Karaoke Forums

But, again I have to ask, Did you get the intent of my post or are you just ignoring the message?

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No venue to big or too small. From your den to the local club or event, we have the music most requested. Great sounding system!

The schedule is still in flux but the basic version is seminars on Monday from Noon to 5, networking/social at night with general DJ conference group. Seminars on Tuesday from 9am-4, karaoke event at night.

Ryan

No, but will be recorded for later usage and placed online for open viewing.

Ryan

Understood on your experience elsewhere. The Mobile Beat show is the original in this area and would love to see you out there. If there is something I can do to help (within reason) give me a call at 515-986-3344x300.

Ryan

Not really, more for the KJs and Clubs that have it in their business.

Ryan

I agree completely. I run such a company and can understand that. We take several of our staff each year and leave several behind. The show is Monday and Tuesday .

Ryan

Then don't attend anything Kurt related. I understand he has a strong dislike among many in the industry. There are some great players that are getting involved with Karaoke and it would be good to see everyone there.

Ryan

Chris,

We already cut the fee down to next to nothing. We aren't charging any exhibitors for being involved in this event and we are charging the attendees next to nothing. I can't subsidize this thing completely (just close to it). The general conference for DJs is $219 currently for passes, this KJ version we are doing for $30.

Ryan

Thanks BigJer…. please contact me if there is anything I can do for you.

I was serious but I have spent the last 2 weeks very busy on things and not gotten back here for that I'm very sorry. We are a small company trying to make an impact on this industry for Kjs like what we have done for DJs.

Joe, when can I call you?

Joe, what can I do for you?

Ryan

Yes Joe, I'm sorry. I don't spend the amount of time that you do on these boards, and I kept on trying to get back to them. I will now check them every other day and answer things as quickly as I can for the next month.

Very interesting discussion here, and I'm trying to answer everything as everyone has seen on stuff, but I was also hoping some others would come in here like they had told me.

Ryan

Note to all, that I have the quoting system all messed up here and am working on it. I will underline what the others said and have my responses in regular text here.

So, after a couple of bumps, as well as inquiries and comments from other posters, My guess regarding Ryan seems to be true. Not a single reply. The thread-starter was nothing but an ad, and Ryan wasn't serious about his question.

SO- my suggestion to event organizers: Find a promoter who is more highly skilled at his/her profession than Ryan What's-His-Name.[/quote]In all fairness, since this thread has already been HIJACKED and steered way off course from the ORIGINAL OP, your requests may have gone unnoticed.

I kept on coming back and reading it but honestly like one of you mention above, as I can't keep track of the quoting completely. Yes the topic went off board heavily, and I couldn't read through it on my phone well to get through it. I'm now addressing everything I can. Been on here for about 30 minutes so far….and still jamming. I will address everything I can below as I have in eseparate pieces in the last 30 minutes.

In all fairness, Joe, he provided a link to the program and descriptions of the sessions. It isn't his fault that you won't open it.[/quote]And, in all fairness LL, Ryan did come HERE and POST HERE, asking what he could offer to get our interests in attending. Questions and suggestions have been asked/written, and all that was responded to was the one about them not paying our travel and stay expenses to come out there (which was obviously posted as a joke (as evidenced by the use of an emoticon) because it was an unrealistic request anyway). One WOULD EXPECT some more responses from Ryan HERE.[/quote]

Yes and I'm doing my best now. Anyone here is welcome to talk to me on the phone if you are interested - 515-986-3344x300


And now, for a 3rd time, I have moved my post and will repeat this yet again….
... Those that want to go should go regardless of whether they care what Kurt has to say or not. It would be a great opportunity to spend some money at the tables or see a show during his presentation if you do not want to hear it.
Ryan, here's something you can offer as an incentive to come down there... Offer up free show tickets to one of the big name shows... something like one of the Cirque Du Soleil shows. I'm sure you can get some kind of Corporate Bulk business rate on a bulk purchase.


Understand that if I'm doing that I'm paying it out of my pocket with nothing to replace the money. As I mentioned earlier I'm financing the vast majority of this myself through Mobile Beat because I believe in the industry and feel that we can help it tremendously with cooperation of some others like we have done over the last 20 years in the DJ Industry.

Hi. I hope this doesn't come across as attacking or too harsh, but you asked and this is what I honestly think. What you could do to get me to Vegas unless I happened to be there already and have time to kill would be to offer something in the way of info or opportunities that I couldn't learn or gain elsewhere and usually easily,locally, or for free . These forums alone have most of the info and leads to full info offered in those workshops. Perhaps it would interest others, and again, just my opinion.

Understood on your vibe on this.

I guess the real question would be not so much what we could ask for so much as what are you capable of doing in that regard? I'm one of those that have found these sorts of events fun and and a good way to meet people with whom I have communicated with by internet or phone in the past. Unfortunately, this is what I consider more of a working/socializing vacation. However, I run a business and to take time off and spend money to travel thosands of miles ( I'm in NJ) instead of working would require benefits to my business should outweigh cost and time. So, airfare and lodging aside, what ARE you able to offer?

