Looking for entertainment booking agencies? There are lots of entertainment booking agencies out there. So, which one do you pick to work for you? That depends on several issues.
If you are looking for a local band and live in Houston, Texas, you might look for Houston or Texas entertainment booking agencies. A Houston or Texas entertainment booking agency may be more familiar with local Houston bands than a New York entertainment booking agency.
That’s only one issue when looking for good entertainment booking agencies. You don’t want to just pick any agency, so you should go about qualifying the agency for booking your event. Believe it or not, booking agencies run the gamut of poor to excellent in their customer service and ethics.
Do your homework and you will end up with the right entertainment booking agency for your occasion or event. Consider the following when selecting a music booking agency in Houston, Texas or Nashville for that matter. You want agencies that you can trust to work on your behalf and get the best performer at the best price for your budget.
Traits of Good Entertainment Booking Agencies
The following attributes are typical of good booking agencies whether they are local Houston or Texas booking agencies or national booking agencies. That doesn’t mean that a good agency may not have some of them. It just means that if you find agencies with these traits you can have peace of mind that you are dealing with reputable entertainment booking agencies.
You can assess many of these traits from their online presence as you do your hunt for the best agency for your needs.
- Length of Time in Business: Experience matters. Entertainment booking agencies come and go over time. Look for a booking agency that has been around for many years. That’s even more important if you are needing help with other things, like getting promotion materials, venue issues, local production, etc. Booking and coordinating live events is not something you can pick up in a month, or even a year or two. Consider an entertainment booking agency that has seen the best and worst conditions. You will want an entertainment booking agency that has seen nearly every situation and equipment set-up setting to give you the greatest piece of mind in your decision.
- Scope of Services: Many entertainment booking agencies earn their commission by simply “booking” an artist for an event. They get the event information and call the artist’s agency and book it with them. The event details are given to the artist’s manager or tour manager. They also issue contracts under their name and collect the fees and pay the artist’s agency. For some booking agencies, that the total extent of what they do.
Many agencies will coordinate local production services such as staging, lighting, sound, etc. through third parties for the event. Some may even offer a “producer” for an additional charge to put on a turn-key event.
For bigger events, find out if they provide an onsite person to handle logistics. A few agencies will provide a person to coordinate artists, and third-party services so you don’t need to be running around at your own event to locate things, people, etc. Good booking agencies are interested in long-term relationships and will provide a person on-site as part of their booking fee for large events.
- Repeat Clients: That tells a lot about entertainment booking agencies. Any booking agency that has clients coming back to them year after year must be doing something right. Repeat clients reflect two things: 1) the agency is booking the right artists and the performances are going smoothly; and 2) the client feels that the agency is responsive to their interests and is in the relationship for the long-haul. These are very desired traits, even if yours is a one-time event.
You can ask for references as well. Happy clients don’t mind giving testimonials to agencies that make them, and their bosses look good.
- Past Artist Bookings: Most reputable agencies will provide both testimonials and a list of previously booked artists on their website. Unless your event is small, use entertainment booking agencies that book a variety of entertainers, from up-and-coming artists to well-know entertainment stars. They have shown their ability to book regionally known entertainers as well as top national and international performers. No booking agency handles all levels of talent. If you want a star entertainer, the agencies you select would need to deal with major agencies that only handle big stars, such as Creative Artists or William Morris Endeavor. These agencies don’t deal with individuals.
Some entertainment booking agencies deal primarily in local talent in the city in which they are located such as Houston or Texas. You will also notice that agencies feature acts on their website that they need to book through another entertainment agency. These artists are used to attract clients and the agency has no direct relationships with the artist or their management.
For major acts use an agency that is known and respected by the major agencies such as WME or Creative Artists. There relationships with the agents at these agencies is built over time. An agency that is trusted by the agents at these major agencies can save you a great deal of money when booking an artist for your event.
Look for these traits in your search for entertainment booking agencies. Whether it’s a local Houston or Texas booking agency or a national agency, these traits separate the wheat from the shaft.
Booking agencies that demonstrates the qualities listed above should provide you with the service and peace of mind you want for the entertainment for your event occasion.
TSE Entertainment, based in Houston, Texas is a national entertainment booking agency that takes pride in its 4-decade history of meeting clients needs. The result is repeat customers, some for close to 30 years. Don’t take our word for it. Check out our testimonials and past artists booked. Need references? We can provide those too!
When it comes to entertainment booking agencies, you can’t go wrong by using TSE Entertainment.
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