As you start your journey of booking entertainment for your event, you will encounter that most performers include additional documents known as a “Riders” as part of their contractual agreements. What exactly is a rider, and what does it contain? Understanding a performance contract rider can initially seem nerve-racking, as it discusses various aspects that are required by the performer and adds issues to be addressed by the event organizers.
The rider documents are designed to outline specific requirements and preferences, covering both technical needs to hospitality requests. To effectively navigate a rider, it is crucial to break it down and examine each section individually. By doing so, you can gain clarity on the detailed information provided and address any specific needs or conditions outlined, ensuring that both the performers and the event’s requirements are met efficiently.
What is an Entertainment Rider?
A contractual Rider is a legally binding document included as part of a contract when booking entertainment that outlines the requirements and needs of an artist and their team to perform. It is an addition to an existing contract, and it is typically provided after the original contract is executed. It details specific conditions and requests made by the artist, and even the most minor requests must be considered when reviewing the rider.
Why Is a Rider Important As Part of the Entertainment Booking Process?
A performance contract rider is used to add more information to the initial contract regarding the technical and hospitality needs of the performer. For them to give their best performance to the audience, they need to be comfortable and secure that their technical needs will be met as well as the issues involved regarding hospitality.
Riders outline all the details to assure the quality of staging, sound, lighting, equipment placement, personnel, travel, green room, food and beverage needs is suitable to their liking. Not only do they provide uniformity for the artist as they go from one venue to the next, but also prevent misunderstandings and mistakes as venue operators make arrangement for their performance and accommodations.
Types of Riders Use When Booking Entertainment
Because riders are typically introduced after the original contract is signed, all parties will need to review and approve the changes. This may involve a period of negotiations before everyone can agree.
There are two types of riders that an artist includes to cover all the bases of booking them for an event. The common two are:
Booking Entertainment: Technical Rider
A technical rider addresses all logistical and technical aspects for the performance, providing a blueprint for every detail required to ensure a flawless show. By specifying in detail what is required, the technical rider ensures that all aspects of the performance are carefully planned and executed with precision. The goal is to facilitate a smooth staging process that is free from technical difficulties, allowing the performers to focus on delivering their best performance without concerns about technical flaws. The technical rider encompasses various segments, each dedicated to a specific area of the performance setup, including:
- Backline and Stage Plot
- Lighting, Sound, and Stage Equipment
- Tech crew
- Rehearsals
- Load in and load out needs
Backline refers to the equipment and instruments that are needed to perform at a concert. The technical rider will spell out what instruments and equipment is needed to supplement what the artist is bringing to the event. These include any instruments, microphones, mic stands, props, amplifiers, cables, etc. An accompanying stage plot will show the desired placement on the stage as well as the placement of each member of the band.
Backline needs differ especially if the act performing needs to fly to the venue city as opposed to being able to drive there. Fly dates usually require larger backline requirements with the venue providing more of the instruments needed.
The technical rider will also spell out the minimum requirements wanted by the act for stage size, stage lighting, and sound equipment. After all, the act wants to put their best foot forward to entertain the audience. Good lighting and sound are essential to a good show.
The technical rider will also spell out lighting director and sound engineer/tech needed if they are not bringing their own with them to the event. It may also include sound check needs to fine tune the audio mix for the show before the performance.
Technical riders will also spell out the number of stage hands needed for load-in an load out to help the band get everything to and from their van or trailer.
Booking Entertainment: Hospitality Rider
Another type of rider is the Hospitality Rider, which is specifically designed to address the local transportation, food, beverage, green room amenities, and hotel wish list of the act when booking entertainment.
This document covers a wide range of requests and requirements that cater to the needs of the artist and their team and may include detailed specifications for dietary preferences or restrictions, preferred types of lodging, transportation arrangements, and additional amenities that contribute to a restful and stress-free experience. By addressing these aspects, this rider plays a crucial role in creating an environment where the artist can feel at ease and perform at their best. Examples of requests that might be included are:
- Food and Drink Needs including any special requirements.
- Transportation needs which typically is between the venue and hotel or restaurants. Fly in dates will require airline transportation needs as well.
- Green Room and Dressing rooms requirements and amenities
- Security for equipment, stage, and green room.
Special food and drink requests are important to follow if they involve dietary needs and potential allergies of the artist.
The transportation can differ, depending on how far they travel. If they need to fly, it will include the number of seats they need for the flight and the class they desire. If local transportation is needed, it will state the number of seats needed to transport the members of the act between the hotel and venue as well as restaurants if appropriate.
There may even be a request to have certain drinks and food delivered to their bus or van since many artists arrive in a motor home bus and prefer to relax there before performing. What is called the “green room” is where performers will relax before and after the show. For celebrity entertainers this will want to be personalized to their liking. It typically is set up like a lounge with 
seating, food, drinks, and bathroom access. The more renown the artist, the greater the number of requirements for the green room. For major shows, it will include dressing areas, mirrors, and other items needed by the performers. Major artists will not want to share their green room with other artists or even members of their team. That requires having multiple green rooms to accommodate the artists and crews.
