Trends & Tactics In Entertainment
Universal Orlando Resort’s new Red Coconut Club is part of the 30-acre nighttime dining and entertainment complex at Universal CityWalk. The new hotspot features signature drinks, live music and dancing, and can be used for group events.
Photo courtesy of Universal Orlando |
By Diana Rowe
Entertainment is often the heart and soul of a corporate meeting or event.
To ensure a memorable and successful meeting, plan entertainment that will drive home the corporate message, enhance the brand, deliver the wow factor and contribute measurably to the bottom line. And don’t forget to arrange an inviting environment so that a good time can be had by all.
“You Can Sleep When You Are Dead”
That’s what they tell you at Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp, an interactive event inspired by David Fishof, a legendary producer and promoter. You don’t sleep and you don’t care. You live, eat, breathe and perform with real celebrity rock and roll stars such as Roger Daltrey of the Who, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and Mickey Hart from the Grateful Dead. Campers stay at four-star hotels in New York City, Hollywood, CA, or London, England for a five-day intensive experience of auditioning and then jamming with their rock idols. The adventure culminates in a popular Battle of the Band event, where family and friends buy tickets to applaud the wannabes, now authentic rock performers.
This is the ultimate in an interactive corporate event. Dick Smith, founder and president of the Oak Brook Terrace, IL-based communivisions llc, clarified, “Attendees can’t buy this experience, and it’s like getting front row and backstage passes. At rehearsals (workshops) and on stage with a celebrity rock star, attendees work with each other, either as singers or band members, to create an act and play in front of their peers, battling it out with other celebrity-studded bands. This camp has hit on an exciting new concept.”
Rockers Roger Daltrey and Diane Birch and “campers” lead a Battle of the Bands during a rock and roll fantasy camp, which is suitable as a corporate teambuilding exercise and final night entertainment.
Photo courtesy of www.rockandrollcamp.com |
Smith should know. He has staged some of the industry’s largest and most successful communications programs for clients such as McDonald’s, Motorola, IGA and State Farm, and is founder and chairman emeritus of the International Association of Corporate Entertainment Producers (IACEP). “Attendees are becoming more entertainment-savvy and demanding, keeping producers on their toes in order to stay current and exciting. Audiences now require more interactive entertainment, rather than the sit-back-and-listen stage acts,” Smith explained. “Baby boomers are now hitting their 60s and the younger ones are at 40. They are educated and demanding, with very short attention spans. A great way to get the corporate messages out and understood is to combine them with interactive entertainment programs.”
According to Fishof, who has been conducting rock and roll fantasy camps for nearly a decade, one CEO’s own humbling experience was the spark that gave him the idea to offer the one-day rock and roll fantasy camp to the corporate market. A camp can be set up for all employees or be part of a choice: golf, tennis or rock and roll. Fishof said that the power of music brings the team together, and they realize that in order to be successful they must listen to each other and work together toward the common goal. Moreover, the entertainment is being performed by the attendees who are honing their presentation skills and breaking down barriers. Fishof claims most participants call it “the experience of a lifetime.”
The bottom line, Smith said, is that planners and attendees alike are looking to extend the value of entertainment. Executives not only want to entertain the troops, but many want to turn an event into an experiential learning environment. If an act can drive corporate messages on how to increase sales, lower costs and enhance the brand as well as entertain, that’s an added bonus.
However, Smith cautioned planners, “Once you feel that you have all the newest tricks and trends nailed, something else comes along that is the hot new thing. Producers should continue to keep their fingers on the pulse of all types of entertainment.”
Help Is Here
How do planners stay apprised of the corporate entertainment industry when their planning world keeps them tiptoeing through a maze of details and paperwork? Corporate entertainment industry leaders ride to the rescue offering a handful of tactics, trends and tips on managing the maze of entertainment.
Check in with IACEP, the professional association created to provide education, leadership and networking opportunities for its producer and supplier members.
Dick Hall, president of Dick Hall Productions Inc., current chairman of IACEP, and past president of the International Association of Speakers Bureaus, advises planners not to rely solely on the accuracy of the Internet. “The Internet may seem like a simple solution, but your search might lead to disaster. Although you will find many who claim to be knowledgeable entertainment producers, their claim to fame might turn into a downhill slide for planners. Verify all credentials and ask for references before selecting your entertainment producer,” he explained.
“Whether well-known or local entertainment,” continued Hall, “a professional entertainment producer will have the connections to find the right talent for your event. The producer will know what contract elements are negotiable and what are not. IACEP member producers also have the network of suppliers to secure the appropriate lights, sound, stage and audio-visual equipment.”
The Legal Side
Sam Erkonen, partner in the Chicago, IL-based law firm of Howe & Hutton Ltd., serves photography, hospitality, entertainment and trade association industries such as IACEP in the areas of contract negotiation and litigation. For planners preferring to negotiate without hiring a producer, Erkonen suggests a closer look at three contract line items: artist rider, force majeure and liquidated damage.
Examples of artist riders include private jets, limousine transportation, booking the hotel’s presidential suite, specialized lighting and sound, and imported bottles of water in the star’s private dressing room. “Artist rider fees are additional to the talent fee,” explained Erkonen. “A planner might think he or she negotiated a major coup to book a celebrity entertainer for $100,000, but when the artist rider is added, the total price ends up at $300,000. Unfortunately, once the contract is signed, sealed and delivered, the negotiations are done.”
Literally meaning “greater force,” force majeure is another major concern. Since 9/11 and Katrina, force majeure is a necessary safety net for planners, as these clauses excuse a party from liability if something unforeseen occurs such as a natural disaster or other “acts of God.” The intent is to excuse a party when the failure to perform is unavoidable. However, that definition isn’t always as crystal clear to an artist.
