If you are organising an event for the first time, and even if you’ve hired dozens of DJs, you may not be aware of all of the issues that have nothing to do with suitability and volume of music that effect whether people will dance. If getting people dancing isn’t the focus, no problem, but if you want people dancing, as DJs usually do, then here are some things to take into account:

Temperature: If it is too cold people will head to where it’s warmer – only a few people will dance to get warmer. If it is too hot people will go where it’s cooler (outside, if possible) – few will engage in an activity guaranteed to make them hotter, and fewer still will do so for long.

The Dance-Floor: It really does need to be too small for everyone to dance on all at the same time. In part because when this does happen people will happily dance between (or on) tables (and that makes it seem like more fun), but mostly because the dance-floor will look big and empty when only a few are dancing on it, like during a first dance, for example. People are, more often than not, shy about dancing in front of other people – large-seeming dance-floors make people feel exposed and thus reluctant to dance. Even if the dance-floor isn’t big a high ceiling or lots of open space around the dance-floor will have the same effect.

Proficient Dancers: If you know that any of your guests are Ceroc/Rock’n’Roll dancers ask them to hold back until later in the evening before taking the floor for themselves. Guests who are at all self-conscious about their own ability to dance will be doubly so after an exhibition.

Seating Plans: Deciding who sits with who can be very political, especially at a wedding. Once sorted it is helpful to consider which table of guests is where. In smaller venues tables may need to be dropped for the dance-floor – these tables should be populated with smokers and younger guests as both will likely head to the bar, lounge, or outside as soon as the meal is over. Ensure that older guests, particularly 60+, are seated as far from the DJ as possible as these guests are less likely to move from their table and more likely to complain about the volume of the music even when it is acceptable to all other guests.

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