Security will involve the personnel they would like at specific areas of the venue, whether it be at stage, green room, and backstage for their own safety and of their fans.
How to View Entertainment Riders
Remember that both the technical and hospitality riders are wish lists and are subject to negotiation. Of course, the technical rider is the more critical rider since it involves the performance itself. Even the technical rider can be amended to fit the budget and venue specifications. Things like stage size, specific pieces of equipment, number of stage hands, etc. can be negotiated with the touring manager or manager of the band or artist. The key issue is assuring that whatever is provided will not impact the quality of the performance, including sound and lighting.
Hospitality riders are another story. They are routinely negotiated and many items are red-lined during the entertainment booking process. Smaller acts have modest requirements but more famous celebrities will have pages and pages of wants when it comes to their hospitality needs.
TSE, as an entertainment booking agency negotiates these issues with artists’ management to provide a more realistic rider that fits the budget and needs of the venue or promoter. We have booked artists with 30-page hospitality riders. We’ve flown a certain brand of mayonnaise 900 miles because the brand was not sold locally, and the artist demanded that brand.
Let’s be real. All but the world-renown artists understand they won’t get everything asked for in their hospitality rider. Red-lining and negotiation of the hospitality rider is part of the process of booking entertainment for events.
When analyzing and negotiating a rider, it is highly beneficial to approach it by breaking it down into distinct sections. Each of these sections typically contains a detailed list of items and actions that the artist is requesting for an event. By treating the rider as a checklist, you can address each item and make sure nothing is overlooked during the negotiating process.
This systematic approach allows you to focus on one area at a time, ensuring that each component is accurately changed through negotiation or accepted as stated in the rider. To streamline the process it may be of advantage to follow a specific order of events, which helps in organizing and prioritizing tasks effectively. This structured approach not only helps in implementing the rider’s requirements but also contributes to a well-organized event.
Financial Budget
Most events have a budget for entertainment. That budget includes both the performance fee and the costs of providing the rider requirements. Understanding and controlling the costs of riders, particularly the hospitality riders is important. You want to allocate as much as you can to the performance fee to get the best artist you can with your budget.
Creating a budget that keeps the costs of riders within the budgeted range must be prioritized. A rider budget will show exactly what price you need to stay under for each requested factor of the rider. Knowing this will help you determine which rider requirements are reasonable from a budget standpoint.
Travel and Lodging
How are the artists traveling to your event? Often, they travel by van pulling a trailer with their equipment. Other artists will arrive by tour bus. In some cases, travel will be via air to what is called a fly-in date. No matter how they arrive, you are responsible for facilitating their transportation requirements. Whether it’s parking issues, supplying power to a tour bus, or arranging for flights, etc., it’s up to the event organizer or the agency booking the entertainment to see that these issues are addressed as part of advancing the show.
First, accommodate their mode of transportation and any hotels rooms they need—research flights if needed and hotels that have rooms to their liking. Booking the travel and rooms with the accurate number of beds should be addressed early on. You want to avoid having any issues regarding availability when it comes to flights and hotels, so do not save this for the last minute. Once that’s in place, arrange for local transportation needs, using a livery service or a rented van with a local driver.
Determine Who Will Do What
Contact local production companies that provide the technical needs spelled out in the rider. Contracting for lighting, load in, and sound system will take care of technical requirements. Some events may require hiring a mobile stage vendor as well. As for catering needs, organizers can arrange to provide the food and beverages themselves or they can work with caterers and food companies to provide the agreed upon dietary requests.
Advance the Show
Advancing the show in a systematic way if key to assuring that all of the riders and other conditions are met for the event. Using an advancing form and check list with multiple contacts to assure that all elements are in place and on schedule is critical to detect any issues that might arise. With this approach you have a substantial time to deal with any issues including those involving rider requirements.
Finalize Details
Once the date of the event starts coming close, you will want to have everything finalized for the event. Your advancing form and checklist should be complete for all but things taking place day of show. By this time you should have tied up any loose ends and solved minor problems that arise.
Conclusion
Riders are extensions of the performance contract. They are essential tools for crafting a professional, comfortable, and high-quality experience for both the performers and the audience. They detail the desires of artists regarding both the technical aspects of their performance as well as their hospitality needs regarding transportation, lodging, catering, and green room needs for their performance.
What is specified in the riders can be unrealistic for certain venues because of physical issues or budget issues. Riders are subject to negotiation and a good entertainment booking agency can negotiate what is needed based on the type of performance and budget needs for the events.
The goal of any rider negotiation is to provide a what is needed for a good performance as well as assuring that the artists involved have a good experience as well.
Attention to detail and respect for the rider’s negotiated requirements not only reflect a high level of professionalism but also demonstrate a commitment to excellence. By diligently advancing the show the entertainment booking agency or the event organizer can assure that all rider issues are addressed. So next time you see an artist’s rider, remember to view it as something that can be negotiated as well as a segway into creating a wonderful performance and creating a lasting relationship with your talent!
Related Posts:
Booking Entertainment: Advancing the Show
Sources
https://www.backstageculture.com/how-to-properly-make-a-hospitality-rider/