Erkonen illustrates the scenario this way: “The saxophone player is sick and can’t perform. Abracadabra! Force majeure flies into the discussion. The band manager says that the illness is a ‘greater force,’ so the famous five-piece band cancels their long-awaited corporate show. The cancellation spells disaster for a planner who has hyped up the entertainment finale, and the planner might still get the bill and a rescheduled date without an audience.”
For all contract issues, Erkonen encourages planners to be as specific as possible about expectations. “If you’re okay with the John Doe band suspending and rescheduling a performance, then put that in the contract. If this is unacceptable because this event is a one-time date, then be clear that the contract is for this event only, and in the event of force majeure, we rip up the contract and no one pays. Without clarity, contracts can be too general or even in some cases too specific. Don’t avoid what you don’t know, or it’ll cost you and your company,” he said.
Ditto with the liquidated damages clause, said Erkonen. “In essence this damage clause says that the John Doe band agrees to perform for the company pursuant to the terms decided, so the planner inserts a clause that says if John Doe does not show, he agrees to pay liquidated damages for $10,000. This is a financial penalty to the act for not appearing, and an insurance policy for the planner.”
In the entertainment industry, it’s very easy to get in over your head. Erkonen said, “The real secret to contracts is simply to ask. If you have any concerns or don’t understand something, get it out there! Most people secretly like to help and are willing to explain, thereby negotiating an agreement. Never sign anything that you are not 110 percent certain you understand the full implications.”
If a planner feels capable of dealing with entertainment contracts, then by all means do it, advised Erkonen, “One less cook stirring in the kitchen is always a good thing. However, it’s important to note that even after you’ve found the perfect act, you still have to navigate the mind-boggling entertainment contracts. Navigating talent riders can seem like a circus act, but overlooking their impact can be deadly to a planner’s budget. Planners not accustomed to negotiating a talent contract and rider might fall headfirst into some expensive and unintended commitments, and would probably be better off hiring a professional producer,” he concluded.
Not All Entertainment Is Created Equal
“One-time buyers of entertainment are distinctly disadvantaged because they are rarely offered any great discounts because they are exactly that — a one-time buyer,” said Jaki Baskow, named by Discovery Channel as one of the top-10 celebrity star brokers in America. Baskow is also CEO and owner of Las Vegas-based Baskow and Associates, a total event and meeting management company.
Groups can enjoy a private dessert party like this one at Orlando’s Epcot Illuminations with spectacular views of the nightly fireworks display. Special events here provide attendees with memories for years to come.
Photo courtesy of Disney |
Baskow buys talent on a daily basis. Recently, one of her major clients was seeking an entertainer for a Las Vegas car show. “I happened to have a well-known Broadway performer who generally goes for more than $60,000 per night. With my buying power, I was able to negotiate for a lesser nightly fee, sans a multi-night contract, because I’ve purchased this performer’s act 12 times in the past three months. Everyone was happy, and I became a hero to my corporate client, and the client a hero to his boss,” Baskow revealed.
“Not all entertainment is created equal,” explained Baskow. “It’s not about using a piece of entertainment and throwing it into the corporate setting. The entertainment should not be a standalone event, but rather an element of the entire meeting’s message or objective. Entertainment is about enveloping your attendees into the moment and making them feel a part of the total event. This atmosphere can be created in a 125,000-square-foot ballroom or in a small breakout room — with the right choice of entertainment.”
Baskow begins her relationship with planners by developing a profile of the group. She asks leading questions such as Where have they been? What acts have they seen? What are the group’s dynamics? What types of employees — sales, executives or all types? Age range? Budget? What is your message? “One of our tag lines is: ‘We take your message, and we build momentum,’” Baskow said.
“A corporate producer or entertainment broker must know your group intimately in order to create a successful event for you,” cautioned Baskow, “and the meeting planner has to offer as many details as possible. If you are considering hiring someone, and they don’t ask you lots of questions — run!”
Baskow says the marriage between corporate America and the celebrity circuit is still going strong. She continues to book celebrities to speak and entertain at meetings. Many celebrities play golf for charity events, which Baskow said is a great way for corporations to give back to the community, and entertain their clients at the same time.
Emerging Trends
Dorene Collier, president and creative director of Tampa, FL-based Event Show Productions serves on an IACEP committee that is examining emerging trends in the corporate entertainment world. Collier says that technology, global entertainment and events play a key role in what’s driving entertainment in the corporate world.
From newsweek.com to MTV, Collier listens and reads about the “next big thing” every chance she gets. With the infinite possibilities of the Internet, all of this information is just a click away for planners. “Between cyber space and blogging, and American Idol and YouTube.com, people are looking to be entertained in a big way,” said Collier. “Our job is to produce the event that fits into their criteria, while maintaining a focus on the company message or objective. To find these trends, I recommend planners keep up on current events.”
Collier takes the current trends such as speed dating, reality shows, movies and special effects and hot new acts, and twists them into a corporate event. She said planners set up speed networking areas for attendees to meet more attendees at the event. Also, clients ask their attendees to creat You Tube-style videos of their specific region’s progress to present at the annual meeting.
Reality shows provide unique teambuilding exercises, and can be fine-tuned to work in the corporate environment. Collier has successfully produced “Dancing with the Stars,” “Fear Factor” and “Corporate Idol” for her corporate clients.
No matter which trend or entertainment act you decide to incorporate in your next meeting, be assured that there is an abundance of help from a variety of sources such as trade associations, fellow meeting planners and colleagues, IACEP and a multitude of event management companies and entertainment producers. Whether your attendees are rocking on stage or dancing with the stars, your entertainment will be the heart and soul of the event. C&IT