June 2003 By Jeff Stiles

When Emma Bilmeyer was planning her Sweet 16 party last February, she simply imagined having fun with a dozen of her friends. She would be too old for childish things like clowns, of course, but as she’d be partying with her closest friends, she wanted something more exciting than a simple teen dance.

“I just wanted to have a fun time,” the Wisconsin teenager recalls, “and my friends and I wanted to hear our whole school talking about our party the next Monday.”

Although the hall was decorated with flowers like a reception that night, the balloons and hip-hop posters scattered throughout the room gave away the fact that this would be no wedding party. The casually dressed guests didn’t enter the facility as couples, but in clusters of four or five at a time. Instead of the obligatory instrumental jazz, the DJ was playing Top-40 hit songs as the guests entered the room.It was a Sweet 16 party for Emma and her princess posse, and the air was pumping. “We all had a blast,” she recalls, “and now all my friends want a party just like mine that night!”

For mobiles regularly entertaining for Sweet 16 parties, they describe a variety of examples—ranging from simple teen parties to full-blown affairs complete with laser light shows and video walls. But everyone agrees that when the attention is placed on satisfying the clients, these parties can be rewarding to all.

For the more involved Sweet 16 parties, DJs describe affairs in which several families typically join together to share the expense and preparation. “In my area most of these parties are given in honor of two or three kids to help pay for the cost of the venue, food, and entertainment,” says Tim Raley of Georgia’s Kre8shuns Mobile DJ Service. “Each year a different group gets together and forms a committee similar to a prom planning committee. The kid’s parents take on a different task like decorations, catering, advertising, treasury and—my favorite—entertainment."

Raley says he’s performed for the largest such cooperative event in his area on several occasions, but his favorite was a huge party in 2002. That group was composed of over 30 kids celebrating their Sweet 16s together on one night, with a total attendance of over 200. Because of the prom-like atmosphere of that party, Kre8shuns brought out their largest entertainment system, including a full array of lighting effects and lots of thump.

“The parents all met the night before to decorate the venue as if it were going to be a prom,” he says. “All around the room on easels were collages of each kid’s pictures showing how they looked as they grew up. Most of the guests coming knew it was going to be a big party, but had no idea what was actually in store for them.”

While Raley describes full-blown events with large crowds of partygoers, however, most mobiles say the typical Sweet 16 party may be a relatively simple event. Mark Denning admits his company doesn’t do a lot of 16th birthday parties, but says the ones Denning Entertainment has done are more similar to a school dance. “Occasionally we get someone who goes full throttle with props, lights, karaoke or glow sticks,” he says, “but 99 out of 100 times that’s not the case.

“These are pretty simple events, with nothing more complicated than maybe playing ‘Happy Birthday’ around the time of the cake-cutting. The kids will dance and have fun with their friends, and they simply make a lot of requests and we play them. I find these events very similar to a school dance but on a much more personal level, because in this case the event is actually for someone [in particular].”
Another reason Sweet 16s are simpler for this Massachusetts DJ is because most parents preparing for a birthday party don’t utilize the budget of a wedding. “They want to keep it simple,” says Denning, whose company offers discounted rates for that reason. “If we charged the same as our wedding rates we would very rarely book a birthday party. It usually works out though, because a lot of the time these birthday parties are only three hours long and they may happen on an off-peak time.”

Denning, in fact, says he likes to use these short and informal events as training grounds for his less experienced DJs. “It gives my newer DJs a chance to gain some confidence and in-the-field experience on an event that usually involves just playing requests with limited interaction,” he explains. “That’s because 16-year-olds are too cool to do games or interactive dances. They just want the music, and I don’t blame them.”

Adam McCready of Virginia’s McCready Master Blaster says he’s spun for about a dozen Sweet 16 parties the past four years, which is especially notable when you consider this guy’s only 17 years old today. “Being this age I know what the teens like,” he says. “It usually takes around an hour for the crowd to start dancing. I usually try to play the Electric Slide, Cha-Cha Slide or something similar to get them dancing.”

The girls are usually the ones to start dancing first, says McCready, and then the guys follow. “And to get them dancing for slow songs, I like to have the girls ask the guys.”

McCready says he prefers to stay away from interactions and games. “I usually just bring glow sticks and a few promotional CDs for small little dance contests.”

Raley says he prefers to start his Sweet 16 parties off with popular songs, and then gradually mix in older favorites as the crowd loosens up. “A lot of kids these days are starting to really like songs from the disco era,” he says. “Also, keep in mind that each Sweet 16 honoree not only invites friends, but also sometimes has two parents that want nothing more than to hit the dancefloor with them. Since the parents are the ones spending the money, I make sure I take care of them, too.”
While many DJs forsake interaction in exchange for acting as a jukebox at Sweet 16 parties, others say interacting with guests and giving direction adds a whole new dimension to these parties. Miscellaneous DJs on a recent ProDJ.com chat board, for example, recommended a father/daughter dance (“There won’t be a dry eye in the house.”), a Hula Hoop game (popularly known as The Weakest Link), and Scavenger Hunt Musical Chairs.

Another teenage DJ, William O’Donnell in Stamford, Conn., says to be interactive, but only in an MC sort of way. “Get them dancing when you start your first set,” he advises. “For my Sweet 16s, that’s usually 30-45 minutes after everyone’s there. The kids here want a lot of slow songs, grinding—which surprises me because their parents are usually right there—a lot of new rap and the usual party stuff. And if there’s a lot of parents, maybe play a dozen older songs.“

According to Connecticut DJ Paul Wronski, Sweet 16s can vary drastically depending on the area of his state and the personality of the honoree in question. Like O’Donnell, Wronski suggests being interactive at Sweet 16s mainly as a way to encourage kids to hit the dancefloor. “Really personalize the event,” he says, “as you’ll have a smaller crowd from a dance or school function. And do dedications if the kids are into that. Show them that you’re there for them, and not just another DJ doing another gig on another weekend night.”
Rather than market specifically for Sweet 16 parties, Denning says he just takes them as they come, “usually either by way of the Yellow Pages, word-of-mouth or the Internet, in that order. Compared to weddings, schools or corporate events—where I do lots of marketing—I do none for Sweet 16s.”

According to Raley, advertising has never really helped secure Sweet 16 gigs for Kre8shuns, as most business comes from kids who see his performance at a school dance and wind up asking for his card. And to keep those bookings going, he suggests passing out business cards at Sweet 16 events when guests request songs. “When the kids leave they’ll all want to have a party just like the one they just attended,” he says, “so they’ll ask for one.”

So DJs looking to score more Sweet 16 parties should concentrate on having the music the kids like, catering a show to the personality of the birthday child, and entertaining kids and parents alike. “Also—and don’t take this the wrong way—but it helps if the DJ is good-looking!” laughs Wronski.