The purpose of this class/workshop is to share ideas on how to take your holiday parties to the next level and make them more festive! Christmas parties can be a bore if the DJ does not make it exciting.
Christmas decorations you can add to your set up
- Lights – Small string $3 – $5
- Garland
- Ornaments
- A lighted small tree, or Santa or candle
- Santa or Elf hat or Reindeer horns
- Single Jingle bells on a necklace
- Christmas light necklace
- Christmas Cards
Christmas presents
- Wrap any giveaways you may have like t shirts
- $1 christmas lottery tickets
- Dollar store Santa, elf, or reindeer hats
- Single Jingle bells on a necklace
- Christmas light necklace
Christmas Music
- All I want for christmas is you – Mariah Carey
- Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays – N Sync
- Blue Christmas – Elvis
- White Christmas – Bing Crosby
- The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole
- Santa claus is coming to town – Bruce Springsteen
- Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms
- Rockin around the Christmas tree – Brenda Lee
- The most wonderful time of the year – Andy Williams
- Happy Holidays – Andy Williams
- Christmas in the caribbean – Jimmy Buffett
- Christmas time – The Chipmunks
- Grandma got run over by a reindeer – Elmo & Patsy
- This Christmas
- Rudolph the red nose reindeer
- The 12 days of christmas
- Jingle bells
Christmas Trivia
Who wrote the Christmas song? – Mel Torme 1964
What movie was the song White Christmas first sung in? Holiday Inn
Who turned down the chance to record White Christmas? Gene Autry
What is the #1 selling Christmas song of all time? White Christmas by Bing Crosby in 1942 and raked in a whopping $50 million.
Name Santa’s Reindeer, and how many are there? 9 Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph
Christmas Contests
- Use a Christmas song as the runoff song for a twist contest. For example: Grandma got run over by a reindeer or Jingle bell rock. Have multiple winners from a game or contest like an item pass (During dinner when this is done), tell the crowd that it’s sing-along time. Or line a table or group up on the dance floor for a singing christmas gram – Then play Jingle Bells by the singing dogs. 😊 or have the words printed for the 12 days of christmas, hand them out and have them sing that.
- Instead of a Mummy wrap, have a Christmas package wrap where people can wrap others up as a gift and the crowd judges the BEST one! If lucky you can also find christmas themed toilet paper you could use too.
- For a LIMBO wrap your limbo pole like a candy cane with red and white streamers or tape.
- Have a naughty santa gift exchange where the next person in line can take from a pile of gifts (if available) or trade with someone else that has already unwrapped their gift. The last person will always have the best choice obviously.
When contacting your client
- Go over details for cocktails, dinner, and dancing.
- Sell pre-time for cocktails if possible.
- Music selection for cocktails – Start off with christmas carols & holiday music then throw in a couple fun christmas songs like The Chipmunks or Elmo & Patsy.
- Dinner music you can mix current cocktail music with Holiday music.
- Try to have holiday music like Adam Sandler’s The Chanukah song or Kenny G has a nice Chanukah song as well.
- Confirm any SPECIAL events such as speeches, awards, presentations, etc.
Arrival and set-up
- Allow an extra half hour for set up of decorations, Holiday traffic, bad weather, etc.
- Add decorations or presents as listed above.
- Make sure you have a FESTIVE look – Sweater/Jacket/Hat/Jingle Bell/ Light necklace
Additional Tips
- Be sure to ask your clients if they plan to give out gifts. If so, you may be able to use them as prizes for contests. Many times companies hand out raffle or lottery tickets at the door.
- Client’s may also raffle off centerpieces from the table. If the party is going slow, this can be a good time to hold the drawing. In addition, sometimes there will be a sticker on the bottom of one chair, cup, or saucer at each table. The person sitting at that chair wins, you can also use these people to initiate an activity.
- Often there will be people at these parties who will be getting married in the spring or summer. That translates into referrals if they like you. Not to mention any other types of parties people may be planning.
- Be sure that the client has your card on file for next year, and let them know they can ask for you specifically for next year’s picnic or Christmas party.
- Keep in touch with your client throughout the evening to make sure everything is going ok. Remember, you want to show them that you want the party to be a success.
- Find out who the company’s president or owner is, approach him/her and tell them how nice of a time you are having, even if the party sucks. Mention what a nice function this is and how he/she really knows how to take care of their employees. This may seem like a bunch of bullshit, but, this may be the person holding your tip in their hand.
- Show up earlier than normal to decorate and to coordinate with the banquet manager.
- Christmas parties sometimes start slowly. Don’t panic! Work your crowd much the way you would a wedding, then beat the shit out of them when you get the opportunity. This may be the only party their cheap-skate boss throws for them all year, so they are ready to party until they puke.
Finally, you may see more people this month than any other. December is one of the most productive months for generating new business. That means more $$$ in your pocket. It also means you will be busting your ass through the holidays. Good Luck and stay creative!
The Twelve days of Christmas
Use this activity much the same way as “let’s make a deal”. It seems to work best with crowds you think may be hard to motivate or get started and I would only recommend using this at a banquet or company party and not a wedding. After dinner I remind everyone of the old adage of “singing for your supper” only in reverse. Tell them you are going to do the twelve days of Christmas but you need their help. To set this up you need to go around during dinner and be sure to leave a business card at every table. The cards should be numbered 1 thru 12. If you have more than 12 tables then just duplicate some numbers. What you are going to do is have the table with the corresponding number “act out” each of the twelve days of Christmas as it is sung. You can play the song if you need to remind people of the rhythm and lyrics (which you can also print), but it is fun to get everyone to sing it while the people with the card “act out” the day being sung. Tell them at the appropriate time you will point to their table and everyone must stand and do their act before you move on to the next verse. At first it can be a little awkward but they will usually get the hang of it.
THE ACTS/DAYS
- Partridge in a pear tree (Stand and Wave)
- Turtle doves (Stand and say “Coo Coo” while flapping your arms like wings)
- French Hens (Stand and say “Ooo La La” with hands out and against your cheeks)
- Calling birds (Stand and say “YO” with your hands up in the air)
- Golden Rings (Stand and say “Ring-a-ding-ding” with right hand out palm in like youre showing off a ring)
- Gease (Stand and say “Honk Honk” while you act like you push a horn)
- Swans a swimming (Stand and say “Splish splash” as you move your arms like you are swimming)
- Maids a milking (Stand and move hands like you’re milking saying “Squirt Squirt”)
- Ladies (Stand and shake your hips and scream)
- Lords (Stomp your feet 3 to 4 times)
- Pipers (Stand act like you are playing a pipe and say “Toot Toot”)
- Drummers (Stand act like you are playing a drum and say “ Rat a tat tat”)
Before you explain the act it’s really fun to ask them what they are going to do and if they don’t show you something or are confused you can explain the act. The key to this is to tease the crowd while you are setting it up. For Ex: when you come to geese-a-laying, pause and then say, “No you’re not going to do that!Let’s keep it clean”. Use your imagination for other stuff and have fun.
DJ Entertainment School 