Talented acts and entertainment charges for events can vary a lot. So how do you secure the best value deals and avoid hidden costs when booking an entertainment act? Are corporate entertainment booking agencies the solution for organizing quality performances and saving money for your event?
Thorough knowledge and negotiating skills are vital for striking the best event deals. Additionally, event planners must agree to all the terms and conditions, riders, and other legal foibles before both parties sign the contract. The entertainment booking agency is an invaluable partner with the knowledge and experience to handle complex contract reviews and negotiations.
Fixing your event budget is one of several methods event planners use to avoid runaway costs, but there’s more. This piece looks at the potential hidden costs behind booking fees and securing talented acts for your event’s entertainment that can unexpectedly wreck your budget.
The Real Costs Behind Event Planning & Talent Bookings
Booking talent for private, public, or corporate entertainment events seems straightforward, but it rarely is. There’s often far more negotiating needed beyond the entertainment act’s listed price. Hidden charges, unnecessary contract riders, and other legal minutiae can add a significant amount to the final fee. Below are the considerations that decide industry pricing based on trends, demands, and other factors.
Before Booking Event Entertainment
Doing a little homework as you prepare for your event is vital. Knowing what you want and how much you can budget is critical to considering entertainment availability and costs.
One common mistake we see event planners make is making outbound quote requests for an entertainment act. While this seems like a smart idea, from the entertainer’s end it’s seen as an increase in demand for them and often leads to them increasing their appearance fees to match that inflated demand.
$$$ The Known Cost of Event Entertainment
No two acts are the same regarding the number of people, props, entertainment value, and talent. And the costs are rarely fixed when it comes to high-end performances. On the plus side, there’s always some flexibility, but how much depends on your negotiating skills.
An expert negotiator will always secure the best and fairest deals for your event. That’s why hiring someone well-experienced in event entertainment and entertainment booking can help reduce the overall cost to your overall entertainment budget.
$$$ The Hidden Cost of Event Entertainment
It’s easy for even experienced event planners to fall victim to the hidden costs of an event’s entertainment. Booking your event’s act is only a part of the overall price of entertainment.
Overstretched planners often underestimate or overlook less apparent event entertainment costs such as:
- Increased rental price or insurance dependent on entertainment chosen
- Additional event lighting and staging requirements
- Audio, visual, and power supplies rentals for acts and music bands
- Transportation, lodging, and meal costs
- Supporting event production staff and setup/teardown equipment
- High-speed connectivity for virtual events and digitally interactive entertainment
Addressing the surprise needs and costs of event entertainment alone can take up an event organizer’s precious time and distract them from other aspects of their event preparation.
Whereas, hiring professional entertainment management ensures these hidden costs are made plain up front and addressed as part of the overall event entertainment budget and act selection process. Additionally, our experience in the industry also means we can secure the extras for your event at a discounted price.
$$$ Watch Out for Hidden Act/Entertainment Costs
Check that the act or entertainment has its own production equipment. If not, that’s something else you must budget for. You may need to negotiate other expenses, including travel, mileage reimbursement, meals, accommodation, etc. It’s why savvy organizers use a booking agency to handle complex entertainment logistics and negotiations.
Don’t Stress Over Entertainment Booking Hidden Costs
Bravo entertainment is a renowned global agency. We guarantee to deliver compelling and visually spectacular acts for corporate events of any size. And our 30+ years of hands-on industry experience means we get to negotiate the best prices for talent bookings—with no hidden costs.
Contact Bravo! Entertainment for Entertainment Booking Assistance
$$$ Entertainment Booking Pricing Factors
Entertainment rates change significantly depending on the six factors below. Some may seem obvious, but they are often hidden costs to the green organizer:
- The type and style of entertainment
- The number of entertainers and support personnel needed
- Entertainment booking dates and times of year
- Event duration
- Geographical location and venue type/facilities
- Experience, portfolio, and popularity of the performing artists
Point six is worth a special mention.
Event Entertainment Booking Experience Matters
You may come across two acts of the same genre with very different charges yet similar claims.
In this instance there’s a lot of truth in the saying; you get what you pay for. Entertainers with years of experience and outstanding reputations guarantee a great performance. So if you see an act that boasts a lot of experience with a shoestring price, something is probably amiss.
A similar act from budget-priced, enthusiastic amateurs are untested and can be an event disaster lying in wait. That’s why it’s important to critically review an entertainment act’s portfolio or partner with experienced entertainment management who can quickly lead you to a suitable entertainment act that is reliable and matches the right price for your event.
Complex Contract Review & Negotiation
Contracts are a critical part of event planning. Ideally, event planners should spend the time needed to review and finely negotiate the complex agreements for every entertainment act. However, the average event planner simply does not have the time or experience with entertainment contracts and riders to do so.
An event entertainment manager comes with the existing industry relationships and experience to quickly and adeptly negotiate entertainment contracts on your behalf, saving you time and money.
$$$ Contracts Additions and Price Hikes
Watch out for hidden extras sneaking into legal agreements. Examples are technical clauses, accommodation, food, hospitality riders, travel expenses, group logistics, and other costs. These can potentially drive up the price of your entertainment event budget to well over its cap.
One common misstep is reviewing an entertainment act’s touring agreement with contract riders that do not make any sense for a single event performance. An experienced entertainment negotiator will quickly recognize these and have unnecessary elements removed from the agreement to keep from your entertainment budget from going to meet contract riders that are irrelevant to your event’s needs.
The Value of an Expert Entertainment Talent Agency
Bravo! Is a full-service global entertainment agency that knows how to review and negotiate complex entertainment contracts. We present attractive pacts to performing artists and budget viable deals to you. Moreover, we handle all the entertainment and talent side of functions leaving you to focus on other aspects of your event planning.
Here are five reasons Bravo! can save you money and headaches:
- Over 30 years as a full-service entertainment agency
- Many high-quality relationships within the industry
- Experienced at booking acts and talent management
- Positioned to negotiate the best deals at the lowest prices
- Peace of mind
