Just some thoughts about what to expect from a daytime pool party. First things first any kind of day time event tends to be harder to get folks to dance. I like to say people are like vampires, they only dance at night. I think the idea is a slow groove to start with. Get the crowd to start to feel the idea. Don’t jump right in with a bpm of 128. Start off with a 100 bpm or less. Shock works with folks after they have been moving for a while. Your job is to set a growing mood.
Lights? Forget about IT! Lights build a setting that is for sure but in direct sunlight they are pretty useless. You may be saying right now “I know all this” and you are correct but I leading into something to add. Turn your mix into a show of some kind. You should have a play list to work from so turn it into a story. Turn the way-back machine on Sherman! Get people to reminisce about summers past & cheese it up a little, they will dig it!
Line dances maybe your best bet if you have that kind of crowd. I don’t always recommend this but if the shoe fits. You were hire to do a job & if that brings you to line dances suck it up. Pool parties will have moments that are boring & you will wonder what they were thinking to hire a dj. You just have to make the best of it.
To wrap my thinking about this I would say this, Make sure you know what they want from you in this setting. It could be all they want is to add some energy to the afternoon & are not expecting anything. Pool parties can help you grow as well. If you can move that kind of crowd then your other events will be cake.