The thrill of working with celebrities is palpable. And engaging one for an event is without a doubt one of the best ways to increase attendance, secure media attention and well, make the client look really cool. It is also a terrific way to unite an audience through a shared “special” experience, as well as to increase motivation.

TEAMNet Partners have engaged and produced more than 200 celebrity appearances. In such, they have the relationships and know-how to successfully negotiate, engage and produce a celebrity performance or appearance. So, here are a few important procedures/policies they have learned along the way…

The thrill of working with celebrities is palpable. And engaging one for an event is without a doubt one of the best ways to increase attendance, secure media attention and well, make the client look really cool. It is also a terrific way to unite an audience through a shared “special” experience, as well as to increase motivation.

TEAMNet Partners have engaged and produced more than 200 celebrity appearances. In such, they have the relationships and know-how to successfully negotiate, engage and produce a celebrity performance or appearance. So, here are a few important procedures/policies they have learned along the way…

1. Celebrities cannot be placed on hold. In order to secure one, a formal offer letter must be submitted to the celeb’s agent outlining the terms of the offer. The offer should include any/all requests you or your client might have, such as the type of songs the artist is requested to play. Once the offer is accepted by the celeb’s agent and manager, and a deposit is received for the date, the celebrity appearance is considered firm.

2. Any fees negotiated and paid to a celebrity for an appearance, show or concert, do not include expenditures necessary for the costs surrounding the performance or appearance. These additional costs will include those for production (staging, lighting, sound & backline), catering for the celebrity, and his or her crew, and travel to and from the date (including air fares, ground transfers, and hotel accommodations). These additional fees, known as RIDER fees, can sometimes amount to tens of thousands of dollars. Usually, the bigger the act, the higher the cost for these ancillary items that remain the responsibility of the purchaser.

3. In signing a celebrity contract, there are numerous items to pay close attention to, such as the Cancellation Clause, which gives the celebrity a certain number of days to cancel; the Production Control Clause, which typically gives the celebrity control over all production, and the Liability Insurance Clause, which states that you as the purchaser, are responsible for providing insurance liability coverage for the celebrity. Because Celebrity Contracts can be quite formidable, having an attorney review them on your behalf is money well spent.

4. While RIDER fees become the responsibility of the purchaser (client), it is prudent to know that they can be negotiable. In such, it is a best practice to review the rider and to converse with the Celebrity’s production or tour manager, to determine exactly what is needed. This step could help to avoid unnecessary expenditures. The biggest reason this step is important is that celebrity riders are typically written for public tours. In such, some of the requirements may not be needed for your “private’ event.

5. This brings to mind another item worth noting... Celebrity fees for a private event are usually higher than those for a public event. The reason for this is simple. Public events are ticketed events, in which the celebrity shares in the split of ticket proceeds. Because private events are not ticketed, there are no proceed in which to share, so upfront fees are higher.

6. Celebrity agents typically prefer to work with producers they know will be able to get through the contract and fulfill the RIDER successfully, because ultimately they work for the Celebrity and they want to be assured that the celeb’s experience will be positive. They also want to ensure that the celeb is being put in a position to succeed, because after all, without the proper technical equipment (for example,) even the best performer could be made to look or sound bad.
 

Anthony Bollotta, Bollotta Entertainment, San Diego, CA