If you can’t afford a $3000 DJ or can’t see a way to make your money back with profit from that DJ, then you have to rethink it all.
In Chicago, we have a massive club called Vision and another decent-sized club called the MID. The problem is when you book a very expensive DJ, you either have to raise the cover to some number like $30-$50, or think smaller in terms of name. It’s why bigger names end up in small concert halls like the Congress Theater.
Think about a reasonable cover you think people in your area would pay, then see how much you would pull in when 75% of the crowd pays full cover (I usually assume 20-25% of the venue capacity will be people on the list and others you have to comp). That number is what you could afford in terms of a DJ.
So let’s say your venue holds 300 people max…and you think they would pay as much as $20 a head for a bigger name DJ…
75% of 300 people = 225 people paying cover
225 people X $20 per person = $4,500
Also bear in mind the costs of other DJs who you might book, promotion fees (flyers, ads, etc), and any staff you use outside of the club’s staff…like someone to watch the door or what not.
I’m making this out to be very simple, but this is how you have to think. You might even want to think of 50% of the crowd you get money from…assuming 25% gets comped and the other 25% represents people who just don’t come…thinking as if you don’t sell out the venue.
If hiring expensive DJs does not seem profitable, then think differently. Perhaps good locals who are known and pay music people love, but you do a theme night. A white party, or fashion show, or something offbeat. Spend the extra money on decoration or some live act such as showgirls or something. The answer isn’t always an expensive DJ.
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