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The unofficial transcript from Expert Day at MeCo, the Meetings Community Online, October 21, 2008. Mark Sonder, CSEP was the Expert. The topic: Hiring Headline Entertainment for the Meeting and Event Professionals.
Permissions were obtained from the various posters.
The format was a string of impromptu questions sent to Mr. Sonder for immediate delivery of an answer.
This has been a 2-part series. Below is Part 2.
Q:
Yours is a fascinating business. From the hotel side, the entertainment market is challenging because of the ‘special requirements’ many entertainers have. In fact, IMHO you have to be quite into working in that market to gain any tenure. You probably have a ton of stories……
-- Tom Blackman, Director, Sales & Marketing, Seascape Beach Resort Monterey Bay
A:
< In fact, IMHO you have to be quite into working in that market to gain any tenure.>
When I first started in the business in 1985 the major agencies would not call me back! It took about 6 (not a typo…six…) years for those guys to start calling me back.
Now that I have “tenure” I get called back right away and even get put through right away!
Please note that the “special requirements” you alluded to are there to make their performance a success for you. Some of these artists are on the road for months at a time and do not wish to eat pizza every night so there may be a catering rider stating, if it’s Monday then chicken, if it’s Tuesday then vegetables, etc.
When you get home from a tough day at the office you may wish to open up a bottle of your favorite beer, soda or whatever. Same thing with the artists, although their home is the road and your event for that night. Hence some of the items people may feel are silly.
One should always ask. For instance on the Rider requirements for the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, they ask for a metal beer/soda tub filled with ice at the beginning of the show. This will probably cost very little if anything for your hotel or caterer to supply. And one would think this is ridiculous as the hotel staff or caterer will make sure all the sodas, water, etc. are very cold.
However, this item has nothing to do with cold beverages. It is for the drummer. If the ice tub is there and full and undisturbed from the beginning of the show to the end…at the end it will be melted enough for the musician to soak his forearm and elbow in has he has a bad case of tennis elbow!! So you see…if you have a question re: something on the rider, don’t just omit it…ask. FYI, if the tub is not there the band will not go on. But is for health reasons.
Q:
Two questions.
1. Your promotion list said you would cover: “Techniques for evaluating the return on event entertainment investment.”
Can you cover that now? How do you evaluate returns on event entertainment?
2. And another question: How can meeting planners wisely choose big entertainment vs. speakers or speaking celebrities? Any ways or thoughts to help a planner decide this for one’s agenda?
--Andrea H. Gold, President, Gold Stars Speakers Bureau
A:
I have inserted my comments below:
<1. Your promotion list said you would cover: “Techniques for evaluating the return on event entertainment investment.”
Can you cover that now? How do you evaluate returns on event entertainment?>
In our remaining time I should like to give you a bulleted summary that I have loosely taken from the Wiley book Corporate Event Project Management, by Mikolaitis and O’Toole. I know the first author and have spoken and have been in email conversations with the second. The similarities are uncanny and are wonderful metrics for everyone’s Return on Event Entertainment discussed in my Wiley book, Event Entertainment and Production.
Measuring ROEE / Measurement tools
- Actual revenue received
- Media exposure both in quality & quantity
- Attendance figures and drop outs
- # of people invites vs. # people ratio
- Time versus money spent ratio
- Recruitment survey
- Post event analysis
- Surveys during the event, including focus groups
- Research awareness
- Business generated
- Product awareness
- Sponsorship attracted
- Feedback and evaluation
- Economic injection into community, determined via survey calculations
- Lack of public complaints
As it is already 4pm, the bullets will have to suffice. For those wishing a greater explanation, please email me off line.
<2. And another question: How can meeting planners wisely choose big entertainment vs. speakers or speaking celebrities? Any ways or thoughts to help a planner decide this for one’s agenda? >
Yes. First know that The impact of hiring headline entertainment
- Generally a larger investment than a local/regional band
- Boost attendance
- Marketability
- Public relations
- Advertising
- Create an experience!
Why Headline Entertainment?
