Talent Bookings -- Competition for Gigs in a Recession -- Fly Solo or Get an Agent?

I'm an entertainment agency owner in what was once (and I still consider it to be) the entertainment capital of the U.S., Las Vegas. So, how hard should it be to book talent (especially talent that has talent)? What is the climate during this period of recession? Should talent pound the pavement and make their own deals, or use agents (the age old question which is even more pertinent today)?

Here in Vegas, home of Star Entertainment Worldwide, there is a casino literally on every corner, and a few in every neighborhood off Strip, and all of them have lounges and/or showrooms. Then there are the out of state properties, the fairs and festivals, the corporate events, cruise ships and even bars (for those hearty souls willing to move from town to town for brief stints at honky tonks). Who is hiring and what are they paying?

We seem to have regressed from the steady money and perks talent used to get for travelling gigs. Now, we are working harder than ever at routing talent from anchor gig to anchor gig, booking small venues in between for their gas and food money. Some bars and clubs are reverting back to percentages of cover charges and bar net without a minimum gig fee. Get your contracts in advance, no matter how small the gig.

I definitely have the pulse of what is happening because I personally spend at least 40% of my 14-16 hour days emailing and calling entertainment bookers for the talent I represent. I also network with other agents across the country (and internationally) to get my acts work.

I can say without hesitation that performers need agents to make their deals now more than ever. We have the booking power because we have more than one talent to offer any specific client, and we can make the deals without harassing the entertainment directors, fair buyers, corporate marketers, casting companies, and club owners. There is nothing worse than talent selling themselves when they are hungry (literally) for work.

Pick and choose your agent, ask other talent, and when possible, get contracts with them as well. You can find all kinds of entertainment industry agreements online or contact me directly (I really don't mind)lucille@StarEntertainmentWorldwide.com and we'll get you a standard booking contract template.

Finally, even if you work with an agent, if you don't hustle, you won't get the gigs. For every gig, there are hundreds (and often thousands, especially for acting/modeling jobs) of talented folk trying for one spot. Don't just sit back and wait for the calls to come in, get online and join every social networking site available to you. The best are Facebook, MySpace (still great for b2b networking in the entertainment industry, especially for bands), Twitter, and LinkedIn. Be social, but also be professional. Remember, potential clients are reading your profiles.

Good Luck!

Exciting & UniqueTransportation-Related Venues for Event Sites

Looking for a dynamic event site with a new theme? Transportation-related venues offer a step into history with a variety of museums, and other spaces to accommodate meetings, team-building activities and galas. Event planners at Star Entertainment Worldwide have a few suggested venues, from the adventuresome to the romantic.

There is no more exciting event than at one of 2 locations (VA and D.C.) of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum (NASM). For special events from 200 to 7000 guests, multiple locations are available for your group to enjoy cocktails beneath Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis with dinner in the Rockets Hall. Or plan a unique team building exercise on flight simulators, or as a scavenger hunt at the U. S. Space & Rocket Center, known as "Space Camp."

For auto enthusiasts, Star Entertainment Worldwide clients have enjoyed evening galas at the Antique Auto Museum (Hershey, PA) and 1 hour from Nashville, at the National Corvette Museum (Bowling Green, KY). These spaces also offer great spaces for team building exercises, including the popular scavenger hunts among artifacts.

But the most romantic form of transportation, and most luxurious of all venues involve the railroad. Our event planners suggest a few historic venues for meetings, board dinners or larger corporate events. The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, and the Strasburg Railroad, both in scenic Lancaster County, PA, housing collections of vintage engines and passenger cars, from steam to diesel and electric, with working trains (some lines operating for 125 years) for meeting groups to ride and dine. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, with its 1884 Baldwin Roundhouse can handle between 450 to 3000 guests for daytime meetings indoors or in their outdoor Pavilion. The Connecticut Trolley Museum is ideal for groups under 100, that can ride on mid-20th century railcars, enjoy a historical narration in the on-site theater, and a reception in the visitor center. In Virginia's Roanoke Valley, the O. Winston Link Museum celebrates the romance of railroad travel through the eyes of Link's artistic photography, and provides the backdrop for meetings in a 75 seat theatre, and receptions in the adjacent lobby.

The transportation theme, for small meetings, team building events or gala receptions, can be brought to life through these historic backdrops.