the video below for some video highlights of the evening.
Woodvale Hall Wedding – Michelle and Carlos
Sep 11th
Wedding for Carlos and Michelle.
September 5, 2009 at Woodvale Community Hall in Edmonton
Black and white… done right.
It was a beautiful September day where I was able to come back to one of my favorite places to play music. Woodvale Hall is great venue with a easy load in and a very well designed and run location. Add in some of the best staff in the city you have a winning location. Bonuses are free parking and very easy to get to in the city of Edmonton.
Michelle and Carlos pulled out all the stops and did a great job of both holding the ceremony and reception in the same venue and decorating the facility.
With a black and white theme that carried through the chair covers to the the napkins and even the cake.
The ceremony was very well attended as there are usually empty chairs are most ceremonies but there was standing room only for this one. The marriage commissioner was also very well spoken and entertaining. He also got the guests involved in the ceremony. I was one of the best ceremonies I have ever been to.
After the ceremony the room was flipped for the ceremony and that was all done in a very smooth and efficient matter and there was just enough time for me to transition from the ceremony to the reception. As my show is one of the larger show in Edmonton I generally need about 2 hours to set it all up.
The doors reopened to the guests about 5:30 PM and everyone was in great spirits right from the beginning and I could tell that we were in for a GOOD time.
One other that was great about the room was that it was cozy. There were just the right number of people for this size of room. This is one of the most import factors when considering any room. For example, if you book a room that holds 400 and you only have 150 – 200 guests attending your party will, generally speaking, be less successful had you booked a venue that was well suited to the number attending.
Dinner simply put was great. Great selection and great quality and something for everyone.
Dinner was followed by some awesome speeches that were very well delivered. Everyone was very well spoken making the speeches, for me, the highlight of the night.
I have attended over 600 parties over the last 10 years as an Edmonton DJ and I can tell you one thing for sure and that is the better the front end of the night is… the better the back end will be. With a great venue, food and people my job was made easy.
The one that was can help a dance or kill it… is kids. On this night there was just enough kids that increased the energy but not many where they are causing chaos. We had the right balance on this night.
What can I say about the dance but… WOW. It was a lot of fun right from the start and with the bride and groom there to enjoy themselves and take everything in led us to a great dance that at time had everyone in the room dancing.
Please take a look at a short video of the day highlights.
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