You want to make a big impact at your event, so you’ve secured a superstar to perform! Booking celebrities for corporate events comes with its own set of challenges; you must not only execute the contract to a T, but also interact with the talent and their team in a way that establishes trust and creates a comfortable atmosphere for your organization, attendees and the act.
ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE AT YOUR EVENT WITH THESE TIPS ON HOW TO MANAGE A-LIST ENTERTAINMENT LIKE A PRO:
Communication Is Key for Including Mainstream Acts in Corporate Events
Musicians, comedians and other performers spend most of their time having complete control of the show. Because they are joining you in the context of your larger event, it’s important to communicate all aspects of that with their team. Most stars will have a tour manager, production manager, assistant and security director who will all have questions to address about their responsibilities to the artist, so establish early on who you will be communicating with and the best way to advance important information to the right people.
Set Expectations for your Event with the Entertainer
Include all available information in the initial offer and share your expectations with the artist and their team as soon as possible. Ensure that the performer is willing and able to deliver the experience you envision for your attendees by clearly detailing all special requests. Are you planning a meet and greet, and if so for how many people? Are there any announcements they need to make onstage? Are there restrictions on the performer’s language or topics? Are there specific songs or parts of their act you’d like them to include? Prevent any surprises by confirming final approval on each aspect of the experience you have planned.
Green Rooms for Top Tier Talent
A designated area backstage for the high-profile individual and their camp to prepare is essential in order to give their best possible presentation. Most acts have a rider they send as part of the booking process outlining information including: how many spaces are needed (sometimes a separate area is required for their production team or supporting members), food and beverage requirements or restrictions and other supplies and protocol. See our related article that goes into more depth on Green Room Essentials for Corporate Events.
- Helpful Tip: In addition to green room requirements, the rider will also list out the act’s instruments, lighting, sound and/or special effects equipment needs. Unless they are already on tour and traveling with their gear, you are typically responsible for sourcing and providing those items, and the bigger the name, the more specific the list will be.
Event Staff Professionalism and Celebrity Privacy
Interacting with globally recognized figures and their team should be done with the utmost level of professionalism. An A-lister should never have to worry about a star-struck member of the production team or getting caught in an uncontrolled environment. Staying grounded and focused on assisting the talent will foster a cooperative working relationship and contribute to the success of your event, so make sure all members of your team are aware of etiquette around interacting with the star.
- Helpful Tip: Most performers, and especially A-listers, don’t want to have surprise interactions. Plan to review (both in advance and the day of the show) how the artist will be entering/exiting the building privately, the path to the stage and any meet and greets and the locations of posted security, with the artist’s tour manager or security director.
Assign an Event Production Team Member to the VIP
During on-site execution, dedicate a production team member to A-list management. Oftentimes event professionals multitask, but this person should be solely dedicated to any needs that the VIP team may have. Protect your investment in hiring high-profile talent and avoid potential disasters by being ready and waiting to address any new requests or hiccups.
Working with global superstars is incredibly exciting but it can be intimidating. Temple Rock has over 100 years of combined experience producing events with music superstars, tech icons and other household names and we are here to help. Tell us about your A-list coordination needs and let’s put that experience to work on your next project.
