The wrong entertainment can ruin an event and, worse yet,
project the wrong image about your organization. The right
entertainment creates a positive buzz among participants and a
favorable impression about your company or non-profit.
How do you tell right from wrong when booking entertainment? The
more you know - both about your event and the talent available -
the better off you will be.
1. Know your objective. What do you want your event to
say about your organization? Do you want to come across as
cutting-edge and daring, or is a more conservative image more
appropriate? Choose entertainment that reflects the right image
for your company.
2. Know your budget. Entertainment can run as little as
$500 for a local act, to well over $1 million for
nationally-known talent. Don't waste time pursuing entertainment
that you can't afford. Set a budget to narrow your choices.
3. Know your audience. Is your audience young, older or a
combination? Is it mostly men or women? Will couples be
attending, or will you be hosting a crowd of co-workers? Do you
want to book an act that will encourage dancing? Will people be
relaxed and in a partying mood, or will they be more sedate and
professional? If you understand your audience demographics and
mindset, you can avoid booking entertainment that might annoy,
offend or even bore participants.
4. Know your theme. A 50's sock hop or a disco ball can
be a lot of fun, but your audience may not want to listen to
50's music or disco for the entire night. Pick an event theme
that is broad enough to accommodate entertainment that appeals
to a wide range of tastes. Use décor to create your theme.
Better yet, select the perfect entertainment first and build a
theme around it.
5. Know your production costs. You may be able to afford
the talent, but can you afford the cost to produce the show?
Many people overlook or may not be made aware of additional
expenses associated with lighting, sound system rentals, union
regulations, insurance, overtime fees, and stages when they book
an act. Make sure you know all your production costs and budget
accordingly.
6. Know when to hire a pro. A talent agency is often the
fastest - and most economical - source for entertainment for an
event. A talent agency can quickly connect you to the best acts
in the business and help you choose entertainment that will be
right for your event. Talent agencies with experience booking
national acts have the expertise necessary to negotiate
contracts and, even more importantly, hospitality and
performance riders. They can make sure you don't end up paying
for non-essential or duplicated expenses. Talent pros can also
clue you in to hot entertainment trends or less expensive
routing dates on a specialty act that might turn your function
into the "event of the year."
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