I can only try as hard as I can. I don't know what else I can do personally on it. A lot of these conferences are made up of what you make of them. How open you are to new ideas, your conversations with others while there and more. With a cost at airfare, your hotel and a minimal cost pass for all that content

Is there a benefit to attending something like this for karaoke nerds--that is, people who just really like karaoke, but have zero financial stake in it?

No not really.

Could you be able to get a deal on a bus where the cost could be split by those participating?

Great future idea, but again, I can't lay out the reservation without knowing that I have a bunch of people coming from a certain area aka Socal.

How about bulk rates on a block of hotel rooms?

The block of hotel rooms is already setup and can be accessed from the Las Vegas Hotel Tab.

Staying on topic - I am considering going but I would like to see some sort of a discount pass offered directly to karaoke hosts. Maybe drop the $30 fee for the karaoke sessions completely. As noted, the majority of hosts are single rig operators and have to find coverage or cancel shows. There is substantial risk in that so attendees have to balance the risk and decide that the cost of attending the conference will absolutely result in personal and business growth, otherwise it is just a short vacation in Vegas with the risk or damaging or even losing a gig(s) to a substitute host.

Yes I am taking a significant risk on all of this. The Mobile Beat Las Vegas show is a $250,000+ risk that we take every year, and this event is taking a lot of time away from it at a major risk in trying to help the KJ portion of the overall DJ industry. A $30 fee for a full 2 day of seminars and events is a deal I promise. That's like offering a free press pass for a conference for people in the press, when others pay a fee for it. There would be no-one left to help us with paying any of the bills. Just paying the bills, nothing more for our time.

To answer the question of how to get more of us to the conference......I have attended and presented at over 200 tech conferences in the last 16 years. Attendees have to know they will come away with tangible benefits. The cost of attending has to be offset with significant personal or business growth.

yes and what do most of those conferences cost on attendance?

The sessions mentioned don't seem to hit the mark for me. But, it is a positive effort so as long as the organizers keep an open mind and accept critical feedback and continue improve, then it is at least a step in the right direction.-Chris

Exactly…. that's why I'm here, people wanted something for the seminars as to ideas and things so we put them out there. Give us feedback please on more than just the Piracy seminar. Give us ideas not just complain about lack of what you want, tell us what you want.

As an additional footnote to Ryan.... [/b]It's been mentioned in a few posts that most of your Speakers are UNKNOWN to us (as part of the Karaoke Community), and thus may not have a big enough draw to make us want to come out to Vegas. It's also been mentioned that (at least) one named Guest Speaker already has a NEGATIVE DRAW amongst us here, because most already have a very good idea what he is going to talk about (and most will add that he has nothing new to bring to the proverbial table).

Yes tell me who you want on these things, and maybe if we get enough support for this years show we can do it again with even more input from those that are constructive with their comments and ideas and want to improve conditions for all Karaoke and KJs.

These are things that you might want to focus your attention on... who to invite to be a Guest Speaker, and what Topics could be addressed (along with their relevancy to the people attending). Try to keep in mind, some KJs (like myself) are still running shows off of discs and NOT off of a PC, so topics about new technology might not be very relevant to me (definitely not cost effective for me to convert/media-shift everything). And, while a topic on how to use Social Media to promote myself might be helpful, there have been many here (on this Forum) who have given very sound advice on how to accomplish that (so flying out to Vegas and spending money on a Hotel room to hear about this also would not be very cost-effective). As SingyThingy just wrote: [quote]offer something in the way of info or opportunities that I couldn't learn or gain elsewhere (and usually easily, locally, or for free).

Keep the ideas coming. Please.

[u]edit to my footnote: This was not meant to be about me when I spoke of how I am of the rare breed of KJs here (Disc Based and technologically challenged). I was using my situation/position/circumstances as an example to point out that certain topics being discussed at this convention are not of interest or relevance to everyone. Rather than being made to feel belittled by comments such as "If one does not wish to do what it takes to be a part of the revolution, they need to be willing to exist in their bubble and allow the rest of the world to pass them by without being nothing more than a thorn in the side of progress...", as a possible draw to go out there, it would be nice to know that attempts were being made to offer up a little of everything, so that certain groups of KJs would not feel completely excluded.[/u]

Input thank you,
Ryan

Ryan, thank you for taking the time to answer..............pretty much every post here. You're a good man.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

To answer the question of how to get more of us to the conference......I have attended and presented at over 200 tech conferences in the last 16 years. Attendees have to know they will come away with tangible benefits. The cost of attending has to be offset with significant personal or business growth.



Some of the tech conferences cost $2000 to attend for just the conference pass. Plus airfare and hotel. Granted, many companies pay for their employees to go, but the companies want a significant ROI against that $2000 + Travel. The standard rule is 2-3 times the cost should be made back within a year. For me to take off 3 nights of hosting, + conference ticket + Travel + Hotel is going to cost me $1200+. I better be able to learn something that will make ALL of that money back + some in less than a year (when the next conference I spend money on comes around). So essentially, what I learn needs to pay me back $2-$3000+ before the next conference.

