Your corporate entertainment company should provide you with not only a list of headliners, but also their photo, biography and possibly their routing information, availability and cost. Your favorite music purveyor can supply the headliner’s tour history, venues where they have worked, their typical audience size and, if applicable, ticket prices.
- After consulting the performer’s rider (a list of conditions to be met that your music purveyor may be able to provide), commit to writing what you will make an offer for the artist to perform, speak, play golf or appear at your groups’ event. Include the following: compensation package, technical (sound, light, stage, backline, etc.), requirements you will provide, BEOs, hotel accommodations, transportation (both local and air), etc.
- An offer is a blueprint for the pending contract. If it is accepted you will be obligated to move forward. If the offer is declined, there is no further obligation on the part of either party. However, if you still hope to book this artist, you can make an alternative offer, again in writing.
Mark Sonder is the chief entertainment officer of Mark Sonder Productions and author of Event Entertainment and Production, published by Wiley.