Booking a DJ for an office Christmas party in Vancouver comes down to four things: how many hours you need, whether the DJ brings sound and lighting, whether they also MC, and the music your team will enjoy. Get those clear, send us your date and venue, and you can compare options with prices for DJs who are free that night.
Start with the date and the venue
Send your request as soon as you have a date and a venue. We can only offer DJs who are free that night, so an earlier request usually gives you more choice.
A DJ will want to know a few things about the venue:
- the address, and the room you’re using (an office floor, a restaurant or a hall);
- when you can get in to set up, and the latest time the music can finish;
- where they can park and unload, and whether an office building has a freight elevator;
- whether the venue has a sound system they can plug into.
Ask the venue about any noise limits, and where the DJ can set up, with a power outlet close by.
Decide how many hours you need
A DJ plays music for the hours you book. Think about your evening in parts: quiet music while people arrive and eat, a pause for speeches or awards, then dancing. If dinner and speeches take the first part of the night, count those hours too, because the DJ plays through them.
Ask how long the DJ needs to set up before guests arrive, and whether that time is part of the booking.
A few days before the party, send the DJ a short run of the evening:
- when guests arrive;
- when dinner is served;
- when speeches or awards start, and who’s speaking;
- when you’d like the dancing to start;
- when the music has to end.
With that, the DJ knows when to turn the music down for the microphone and when to build up to dancing.
Sound, lighting and a microphone
Tell us whether the DJ needs to bring sound and lighting. If your venue has no sound system, say so, and we’ll ask for prices that include them.
If someone will give a speech or hand out awards, ask for a wireless microphone.
Do you want the DJ to MC?
An MC announces dinner, introduces speakers and keeps the evening on time. Some DJs also MC. Put it in your request, so we can check it with each DJ before we send you options.
Music for a mixed office crowd
Your guests will have different ages and tastes. Tell the DJ:
- a few songs or styles your team likes;
- anything to leave out, such as songs with explicit lyrics;
- when to keep it quiet, such as during dinner and speeches, and when to turn it up;
- any holiday or cultural music you’d like included.
Send a short do-not-play list too. Decide whether the DJ should take song requests from guests, or stick to your plan.
Getting an office crowd dancing
Ask the DJ how they’d handle a quiet room. One way is to start the dancing right after the speeches, while everyone’s already in one place, or to ask a few team leads to get up first.
Questions to ask before you book
- Will you bring your own sound and lighting, or use the venue’s?
- What’s your plan if something stops working on the night?
- Can you MC, and read out names for awards?
- How do you handle song requests from guests?
- What do you wear to a corporate event?
- If our venue asks for proof of insurance, can you send it?
- How early will you arrive, and how long does packing up take?
What changes the price
The price for your night depends on how many hours you book, whether it’s a Saturday or in the holiday season, whether the DJ brings sound and lighting, and travel outside Metro Vancouver.
How booking works with AGNT
AGNT is a booking company. You send us your date, venue and guest count, and we check which DJs in Vancouver are free that day. We send you options with prices. You pick one, and it’s booked once the deposit is paid. If your first pick isn’t free, we’ll tell you and suggest DJs with a similar style who are.
Some of the Vancouver DJs you can book through AGNT are Will Sea, DJ GrooveHeart and Keltie. You can see more on DJs for hire in Vancouver.
Planning a wedding instead? Read Best Wedding DJ in Vancouver.
How we put this together
We wrote this from the details people send us when they ask for a DJ in Vancouver: the type of event, the hours, the music and what they need the DJ to bring. It doesn’t list prices, because they depend on your date, your hours and what you need. For typical prices, read how much a DJ costs in Vancouver.
Your next step
Tell us your date, venue and guest count, and we’ll send you Vancouver DJs who are free that night, with prices: book a DJ in Vancouver
Featured photo by Leo_Visions on Unsplash
