DJ system helps set the mood

By Danielle Beurteaux

Not every event needs a full band or DJ, but music still helps to set the mood. Carlos Martinez of Austin, Texas-based Marquee Rents came up with the idea for iDJ—a rental package including an iPod touch®, wireless mic, speaker and mixer—when he realized that many smaller events didn’t require a full sound system, and some clients didn’t want to bear the expense of an elaborate system and DJ. The iDJ is a simple, do-it-yourself setup, and it’s been a hit at rehearsal dinners and corporate groundbreakings.

The iDJ system is flexible—clients can add more speakers, use playlists already loaded onto the rental iPod touch, or bring their own to hook up to the system, which they often do, Martinez says. The system is user-friendly, portable and cost-effective, Martinez explains, but it’s not for every event. “It’s not meant to compete with a DJ,” he says. “I’d say the key part is to be really clear with expectations. If you want guests to dance, you need a DJ to encourage that.”

Danielle Beurteaux is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn, N.Y.