The Charlotte NC ADJA Chapter normally meets in Charlotte once a month on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. However we will NOT be having a LOCAL meeting in June since quite a few of our members will be attending www.armdjs.com (an annual regional dj conference hosted by Robbie Britton). IF you haven’t got your pass yet, get one today!

ArmDJs History

It’s amazing what happens when you have a vision and the determination to see it through to completion. Such was the case in 2008, when Robbie Britton had an idea to bring DJ industry leader Mark Ferrell to his area. He knew if he could get Ferrell to come speak to DJs, that it would improve the entire area market. He also knew there would be strength in numbers and if more educational speakers were invited, then more people would respond to the message.

Industry leaders told him that something like this would never work in a small market. So instead of retreating and abandoning his idea, he pushed forth even more aggressively. He had such belief in his idea that his new plan was to put together a one day event unlike anything the DJ community had ever seen before.

He called it the Appalachian Regional Mobile Disc Jockey Symposium (ARMDJS). It was to feature five of the most well-regarded, high profile DJ industry leaders. The premise was to “arm” DJs with intense seminar sessions that would change their DJ business forever.

When the initial announcement was made, DJs were unsure what to make of it. Many thought it was a joke. Not only had a line-up like this ever been attempted for a one-day event, but it was to be held in Greeneville Tennessee. Many were left scratching their heads wondering if this Mayberry-style event was legitimate or not.

Once the realization set in, DJs responded in droves. This one-day event, held in the middle of nowhere Tennessee, was bringing in DJs from the entire eastern seaboard and beyond. Dozens attended and packed the conference room of the General Morgan Inn as hillbilly banjo-picking music welcomed them. Speakers included; Larry Williams, Dr. Drax, Scott Faver, Jim Cerone and Mark Ferrell. The event was a huge success. A great write-up in Mobile Beat Magazine offered a detailed overview of the event.

By 2009, word had spread of its success and everyone was urging Robbie to “do it again”. In February of 2009 at the Mobile Beat DJ Conference in Las Vegas, Robbie was presented with the prestigeous Peter Merry Leadership Award. The award cited an unselfish willingness to improve the educational efforts of area DJs.

The second year of the ARMDJS event was to be bigger and better than ever. He enlisted the talents of another group of industry leaders. The 2009 event featured; Andy “Cubbie” Powell, Jose Castillo, Scott Faver, Peter Merry, Larry Williams & Randy Bartlett. Here again, the idea of taking the event to another level was paramount for Robbie. Like the first year, the one-day event was complimented by a great welcome party and workshops for those who wished to stretch out the learning experience even more.

By 2010, the anticipation of topping the previous successes of the past two years was on everyone’s mind. How in the world was Robbie going to do it? By the time the speakers list was announced, pre-sale ticket orders hit an all-time high. The presenters included; Bill Hermann, Larry Williams, Ben Stowe, Rick Brewer, Mitch Taylor, Jim Cerone & Peter Merry. As expected the event was the biggest success ever!

For 2011, the writing was on the wall. The growth of the event was exceeding all expectations. So Robbie decided to move the event down the road to the neighboring town of Johnson City. A new host hotel was announced to accommodate the growing number of attendees. In addition, the event will last two days instead of one.

For years, DJs on the East Coast have longed for a permanent location for a summer mobile DJ educational conference. Well, they have finally found a home! The Appalachian Regional Mobile Disc Jockey Symposium is the fastest growing DJ conference in the nation. It has exceeded every expectation, every year. The only question now is, what does Robbie have in store for us this year