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This summer, bands will take to the stage and booth to liven up crowds across the country. But if you are a meeting or event planner looking to put a toe into these waters or improve your game in booking talent, it pays to put a bit of thought into how to manage the process, the relationships and the events. Poor management of any element in the equation results in dissatisfied patrons, artists and planners alike.
The perspectives of national and regional success stories can help cut through at least some of the frustrating trial and error. Recognized live music venues typically use talent buyers. These venues depend on relationships with big name acts to remain a top choice for patrons, and it’s essential to network and solicit feedback from artists.
 Megan Jacobs has worked as the talent buyer at The Roxy in Los Angeles —a live music icon since the early 1970s — for three years; previously she represented bands and DJs. She knows how to work the right deals for the club, but also recognizes that it’s a two-way street.
“My loyalty lies with the Roxy,” she explains. “When you are a talent buyer, industry standard is you talk to the agents. I speak with them, and we negotiate. It is 50/50, with me trying to get bands, and bands trying to get in here. The agents know which artists will sell out, and I go after bands that are hot. I need to keep the interest of the club at hand, but I want a good deal for the club while also cutting one for the singer.”
“If you are a serious live music venue, it is crucial to have a talent buyer…,” Jacobs says. “Hire someone who is going to keep your music calendar organized, be at every show, work well with agents and band members and stay on top of the music scene. I think the most important thing is organization. I want production moving quickly, security to be kind and respectful and to have someone there to shake the band members’ hands.”
Texas Talks
Guests at the eight Sherlock’s Baker St. Pub & Grills across Texas enjoy music most nights of the year; the venues host more than 5,000 shows annually. Houston-based parent company Hospitality USA co-owners and CEOs Edgar Carlson and Larry Martin decided to hire a talent buyer approximately 12 years ago. At that time, a third location had opened, and the pair found they could no longer handle the workload themselves. Today, the management depends upon talent buyer Nathan Looney to line up Sherlock’s music calendar.
Like Jacobs at The Roxy, Martin places high importance on whether the buyer is highly organized. “[He or she needs an] understanding of the venues and the talent and to be able to put those together and have an outgoing personality,” he says. “The buyer should be a good communicator who can deal with bands and owners and managers. Also, the willingness to work in advance and all hours of the day or night [is essential]. He or she has to have a bit of a music background — not necessarily be a musician, but it helps.”
*edited by MSPI
 Jenny Adams (photo right) worked for three years on staff as the associate editor of Nightclub & Bar magazine. Currently, she resides in Birmingham, AL, working as a contributing editor for NCB and The Southern Beverage Journals, and as a contributing writer for a number of other publications. She can be reached at jadams@oxpub.com.
Click here for this issue's
Event Tips: The Best Show in Town by Kathleen and Dan Nelson
Click here for this issue's
featured artist: Alain Nu and Invisible Connections
 Mark
Sonder, CSEP is the Chief Entertainment Officer of Mark Sonder
Productions, an award-winning entertainment producer, Mark Sonder Productions, Inc. is the national leader in designing event marketing solutions through headline entertainment and production services for facilities, corporations and associations, since 1985.
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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