According to Successful Meetings Magazine it,
- Educates
- Entertains
- Informs
- Inspires
- Gives you the confidence to plan on and off-site activities and programs
What Happened?
According to Corporate Incentive & Travel Magazine, calls headline entertainment, “Highly Memorable.”
Second know what format(s) you think you are looking for (see www.marksonderproductions.com/MeCoFormats.pdf)
Next call a meeting of your staff/team/committee and ask these people who might best fit in with the theme or vice-a-versa. E.g. do you have the theme first and choose the artist to support that theme or have you already been told to hire XY or Z artist and you need to create the them around the artist?
Establish your budget.
Work with your entertainment purveyor that deals with headline entertainment to work that all important equations:
Format + budget + production + artists availability = your headliner.
Wonderful questions. Short answers right now as it is 4:10pm. Please email me offline for more in depth information.
Q:
Mark, for those of us who have booked national level and higher level regional entertainment….sometimes things we see in riders are rather shocking. Trying to keep this homogenous and not get into specifics for ‘rock stars’, how do you tactfully handle a firm ‘no’ to some of these requests, retain the booking and not rupture the professional relationship?
Sorry….Google isn’t being nice to me today and not getting many posts from the current discussion…..thanks for being here today!
--Gloria Nelson, CSEP, Chief Experience Officer, Gloria Nelson Event Design, LLC
A:
I believe that in this country and a few different languages people know what “no” means! There are lines drawn in the sand every day of what is possible and what is not possible. These “no’s” are not necessarily make-it-or-break-its. They are just the facts of life, or at least that engagement.
The realistic resolution is speak with your music purveyor who booked the “national level and higher level regional entertainment,” and in turn the purveyor will speak directly with the tour manager. It is that way that things “get done!!!”
I would like to draw your attention to a simple yet actual Rider at www.marksonderproductions.com/MeCoRiderSample.pdf. Even this Rider has “elements of negotiation” built into it! (Disclosure: This act is exclusive to my company).
I can recall a big 80’s headliner doing a corporate for me in a big-name hotel casino in Las Vegas a short time ago. After the show he was engaged for a Meet & Greet. Well, the owner of a competing hotel got wind that this artist was going to be in town and showed up backstage! He wanted to lure my artist away to his hotel/casino for drinks and to offer him a performance at his property. Although I do not have any problems with that, it was time for this artist to do his M&G at this engagement, at this hotel/casino that the corporation was paying him now for. I had to politely and respectfully (read threaten) speak with the parties involved. Within 5 minutes the artist was out signing autographs and having his photo taken in the M&G!
Testimonials on behalf of Mark Sonder, CSEP and Expert Day
Even though we may have a lingering question or two as I write, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank Mark Sonder, Chief Entertainment Officer of Mark Sonder Productions, for his generosity in sharing his knowledge with us. I’ve not worked directly with entertainment for events. This has been particularly valuable for me- especially the understanding that ‘strange’ requests have not-so-strange reasons for being. And thank you all for your questions! Your questions made today’s Expert Day quite worthwhile.
Once again, many thanks to Mark.
Really- a class act. Thanks!
First rate job, Mark. This is a round of applause from the moderators Clap Clap Clap. Excellent session- I really did find it rewarding.
Tom Blackman
Great job, Mark!
--Gloria Nelson, CSEP, Chief Experience Officer, Gloria Nelson Event Design, LLC
AWESOME JOB Mark...
Thank you!
--Dan Parks, President & Creative Director, Corporate Planners Unlimited, Inc.
Click here for this issue's
Event Tips: Licensing Your Music, Part Three
Click here for this issue's
featured artist: The Peking Acrobats
 Mark
Sonder, CSEP is the Chief Entertainment Officer of Mark Sonder
Productions, an award-winning leading national entertainment agency designing
headline talent and production services for facilities,
corporations and associations.
In addition, Sonder sits on
the faculty of the University
of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV), The George Washington University, Stratford
University, and Northern Virginia Community College.
Event
Entertainment and Production is the book published by
Wiley authored by Sonder.
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