Let's face it. Planning an event is hard work. Add a tight turn-around time to the list, and it can seem like an impossible mission. Or perhaps, time has been on your side and you've been dotting the i's and crossing the t's. But then, the entertainment pulled out, for whatever reason - leaving you in the lurch. We've heard both stories quite a few times. If you've been in either position, then you know how hectic it can be looking for entertainment on the fly - which is why we've created a guide to booking entertainment on short notice. Follow these tips and you'll soon be on your way to an amazing event! And if you find any of the tips helpful, be sure to LIKE or SHARE on Facebook or Twitter! It just takes a second. :)
Short Notice Entertainment Booking Tip #1: Know Your Entertainment Budget:
The first step to booking party or event entertainment on short notice is to know your entertainment budget. If you’re booking entertainment on short notice, then you probably have almost everything else - venue, catering, staffing, etc - lined up. That means you can take a look at the balance left to decide on an entertainment budget.
But, if you’re planning an entire corporate event, wedding or family gathering from start to finish on short notice, then you may not have everything else lined up. This means you’ll need to create a solid budget for the entire event first. To create an accurate budget for an entire event on short notice, consider recent trends in event budgeting. According to Eventbrite, a recent survey of event creators claim that 32% of their budget goes toward speakers and talent. Having an idea of how your event costs will break down from similar, previous events - you can create an estimate to base your event costs on. From there, just consider event specific necessities, and update as needed for an accurate projection.
But, if you’re planning an entire corporate event, wedding or family gathering from start to finish on short notice, then you may not have everything else lined up. This means you’ll need to create a solid budget for the entire event first. To create an accurate budget for an entire event on short notice, consider recent trends in event budgeting. According to Eventbrite, a recent survey of event creators claim that 32% of their budget goes toward speakers and talent. Having an idea of how your event costs will break down from similar, previous events - you can create an estimate to base your event costs on. From there, just consider event specific necessities, and update as needed for an accurate projection.
Short Notice Entertainment Booking Tip #2: Know the Event Details:
The second tip in booking live entertainment on short notice is to know your event details. We get it. You’re on a tight deadline to plan and execute an event. And in your head, the details are flying around in a choreographed, but chaotic dance. But entertainment rates can be affected by those little details, especially when it comes to the event location. And when you’re in a time crunch, the last thing you want is for your preferred choice of entertainment to be whisked away while you track down all the event details you need to share with them. Having all the info on hand can make booking entertainment on short notice a lot easier. When contacting party entertainers or corporate event entertainment, the minimum you’ll want to be able to provide:
1) Company Info (if applicable)
2) Contact Info
3) Venue Location & Address
4) Date & Time
The company information will likely be used in invoicing during the booking process. And of course, the entertainment or talent booking agent will need to be able to reach out to a contact for any questions or details. Once, we had a potential client reach out to us to book our Hula Dancers, Aloha Atlanta. Unfortunately, they failed to provide any contact information since they just posted a comment to our blog. Needless to say, we were never able to reach them for booking.
The entertainment will also need to be provided the venue location and address. You don’t want to risk the entertainment getting lost on their way to your party or event. Over the years, we’ve had clients provide just the venue name, or just the address - which can be a GPS nightmare if there’s a similar address in the area, or if the venue has multiple locations. At Stella Entertainment, we plan for these moments. But, you may be booking entertainment with less event experience. And you don't want to spend your time at the event wondering where the entertainment is. Leave nothing to chance by providing both the venue location & address.
1) Company Info (if applicable)
2) Contact Info
3) Venue Location & Address
4) Date & Time
The company information will likely be used in invoicing during the booking process. And of course, the entertainment or talent booking agent will need to be able to reach out to a contact for any questions or details. Once, we had a potential client reach out to us to book our Hula Dancers, Aloha Atlanta. Unfortunately, they failed to provide any contact information since they just posted a comment to our blog. Needless to say, we were never able to reach them for booking.
The entertainment will also need to be provided the venue location and address. You don’t want to risk the entertainment getting lost on their way to your party or event. Over the years, we’ve had clients provide just the venue name, or just the address - which can be a GPS nightmare if there’s a similar address in the area, or if the venue has multiple locations. At Stella Entertainment, we plan for these moments. But, you may be booking entertainment with less event experience. And you don't want to spend your time at the event wondering where the entertainment is. Leave nothing to chance by providing both the venue location & address.
Short Notice Entertainment Booking Tip #3: Know What You Want:
To know what type of entertainment you want, you’ll first want to consider your event needs or theme. What are your event goals? Why are you planning this event? If you’re planning a trade show, you have your return on investment to consider. By booking entertainment that can take the stage to entertain a large audience, as well as stroll the expo floor to engage guests on a more one-on-one level, you can boost your attendee experience, as well as create digital marketing content - all of which helps to increase your ROI, or return on investment.
