Planning an event is hard work and there are three things that can completely ruin even the best planned event: the venue, the food and the entertainment. So how do you know if you are booking good or bad entertainment? How do you know what choices to make? What steps can you take to avoid disaster?
- Know your event objective. If the aim of the event is to educate people then the entertainment is not the key element of the event. You would do better to use some light form of entertainment during the break to help attendees unwind and relax rather than anything that is going to be overpowering. If however you are organizing a corporate gala dinner then you may need to book a headline that can really entertain
- Know your audience. The attendees of the event will also play a large part in your choice. Using a Blue Comedian would not be appropriate for a corporate family fun day, but a good selection of street performers, face painter and caricaturists would be an excellent choice.
- Know the theme of your event. The theme of any event will dictate the style of entertainment used. If you have a Las Vegas theme then some fun casino tables and an Elvis Impersonator would be appropriate. If however your theme is more subtle such as a black tie dinner it might be a simple matter of booking a good function band to play two sets.
- Know your Budget. Always know how much of your budget has been set aside for your music and entertainment. You can’t possibly start to research entertainment ideas until you know how much you have to spend in the first place.
- Know what is included in the Fee. There are often travel expenses added on top of an artists fee dependent upon the location of the event. You will also need to clarify whether or not they require you to provide a PA & lights of if they will be providing all their own equipment. You don’t want to be left with any nasty surprises so always remember to ask these questions.
- Know their experience. Ask for testimonials and review. Don’t be frightened to ask them what types of events they have performed at and how long they have been performing for. Another good question to ask is whether or not this is their full time job or just something they do on the side for a bit of fun.
My last piece of advice would be to try and see whoever you book in person before committing to a booking. As wonderful as show reels and demo CD’s are they don’t necessarily give you an honest picture of their performance. You need to see what they are like when in front of a live audience. Can they work a crowd? Are they professional? Do they dress appropriately? Try before you buy and do your homework. A little investment upfront saves a lot of hassle further down the track and will give you peace of mind.
Interested in becoming an Event Planner? We can help you get there in as little as 12 weeks with our Certificate in Event Planning with one of our regional campuses.
