When hiring corporate entertainment or party entertainment, how can you be sure it will totally WOW your audience?

 

1) Make certain the entertainer has a proven track record.  Start by checking references and VERIFIED online reviews. If numerous other clients are excited about the performer, then it's likely you will be too!  The planet is full of entertainment entities all claiming they are "THE GREATEST THIS" and "THE GREATEST THAT."  Most of them are NOT.  Avoid the disappointment.

2) Talk with the performer or his/her agent and get a feel about how they do business. If something feels uncomfortable, look elsewhere. Trust your gut.

3) Get a guarantee. For instance, SIDNEY FRIEDMAN offers a 100% money-back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied with the show. 

4) Make sure the entertainment is right for your setting. For instance, FRIEDMAN's show is right for an after-dinner setting, a theater-seating setting, a conference classroom-seating setting, or any setting where there is a focused audience; but his show is NOT right for a setting where people are milling about with lots of noise. For that situation, you would probably want Sidney doing his strolling, walk-around, up-close performance, or you would want a band, or something visual like an aerialist, or all three.

5) Entertainers have videos of their work. These are great to view, but never base your decision SOLELY on the videos. With today's editing techniques, laugh-track dubbing, applause dubbing, special effects and more, these videos are often deceptive. What you see on the video is not always what you get in an actual live performance. The video medium and the live performance medium are completely different. So be sure to watch MULTIPLE videos of the performer in different venues, for different audiences, and on TV shows. Then you'll get a more true feel for their effectiveness. Plus, combine your impression with all the other means of evaluation outlined in this article.

 

6)  Be extremely careful if you're leaning toward hiring a comedian or a band.  Choosing music or comedy is a wonderful option, but do keep in mind while the comedian or band may be terrific, tastes in comedy and music vary greatly. For instance, we have seen some of the biggest-name comedians who are great in a club, fail at corporate events with hardly a chuckle.  So hey, don't avoid comedians or bands, but make absolutely certain they have a proven successful track-record with your particular kind of audience.

 

7) Just like when you're looking for a restaurant to dine at, if you speak to three or ten or twenty different people who rave about the restaurant, you probably have a 100% chance the restaurant will be great for you too!  Same with entertainment. So, read lots off verified reviews and even talk to eyewitnesses. Trust the people who have seen the show live and in person. This is THE most important bit of intel you can do to assure success.

8) Look at a combination of the performer's website, their clients, their testimonials, the entertainer's TV appearances, MULTIPLE videos, and press reviews. If ALL these things in tandem are favorable, there is a reason.  REMEMBER: One great review doesn't mean anything. But numerous great reviews over a number of years indicate the entertainer does their job exceedingly well. And above all, when you speak to the performer and/or his representative you want the FEELING they will truly treat your event as if it's their most important event!! Great restaurants treat each table as if those people are their most important customers. They go above-and-beyond for EVERYONE. Same with great performers!! When you hire a performer, you want him/her to think of you like you're a celebrity.
 

 

That's it. With these eight great tips for hiring the right corporate entertainment and party event entertainment you will be able to, umm, "predict" a great event. :)

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