Finding entertainment for a business meeting, holiday party, or conference can seem like a daunting task. There are literally thousands of great, good, and down right awesome commercial entertainers out there. This list will give you advice on how to narrow down your search and find entertainment that will help make your event a success!
10 – FIRST INSPECTION. The most popular entertainment companies book very quickly for popular dates. During the company’s holiday party season (Nov-Jan), entertainers can start booking over a year in advance. Avoid disappointment and start looking for fun as soon as you know the date of your business event.
9 – KNOW WHAT YOU WANT (AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOUR AUDIENCE WANT THEM). You can make your search for entertainment easier if you have an idea of what type of entertainment might work best for your team. The company’s popular entertainment includes:
COMEDY – Comedy acts can be a great way to get your group to laugh together. Funny doesn’t have to be just stand-up comedians. Many corporate comedy acts incorporate magic, juggling, or other miscellaneous acts into their comedy routine. This kind of helps ensure there is something for everyone in the system.
Whatever genre you choose, make sure that the humor will be appropriate for your team. Many writers have different ideas of what “clean comedy” is, so be sure to request a demo video to check out the show (see #1 below!)
MUSIC – Many themes and ensembles are available for corporate events.
MAGIC – There are many different styles of corporate magic and corporate magic shows. Some magicians offer walking magic (from table to table at your event), some do a big magic show with professional actors and crew, some do comedy magic that will make your audience laugh. Whatever forms of commercial entertainment you are looking for, be sure to find a magician who works exclusively with those methods. There are magicians who will tell you they do it all – fake, comic, walking, but that’s because they don’t specialize in any particular method, so all their shows are tends to be mediocre. For an older show, hire a commercial magician. These actors will be the best in their field with mimicry, comedy, or sleight-of-hand because that’s all they do.
HYPNOSIS – Hypnotists can be great for the right team. The Hypnotist Show is interactive and requires an outgoing and open-minded team to be successful.
8 – BOOK ITEMS AT THE MONEY SAVING AREA AND OVER THE HEAD. If you buy entertainment for your company directly through entertainment, you will save money on entertainment. Most corporate entertainment agencies add an additional 15-35% to entertainer pay. By hiring a company entertainer directly, you also have the opportunity to be able to communicate with the entertainers (or their office staff) with any questions or concerns. Most corporate entertainment agencies won’t let you talk to an entertainer until the day of the show. By booking directly, you can be assured that there are no mistakes about the process. You can find specific entertainment information by searching the website for “corporate entertainers”, “california sponsor”, etc.
7 – Plan an ACTUAL BUDGET. The old saying “you get what you pay for”, applies to entertainment as well. Entertainment is not a place to save a few bucks. You should never cut corners on the food you feed your guests, nor should you cut corners on entertainment. Bad entertainment can ruin an event as quickly as bad food. You are not going to be able to get good quality commercial entertainment to do a $400 show.The fees for TOP QUALITY, professional entertainment companies range from $150 – $100,000+ depending on the size of the show and the experience and reputation of the actor.
6 – KNOW WHAT THE DIRECTOR DOES. You need a commercial entertainer who specializes in entertaining corporate audiences. Don’t be afraid to ask questions… Is this actor a full-time entertainer? Have they played in events like yours before? Do they have testimonials and reviews from past customers