If you’re planning a theme party, you’ll want the atmosphere of your party or event to flow with the theme. And combining the right entertainment with a special occasion, can truly vamp up the atmosphere of the party to create life-long memories for your guests. To book the right entertainment for your needs, you’ll want to consider: 1) the number of guests and 2) type of event you’re hosting. Unlike the trade show, you may not need your entertainment to engage a large audience. In that case, you want to make sure the event entertainment is flexible to scale down for your needs, while still making an impact on your guests. As far as the type of event you’re hosting, be sure to consider your guests’ needs first. Are they uber conservative? Or, are they responsive to out-of-the-box ideas?
And finally, consider your event schedule. If you’re hosting a four hour party, when do you want the entertainment? Of course you can book the event entertainment for the entire party. But if budget is a concern, you may not have that option. In that case, what will make the bigger impact for your guests? Could it be the beginning of the event when the guests arrive? That works great for parties when the event planner knows most of the guests are likely to arrive on time. But if you know most of your guests will arrive later on during the party, it may work better to book the entertainment for the later half of the event hours.
If you’re planning a theme party, you’ll want the atmosphere of your party or event to flow with the theme. And combining the right entertainment with a special occasion, can truly vamp up the atmosphere of the party to create life-long memories for your guests. To book the right entertainment for your needs, you’ll want to consider: 1) the number of guests and 2) type of event you’re hosting. Unlike the trade show, you may not need your entertainment to engage a large audience. In that case, you want to make sure the event entertainment is flexible to scale down for your needs, while still making an impact on your guests. As far as the type of event you’re hosting, be sure to consider your guests’ needs first. Are they uber conservative? Or, are they responsive to out-of-the-box ideas?
And finally, consider your event schedule. If you’re hosting a four hour party, when do you want the entertainment? Of course you can book the event entertainment for the entire party. But if budget is a concern, you may not have that option. In that case, what will make the bigger impact for your guests? Could it be the beginning of the event when the guests arrive? That works great for parties when the event planner knows most of the guests are likely to arrive on time. But if you know most of your guests will arrive later on during the party, it may work better to book the entertainment for the later half of the event hours.
Short Notice Entertainment Booking Tip #4: Book the Entertainment Promptly:
After setting an entertainment budget, finalizing event details, and figuring out what you need from the entertainment, you should be ready to begin the booking process. If you’re booking entertainment from scratch, a quick Google search can tell you what party or event entertainment is available in your area. Whether you’re booking the entertainment through an event entertainment agency, or booking directly, it’ll be time to reach out. This will be a great opportunity to ask questions to make sure the entertainment is right for your needs, as well as consider any logistics or performer restrictions.
To make sure you don’t have any roadblocks on the day of your event, consult with the venue about any space restrictions so you’ll be able to share them with the entertainment or agency if needed. And be sure to find out if your entertainment has any performance restrictions before booking. If there’s no stage, can they still perform? Does the event space have adequate performance space and sound equipment? These are questions we cover in our post, How to Book Party or Event Entertainment Like a Pro (include link). Remember, these are things you don’t want to find out on the day of your party. Making sure the entertainment can perform in the event space is crucial to having a successful event.
With all the details coordinated, you can move on to finalize the booking. Always be sure to have an agreement in writing to guarantee the entertainment for your party or event. This is even more crucial when you’re planning an event on short notice since you have little time to find & book alternative entertainment if things don’t go as planned. The contract should outline everything the performers will provide along with your agreement to pay your remaining balance on the day of the event. And that’s it!
To make sure you don’t have any roadblocks on the day of your event, consult with the venue about any space restrictions so you’ll be able to share them with the entertainment or agency if needed. And be sure to find out if your entertainment has any performance restrictions before booking. If there’s no stage, can they still perform? Does the event space have adequate performance space and sound equipment? These are questions we cover in our post, How to Book Party or Event Entertainment Like a Pro (include link). Remember, these are things you don’t want to find out on the day of your party. Making sure the entertainment can perform in the event space is crucial to having a successful event.
With all the details coordinated, you can move on to finalize the booking. Always be sure to have an agreement in writing to guarantee the entertainment for your party or event. This is even more crucial when you’re planning an event on short notice since you have little time to find & book alternative entertainment if things don’t go as planned. The contract should outline everything the performers will provide along with your agreement to pay your remaining balance on the day of the event. And that’s it!
With these tips, booking party or event entertainment on short notice should be a breeze. If you’re still a little hesitant, be sure to bookmark this page to return to when you’re ready. With a defined budget and event details in place, you can book live entertainment on short notice to elevate your party and wow your guests. And if you’re interested in booking Stella Entertainment for your next party or event, be sure to check out Round Up | Hawaiian Entertainment with Aloha Atlanta. You may also like 21 Themes for Fire Performances, THE SUITE | How to Start Ballet as a Grown Ass Adult, or How to Host a Hawaiian Luau.
