I got an e-mail in February asking if we traveled out of the country to DJ Events. We surely do but once I heard that it was in Cancun, Mexico, the “yes” couldn’t get typed fast enough. The only challenge was I had prior engagements already scheduled for March 9-11th in Raleigh, NC. But with a little creative rebooking of flights, I made it work (as if I was going to let that stop me from going).
This event was a sales incentive trip for Advisors Excel, an insurance marketing organization, based out of Topeka, Kansas. They flew in 400 of their employees to Cancun to enjoy two days in the sun. With the brutal winter that most of the country has had to deal with, the 85 degree weather was surely a welcomed relief to them just as much as it was for me.
The event location was the Live Aqua Cancun, an all-inclusive resort, approximately 15 minutes from the airport. For international events, I try not to fly with gear if at all possible because unless you carry it on, there’s always a risk of it “disappearing”. I arrived a day early to make sure the gear I had on my rider was indeed there. After a quick check-in with the event staff, I was greeted to this view.
After a very busy couple of months, the unplanned day off was amazing. I just enjoyed the sunshine as much as possible. The resort was incredible. Cabanas lined up not only the pool deck but also the beach. I was able to enjoy all of the amenities (including the Mexican food)courtesy of the client.
The next day I spent most of the morning working on my set – it was to be a 45 minute dinner mix and a 2 hour dance set. They had a Mexican trio playing for the cocktail hour. I did sound check around 5PM as the event planners were putting the finishing touches on the décor.
I returned just before cocktail hour to feel out the vibe of the party and was asked by the event planners if I could play for cocktail hour instead of the Mexican trio. Though I hadn’t prepped a set for that, I jumped right in and did it. Towards the end of dinner, a fire throwing dance crew gave a special performance before I went on for the dancing portion of the evening.
Once I started my first dance set, the party went off! In fact, we went an extra hour because no one wanted to stop. All in all, I ended up playing a total of 5 straight hours. Due to my engagement the next day, I got about 2 hours sleep before catching my early morning flight to Raleigh. Such is the life of a internationally traveling DJ.
I really enjoyed working with this group as well as the event planners, Genesco Sports Enterprises. Thanks for including me. Let’s do it again!