The Most Important Things You Must Know Before Booking Entertainment For Your Next Event – Part 6

Over the last several months, we’ve been exploring the most important things you need to know in order to successfully find and book the very best entertainment for your next special event. I created this guide from my experiences over the past ten years as a professional entertainer. I know that if you follow each of these steps you will have a massively successful event. Enjoy the last part, part #6!


9. Payment
Some entertainers and speakers request that you pay up front before the show begins. Others are comfortable accepting payment at the end. Refer to the contract for guidance on what you agreed to. If the entertainer doesn't specify which they prefer, then do whatever is comfortable for you. Some people and many corporations choose to pay in full up front before the actual show date. One of the advantages to paying before the show is that you won’t have to tear yourself away from your guests in order to deliver a check to your entertainer while he or she is trying to pack up or meet people after the program.

10. The Follow-Up
After a program and before they leave, most entertainers and speakers make a point of touching base with the person who booked the event in order to thank them. Also, don’t be surprised if you hear from them again several days after the program to thank you once more and get feedback. Take this opportunity to share your thoughts. You may also wish to discuss other possible entertainment or speaking opportunities you have in the future.

The best way to show your appreciation for an excellent program is to pass the entertainer’s name and contact information along to friends and fellow business associates. Offering to write a letter of recommendation about your experience with an entertainer is also a huge compliment. Letters of recommendation are very powerful tools that entertainers and speakers rely on for booking other events.

Wrap Up
So there you have it. In this blog series, I have compiled the most important tips and techniques I have learned over the past decade of speaking and entertaining at private and corporate events. I hope this information will help you in your quest for the perfect program for your special event. With these tips in mind, go out there with full confidence that you know what you’re doing, and book yourself an outstanding program! Best wishes and good luck!

To start at the beginning of this series, click here.

To contact me directly, click here or give me a call at 888-212-2863. Blessings!

The Most Important Things You Must Know Before Booking Entertainment For Your Next Event – Part 5

Over the last several months, we’ve been exploring the most important things you need to know in order to successfully find and book the very best entertainment for your next special event. I created this guide from my experiences over the past ten years as a professional entertainer. I know that if you follow each of these steps you will have a massively successful event. Enjoy part five!


7. The Day of the Event
As far as the program goes, you should have had several discussions with your entertainer by now which would answer any and all questions that either of you may have had. It should be clear, because of the previously agreed upon details in the contract, what time your entertainer will arrive, when and where they will set up, and what time the program will begin. Be sure that you or the main contact person of the event is carrying a cell phone in case your entertainer runs into any last minute issues and needs to contact you.

Depending on your event, you may wish to build excitement about the program. Having appropriate signage -- such as a large poster on an easel, a photograph with a bio, or even a promotional video playing on a television for people to see as they arrive -- are excellent ways to build a buzz. Your guests should be looking forward to the exciting program you have planned.

8. Last Minute Details and Showtime!
You’ve done your research and selected the best program for your event. At this point, there should be nothing for you to worry about. One of the last things you may be asked to do is have someone introduce the entertainer or speaker. If that is the case, the entertainer or speaker should have a note card with a brief introduction for you to read. While you might want to review the information briefly beforehand, this shouldn’t be hard.

In addition, some entertainers will ask you prior to the show if there are any particular guests you might suggest who would be good for them to interact with. They are looking for people who will be comfortable if called upon in front of your other guests. Have several men and women in mind who have good senses of humor and who might enjoy being part of the audience participation aspect of the show.

You may also want to ask your entertainer about any good photo opportunities they might suggest. Some programs have funny moments or especially visual moments built in that lend themselves naturally to taking a photo. Making memories in this way by knowing the perfect spots to pause long enough to get a good shot is another way to maximize the fun and success of your entertainment.

At this point, you’ve done all the work and should kick back, relax and enjoy!

Wrap Up
Keep your eyes on this blog for next month's entry when we'll wrap up the most important tips and techniques you must know before booking entertainment for your next special 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!

Adventures on the High Seas-Days 7, 8, & 9

Here are the last few days from our adventure at sea last December.

