We know big stars, and there is nothing like a famous star celebrity performer to make an impact at your event. Whether you need a musical entertainer, comedian, keynote speaker or athlete, Celebrity Direct Inc. has the relationships to bring that special star power to your corporate or non-profit event and make it memorable.
Slash, the “guitar hero” in Guns N’Roses demonstrates the Guitar Hero game with Microsoft CEO Bill Gates
The Process | Hire a Famous Star or Celebrity Performer
Before a firm offer is made to a celebrity in order to begin the actual booking process, a total performance cost analysis must be made so that all are aware of the costs involved from the very beginning.
The artist’s performance fee is just one of three parts defined below that comprise the cost of booking a celebrity to perform “in-concert” at your corporate event, non-profit event or private performance.
Preparation for a production of a musical act is especially important as musicians, in addition to the performance fee, have technical requirements that include staging, lighting and sound systems plus musical equipment, band travel arrangements and technical staff (sound engineer, lighting director) … the list of requirements are contained in the artist’s contract rider.
Sir Richard Branson joins Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff during a Conference Panel Session
What You Need to Know About the Cost
How much does it cost? There are no price lists in our business, however based upon our regularly buying celebrity performers, our trusted relationships and our vast experience producing their performances, we know what each performer is suppose to cost.
Most importantly, we work for you, the buyer, the corporate event planner, non-profit organization or private individual and not the celebrity, musical act, comedian or sports figure — we negotiate on your behalf directly with the source, the celebrities themselves or their personal management.
The Total Cost has Three Components
1. The Artist Fee
The Performance Fee – this is the amount of money a celebrity is paid for the music or comedy performance or speaking engagement. This is the payment to the artist or celebrity for their show or in the case of a speaker, time spent at your event. This fee is pretty straight forward, however there are always additional costs in which to budget.
2. The Production Fee
All artist required production of sound, lighting, staging, musical instrument rentals needed for the performance and all necessary labor to set-up, run it, breakdown it down and load it out. The technical rider for a major concert artist can be a seventy-five page document. Fulfilling the rider is a requirement of the contract. This is not optional nor can it be changed by the purchaser without the consent of the artist’s road manager or representative. Although technical riders may appear intimidating to those unfamiliar with sound, light and staging, our staff speak the production language and will many times be able to negotiate less requirements based upon your venue.
For example, we frequently save our clients tens of thousands of dollars in lighting requirements by negotiating the technical rider with the artists road manager. This savings is always passed along to the purchaser and remains a compelling benefit to working with Celebrity Direct Inc. as we position ourselves as your advocate in the booking process.
Additional required performance needs for the show from video screens to dressing room requirements and catering all are supplied and paid for by the purchaser of the performer. Although it can become an intense process of costing out every requirement, we often deliver a turn-key price for you so that we take on the responsibility of producing the show and there are no surprise costs that pop up the week of the performance. We call it a – one fee, we’re responsible production.
3. The Travel Fee
The total travel fee is comprised of several parts. Airfares, ground transportation and hotel rooms.
This cost is comprised of all of the artist required airfares for all performers, technicians and persons traveling. The location where they are traveling from the week of your event may not even be know at the point of booking. Many times a “buy out” may be agreed upon. An airfare “buy-out” is an agreed upon cost paid to the artist to cover all airfare costs for all persons traveling, regardless from where they may be performing the night before your event. Frequently an airfare “buy-out” has its benefits.
All artist required ground transportation to/from airport, hotel, performance venue. There may be a limo requirement for the celebrity, a twelve passenger bus for the band plus a van for equipment or wardrobe trunks that the performer has as part of their traveling gear.
All artist required hotel rooms for one or two nights depending on what is needed. The celebrity routinely has suite requirement in predetermined 5 star hotel in the city of your performance. All these travel details are evaluated and budgeted as part of the process necessary to ascertain the complete travel costs.
Saturday Night Live comedian impressionist Darrell Hammond performers for the National Retail Federation
The “Firm Offer” is made to the Famous Star or Celebrity Performer
Only once costs have been thoroughly been budgeted and deposits are prepared, then a decision whether to go forward and book the celebrity is made.
The process by which a celebrity is contracted to perform at your event is know as a “Firm Offer” process. This means a firm offer is made to the artist only when you have decided you definitely would like to have the celebrity at your event. There is no gray area here. If the artist accepts the firm offer, contracts are signed and a deposit of 50% is due in five business days.
If the firm offer is not accepted, there may be an opportunity for you to improve your offer or you may decide to move to making a firm offer to a different performer.
If accepted, the remaining 50% is due ten days prior to performance.
Celebrity Direct Inc. is your direct source for hiring and booking celebrity music artists, comedians and speakers. Our relationships with these celebrities are the basis from which all our company services extend.
We always work on your behalf to select, negotiate, book and produce the best celebrity performance for your event. Most importantly, Celebrity Direct Inc. is your advocate throughout the entire booking process.
