ATG's Owner Receives National Awards

Click on the two videos shown above to see ATG's Brian Hines accept these awards in front of his peers at the National DJ Convention in Las Vegas.

Video 1 - 2011 Peter Merry Leadership Award!
ATG's owner (Brian Hines) won the Peter Merry Leadership Award for 2011. This award is the highest honor that a DJ can receive from the ADJA. Brian was presented this prestigious award at the Mobile Beat National DJ Convention / ADJA (American Disc Jockey Association) National Meeting which took place on Feb 1, 2011 at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

The purpose of the award is to honor an ADJA member that has displayed exceptional service, dedication and commitment to the American Disc Jockey Association for the current, calendar year. Brian received the award for the time he unselfishly dedicated to the industry by educating and training other Carolina DJs on how to build and grow their businesses.


Video 2 - Chapter Of The Year!
Brian is the founder of the NC Chapter Of The American Disc Jockey Association. He served as the president for the first two years (2008-2010). Under his leadership and direction the NC Chapter won the ADJA Chapter of the Year Award for 2009. They were presented this award last year around this time (Feb 2010). The award is designed to honor the local chapter that has done the most to help build & grow the ADJA in their market.


His Passion Shows!
If you are looking for an expert, look no further as ATG's Brian Hines has what you need. Brian has structured Audio To Go to not only strive to be the best Mobile DJ Company in the Carolinas, but they strive to be one of the best in the country! As you can see from the previous two awards, Brian shoots for the stars.

Audio To Go was recognized nationally in 2007 as well as they were named the "#1 DJ Company in the Nation" according to GigMasters (a national booking agency).

I can guarantee that Brian will not stop here though, it's just not in his nature to quit. He has more DJs to train and more events to host! Will yours be next?

Professional DJs, MCs, VJs, Event Coordinators, and Party Motivators: Charlotte, North Carolina

Brian Hines was the MC for the Mr. & Mrs. Brian Hynes Wedding

Jennifer Dilworth married Brian Hynes on April 28, 2007 and ATG's Brian Hines was their Master Of Ceremonies. It is actually a funny story. On the afternoon of February 27, 2007 Jennifer called Audio To Go to get some information about DJ Services for her Wedding. When Audio To Go answered the phone it was the owner of the company (Brian Hines) who took the call. He picked up the handset and answered how he always does "Good Afternoon and thanks for calling Audio To Go, this is BRIAN HINES - how may I help you?". At that moment there was a LONGGGGGGG PAUSSSSSE!

So Brian repeated again "This is BRIAN HINES, how may I help you today?", after another LONG PAUSE, Jennifer proceeded to say "Whoooooo Is This?". Brian repeated again "BRIAN HINES". Jennifer then in almost disbelief said "BRIAN HINES???????" (It was almost like she had just realized that Brian was a long time friend from back in school or something, however the story was about to reveal itself. Brian then said, "YES, and I am speaking with who?" Jennifer then said her name and told Brian (owner of Audio To Go) that her fiance's name was Brian Hynes and that is why she was taken back for a moment.

Imagine the shock that Jennifer experienced to find out that MC Brian Hines had the same name as her fiancé. What was even weirder was that Brian (ATG's Owner) literally lived in the next neighborhood over from Jennifer. So she was calling and talking to Brian Hines who was less than a mile away from her. After finding out several other similarities and points of common interest and knowing that they had never met or in no way knew each other before this conversation - it was determined to be fate for Brian Hines to DJ their wedding reception!

Their Wedding took place out of town up in the mountains in Bryson City, NC. They wanted a unique Wedding that their friends would remember forever and that is exactley what they got. Their group was a very FUN and lively crowd. One of the awesome and unique things that took place that night was when Jennifer and Brian Hynes both hopped on their dirt bikes and started riding around on the dance floor and under the tent doing bike tricks. They are both bikers and this added a very unique touch to their big day. It was really neat to see a bride in a her beautiful dress riding a bike. MC Brian Hines added just the right soundtrack to these events.

