The Most Important Things You Must Know Before Booking Entertainment For Your Next Event – Part 4

Well, it’s that time again! This is the fourth part of several earlier blog entries on how to successfully find and book the very best entertainment for your upcoming event. As a professional entertainer, I have dealt with numerous meeting and event planners that have planned all sorts of amazing special events. This series of articles is intended to make your life (as someone looking to find entertainment) easier. You might even find the whole process fun! Enjoy!

5. Deposits
The deposit is basically a protective monetary agreement that demonstrates you are indeed serious about hiring a particular entertainer or speaker for your event. Once a date has been booked, the entertainer or speaker cannot offer his or her services to another client for that same date and time. The deposit guarantees that you will not cancel at the last minute, costing the entertainer both your event and other potential events that he or she didn’t book out of deference to you. Upon receiving your deposit, he or she is committed to you.

Not all entertainers take deposits. It often depends on the norm that entertainers and agents set in certain areas. Truthfully, I don’t think deposits necessarily indicate one way or another just how professional an entertainer is. I know average speakers who always take deposits, and I know top-notch professional entertainers who never do.

6. Contracts, Confirmation Calls and Letters
Once all the details have been decided on, you should expect to receive a performance agreement/contract from your entertainer or speaker. This is not something to worry or stress over. It is normal operating procedure for any professional entertainer or speaker. In fact, if you don’t get a contract, you should start to wonder.

The performance agreement/contract basically spells out all the details that have been agreed upon when discussing your event. You should take the time to review all of the details, including type of program, start and end time, venue address, price, etc. The performance agreement should set you at ease because you now know that your entertainer has all the details correct and can prepare to deliver a dynamic, appropriate program.

Within one week of the show, usually a couple of days before, your entertainer should call or email you to confirm that he or she will be there. It is just a courtesy to contact you to be sure that the directions and details are correct. If you don't hear from them and it's the day before the event, you may want to place a quick call, on the outside chance that they had the phone number wrong or simply couldn't reach you.

Wrap Up
Click here to read Part 5, where we discuss what to expect the day of the event. To start at the beginning of this series, click here for the first entry. And to receive a free copy of my brand new book (where most of this information is coming from), visit my website, fill out the webform, and I'll rush you a copy today! Blessings!

That's me entertaining onboard Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas!