In today’s culture, bringing in a celebrity is an almost surefire way to draw in the crowds and drive up attendance numbers for a more profitable event.
Whether you bring in a celebrity to get more media coverage or generate attendee excitement, there are three insider tips that will get you closer to hearing that “yes”.
Is it a good fit?
Your desire to work with a particular celebrity is not reason enough to approach them.
Where is the intersection of what you are promoting and a particular celebrity’s interest in it? That middle point is where your focus should be.
Here are some details to flesh out before you make the approach:
- What celebrities already have an affiliation or affinity for the cause you are promoting? Appeal to that person’s humanity when making your ask.
- Who is the rock star for what you are promoting? Every industry has someone respected for the knowledge or position they have achieved.
- What will you require of them? Communicating your vision and requirements adeptly, concisely and completely will have a more positive result.
- Know your audience. If you approach a celebrity who wants more airtime, consider giving them more creative freedom. If your choice shies away from the limelight, maybe requesting an appearance with little speaking is the way to go.
- Really understand what best represents your event needs instead of choosing the most attention-getting name you can find. Will your choice be understood and accepted by your attendees? Will the fans of the celebrity be drawn to the type of event you have? Getting your numbers up is great, but you want to maintain a quality event that hits the mark.
Make the connection
Just like any other aspect of your event, research and planning are key to getting a yes to your ask. When deciding how to approach, a brainstorming session could open up some possibilities:
- Do you have mutual acquaintances? Is there a family member, friend or colleague who could make an introduction for you?
- Are they or their spouse interested in what you are promoting?
- Will they be in your city for another event at the same time making it easier to say yes to you?
- Are they promoting anything currently that would make them more likely to be looking for public appearances?
- Look into personal areas of their life to see if you can find a connection with them to meet on a more personal level.
Put the money down
Most celebrities are used to being approached to host or appear at events and have set fees to do so. While some can be approached directly, most have agents or management companies to do this for them.
If you know nothing about celebrity appearance fees, be prepared – you may experience sticker shock! It could seem like a hefty price to pay but think about it – you would pay for any other service or product. That is what you are doing here. The celebrity’s product is their star power, talent, and personality.
One way to lessen the expense is to decide whether you need an A-lister for your event. Would a B-lister or C-lister do instead?
Also, know that any special requests or requirements by the celebrity will be in addition to speaker or appearance fees so be sure to budget for that.
One final note about including celebrities at your event: While getting that yes is great, do not rely only on their star power to make your event a success. Make sure the remainder of your event is star-worthy and well-rounded enough to succeed on its own.
Creating a stellar event with your celebrity of choice might result in building a relationship with that person that benefits everyone for years to come.
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