Whether your name is Brian Hynes, Brian Hines, or something completely different - Audio To Go can make your Wedding just as special. For more information call today 704-537-9300

Audio To Go

Professional DJs, MCs, VJs, Event Coordinators, and Party Motivators: Charlotte, North Carolina

Holiday Gala Events

Summer is just starting to wane and the kids are headed back to school, but now is the time to start thinking about planning that big company holiday party. Here is a list of things to think about now, so that your holiday event goes off without a hitch:

1) Location: Would you like an on site or off site location? Will you need to rent a space?

2) Who will cater? Does your event venue do food, or will you need to contract with another company?

3) What will the menu look like? Will it be a dessert reception, or a sit-down dinner? Will alcohol be served—and will it be an open, or paid bar?

4) How will invitations be sent out? Is an email or evite OK, or do formal invitations need to be ordered and printed?

5) Who is handling the guest list and RSVPs?

6) What is the theme or décor for the party?

7) Do you need to recruit volunteers to assist with planning, decorations and clean-up?

8) What kind of entertainment will you have? Have you booked your favorite Charlotte DJ?

9) Will the event be a black-tie or a “Hawaiian Luau”? Be specific with your guests so that they can plan accordingly!

10) What kinds of favors or party give-aways will you need? Will there be recognition or awards given? Do you need to make arrangements for any items to be printed ahead of time?


When planning any event, it is important to get a jump start on the details, so when the time comes, everything will fall into place seamlessly!

AUDIO TO GO
Professional DJs, MCs, VJs, Event Coordinators, and Party Motivators:
Charlotte, North Carolina

The History of Wedding Cake

As far back as the Roman Empire, there were wedding cakes. Throughout history, the wedding cake has taken on a wide variety of customs and traditions, some of which have stuck, and others that have faded away—many for good reason!

In Medieval England, wedding cakes were really flour-based breads. In one custom, guests would stack small sweet buns in a large pile in front of the newlyweds, and the couple would try to kiss over the pile. If they were successful, they could expect to be blessed many children.

In the middle of the17th century and well into the early 19th century, bride's pie was a popular. The pie was filled with sweet breads, a mince pie, or may have been merely a simple mutton pie. The bride’s pie always included a glass ring—and the lady who found the ring would be the next to be married. Bride's pies were not at all weddings during this time, but it is known that these pies were sometimes made into the main centerpiece at less elaborate receptions.

By the late 19th century, a single-tiered plum wedding cake became really popular, and the use of the bride's pie disappeared.

As far as the 17th century, people would sleep with a piece of cake underneath their pillow, since legend has it that sleepers will dream of their future spouses if a piece of wedding cake is under their pillow. In the late 18th century brides would sometimes pass tiny crumbs of cake through their wedding rings and give them to their guests who would place them under their pillows, but at some point the custom seemingly ended when brides began to get superstitious about taking their rings off after the ceremony.

Wedding cakes are "supposed to be" white. Right? The symbolism is obvious, white has always signified purity. White wedding cake icing that first appeared in Victorian times, as a visual link between the bride and the cake. Previous to Victorian times, most wedding cakes were also white, but not because of the symbolism—instead, white was used for a very practical purpose—colored frosting was hard to make! But very white frosting was also hard to come by, since white icing required the use of only the finest refined sugar, so the whiter the cake, the more affluent the families looked, and each family wanted to appear that they had significant status in their community.

Today, wedding cakes are still front and center in the traditional cake cutting ceremony, a beautiful symbol of the first task that bride and groom perform together as husband and wife.

AUDIO TO GO

Professional DJs, MCs, VJs, Event Coordinators, and Party Motivators:

Charlotte, North Carolina

Questions to ask your DJ

There was a time when having a DJ at your wedding, was mostly a cost decision. But DJ’s no longer just play a couple standard party songs in the corner and go home. DJ’s can offer a huge variety of music selections and styles that a live band sometimes cannot. And a DJ can be an emcee, moving the wedding along, getting the crowd to participate, and gathering the crowd to pay attention to a significant moment in the night.

So when you are considering a DJ for your wedding, here are some questions to ask:

Presentation. Ask the DJ how they will do the presentation of things like the introductions, first dance, cake cutting, bouquet & garter, requests and special dances. You and the DJ should be able to work together to accommodate your needs and their style.

