Atlantic City, N.J. – Once again, the DJ Expo proved its strength by producing a winning trade show/exhibition at the East Coast’s gaming mecca. Held this past Aug. 13-16 at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City, DJ Expo presented the DJ industry’s best-attended combo of equipment exhibits, educational seminars and sponsored parties.
Produced by DJ Times magazine and its publisher Testa Communications, DJ Expo packed the Harrah’s exhibit hall with nearly 100 companies working more than 150 exhibition booths. The show drew more than 6,000 badgeholders (mobile and club DJs, music makers and bedroom jocks), representing a 5-percent increase from the 2017 show. With its 33rd show since 1990, DJ Expo remains the industry’s longest-running and most-successful trade show/exhibition.
The Show: DJ Expo delivered a packed schedule of exhibits, seminars and parties that enjoyed participation from exhibitor/sponsors like ADJ, Allen & Heath, BASSBOSS, Bose, Chauvet DJ, Electro-Voice, Global Truss, inMusic Brands, Odyssey, Peavey, Pioneer DJ, RCF USA, Roland, and Technics, among many others.
In addition to a schedule of topical seminars benefitting DJs of all stripes, DJ Expo presented special keynotes from industry notables and influencers. To a packed house, turntable legends Grand Wizzard Theodore, Rob Swift and Mista Sinista discussed the evolution of the DJ and confronted the question: Just what is a real DJ anymore? Phil Morse, the founder of European online school Digital DJ Tips, presented two informative keynotes, which explained how DJs can create an effective website and how DJs can benefit from streaming services.
DJ Expo’s always-entertaining evening events fired up a pair of venues inside Harrah’s (The Pool and Eden Lounge), plus another (Haven) at the nearby Golden Nugget. At parties sponsored by Chauvet DJ, RCF, Peavey, Technics, Bose, and BASSBOSS, Expo attendees enjoyed performances by talents like DJ Scratch, Skribble, Grand Wizzard Theodore, Jazzy Jay, Keith Shocklee, Jade Starling, Maro Music, and Alex MIDI. On the Expo showfloor, attendees caught sets by Talib Kweli, GrandMixer DXT, Shani Barnett, As-One, Kharisma and more.
The Winners: On Aug. 15, Artem Lomaz of Ninety-Three Entertainment in Roxbury, N.J., won the “Entertainer of the Year” competition. Hosted at Haven nightclub in the Golden Nugget by Jake Jacobsen of Affair 2 Remember Entertainment, the annual event bestowed awards in a variety of categories to the best of America’s mobile entertainers. With the victory, Lomaz earned a sharp trophy, plus gear prizes from Chauvet DJ (GigBAR 2 lighting system) and RCF (a pair of HD-12-A MK4 active speakers). Jonathan Paduano of Classy Cat Entertainment in Syracuse, N.Y., was the competition’s runner-up.
Also, Susan Staff of Marque III Entertainment of Lumberton, N.J., won the Ultimate DJ Giveaway. The winning system included gear from the following sponsors: ADJ (Pocket Pro Pak lighting system); Bose (S1 Pro speaker); Global Truss America (GLO TOTEM 2.0 truss); Technics (SL-1210GR turntable) and
Pioneer DJ (HDJ-X10 headphones, DDJ-1000 mixer and two XPRS10 speakers). Ten daily giveaway winners on the showfloor took home prizes from Bose, DJ Expo, Hard Rock Hotel, Odyssey, and Peavey.
The Reaction: “In moving DJ Expo to a great venue in Atlantic City’s Marina District, we believe we gave exhibitors and attendees another quality show – as a host hotel, Harrah’s was terrific,” said Jim Tremayne, Editor of DJ Times magazine and a show organizer. “As always, the staff of DJ Expo and DJ Times thanks the exhibitors, sponsors, panelists and attendees for the continued support. It’s their dedication to the DJ industry that has allowed us to produce such a successful, long-running show – one that’s been presented annually since 1990. Stay tuned for announcements early next year about DJ Expo 2019.”
Response from exhibitors and attendees was upbeat:
“The Expo had a great energy this year, and we were excited to see that reflected in an amazing turnout at our booth and at our ‘Peavey/Technics Open-Bar Party’ DJ showcase. Special thanks to Technics for co-sponsoring such a successful after-hours event. We had a lot of happy customers, and we’re already looking forward to next year’s show!”
– Courtland Gray, Peavey Electronics, Meridian, MS
“This year’s show had the best energy and excitement I’ve seen in years. Attendance was strong, and the new venue really made this show – it should help in building it further. Also, when product launches happen at the show, it makes Expo the place to be! At this show, our Denon DJ debut – the SC-5000M Prime media player – really grabbed some serious attention. Also, it was the first time people got to really play on the [Rane] Twelve or Phase [from Mixware] side by side. That’s why you come to DJ Expo.”
– Chris Roman, inMusic Brands, Cumberland, R.I.
“DJ Expo 2018 was an absolutely amazing experience.
It was a pleasure to work with DJ Times in planning, then achieving the goal to have our best show. Attendees were delighted with the amount of gear and events around the Expo. We fulfilled our purpose to give the best of the best, live on the mainstage, the booth and the sponsored party. We are looking forward for a newer and richer experience in 2019.”
– Marco A. Araujo M., Bose, Framingham, MA
“This year’s DJ Expo was an awesome week. Harrah’s was a great location and the vibe among attendees was open and optimistic about the future of our industry. All my DJ peers seemed to agree that attending DJ Expo is one of the best ways to stay on the cutting edge of what’s happening and knowing where things are headed.”
– Mike Walter, Elite Entertainment, Tinton Falls, NJ
“Whether you’re a part-time DJ getting your side-hustle on or a full-time, six-figure jock working parties and the clubs, you need to be at DJ Expo rubbing shoulders with your peers and seeing all the latest gear from the hottest pro DJ/audio manufacturers. Consider it an investment in yourself.”
– Howard Kessler, HK Productions, Minneapolis, MN
“Another successful DJ Expo.”
– Randy White, Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center, Wheaton, MD
“I did like the show at Harrah’s with the showfloor and demo rooms close to each other. Overall, it was good show for me. Caught up with a lot people, had some great networking and I picked up some new speakers.”
– Brian Latocha, Frequency Productions, Ridley Park, PA
“We had a very successful first-time showing at DJ Expo.”
– Alison Maxson, Absen America, Orlando, FL
“As an exhibitor, we signed up more customers this year than we did the previous year. We appreciate the opportunity to be part of DJ Expo again.”
– Gerald Olivari, BV Mobile Apps, Atlanta, GA
“I look forward to the DJ Expo every year and I enjoyed having the event at Harrah’s because everything was in one location. The best part of the Expo is catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. Each year, I treat the Expo as a benchmark and compare how far I’ve come since last season. Every time I leave the Expo, I feel refreshed and full of great ideas that I can implement right away. I highly recommend attending the DJ Expo in Atlantic City to anyone that wants to improve their business.”
– Mick Uranko, Uranko Productions, Bloomsburg, PA
“Thank you, DJ Times, for producing a great show. Our product was well-received by all attendees and exhibitors, and we’re looking forward to next year!”
– Jeremy Radino, Print Budii, Holbrook, NY
“The American Disc Jockey Association loves being a part of the DJ Expo each year. We have been there nearly every year since it started. This year had a great crowd – our booth was super-slammed. Way to go, Expo! The ADJA can’t wait for the 2019 show. If you are serious about your DJ business, you need to be there.
– Hugo Drax, ADJA, Glendale, AZ
“Odyssey has always used the DJ Expo as a barometer to gauge how the DJ industry is shaping up – a state of the industry, if you will. At this show, we were very pleased to see growth in attendance, but we also felt the energy that a well-organized show like DJ Expo can bring to the industry overall. Seeing the familiar faces of veteran DJs attend year after year and also meeting new, promising, professional DJs who want to be involved in an industry as exciting as ours is what makes the DJ Expo an event that cannot be missed.”
– Dave Lopez, Odyssey, San Gabriel, CA
“DJ Expo continues to be the outlet for entertainers to get together and mix, mingle, party and learn from each other. For me, some of the most valuable moments, year after year, happen in the hallways and at other casual conversations. The diversity at the show is amazing, inspiring, and humbling all at the same time.”
– Michael Langsner, Xplosive Entertainment, Brick, NJ
“The DJ Expo was a great venue for Floyd Rose Audio. We presented our full line of pro headphones and also introduced the very first ‘3D’ true-sounding, over-ear, pro headphones. We had incredible traffic and sold out 95-percent of our inventory during the Expo. I met a load of cool musical artists and DJs, and Floyd Rose will be back at next year’s Expo.”
– Alan Cabasso, Floyd Rose Audio, Allenhurst, NJ
DJ Expo (www.thedjexpo.com) is produced by DJ Times magazine (www.djtimes.com) and its publisher Testa Communications, which is based in Port Washington, N.Y.
