This is our second guest post from Steven Robertson, Marketing Manager at Entertainment Nation, one of the UK’s top entertainment agencies based in Stratford-upon-Avon.  After giving us his top tips on booking entertainment for an event, in this post Steven advises event planners on the crucial questions to ask when you are booking event entertainment and venues.

You probably already know that successful event planning, as with most things in life, is all about preparation. To ensure things run smoothly on the day, you need to invest time in advance in navigating obstacles before they even occur.

Entertainment agencies are one way of avoiding any last-minute issues with your event entertainment, as they have already encountered every eventuality and event entertainment disaster.

If you are planning your own event entertainment, asking these crucial questions to both your entertainment and your venue should ensure you avoid any disasters of your own. By running through this short checklist, you’ll save yourself any headaches on the day and can focus on enjoying the occasion you’ve spent so long planning.

Questions to ask your event entertainment

  • Do you supply all your own equipment? This is essential to know. If you’re expecting an audacious show with concert lighting, check that this is included in the band’s fee and that they’ll be bringing it along.
  • How much space do you need to set up? Your act has arrived with supersonic amps and an interstellar lighting deck, but they’ve only got 2 square metres to perform in – which isn’t going to work unless you’ve also hired a magician!
  • How long will you perform for? You’ve probably got a full concert-length performance in mind rather than a festival slot (unless you’re planning a festival). Get your act’s performance times nailed in advance. As a guide, most function bands offer 2 x 60 minute sets or 3 x 40 minute sets as standard but it’s always safer to check with your act before you make your booking.
  • What are your power requirements? This one is particularly important if you are operating at an outdoor venue. With the odd exception, your act will need an adequate and accessible power supply. For most bands, two standard 13 amp plug sockets will do it.
  • Do you have a rider? Entertainers aren’t robots (yet) and they need sustenance. Don’t worry, unless you’ve booked Mariah Carey your act probably won’t expect the VIP treatment. But if your act is booked for more than an hour or two, it’s common practice to accommodate them within reason. A meal, some soft drinks, and ideally a private space to prepare should suffice.
  • Do you provide a DJ service? If you’re booking a band to perform at your evening event, you can save a little money if you’re willing to compromise on hiring a pro DJ. Most bands are happy to pipe a playlist through their PA to keep the night in full flow when they’re offstage. It’s worth asking if you can have input into the playlist, and whether a band member will be on hand to take requests. Many bands also offer a full DJ service as an optional extra, so you can sort your entire evening’s entertainment in a single booking.
  • How and when should I pay the balance? This is never an easy question to ask, but it pays for everyone to be on the same page. It varies, but most acts ask for payment to be cleared in their account before the day of the event. This means you can get on with enjoying yourself and not have to worry about remembering to hand over a wad of cash at the end of the night.
  • Will you perform my favourite song? Most performers are happy to learn and perform a special request within their fee. Depending on the band or musician, you might have even more options to customise their performance to your liking. And if, after glancing over your act’s repertoire, there are any songs they perform that you hate (or might not be appropriate for your audience), let them know in advance!

Questions to ask your venue

  • Do you permit live music? It sounds obvious, but we’ve seen it happen where a client gets excited about the band they’ve booked, only to discover their venue can’t accommodate live music. It’s always worth asking the question!
  • Does the act have to arrive at a set time? Some venues require acts to arrive and set up in the morning to avoid any interruptions during the event. If your venue is one that requires an early arrival, this is going to impact your choice of act – some acts will charge extra for an early arrival to cover their time and lost earnings during the day, while other acts just won’t do it.
  • Is there a curfew? If you’re picturing an epoch-defining evening that goes on into the early hours, check that your venue allows it – you don’t want your venue to pull the plug at 11pm before you’ve deployed your best moves.
  • Are there any restrictions on live performance? Many venues impose restrictions on live performance, usually in the form of a sound limiter, which measures volume levels and cuts power if a set decibel limit is exceeded. Some acts are unable to work with sound limiters, but most are able to work around the limits using specialised equipment, as long they know about them in advance. If your venue does use a sound limiter, you’ll need to let your act know what decibel limit the limiter is set at prior to booking.
  • Do you have everything my act needs to perform? Once you’ve found out what your act needs – space, power, parking spaces, ready access to the performance area – confirm with your venue that they can meet these needs.

Get the answers to these questions and you’ll know that, whatever else happens on the day of your event, you can count on the entertainment going to plan.

Check out our free ebook The Complete Guide to Finding Your Event Venue for more great tips on finding the venue that’s right for your event, and making it work for you.