[Mike Fernino]

Hi everyone!
I'm sorry for my lack of contribution on these boards lately! It's been a crazy summer and there has been little time for posting. With that said, here is what you missed in Atlantic City!
Not Much! LOL [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]
Let's all get this correct. If you read DJ Times magazine, remember that you can't believe everything you hear. They say that the show is getting bigger every year!
They say there are 150 exhibit booths on the show floor. They say the DJ convention is bigger and better than ever. The spin is like an election year.
In reality, the attendance is getting smaller with every year. I estimate this year at 750, not the 4000 they said were registered. The exhibit floor might of had 50 booths, not 150. Let's get this right. This is a convention on its way down, not up!

The good and the bad. First the bad.
The convention has to be moved from the HUGE AC convention center. Why can't DJ Times see that it is way to large to host this now mid-sized event?
It is like a wedding for 50 people in a room that holds 500! Have you ever seen that? You need to have a size 10 shoe for a size 10 foot. Get it? Got it? Good.
If DJ Times were just not so driven by the BOTTOM LINE $$$$$$$, the show can recover and remain a major event.
Now for the DJ of the Year show. I almost walked out this year! No wonder many people still don't take us DJ's serious. We can't even take ourselves serious!
12 DJs competed, and ony 3 were anything worth watching.
The winner, DJ Marz, was awesome and did great, so it was worth seeing him atleast!
I also noticed how thin the room was with DJs. In 1996, I remember standing room only and that was body to body! This show is way off from the past.
The trade show floor is also NOT what is once was. They can say all they want but I remember going in 1994 and it taking me 2 hours to go through the entire show floor. This year i did it in 30 minutes!

The good............ The seminars are getting really good. Many of the speakers were well organized and very professional. This is an area that is better than ever.
The Randy Bartlet 1% solution seminar is something I would recommend to any DJ whether you are a 101 or a 401.
Dick Dean made me laugh like no seminar ever, and there was a nice mix of some new, fresh topics. For that, I'm happy to have attended.
Of course, good friends make this worth going, just for a fun break.
The Pioneer party at the Casbah was the best ever and a great evening.

So there are very good things and very bad things.
What does this show have to do to stand the test of time?
First, move out of the Atlantic City convention center and back to the Boardwalk where the show attendees can see Atlantic City the way it should be!
The Trump Taj was the best place to have this show and I still beleive it would be the best place to go back to. Sometimes you have to take a step back if you want to continue forward!
Also, the show floor has to get bigger. Maybe if DJ Times lowers the price to the vendors to get more vendors. 50 booths sold at $ 2500 or 150 booths at $ 1250.
Do the math...... which scenario makes you more $ ????
We will see what happens!

Thanks for reading.
Mike Fernino
Founder * DJ Idea Sharing
Owner * Music In Motion
Member * The DJ Network
Member * PDJNE