Day 7 - We spent the day in FL today. Most of my days spent in FL are used to catch up on email, phone calls, etc. Today was no different. We found a cool little Starbucks and I took care of some emails and made a few business calls. Afterwards, we had lunch at a fun Mexican restaurant and headed back to the ship early to prepare for that night’s show.


One of the fun parts of working on a ship is getting to know the crew/staff. Kristin and I found ourselves hanging out at the onboard piano bar/pub several nights after our shows and we befriended the bartender Dedi. Dedi is a huge fan of magic and we enjoyed hanging out with him.

Hanging onboard with Dedi, the bartender.

Day 8 – Today we were back in Freeport for our final day in the Bahamas. Kristin and I decided to head into town and do a little souvenir/Christmas (remember this was back in December) shopping. I met a cool lady in the straw market who wove a bag that I bought for my sister. We finished our time off at the Our Lucaya Resort beach working on our tans.

We had a great final show tonight and got everything packed up and ready for an early disembarkation.

Bahamian strawmarket shop owner who wove a cool little bag for my sister.

Day 9 – So we got off the ship nice and early, made it through customs and waited for our show props to arrive. We waited, we waited some more, and then we waited awhile longer. After waiting for an hour and a half, I finally discovered that our props had been delivered about an hour and a half earlier but were just sitting in the customs area waiting to be claimed. I must give a really nice lady customs officer some serious thanks for locating my equipment and then helping me get everything through the system so I could pack it up in the cargo van. After Kristin and I finally got everything loaded, it was pretty uneventful. We drove fourteen and a half hours back home to Nashville from FL. The next day I returned the cargo van to the rental company.

That pretty much wraps up my very first cruising adventure. I’ve found that every time I perform in a new setting there is a new set of challenges to overcome. That’s one of the major challenges of being an entertainer. At first, it was totally stressful and overwhelming, but I’ve come to enjoy it. In fact, I would say that I’ve learned quite a bit about dealing with the challenges of life from the challenges that I face as an entertainer. I hope that you too are able to embrace all the challenges that life throws at you and come out as a conqueror with some fantastic adventure to share.

Photo from the Our Lucaya Resort-Freeport, Bahamas

If you just joined this little adventure, click here and start the journey at the beginning.

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!

Listening to the Audience

I find myself interested in comparing notes with other entertainers. Specifically, I am truly fascinated with a performer’s choice to edit themselves and their show while that show is going on. You may ask yourself why an entertainer would choose to edit themselves during their show. Well, this isn’t common practice. Typically, only the most experienced entertainers do this. The most common reason I find for it is that the audience is responding to certain routines and parts of their scripts early in the show. The audience’s responses early in the show lead the performer to edit the show as it goes on and select material that he or she believes will be the most effective. Editing the show or the lines they choose to deliver is done to optimize the entertainment experience. This sounds a bit too theoretical, let’s talk specifics.

I pay very close attention to the audience before I take the stage and then as the show goes on, as well. I am trying to get a feel for the energy they are giving off and how they react to certain magic. For instance, I was recently performing and got to the part of the show where I had my razor blade swallowing routine planned. As I thought about what I had planned, I looked out at the audience and saw mostly families. The room was full of moms, dads and young people. They were laughing at all the right jokes and having fun watching a lighthearted magic show. I realized that the razor blade routine that I had planned was a dark, moody piece that would totally change the energy of the room. While the razor blade routine is a perfect piece to perform in a theatrical show for a theatre crowd, it didn’t feel right for this room. So I substituted a much less theatrical routine, The Linking Rings, in its place. The way I perform the rings gets an audience member involved and makes them the center of a fun, laugh filled few minutes. It turned out to be the perfect choice. I selected a young man who had the perfect temperament and knew how to play to the crowd. He was a massive hit and he received a huge ovation for coming up onstage and giving the audience exactly what they wanted, to laugh and have fun.

So, why do I bring this up? I guess my point in writing this blog article is to say that I believe good entertainers listen closely to their audiences. It’s important to keep in mind who the audience is made up of and why they are watching the show. Instead of performing material that the entertainer may want to perform, he or she should perform material that will best fit the situation. Think about it. If you were hiring an entertainer to come in and entertain your family, friends, or coworkers, wouldn’t you want that person to pay close attention to how everyone is reacting and edit their show to maximize their responses and the entertainment experience? I know I would.

