A lot of blood, sweat and tears go into heavily produced, special events like an industry conference, product launches, lifestyle events or trade shows. The production quality and overall attention to detail reflects brand perception, so the audience’s experience is critical. With social media now ingrained into our lives, it is not uncommon for an event’s impact to be determined based on the volume of online coverage and related posts. As marketers, we may not be in the PR business, but we need to acknowledge that everything we do has an effect on the public and media.

It is becoming more popular for events to be supplemented with talent – from appearances on the red carpet to brand correspondents or as a final performance to wrap up the production and provide a sense of closure that sends attendees home satisfied. The bigger name the talent, the greater chance you’ll have of not only attracting people to the event, but also ensuring that the audience will share their attendance through social media. So while it may consume a significant portion of your budget, paying to book a major act can be the fuel for a successful event.

Before you even start thinking of whom you might want to headline or attend your event, you need to consider a few things.

Define your event objectives and expectations

Before diving in to talent recruitment, it’s important to first define what you hope to gain. The appearance, performance or presentation can be a significant expense – even if you “know a guy.” Let’s face it – aspiring to simply entertain the guests isn’t going to cut it. There needs to be an underlying goal, so what outcome will make that spend worthwhile? Maybe you are hoping to boost attendance. Maybe you’re looking to align your brand with the artist or act. Or perhaps the success hinges on the talent’s endorsement following the event. An increase in sales or social following can reflect a positive experience.

Choose talent that aligns with the event

When brainstorming the talent you want to book, consider the demographics of the event attendees. You might swoon over The Flaming Lips, but a crowd of healthcare executives may not share the same appreciation. For the cost of the appearance or performance to be validated, it must cater to the audience’s interests as much as possible. While you may not rock every attendee’s world, there are definite genres of talent that are “safe” for broad age groups. It’s also necessary to factor in the event itself: what kind of talent is appropriate for the setting? A guest celebrity might resonate well at a corporate meeting, but it may not have the same effect during a brand launch event that needs an entertainment element.

Be realistic with your budget

What is a palatable budget for signing on a major act or bringing in celebrity talent for your event? Depending upon your brand’s experiences in weighing the outcomes, booking talent might play a critical factor in determining the audience’s response. But if you don’t have experience to back up your decision, you will have to keep a few questions in mind. For example, will your event have ticket sales that reimburse you for the cost of the performer? Are you willing to not have any sales to offset the cost and just “invest” in the talent to be a driver of PR and media? Finally, besides the base pay, your talent will likely require some costly essentials – First-Class lodging and travel, per diem, gifting, Dom Pérignon mimosas … you get the drift.

Find the resources you need

This may come as a real shocker – but Kanye West isn’t going to reply to your inquiring tweets. And why should he? Regardless of whom you’re trying to hire for an event, there are protocols to follow, and that includes booking through talent representatives. Relationships are an important component of booking. You should be able to trust who you are working with and make sure you understand the “chain of fees” as well as the difference between agents and management. Some representation is driven by commissions and fees, while other representation is driven by making sure that their clients are in the right places for the right opportunities. Knowing the differences in these representations and having a trusted partner like Switch is paramount.

Switch boasts years of experience working with all levels of entertainment, pop culture and niche talent and their representatives. From management to agents and even direct talent communication, Switch has the uncommon advantage of access to the biggest and best, newest and oldest and everything in-between in the business.

So stop daydreaming of adding The Blue Man Group or today’s hottest page turner to your event’s roster – and do it! With the proper objectives in place, the right connections and sufficient budget, you can not only entertain your guests – you can also increase loyalty, measure audience sentiment and boost your brand’s image.

If you would like help finding talent for your next event, get in touch with Mike at MikeL@theswitch.us.