Entertainment at Special Events

Entertainment at Special Events

By Joel A Feingold, CFE

c. 2010


Making entertainment choices has never been subject to hard financial analysis. Mostly clients assigned a line item number to book the band, whether local or a headliner. However, in today’s new world, entertainment costs are going to have to be justified as worth the investment.

Interestingly, it may be argued that consideration of the factors involved in entertainment selection today is no more or less important than in 2007. To say this another way, understanding the event’s purpose, analyzing its entertainment needs, the demographics of attendees, and the impact upon the target audience required, both during the event and over the entire event cycle, all this information now is just as important as it has always been. But now managers have weathered the recession experience so they have increased focus on ROI.

In this short essay I will present some thoughts that can be used to help planners choose talent at cost levels that make sense. It will continue to be true however, that obtaining real data in monetized terms is difficult when it comes to entertainment. But knowing more about how entertainment influences attendee responses and impacts the totality of the event experience is important and helpful.

One way to consider entertainment at special events is to try to understand what role it fills:

• The primary draw
• The show
• A key component
• A performance
• Background

As a generality, the more important the role of the talent the more it justifies an increased spend. And with prices for the most famous entertainers exceeding a million dollars, and many important and well-known bands commanding fees upwards of $100,000, the decision to make this investment isn’t small. In major cities and incentive destinations the top regional bands often command $7,500 to $20,000. So while less expensive by a factor of 10 or more there is none-the-less a meaningful line item associated with them. Other types of entertainment that clear the “strong quality bar” routinely cost $5,000 to $50,000 or more. Understanding how the entertainment is used and what it’s deliverable is can help a planner make a good decision.

Consider when a company sponsors a customer party at a convention and trade show. The attendees are not a captive audience. Often there are competing options each of which includes food and an open bar. So the party needs to have some “sex appeal.” A “headline” artist with star power can provide that draw so that the party is well attended. While not the only element that improves draw it is a significant one, perhaps the most important in some situations. So national talent is often used. Usually the event marketing is structured so that the theme of the event builds upon the artist’s image and persona, presuming permission to do so has been negotiated. Sometimes the artist contract prohibits this and then savvy artwork and a carefully dropped hint creates the viral environment that delivers the audience.

When an event has a captive audience but a powerful impression must be made, such as at the closing night celebration of an incentive trip, the entertainment is often used as the sizzle that closes the night. Generally speaking this show will be a band. Since the event is a major company celebration and the buzz thereby created is an important motivating factor for the upcoming year, companies often spend heavily on national talent for shows at these events. Even if some folks just drink and network rather than watch, sing along or dance, when all is said and done they talk about the band at cocktail parties and their water cooler powwows.

Not all similar events use headliners. Yet experience and conversations with clients and colleagues indicate that at events such as these the two most important things are the food and the band. With due respect to décor companies and designers, when the event is done the conversation is about the music and the dinner. But budgets being what they are, and top destinations’ room rates being substantial, many experienced planners decide not to use headline talent. In these cases great care must be taken to put a band on stage that really smokes.

Selecting a regional or local band represents one of the greatest challenges a planner can face. Sometimes a planner is in the position of attempting to convince a client that the client’s choice isn’t the best one. For example, to impress a client, an agent or manager might sell an act by saying the lead singer is so careful s/he won’t even have a conversation the day of the gig. But my BS detector says, “The singer has a fragile voice. They may not have a good day or they get tired before the show is over.” Using industry references is an excellent way to avoid a problem act.

Using entertainers as Key Components is a crucial technique to bump up the impact of an event. Having a musical attraction or other visual and loud act on stage when opening the doors to the dinner from the cocktail reception creates excitement and pulls people into the room. Or a group might be used like a “Pied Piper” to lead guests to dinner. Later, developing a “shtick” with a performer and one of the executives can be a light-hearted and attention grabbing part of the program. An “alternative” performance for a short period of time can serve as a break in the program and provide a conversation starter too. Examples of such might be a lighting painting by a performance artist, hand balancing or other cirque act, or a 15-minute concert by a unique musical group. These sorts of uses enhance an event. They increase its quality and uniqueness that leads to more conversation about it downstream.

Some special events use entertainment that is peripheral to the main thrust of the event. It is a grave error to treat this entertainment as unimportant. By way of example, if a customer appreciation event is built as a cocktail reception with a buffet dinner and a band is hired to play a variety of cover tunes and they are not tight and in tune, responsive to guests’ or event managers’ requests, on time, and so on, there is a high potential for a problem. Meanwhile, the ambience that all have worked hard to create is jeopardized. Another, classic, example is a dinner and awards gala attended by employees and spouses. When the program is over if the band isn’t strong and danceable or plays an unsuitable repertoire it can drive people out of the room or, worse, end the celebration early. In both of these cases if time is short a planner can do far worse than hiring a top-line and reputable “wedding” band. While this act might not have some of the uniqueness of others, this category of band is experienced, understands customer service and usually has a very broad repertoire. Still caution must be used as many acts in this category have their own, rather small, sound systems. Usually these are unsuitable for a corporate event.

Lastly there is background music or alternative background talent. This would appear to be a throwaway and yet experience proves otherwise. Background music provides a terrific opportunity to set the stage for the whole event. If the client wants to project a very traditional image to a mature demographic perhaps a string quartet is right. But the same client might want to project a traditional image with a “hip” edge to a younger demographic, so a saxophone quartet performing versions of rock and roll hits might work better. Another option might be an a cappella group working acoustic, walking through the crowd. One song at a time, a small number of guests would be treated to an up close and personal show. There are other fascinating uses of background talent. Living statues costumed to support the event theme or corporate products can boost branding. A “card shark” might work the crowd and later corral the executive into a little show on stage. Putting some effort into the purposes of and possible results from background entertainment can yield fine results.

To summarize, analyzing the purpose of the event, the audience to whom it is directed, the need for and type of impact the entertainment must deliver, and the more subtle impressions that can be made, will help a planner make good artistic choices and allocate dollars wisely.