by Mark Ashe
In 1992, Ric Hansen pioneered a groundbreaking business model between the mobile and radio DJ industries.
He saw Mobile DJs taking the same music he played on the radio to events all over town. The problem, as Ric saw it, was that there were a lot of event jocks and while some were good, others were really bad. How was a party planner to tell the difference?
Radio Parties is Born
I formed a company called Ric Hansen Entertainment to manage Radio Parties. Then I interviewed and auditioned mobile DJs from the Seattle area to find some truly great performers who were also reliable and reputable. Next I approached radio stations with my concept to bring a team of “Street Team” DJs to do all of their listener parties. Then I built my business on providing a consistent, reliable DJ experience for a variety of events and audiences. Personal attention and care for every event is the most important part of what we do.”
Although Ric has never been a mobile DJ himself, he has a keen business sense for recognizing talent. Radio Parties brings the station mobile party patrol DJs out to the community for School dances, Family Fun Nights (sock hops), Class Reunions, Birthday Parties, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Quinceañeras, Company Holiday Parties, and Wedding Receptions.
Going Big Time and Taking Care of Business
Ric took Radio Parties to a national level in 1995, and the company currently works with 25 stations across the country – most with adult contemporary and country formats. Radio Parties’s most successful events are family fun nights at elementary schools.
While 85% of our business involves both kids and kid/adult parties, the other 15% is filled-in with weddings and other events. The busiest months for Radio Parties are February, May, June and October, and a typical busy weekend can produce up to forty events.”
Ric also hosts a podcast called “DJ Hot Talk.” His first interview was with our Publisher and Chief Scribe, Stacy Zemon.
He hopes to see the Mobile DJ industry continue evolve and expand in ways that broaden the scope of the types of events where we currently entertain.
Mark Ashe – DJ Spotlights
Mark Ashe, owner of Marx Entertainment, has been producing events in MA and CT since 1979. The company offers disc jockey and video services as well as casino events and photo booth rentals.
Entertaining more than 100,000 people annually, past clients have included the President of the United States and numerous celebrities. Working alongside Xzibit, Mark’s DJ crew participated with the TV show, Extreme Makeover Home Edition to help a local family in need.
Mark was named one of America’s Top 10 Disc Jockeys in a nationwide competition. He was also spotlighted as one of America’s Top DJs in The Mobile DJ Handbook and The DJ Sales & Marketing Handbook by Stacy Zemon.
Mark has demonstrated his leadership several times as a guest panelist at the International DJ Expo. His articles have been published in Mobile Beat and DJ Times magazines, and the Wedding Day Sourcebook.
In 1993, he established the first mobile disc jockey school ever to be licensed by the MA Dept. of Education. Mark is a member of both NAME and ADJA.
You can email him at [email protected].