The sessions mentioned don't seem to hit the mark for me. But, it is a positive effort so as long as the organizers keep an open mind and accept critical feedback and continue improve, then it is at least a step in the right direction.-Chris



The best advice I can give here is to suggest you think like a karaoke host instead of someone who sells to karaoke hosts.

Many KJ's are single rig operators who do karaoke as a secondary source of income.

Then you have the single rig operators where karaoke is their sole source of income.

Then a 3rd group of KJ's that are multi-riggers and it is also a sole source of income.

Think about what each of these three groups need and then base the seminars on those needs.

Here is exactly what I want - Less corporate mumbo jumbo sales/anti-piracy pitch, and invite some successful working karaoke hosts to speak about how they managed to succeed.

If you look at the DJ side of the convention, that is EXACTLY what they are doing. They have successful DJ's speaking to DJ's about how they can be successful to. Bring in some successful KJ's and have them speak to KJ's about how to be successful.

That said, I know you will have SOME sales pitch type stuff, because that is who is paying you for face time, but they should be selling us things that are new and unique, not the same old products and technologies that we have all been using for 20+ years. Again, that is exactly what the DJ seminars are, how to leverage new and exiting technologies to increase the bottom line.

-Chris

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-Chris

I'm with you completely on this. Might be tough for a single operator to make that kinda money back until we all are able to push that bar up a bit higher for people that want to make a living off of this


Yes I run a multiop DJ company myself that is working on pushing into the KJ field stronger in a tough field where KJs in Des Moines are making $100 a night. And the Kjs I spoke with in advance checked those topics out and thought they would be great for what we have. What would you recommend. I still have plenty of room to move on this if I can get more people excited about it.



Yes we have one seminar on anti-piracy and we have several seminars being done by hosts that are very successful. Let me work with you, when can we talk on the phone?


Yes I know because I plan that side of things also.....just have more experience in that field. And that's part of the problem, because there is no national KJ conference, there are no known players that I've been able to find. Are you one? Are any of you reading this one?

Exactly, and that's why we are having that ultimate KJ gig stuff that we are working on.

Keep this discussion going everyone, I can use it!

Ryan

Ryan, you can call me any day between 1-4 PM, if you wish ( you'll note that though on this forum often, it's always after 1am eastern time at the earliest, and sometimes as late as 4am after work). Mornings are devoted to promotion, accounting, equipment maintainance, etc.. and 4-7 is prep time ( which includes a nap these days. ).

However, if you would simply answer my question - what CAN you offer?- in a timely manner it would both fill my needs and more importantly get you the answers that you originally requested if you actually want them.

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

sorry, but i gotta swing back a bit....
Rumbolt, you are standing up and supporting Kurt as your savior, but SC is and for years has been "blame everyone including them (the hosts) for his own business failures..."
and he has refused to "step outside the box he has created for himself and see for himself what is really going on in the karaoke community.
He is refusing to accept "it is a new age and things have changed drastically and the industry is moving forward with or without him."

everything you have blamed those who are not going of, is exactly what Kurt has been doing to us.
Blaming the manus for our business failures, when he is blaming us for his.
refusing to step outside the box and see what is going on, while he is staying inside his CDG only box. (also known as a failure to see what is going on in the karaoke community).
refusing to accept it is a new age and things are moving forward, while he is refusing to accept that it is a new age and things are moving forward without him.

that is like standing up for a Grand Dragon by claiming that while he is trying to clean up society, i am being intolerant and not wanting to allow him to interact with other races at their parties when i warn a black man not to go to the woods tonight.

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

It's amazing how much hatred and malice a topic like Karaoke can conjure up. I go to work two nights a week, at this point, and have a blast. Then I get here and everyone is just beating each other up because they have different ideas about how a show should be run, and differences in how they feel about MFRS actions. [/quote]

I've never understood why people bang on each other in forums like this. It's one thing to counter a point but popping the person solves nothing. But I make a point not to bang on people because they do it..

PS, and critiquing how someone writes a post isn't popping someone in my book if they mean it in a constructive way.

That's one thing that generally improves when people have actually met in person, rather than virtually. A couple times I've seen it get worse between two chat board adversaries but most of the time it gets better.

Ryan

What can I offer? I can offer a professionally produced DJ conference that has been enormously successful for nearly 20 years that is trying to expand its karaoke offerings and do it very affordable for KJs.

I also offer myself as someone who wants to serve you the active KJ with something you want. Was just talking with a very successful KJ from the Midwest who is getting involved with the event. I offer you (you specifically and those also reading this) an opportunity to get involved and have more of a voice in the industry. And yea in the end, help a bit and get a free pass to the show.

Tell me what else you want from this if I haven't addressed it yet here.

Ryan