The Act of the Entertainment Producer By Danny Bergold Booking - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The “Act” of the Entertainment Producer

By Danny Bergold

OVERVIEW &

INTRODUCTION TO EVENT ENTERTAINMENT

Booking Entertainment for Special Events

OVERVIEW

1. What is event entertainment and why is it important

• 2. How entertainment can help to get the greatest ROI from your event
• 3. The process of booking entertainment
• 4. Tips to reduce the overall financial impact of entertainment
• 5. Onsite Management
• 6. Introduction to presenting name entertainment
• 7. Common mistakes and things to remember when producing entertainment
• 8. Entertainment vocabulary

What is event entertainment?

What is event entertainment?

Any live performance experience presented at a private or public event.

Event entertainment

Why is entertainment a “need to have” and not a “nice to have” element at your event?

• Communication tool
• Reinforce event themes
• communicate messaging
• reveal information
• educate

Why is entertainment a “need to have” and not a “nice to have” element at your event?

• Creates a “wow” experience
• Incredible talent
• Outrageous production value
• Innovative concepts
• Evokes emotion
• By telling relatable stories
• By activating the senses
• Hugely impactful

How to determine what type of entertainment will work best for your event?

• Determine event objectives
• Determine event flow
• Determine event parameters
• Budget
• Time restrictions
• Date restrictions
• Venue limitations

How to determine what type of entertainment will work best for your event?

• Guest details
• Age range
• Ethnicity
• Professional level
• What is planned before / after
• Venue details
• Load in / load out
• Electrical power capabilities
• In house production support
• Exclusive suppliers?

INDENTIFYING OR SOURCING

EVENT ENTERTAINMENT

Booking, Producing and Managing Entertainment

Identifying or sourcing entertainment

Talent Direct Exclusive Supplier Non-Exclusive Supplier

Talent Direct Exclusive Supplier Non-Exclusive Supplier Pros

• 1. Often the most

competitive pricing.

• 2. The most

knowledgeable about the experience they provide.

• 1. You receive the most

competitive performance fee available.

• 2. Ability to provide

information quickly.

• 3. Very knowledgeable

about the acts they represent.

• 1. Focused on client

relationship.

• 2. Broader access to

wider range of

• ption.
• 3. Not biased.
• 4. Production

expertise; reduces risks. Cons

• 1. Artists first, business people

Second.

• 2. Often lack necessary

Marketing and promotional Material.

• 3. Do not include on-site

Management.

• 1. Your partnership ends once the booking

is done and you are responsible for producing the act and managing them

• n-site.
• 2. They are in the business of booking not

producing entertainment, therefore, their

• bjectives aren’t necessarily aligned with

your event.

• 3. Performance fees are typically slightly

higher then direct talent’s to accommodate for booking agency commissions.

• 1. You often pay a premium

to work with them.

What questions should I ask a non-exclusive entertainment supplier before agreeing to work with them?

• What kinds of acts/shows have you and/or your company

produced in the past?

• Do you have a particular specialty, ie bands, cirque acts,

Broadway, etc?

• Do you book exclusive acts, non-exclusive acts or both?
• Do you own technical equipment?

What resources are available to identify/source talent directly?

Vetting Entertainment

• Live performance
• Marketing or promotional material review
• Communication
• Industry associations or certification
• Testimonials, reviews, letters of recommendation
• Speak to someone who has worked with them

BOOKING

ENTERTAINMENT

Booking, Producing and Managing Entertainment

Budget Elements of Entertainment

• Performance Fee
• Travel Expenses
• Performance Management
• Technical Production
• Hospitality Expenses

Kris, pan through document: “Sample Entertainment Budget”

Pricing

• Local acts vs. national
• Custom entertainment
• Name Acts

The Process of Booking Entertainment

Step #1 Place a hold Step #2 Make an

• ffer

Step #3 Negotiate Step #4 Go to contract

Placing A Hold

• Placing a hold is a regular practice, however, it is not
• expected. You must ask for one.
• If placed over the phone, follow up to confirm in writing
• Request 1st right of refusal
• Confirm the length of your hold if limited

Make An Offer

• Submit verbally or in writing
• Follow up a verbal offer in writing
• Include as many details as possible
• Provide an acceptance deadline
• Include any/all special provisions
• Make a fair offer within your budgetary parameter

Negotiating

• Artists usually prefer negotiating deal points rather than losing

the opportunity to perform

• Don’t take advantage of or appear to be taking advantage
• f an entertainer. Relationships are everything in this business

