The Credit Crunch

[am.entertainment 0]

hi anybody started to get less bookings or had them cancelled?

 

i have had one christmas party cancelled as the company have gone bust also two weddings next year luckly all deposits were paid and i have time to get more work(hopefully).

 

I was just wondering if anyone had noticed any change in the market?

[YourBigEvent 0]

Nope, not yet at least.

[TonyB 0]

It has been busy but last time I said it seems to be picking up, it went quiet again. Bookings are up on this time last year. Have sent out a few quotes this week, mainly for weddings next year, but no replies yet.

[Dukesy 0]

I was just wondering if anyone had noticed any change in the market?

I've noticed an increase in enquiries where comments include "we have a very tight budget so are looking for the best deal"

 

 

[TonyB 0]

I've seen the search term "cheap" mobile disco appear in the website logs a few times.

[Mr P 0]

 

I have had 2 Christmas parties cancel due to going bump! and 2 bookings in November - i have been undercut - i quoted £150 and they have cancelled me so looks like i will be stopping in!

 

But it's the old thing if someone else wishes to work for less - then let them!

 

Chris

[Dukesy 0]

Bride and gloom of global crisis

 

Couples are putting off their big days until later as a result of the credit crunch, a leading hotelier has said.

 

Craig Ewan, of the Kingsmills in Inverness and chairman of the city's hotels association, said some weddings have been postponed or cancelled.

 

However, he said hotels have been targeting new markets in China and tour parties from India have been arriving.

 

Meanwhile, Inverness-based economist Tony Mackay said there had been a large rise in unemployment in the Highlands.

 

Mr Ewan told BBC Scotland there had been some indications in certain markets that the global financial crisis was being felt in the north.

 

He said: "For example, in the weddings market we have had some cancellations of weddings for next year, or some couples wanting to postpone their wedding until the year after.

 

"I think that is a sign of the confidence, or a lack of confidence, they have perhaps of fulfilling that dream."

 

'Large rise'

 

Mr Mackay also said there was a worrying change beginning to appear in the region.

 

He said: "The latest unemployment figures for the Highlands and Islands show a very large rise, which at this time of year is unusual.

 

"That suggests it's starting to affect the tourism industry and the retail industry."

 

Meanwhile, Inverness Caledonian Thistle's captain Grant Munro has told of his relief at having a job in the current situation after signing a new two-year contract.

 

He said: "You look at the way things are going in the world at the moment and it's not really healthy, so having the security of a couple of years is great when other people are getting unemployed."

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highla...nds/7671224.stm

[McCardle 1]

As mentioned on the 'downturn' thread I had a Wedding cancelled back in August, on the basis that both the Bride and Groom had no option but to cancel their wedding due to the fact that they had both been made redundant (they worked for the same company).

 

I suppose how safe their plans are, depends entirely on what their lines of work are and how safe their employment is. However if both or one party loses a well paid job, and are unable to find anything in the short term, then it is likely that their plans will have to be put on hold.

 

I think most Weddings happening at the present time, have all been planned and booked well in advance, and payments have possibly been made to everybody or the money is there in the bank to cover it, and this is why that they may be going ahead and only a few deejays are noticing any difference. However it will be interesting to see if the numbers of Weddings enquiries for 2009 / 2010 being taken at this present time, start to decline as people become more cautious about the future, and perhaps put their plans on hold for a little while longer to see which path the economy travels.

[Andy Goodtimes 0]

I am awaiting one deposit, I phoned this morning and the Bride said she was very sorry and would post it today so if that does come through that will mean it hasn't effected me yet.

 

I spoke to one Bride last week for a Saturday in 2010 and I quoted her £800, it was an all day job with ceremony music, MCing and the evening too and she said it was outrageous in the current ecconomic climet. Thing is with it being for 2010 and me already having several bookings for then I didn't really feel like trying to convert her...anyway, I didn't like her general attitude and felt she would be a pain to work for so I ended the conversation and wished her all the success in the future etc. etc.

 

I think we all just have to sit back and see how it pans out. it can effect all walks of life and worrying about it won't help, thing is if we rduce our prices to catch work it doesn't do anything to strengthen the ecconomy...in fact it does the opposite and also its one of the things that gets us a bad name.

[McCardle 1]

I spoke to one Bride last week for a Saturday in 2010 and I quoted her £800, it was an all day job with ceremony music, MCing and the evening too and she said it was outrageous in the current ecconomic climet.

 

Did you ask her exactly what she expected to pay given the timescale and requirements. The answer may have been interesting - I could do with a laugh.

[TonyB 0]

Just had a phone call from a client that has booked me for a 21st Party in November. The venue has been closed all week and they can't contact anyone by phone. They were getting worried as they paid in full for the venue up front.

 

I've done a Google search and there was a car club meeting there a week ago and on the forum someone mentioned "it's a shame the place is shutting down as it would of been good to have regular meetings there".

 

Seems like it has shut and no one has bothered to contact anyone that had future bookings. I've contacted a couple of bands that I know had bookings there and am waiting to hear from them before I contact the client and give them the bad news.

[McCardle 1]

Its happening all over. Another local tourist pub has closed its doors for the final time, after a poor summer season and with hardly any regulars its now boarded up and abandoned, its not the first, and I reckon it wont be the last.

 

To be fair, if the manager is not the actual owner notice to quit can come from out of the blue and with only a minimum of notice required by law and dictated by their tenancy contract. I'm not excusing this venue for NOT informing their clients that they were closing but in some cases they are not just losing their jobs, but their homes too and they may now have a ticking clock of just weeks in which to rehome their family and find alternative employment. I think in this situation I would know where my priorities lay too, and would just hand the diary to the owner and let them get on with it. I know that sounds selfish, but can we really say for sure what we would do if faced with that very situation?.

 

Our collective futures now stand on a knife edge. I know some people are currently seeing their quietest period for some time, ( and others are as well, but are just too proud or bigheaded to admit it). I do accept that there are some deejays who are still genuinely busy but who may just be lucky enough to live in a fairly buoyant area or just working through a glut of bookings obtained months or years back. Who knows what the future holds?, what will our enquiry / workload be like in December, or March and will the Wedding season appear next year, will it be as busy?

 

Certainly there are indications of a downturn. On polls recently, nearly everybody voted that entities such as Goodparty and UK-Disco were producing fewer enquiries than they had previously, in fact I think 100% of people voted for this option on one particular poll. With fewer venues to hold functions in, then there will be fewer bookings taking place, equally those pub and Karoke jocks may be playing to half empty venues.

 

Thin times ahead I fear.

Edited October 27, 2008 by McCardle

[djgb 0]

Do you lower your prices the help these places out or carry on the same and hope for other bookings if they close?