Clothing. What will the DJ be wearing? Some DJ’s wear tuxedos, others suits, and still others show up in whatever they happen to throw on that day. If you have a preference—now is the time to say so!

Food. If you are having a reception at dinner time, rest assured the DJ will be hungry too. If you are serving food, make sure you ask if the DJ would like the meal, (most will say yes) and what choice they would like.

Breaks. Unless the DJ is working in a team, they will need a break (bathroom, drink, fresh air). Ask the DJ what their policy on breaks is and how they will cover the time they step away (Will they have music playing? Etc.)

Time. Ask about the DJ’s start and end times. The DJ can play just during the reception or during the cocktail hour and through dessert, but you should be specific about what you want and what rates apply for the time.

Song Selections. You should be able to select from a song list, and include a few special requests. You can even put a “no-play” list together, (that way if you don’t want a certain song, no matter how many times Uncle Erv requests it, it won’t be played).

Equipment. A DJ should have professional sound equipment – including speakers and a microphone and everything he or she should have to play at your wedding, but they will need access to a power supply, and potentially a table with linens (many will bring this, but it pays to ask). Make sure you know exactly what you are providing, and what they are bringing to the event.

AUDIO TO GO

Professional DJs, MCs, VJs, Event Coordinators, and Party Motivators:

Charlotte, North Carolina

Party Entertainment Ideas

Party Entertainment can come in many forms and is the best way to keep guests involved in your party. You don't want them to become bored, leave the party early, even have bad memories of the party afterwards. Games and music are the two most popular forms of party entertainment and depending on the ages and types of guests you have, these will vary.

If you are throwing a children’s party, the traditional games like 'Red Light, Green Light' or 'Simon Says,' are family-friendly and can be paired with more active games such as a bounce houses or a game of touch football. If your party has just adults, board games, or card games are always an easy way to get people involved.

Music is a great form of party entertainment—and can be upbeat and energizing or a subtle relaxing background. You can definitely set the moods of your guests depending on what kind of music you play and when. If you want to get the party going, play something with a strong beat and quick tempo. Remember to always play music that’s appropriate to the audience—children’s songs are best for kids parties, but not for adult parties, corporate events are different than house parties. When in doubt about the appropriateness of a song, check the lyrics beforehand.

Probably the best entertainment idea is to hire a DJ, who can make the decisions on the best songs to play and when, help lead the group games and keep the party moving. You can also work with another entertainer like a comedian, or magician to keep the crowd entertained. The trick is to always consider the audience, and choose the kind of entertainment that will truly be entertaining for all.

AUDIO TO GO

Professional DJs, MCs, VJs, Event Coordinators, and Party Motivators: Charlotte, North Carolina

10 Questions to Guarantee a Quality DJ

There are ten questions that you should ask to ensure that you have a quality DJ at your wedding or next corporate event. Don't be left hoping that the DJ you chose will do the job well--be positive that your DJ will entertain, be professional and let you enjoy your party!

1.) Is the Disc Jockey (and/or entertainment company) insured?

2.) Will the DJ discuss the music selection with you ahead of time if you would like them to?

3.) Will the DJ use professional equipment and have a professional presentation, (table, speakers, signage etc.)

4.) Will there be back-up equipment available at the reception, (in case a microphone dies, a cord is broken, or a speaker blows!)

5.) Does the DJ know the proper etiquette, song selection and traditions for the reception (i.e. Bar Mitzvah, corporate party, wedding).

6.) Will the DJ set up before the event, and how long will they need to set-up before guests arrive?

7.) Does the DJ provide a written contract?

8.) Will the DJ be professionally, and appropriately dressed?

9.) Does the DJ belong to any professional organizations or groups, or hold any special designations or accreditation?

10.) Can the DJ provide references for the type of event you are planning?

Be confident that your next event will be entertaining! Make sure to hire a quality DJ Company!

Professional DJs, MCs, VJs, Event Coordinators, and Party Motivators: Charlotte, North Carolina