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Contacts Contracts
In 2006, Party Booking and Entertainment Companies are BIG BUSINESS
On the racetrack, it
pays to have the edge against the competition. Be it fame or fortune,
an experienced team operator knows that being informed of every
opportunity available is crucial to capturing not only an audience, but
the crown. An experienced nightclub or bar operator knows the same.
If you want to pack your club with patrons, you have
to have the creative speed and revenue resources to make it happen.
Much as a race team owner has his crew chief, mechanics and driver, a
club owner has his GM, bartenders — and his driver? The driver is the
promotional event that attracts the crowds.This is where entertainment
companies and celebrity talent booking agents come into play and in to
work. Start your engines and enjoy the race.
As the Celebrity Craze Continues
To get to the core of how and why these celebrity-
and entertainment-driven events packages can provide a financial
windfall for bars and clubs. The men and women behind the scenes of
these roving parties shed some serious light on just how lucrative they
can be.
“The potential for celebrity appearances in bars and
clubs is a great avenue for both promotion and profit,” says Jennifer
Cox, president of Take5 Productions and producer of RealityRox club
tours. Her experiences with setting up celebrity appearances at clubs
have been overwhelmingly positive, she says. “It sets a standard for
venues, showing patrons the venue will go out of their way ... (and)
it’s also a superb way to ‘give something back’ to the patrons.”
With today’s fan followings at a fever pitch as
America remains enamored with all things celebrity and pop culture, it
does appear that now is the time to cash in on this craze. One look at
the popularity of reality television should be enough to convince most
who argue the opposite. Not only is the 21-35 target demographic for
clubs receptive to seeing their favorite stars up close and in person,
however, but the stars themselves are enjoying the fun their fame now
provides them, and of course the nightlife setting provides a perfect
backdrop.
“I think there is a lot of potential for bars and
clubs, especially for celebs like myself and ‘Real World,’ ‘Road Rules’
and other reality-type shows,” says Playboy Playmate Lindsey Vuolo. “So
many people I know love to watch them, and it’s great to really meet
these people in person.”
Vuolo says there is no ideal bar or nightclub environment she and her
peers are looking for, as markets and even specific promotional nights
vary so wildly, but the role the venues’ operators play is pivotal in
making them a success. “They really do a great job ... travel, hotel,
meals, and then it’s party time,” she says.
Packaging the Promotion
With the way many of these turnkey promotional
packages are set up, celebrities also will do radio spots for the
club’s local market, and cross-trafficking Web sites helps to pique
patrons’ interest. All an operators needs to do is book the talent for
whichever promotional night they wish to host an event and monitor the
details of travel, lodging and other amenities specified in the
contract. “Definitely dotting every ‘i’ and crossing every ‘t,’” Cox
says of what operators can do to improve their celebrity, agent and
guest relations. “I have actually been amazed at how many club owners
do not read and/or follow the information provided for the
appearances.”
In fact, attention to detail is the No. 1 factor in
this process as emphasized by several celebrities when asked what a bar
or club can do best to make the experience a more pleasant, profitable
one.
“In order to make any event at a club work and be
successful, you have to be willing to get the job done correctly,” says
Playboy Playmate Lauren Anderson. While this may be standard for an
effective club manager or promoter, still it is not as simple as it
sounds. Anderson says a primary key to smoothing the process is to have
a celebrity who is wanting and willing to mingle with the public.
Choosing Who For, What and When
Knowing who to choose for an appearance logically is
the first step, but can be easier said than done. “Every year,
reality star and celebrity appearances in bars and clubs have been
steadily increasing,” says Andy Binder, president of Tobinder Talent
Booking LLC. “Four years ago, it was much less common to see a reality
star appearance advertised for a club. Today, however, there are many
more reality stars available at very reasonable rates.”
Beyond the benefit of immediate increased revenue
for a club or bar, Binder says venues can reap the long-term benefits
of respect from their patrons for going the extra mile to bring them
something other than the run-of-the-mill drink discount. The trick is
matching the talent with the desired demographic with a specific night
of the week.
“More people talk about the nightclub or bar when
celebrities are brought in,” Binder says. “A specific example is with a
recent ‘Real World Austin’ cast appearance at The Skyline Lounge and
Restaurant in Albany, N.Y. This nightclub had been having only
one-third of its huge Saturday night attendance come on Friday nights.
To help hype Friday nights at the club, they decided
to do the Real World Austin cast party. The turnout was not only their
biggest Friday, but bigger than any Saturday since the club opened. Not
only that, but the promotion added so much more promotional credibility
with club-goers.
Because of this, Binder adds that club operators often can charge more
for admission or drinks on these nights, and also an extra charge for
VIP admittance can be administered. While event themes and setups run
the gamut, Binder says celebrity guest bartenders have been especially
popular.
“Real World Austin’s” Wes agrees. “I’m not gonna
lie. I’m a horrible bartender, but the tips, somehow, still flow in,”
he says.
As Binder mentioned, events can be done with an
entire cast of a reality show, or often it works well to select a
dynamic pair. Wes’ co-star, Johanna, says she especially loves being
able to causally interact with guests or grab a microphone and kick up
the atmosphere in the club a few notches by engaging them.
“I’ve gone to cities where the people are extremely
nice, and they just love you, and you get in such a good mood. It’s
such a great vibe that you want to stay all night,” she says.
Party and Profit
Beyond preparing a club’s ambiance, marketing the
events properly and covering the details of booking, what else should
an operator consider?
“Celebrities with high price tags, so to speak, such
as Usher at $20,000, may not be practical for an owner, but they can be
‘host’ of a night,” says Celebrity Agent Mike Esterman. “Think about
having celebrities in as guest DJs or hosts, essentially master of
ceremonies. They also could do a radio drop for a club’s advertisement.
That’s really what the promotion is all about.” NCB
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