If this is too sensitive a subject, then I apologize, and by all means do not reply if it will jeopardize your business.

I have to take on a roadie/motivator. Someone to help lug equipment, take requests, help out with the limbo, YMCA, etc. Using friends and family just isn't cutting it.

On average, what would you pay a roadie for a 4 hour gig? What about a motivator? Is it possible to use the same person for both jobs? Or are they exclusive? If you don't want to post it, feel free to email me at: djswell@optonline.net

as a roadie for 4 hours on a mobile gig i would get paid $75. if i were to just come for setup and leave, i would get paid $25. (though lately i havent done that many)

roadies and motivators are very different things, what your looking for is an assistant someone who can help you setup, hand out floor prizes, take requests, and eventualy spin for a little bit, I suggest you find someone who is interested in the field of DJing and train them to be an assistant, if they are doing a good job start training them to be a DJ. I pay our assistants $8.00 an hour, big difference from what we pay our motivators who's job is to be on the floor teach dances, dance with the crowd and help to create a fun filled atomsphere. starting pay for motivators is $100.00 a night my lead motivator makes $250.00 a show. If you want a motivator make sure you hire someone with great dancing ability and don't charge any less then $300.00 to use them at a party. what you want to look for when hiring an assistant is someone who is friendly, outgoing, reliable, able to learn things fairly easily and someone who you can eventualy trust to go to a job with a new assistant and do the same kinda job you would. Always remember to praise them for good work and give them raises when you see they are doing a good job.

yep, in my company the mcs and dancers (motivators) will get paid much much more than i would (the people who fill those positions do it for a living) the money i get comes as the very last expense: it wouldnt be economical to put me on every job. even still, when i do get paid the greater sum i mentioned earlier (very rarely), it is like i said, not just for setting up, i will basically do everything the djs, mcs, and dancers do not want to do: take requests, handle the annoying ppl, setup, spin when the dj is takin a break, takedown, etc.

Thanks for the replies!

I see how it works now. So, adding a motivator would be like an 'up sell'? Like,
"Well, our basic DJ package is $xxx, but for $yyy more, we bring out our motivator to get people dancing....yadayadayada"
Or,"With that crowd, you may want a motivator to keep things going, get people dancing. It's only $yyy more..."

And, a motivator doesn't help lug/take requests. That's the assistant's job.

motivators can take requests however i normally don't double them over as assistants just cause they are already doing alot of work by leading dances and interacting with the crowd all night.