The Most Important Things You Must Know Before Booking Entertainment For Your Next Event - Part 3

Hey There! This is the continuation (part 3) of several earlier blog entries on how to successfully find and book the very best entertainment for your next, upcoming event. To start reading this series from the beginning, click here. As a professional entertainer, I have dealt with numerous meeting and event planners planning all sorts of cool special events. The advice in this article is intended to make your life (as someone looking to find entertainment) easier. You might even find the whole process fun! Enjoy!

4. The Initial Contact
There are several ways to make contact with your prospective entertainer or speaker. The easiest is to just pick up the phone and call the entertainer’s office. Making contact with your prospective entertainer with a phone call is an excellent way to get to know them. By actually speaking with your prospective entertainer you can learn things that you may not be able to tell through other contact methods. A conversation allows you to hear the person’s voice, including their inflection and level of friendliness, and it allows you to get an impression about how appropriate this person is for your event. A phone conversation also allows your prospective entertainer to ask you specific questions that they need answered in order to quote a fee, check availability, and be sure that they are the right fit for your event.

Another option is to send the entertainer an email. Email is a great way to make first contact with your prospective entertainer. If you choose to make contact through email, try to give as many details about the event as possible. Include your phone number and a window of time when you will be available to talk so that the entertainer can call you back and ask additional questions he or she may have.

An additional way to make contact with your prospective entertainer is to fill out a web form that is on his or her website. A web form will have specific fields such as name, phone number, your address, type of function, venue address, approximate number of guests expected, etc. The web form is often a preferred method of contact over email because it is designed to provide the entertainer with specific information needed in order to quote a fee, check availability, etc.

No matter which method you choose to contact your entertainer, it shouldn’t be difficult to do so. His or her office should be easily accessible and respond within 24 hours to your phone call, email or web form submission. In fact, when I received a letter of recommendation from Bob Mackie at Institutional Wholesale, he specifically mentioned how easy it was to schedule my act. Take a look at what he said…

“We received so many compliments from our employees that this was one of the best parties we’ve had. They absolutely loved your show. We would highly recommend your show to anyone looking for good entertainment. Working with you to schedule your act for our party was easy with no problems.”

So, what should you ask? You will want to know what time your entertainer will arrive and how much space he or she is going to need. Be sure to consider whether sound equipment and/or staging will be needed. If there is something special about your guests that is important for the performer to know -- anything from high achievements to physical impairments -- be sure to mention it as well.

The best speakers and entertainers will find ways to customize their presentations to your group. As you pose questions to your entertainer, also be sure you share as much information about your event and your group as possible. Because every event is unique, the more information you share with your entertainer, the more they can utilize that information in the planning and implementation of your program. For instance, when Lithographics, Inc and I worked together, Cindy Tanley and I planned an entertainment event that occurred in numerous places throughout their facility over the course of an entire day. Here’s what Cindy said about the event…

“I am not sure I can adequately express how much your ‘magic touch’ enhanced our employee appreciation celebration. This was no small feat, requiring multiple shows, two locations, and even making magic happen at midnight.”

Price Shopping? Whether you are planning a private Christmas party for a few guests or a huge banquet dinner, everyone is on some kind of budget. The general rule of thumb is this: Do not go with the lowest price. Going with the lowest price is likely a precursor to disappointment. In the entertainment and speaking fields remember the old adage "you get what you pay for." Ultimately, you will find that the most important thing regarding your entertainment won’t be the price tag. What really matters when searching for the best program for your event is that the program be the right fit. Don’t think of it in terms of dollars and cents as much as you think of it in terms of the best program for your guests. Above all, you have to feel comfortable knowing that the person you have chosen to entertain your guests is a reflection of you. Ultimately, your goal should be to have each and every one of your guests come up to you after the event and share sentiments similar to those of Nelson Griswold, president of Bottom Line Solutions, when he said to me…

“Jason, you had our group stunned one minute and howling with laughter the next. You were the perfect addition to our party. You really made the night special. Thanks so much for making our evening so much fun.”

Wrap Up
Keep your eyes on this blog for next month's entry where we'll discuss performance contracts and deposits. To start at the beginning of this blog series, click here for the first entry. 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!