The Craig McConnon Group has announced that Craig McConnon will headline a late summer stadium show in Aberdeen later this year. The concept has the Group's Top 10 DJs performing non-stop over ten hours to a capacity crowd of around 20 000. The stadium show is designed to pay homage to the old Aberdeen alternative festival, with alternative taking on a new meaning this time.
Craig McConnon is particularly excited about the event which will be his first performance before an audience of these proportions since he last took on Ibiza. “Aberdeen is the home of the some of the greatest contemporary artists of our time,” he said. “I'm looking at Aberdeen greats like Annie Lennox, Emeli Sandé, cult band Pallas and contemporary composer John McLeod... then there's all the top local gigs including Grader, Sleepless, Hayworth, Deceptions, Without Reason, Monroe and Deadfire. It's the ideal opportunity for the Craig McConnon Group to make it's mark in the area and pay respect to the great cultural heritage of Scotland and Aberdeen in particular.”
The Craig McConnon Group has introduced a ranking system for their DJs based on independent and verified reviews as well as hours on the plates and audience response. The Top 10 will perform end to end at the late summer festival, but their names will only be announced one week before the event to allow for last minute updates to the rankings. “It's really got thing going at a new level at The Craig McConnon Group,” says Craig McConnon. “Our DJs have always been totally committed, but now they're at it harder than ever, spinning out discs night and day to beat the system and reach the top.”
Craig McConnon believes in nurturing and retaining top talent, so the idea behind the ranking system was to gamify the HR aspects of the company. “You can gamify anything these days and hey, DJ stuff is already super fun, so why not make a bit more competitive, up the ante and have some laughs at the same time?” he said. “I really want our people to feel valued, so this is a way we let them see they're being seen and noticed for what they do.”
The Craig McConnon Group is introducing virtual prizes and badges for their top DJs. These not only reflect their achievements, but also their specialities and give customers an idea of their personalities. “The new system is starting out with feedback from clients,” says Craig McConnon. “We're coming up with the badges and awards and stuff, so we want input on what each DJ is really like. Like, are they pineapple cream or kiwi lime? That's the kind of feedback we're looking for,” he says. “But you've got to motivate your choice, even if it's with three words.”
Craig McConnon is said to be having great fun parsing through the feedback he's received so far and that sparked the idea for the late summer stadium celebration. “There's got to be a reason and an end point,” explains Craig McConnon. “This information really helps us serve our customers better, so we're giving back by hosting an epic stadium bash for all our review contributors and anyone else who wants to come along and see the best of the best.”
The Craig McConnon Group is looking at three potential stadium venues in Aberdeen and is considering the relative merits of each one. “We want our DJs showcased but we want space for dancing and we want to do lights,” Craig McConnon said. “At the same time, we've got to work around what's already scheduled for us and for the venue.” The bottom line is the stadium will need to hold an audience of minimum 20 000 safely, so there's a lot of organisation going into the event.
Craig McConnon is also experimenting with a new range of mixers and loops, not to mention the latest lighting systems. “I really want to put the stuff I've got on spec to the test,” he says. “We've got some big venues planned and some really huge events coming up, so I need to put the people and the tech through its paces.” At the same time, the Craig McConnon Group would never put the guinea pig label on a paying audience. “It's a double bind,” said a company spokesman. “We want to test it but we've got make sure it's perfect before we do. But hey, that's always the challenge at The Craig McConnon Group, just always getting better, moving forward no matter what.”
The Craig McConnon Group will be sending out surveys to all customers dating back to April and up to and including August so they can incorporate feedback into the rating system that will be used to determine the lineup at the Aberdeen gig. “So watch that inbox, fill out a survey, and you could be cosying up to your favourite DJ for the dance night of your life!” said Craig McConnon.
About us: Craig McConnon is a very well known DJ and music artist now based in London after many years of travelling and DJing across the world. He set up the Craig McConnon Group five years ago. Craig performs at multiple venues, including parties, weddings, corporate events, and much more. Craig has over 15 years’ experience in being a DJ and uses the very latest equipment to ensure your event runs as smoothly as possible. To get more information and make a booking with the Craig McConnon Group, you can contact him or his team via their website: www.craigmcconnon.com .