Contracting

• Request a contract
• Review contract thoroughly
• Consult your attorney with questions
• Make changes/adjustments
• Initial and date all hand written (redlined) changes
• Sign contract and request a counter signed copy

Performance Rider

• An extension of the artist’s contract
• Travel Requirements
• Production Requirements
• Hospitality Requirements
• Any and all additional requirements or limitations
• What is purchaser responsible for?
• All of it unless otherwise negotiated and stated in contract

• Kris: pan document called “Sample

Performance Rider”

Insurance

• Require your entertainers to carry their own insurance policy
• Name you as additionally insured
• Many venues require proof of insurance
• Consult your attorney or insurance provider

Miscellaneous Items to Consider

• Set and ready
• Late start, overtime
• Continuous performance

TIPS TO REDUCE

YOUR ENTERTAINMENT’S

FINANCIAL IMPACT

Booking, Producing and Managing Entertainment

How to reduce your entertainment’s financial impact on your event?

• Performance Fee
• Reduce length of performance
• Reduce number of performers
• Eliminate costume changes
• Airfare
• Offer a buyout price
• Rent a car instead of flying
• Ask them to drive their own car

How to reduce your entertainment’s financial impact on your event?

• Overnight accommodations
• Offer a buyout price
• Ask talent to share rooms
• Bring talent into town early on performance day
• Book rooms nearby, at less expensive hotel
• Ground Transportation
• Use a company car/employee to transfer talent
• Use taxis instead of car service
• Rent talent a car rather than car service
• If talent is flying in from various airports, book all flights to arrive at

approximately the same time to avoid multiple transfers

How to reduce your entertainment’s financial impact on your event?

• Production
• Book a venue with built in production capabilities
• Use natural platforms in your venue to eliminate

stage rental

• Eliminate lighting in a naturally lit room
• Eliminate sound system when performing in a small

to medium room with good acoustics

ONSITE

ENTERTAINMENT MANAGEMENT

Booking, Producing and Managing Entertainment

How to best prepare yourself before arriving on-site?

• Final communication before arriving on-site
• Confirm performance details
• Confirm on-site hospitality requirements
• Confirm talent arrival times
• Confirm arrival details including parking nuances

and talent entrances

• Confirm load-in/out logistics including loading

dock location

How to best prepare yourself before arriving on-site?

• Collect necessary information
• Talent arrival time
• Talent contact information,

including cell phone number

• Vehicle information (if

applicable)

How to best prepare yourself before arriving on-site?

• Have necessary paperwork on hand
• Client contracts
• Entertainment Contracts
• Production schedule
• Run of show
• Contact sheet

The Golden Rules of Managing Talent On-Site

1. Provide dedicated, experienced talent mangers 2. Have necessary communication capability 3. Provide required hospitality requirements 4. Manage expectations 5. Treat talent with respect but remember they work for you

INTRODUCTION TO

NAME ENTERTAINMENT

Booking, Producing and Managing Entertainment

Producing Name Entertainment

• Sourcing/identifying name entertainment
• How do I determine which talent agency to work with?
• Obtaining availability & Pricing
• Making an offer
• Negotiating
• Contracting
• Performance riders
• On-site management

VIP Meet & Greets

• Include expectations in initial offer
• Clear logistics with artist’s production manager prior to

performance

• Create a clear plan
• Manage expectations of both the artist and the VIPs
• Have security standing by
• Be prepared to pull the artist in case of any unforeseen

challenges

Additional Tips

• Hire an experienced

entertainment producer.

• Deposit payment stipulation
• Consider bands who are

traveling or are on tour

CLOSING &

FINAL TIPS

Booking, Producing and Managing Entertainment

5 Common Mistakes When Presenting Entertainment

1. Eliminating entertainment expert, individual or company, from the project to save money 2. Presenting entertainment for the sake of entertaining 3. Not providing adequate production to support the entertainment element 4. Failing to identify event objectives, therefore, presenting inadequate entertainment for your event 5. Not prepared to start early or to go

• vertime

6. Neglecting details

Things to Remember

• Entertainment is one of many

elements working to fulfill an overall

• bjective
• Just because you like it, doesn’t

mean your guests will

• Your client is always right

The “Act” of the Entertainment Producer

By Danny Bergold

THANK YOU

Danny Bergold

President & Managing Partner About Entertainment dbergold@about-entertainment.com

• ffice: 424-201-5428 or 800-941-2970