Dan Rawson was told nobody would want his product at a wedding but proved the doubters wrong. Photo: Facebook.
When longtime Canberra DJ Dan Rawson created his boombox – an all-in-one DJ entertainment unit – he was told there was one type of event in which it would never be used.
“People said ‘it’s a cool idea Dan, but you won’t see people use them at weddings’. That just motivated me to make a white one. It soon became our most popular boombox,” he said.
The 36-year-old marketing and events specialist grew up in Chisholm and has been pushing boundaries all his life. Last year, he starting selling his world-first product in the United States. This week, his company snared a major exporting award.
Boombox Industries was named ACT Promising Exporter by Chief Minister Andrew Barr, at an event recognising innovation in selling products overseas.
“I’d like to thank every one of our customers from overseas and here in Australia for all your support and belief in our product – an idea of mine that has now become reality,” Mr Rawson said.
“A boombox is a business in a box… it’s a DJ entertainment unit that can also be used as a jukebox or a karaoke machine at weddings, functions and corporate events. We make it right here in Canberra, it’s all in-house.”
Mr Rawson launched his business in 2019.
“We started making our boomboxes and put a worldwide patent on it. COVID hit soon after so we were able to test it out and see how we could present it to attract people to the dance floor,” he said.
“I liked the idea of hiring them out for weddings. It gives the couples an opportunity to stand behind it, take a photo and brand it with something like ‘Till Death do us Party’.
“We’ve also been part of the Stromlo Running Festival since I started. They have us there every year to play music and warm up the crowd.”
Mr Rawson’s ultimate dream was to take his product to the United States.
“Through the power of social media, we reached out to the overseas market, who discovered there was nothing else like it anywhere in the world,” he said.
“I know Americans love their flashy toys, so in August last year we went to Atlantic City for a DJ expo. We took two units with us and they sold within a day. Everyone was blown away.
“While it’s mostly used by people to hire out, one guy bought it to put in his apartment in New Jersey,” he said.
Dan Rawson celebrates winning his export award. Photo: Facebook.
Boomboxes sell online on his website for between $12,000 and $20,000.
“I call it a business in a box because once you’ve used it for about 10 events, you’ve recouped your investment. Everything after that goes straight in your pocket,” Mr Rawson said.
He said he’s been surprised by the type of functions people use them at, with one couple even hiring it out for their baby’s christening.
“There are more products in the pipeline, but we are focused on putting the boombox on the map… we want to be able to help the entertainment industry grow and thrive.”
More information on Boombox Industries can be found on their Facebook Page.
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