Converted from paper version of the Broad Ripple Gazette (v09n01)
Event One DJs - By Mario Morone
by Mario Morone
posted: Jan. 06, 2012
Event One DJs is a full-time Indianapolis Wedding Disc Jockey company with over 30+ years of collective experience in hosting some of Indy's premier social events. Owner Wes Adkins described how he first heard the music.
"It all started in 1995, my freshman year of high school, as I developed a passion for music and technical theatre. The DJ business was a natural way to combine those two passions and make a little extra money to support my hobbies at such a young age. The company was originally based out of my hometown of Muncie, and then temporarily moved to Bloomington while I studied marketing at Indiana's Kelley School of Business to better learn the operational side of running a business. I was really blessed to learn early on how to take care of our customers and how to build, and maintain, strong relationships with event vendors and venues throughout our industry," he recalled.
After moving the business a few times, he found a permanent home in a familiar place at 6358 North College Avenue. "We wanted to be in the central part of the metro area so our clients could quickly access our office. Broad Ripple gave us that location, plus a warm, community vibe that we didn't get elsewhere. There are a surprising number of wedding vendors in the area, photographers, make-up artists, formalwear boutiques and party supply houses just to name a few," he noted.
Wes Adkins is the founder and owner of Event One DJs in Broad Ripple
image courtesy of Wes Adkins
"We are primarily a wedding company with about 95 percent of our business in the planning and hosting of weddings. This is a phenomenal job. We love what we do, so it's easy to continue learning and working to hone our craft," Adkins added.
"One of our big competitive advantages is that we are a full-time company, and we have a lot of unique resources to offer our clients planning these once-in-a-lifetime celebrations. The majority of companies are part-time in this industry. We have a lot of planning resources, plus 30+ years of experiences that couples can instantly benefit from when planning their wedding. They want that peace of mind for their wedding day. One aspect of our services is the degree to which we orchestrate the celebration behind-the-scenes with the event team. We work with the banquet, catering and photography staff to ensure the event flow has a logical and comfortable sequence to it. Once the evening has been properly orchestrated, we also serve as the Master of Ceremonies. It's the DJ's job to execute the script and bring the event to life. If it all comes off smoothly, then somebody was doing their job behind the scenes really well," he said.
Event One DJ's services expand beyond just playing music.
"In addition the typical 'DJ services' we've expanded our company to provide event lighting and photo booth rentals, which is another form of interactive entertainment aside from dancing at a wedding. In the last four to five years, photo booths have blown up (grown) in the wedding industry, as it gives guests an instant keepsake from the event. Our photo booth takes traditional strip-style photos, plus, records video snippets, making it more of an advanced and modern version of a traditional mall-style photo booth. Guests can record well wishes to the couple and couples can record thank you notes to their friends and family," Adkins mentioned.
Their talented staff of DJs each specializes in a different category of music and have a collective background of over 30+ years in hosting a variety of social events around Indianapolis. Event One's diverse playlist ranges from early big band, swing and blues up to current hits of today and pretty much everything in between. More information on their DJs and testimonials can be found at www.eventonedj.com by clicking on the "About" link.
Their clients originate from in and out of state as a couple's careers sometimes may take them outside Indiana. "We work with a lot of out of town couples that plan weddings here (in Indianapolis) to help minimize the travel for their guests," he added.
In a challenging economy, the beat goes on for Event One. Adkins noted, "Love doesn't stop for the lack of money. Weddings are celebrations that help remove people from their everyday troubles, so for that reason, weddings will survive any downturn in the economy," he emphasized.
In addition to being an entrepreneur, Adkins is also an accomplished musician, having played the baritone and alto saxophone in the Cowan High School marching band.
Couples can learn more about how Event One DJs can make their wedding memories last a lifetime by meeting with Wes Adkins by appointment at his Broad Ripple office or by e-mailing him at wes@eventonedj.com. They just might be playing your tune.
mario@broadripplegazette.com