Book A Celebrity For An Event
You’ve decided you want a big celebrity to speak at your event, but such individuals don’t pick up the phone to mere mortals. How do you get in touch with them? These are frequently busy people with lots going on and a lot of security. Even getting a celebrity on the phone may feel like an impossible task.
The good news is that it really isn’t as hard as it sounds to book a celebrity for an event – if done the right way.
Read on to understand how to get that coveted celebrity for your event:
- Do your research: First off, shortlist about half a dozen celebrities that you feel will be a good fit for your audience.
- Don’t choose them based on their fame. Ensure that their personality and presence are relevant to your brand or your audience.
- Your dates: Fix your dates. A celebrity won’t entertain vague dates. They’re busy people so have two or three firm dates in place. This will allow your star to take action by picking the best one for their schedule.
- Your location: As with your dates, confirm your location. Some celebrities won’t travel far, so holding your event in a popular city like New York or Los Angeles can significantly increase the chances of booking them.
- Book in advance: Ideally, we’re talking about months in advance. Celebrities remain popular because they remain in the public eye. This means that their calendars tend to fill up quickly. We recommend that you give your chosen celebrities at least six months notice.
- Get your budget approved: Celebrity fees can be eye-watering. Make sure you have a confirmed and approved budget in place. Don’t forget to take their travel expenses into account.
- Remember their purpose: Since you are booking an appropriate celebrity, not just the most famous celebrity available, it’s important for you to consider their purpose at your event. Consider whether they are there to motivate, empower, bring awareness, entertain, or achieve another goal. It is very effective when the source of a celebrity’s fame or lessons they have learned work in harmony with your event.
- Know what you expect from your celebrity speaker: Before you think about contacting a speaker, it’s very helpful to have an idea of what you want him or her to do. This can include a speech, a Q&A session, or a meet & greet. Not all stars are comfortable doing everything. While one may be happy to interact with an audience up close, another may prefer to give only a speech.
- Understand what is included in their fee: Holding a book signing or a meet & greet after their speech is fine, but only if you’ve secured it in the first place. These things are extras and so it’s wise not to expect them free of charge. If you want any of these things to take place, include them when negotiating the celebrity’s fee.
- Read the celebrity’s contract carefully. As we mentioned in our keynote speaker cost article, travel expenses or specific expectations can be costly. Know what you’re getting into when booking a celebrity so that you can be confident you can fulfill their needs and that they will deliver for your event.
Even after you’ve done your research and planning, contacting a celebrity can be a difficult or even impossible task when going it alone. Fortunately, there are experts who can take care of the booking process for you. Using a trusted speakers bureau, such as Eagles Talent, will take the stress and frustration away when it’s time to book a celebrity for an event.
We have access to the world’s best speakers and the biggest celebrities. We can help you decide which speakers would be ideal for your event. We also know how celebrities work and can handle their expectations.
We will advise you on what information is needed before beginning the booking process. And then our experienced team can take care of the negotiations and help you stay within budget, as well as ensuring the contract is crystal clear on both sides.
Remember, if you plan in advance, your chances of securing your desired celebrity are significantly increased. Have all the essential details confirmed before you start the process. Celebrities are busy people and they are in-demand, so don’t delay in confirming them for your event.
If you follow this guide when you are ready to book a celebrity for an event, you can help ensure that your event will be the success you want it to be. Your audience will be thrilled to see a famous individual giving a great speech and your celebrity will appreciate your professionalism when making it happen.
