Arab British Academy for Higher Education Tips for Specific Types of Vendors
Entertainers and Speakers
For some events – such as a fundraiser featuring a celebrity – an entertainer or
speaker is the focus of an event. At other events, entertainers may simply be a
nice touch. There are a variety of types of entertainers you can hire for an event,
including:
• Caricature Artists
• Celebrities (either to speak or simply sign autographs)
• Celebrity Impersonators
• Clowns
• Comedians
• Dancers
• Emcees
• Hypnotists
• Jugglers
• Magicians
• Singers
• Speakers
You may find entertainers and speakers through word of mouth, the Internet, or even
the Yellow Pages. However, most professional entertainers are represented by
agencies, while professional speakers are represented by speakers bureaus.
Agencies and bureaus have usually pre-screened all the acts they represent.
However, before hiring an entertainer or speaker, make sure you ask for references
and view their demo tape to ensure they are right for your group.
An excellent place to find vendors online is the PartyPop.com vendor directory.
They have links to entertainers from A (Acrobats) to V (Ventriloquists) at:
Entertainment Vendors
http://www.partypop.com/Categories/Entertainment.h
tml
1 www.abahe.co.uk Arab British Academy for Higher Education You can find local speakers by checking the Yellow Pages under “speakers”. To
find nationally known speakers, contact a bureau such as Speakers Platform:
Speakers Platform
Phone: 877-717LEARN
http://www.speaking.
com
You can also find bureaus listed by country, state, and city at this website (you’ll
need to complete a free registration process to access the information):
Speaker Bureaus by Country / US State
http://www.findspeakersandbureaus.com/class.asp?class=20
000
Bureaus can save you time by recommending only those speakers that are
appropriate for your event. Even better, there is no charge for their services,
because bureaus are paid by the speakers. However, most bureaus will only
represent speakers that charge
at least $1,000 per presentation, so if your budget is limited you will have to track
down
a speaker without a bureau’s help.
Contacting Celebrities
If you are willing to pay celebrities to appear at your event (expect to spend
thousands
of dollars for an appearance fee plus travel expenses), you can use a speakers
bureau
to arrange the booking. Virtually all bureaus know how to track down any celebrity.
If you are hoping to get a celebrity to make a donation of their services, an item to
be auctioned, etc., you will need to contact them directly. Celebrities can be
2 www.abahe.co.uk Arab British Academy for Higher Education contacted through the organizations they work with (for example, famous authors
can be found through their publishers). However, you’ll have better results if you
track down a celebrity through their official website or agent.
Celebrity Addresses Online charges $9.95 per month and guarantees accurate
contact information for more than 50,000 celebrities. They have contact information
for movie,
TV, music, and sports stars (including their agent, manager, publicist, production
companies, record company, etc.) As well as politicians, models, authors,
directors, artists, world leaders, fashion designers, Nobel Prize Winners, and
many other public figures.
Working with VIPs
If your event includes VIPs such as celebrities or visiting dignitaries, you’ll need
to make some special efforts to ensure that these guests are treated well. The
2002 edition of the Meeting Planners Handbook offers a number of good
tips, including:
• Designate a reliable individual as liaison
• Arrange for a gift basket in the hotel room
• Make special arrangements so the VIP doesn’t have to stand in
the registration and/or buffet line
• Review seating, introduction and receiving line protocol, if applicable
• Double-check the spelling of the VIP’s name, title, company or rank
for accuracy on all written material
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