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 Whether your guests are in town for a convention, educational workshop or corporate event, meeting planners, convention services managers (CSMs), and convention and visitors’ bureaus (CVBs) all must work together to make a lasting impression on a large group of people all at once. Regardless of the program or career-related benefits of these events, attendance is often at its highest when attendees are able to enjoy a truly unique entertainment experience. But how do you find the right entertainment for your audience? Here are a few key points to keep in mind.
The Evaluation Process
Keep in mind that when potential attendees are considering your conference, they're all likely asking themselves the same three questions: (1) Where is it? (2) What is the educational value? and (3) What kind of entertainment does it offer? Often, the additional social aspects are right up there with career development when people are evaluating whether or not to attend, because the relationships built during these off-site excursions, concerts or special events are sometimes just as valuable as sitting in on a panel discussion.
Finding the Talent
Booking the desired talent is not a walk in the park. Entertainment venues and booking agents/promoters or corporate entertainment producers must marry the needs of the entertainment with their own. Availability, date compatibility and — get a hold of your pocket book — cost will determine if reality matches expectations.
Some organizations prefer to just buy tickets for their constituents. That works only if the act is good enough to draw your attendees.
With these factors to consider, finding the talent isn’t easy. Working with a booking agent rather than a promoter may assist in keeping costs in line because you are going directly to the source. However, corporate entertainment companies can be a helpful middleman by taking on the risk involved with booking large acts.
The Perfect Fit
At a recent, very successful conference in Atlanta, the entertainment acts ranged from The Go-Go’s to the Doobie Brothers. And how could it not be a success? The event planners booked bands from a few different genres of popular music that almost everyone could relate to.
Does this kind of heavy-hitting entertainment drive attendance? Of course it does. But the organization has to determine what is right for its budget and audience. Booking big acts can be money well spent. When operating on a tight budget, however, be creative and use local entertainers instead of big-name bands.
It is important to know who is available in your own backyard. For example, "American Idol" stars have worked the scene in their own hometowns since the show's inception. Daughtry, season six contestant Chris Daughtry's now nationally-known band, has been successful playing corporate events around their hometown of Charlottesville, NC. A native to Richmond, VA, Elliot Yamin, the second runner up on the fifth season, has been a huge hit at several local conferences and has made appearances at the local convention center. Also in Richmond, Copper Sails, a regionally-recognized band with a widely-appealing sound has provided entertainment for various types of audiences and is reminiscent of the way that Dave Mathews Band got its start, going from a local sensation in Charlottesville, to a legendary band that has gone on to criss-cross the globe.
And don’t forget, entertainment doesn’t necessarily have to come in the form of a concert, comedian or special event. To engage your audience and treat them to something special, you can also look into booking an inspirational keynote speaker with an interesting local hook.
This year, for example, the International Association of Assembly Managers’ national convention in Salt Lake City featured a keynote speech by Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton. The convention organizers were able to make a lasting impression on attendees by tying in Salt Lake City's turn as host of the 2002 Olympics, something that the city is most proud of, which may help to draw future visitors to the area. At the same time, they offered an insightful speech on the competitive edge and ultimately produced an exciting event based on Retton's pop culture iconic status. If you put time and thought into tying motivational or educational aspects together with the location, you stand to make a lasting impression on attendees.
The Entertainment Cycle
The entertainment portions of conventions and conferences tend to wax and wane cyclically. In the 1990s, everyone, from large corporations to professional associations, was booking some of the most popular bands and offering lavish off-site excursions. Early in this decade, we saw a lot of the fanfare quiet down, particularly due to 9/11 and the scaling back of resources.
Now that entertainment budgets are back on the upswing, booking the right entertainment acts can help create a fun and memorable experience. While it’s important to keep in mind the quality of the overall programs that the conference can offer and the value of the relationships that attendees will build at these events, thoughtfully pairing entertainment with the right group of attendees can deliver a long-lasting impact.
Photo credit: Courtesy John Paul Jones Arena.
Larry Wilson is a past president and an active member of ACOM, and general manager of the University of Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena.
Contact: Lwilsonjpjarena@virginia.edu
See Tips of the Season: Music and Profits for the Hotelier: Tips for Hotels to Enhance Revenues by Utilizing Entertainment
This issue's
featured artist: The Tucker Family Christmas Show 2007: starring Tany Tucker
 Mark
Sonder, CSEP and the Chief Entertainment Officer
of Mark Sonder Productions, an award-winning leading national entertainment
agency designing headline talent and production services for
facilities, corporations and associations. In addition,
Sonder sits on the faculty of The George Washington University,
Stratford University, Northern Virginia Community College,
University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV) and The University
of the West Indies in Trinidad. Event
Entertainment and Production is the book published by
Wiley authored by Sonder.
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