CanWest Steen Charity Golf Tournament with Hollywood actor, Shaun Majumder, and news anchor, Susan Hay.
Can your clients’ future event benefit from a celebrity presence?
We all know that “A-List” types are hired all of the time to pitch products, nightclubs, movies, and nationally televised events. So why not use the same concept – on a smaller scale – for the next event that you plan? Local celebrities in your town can help give your event flash and fun; not to mention create more business for you via the type of word of mouth event marketing that standard advertising can’t buy.
How can you plug in to the local “star power” located within your community?
There are several ways:
Radio Announcers – Your local radio stations not only provide their announcers for events, some of those stations expect and welcome opportunities to do so. Hiring out announcers to broadcast their shows on weekend afternoons from car dealerships has been standard practice for decades. Also, it’s expected to see announcers chattering from radio station booths at outdoor food festivals or music events. So why not contact the local stations in your metro area, and ask the folks in the advertising departments how much one of their announcers will charge for a two or three hour appearance? Not only will using an announcer get more people interested in your event, the announcer will likely “talk up” the event in advance, as part of the fee.
Sports Figures – Sure, major league or other nationally known personalities may be out of the price range for your clients. But “farm league” (Triple-A) baseball players, collegiate athletes, local Olympians, or even the town’s well-known golf course pro are affordable and probably eager to make event appearances. In addition, you might be surprised to find out just how many folks in your community know who the local sports figures are! Contact these folks via the farm team front office or follow them on Twitter or Facebook. Send an e-mail to ask what their appearance fees are – negotiate with them!
Prominent Business people / Entrepreneurs – These folks, while usually not as well known as others mentioned here, probably own businesses that are well-known in your area. Particularly for corporate or small business events, not only are successful business people desirable for a short speech – they might be willing to offer one free of charge, depending on the type of event.
Journalists (Print and Media) – Every newspaper, no matter how small, has a columnist or two who has a dedicated readership. And that readership might be attending the next event that you help to assemble. So contact the local media folks in your area (almost all of them are on Twitter or make their e-mail addresses readily available) and ask if they make appearances, and how much they charge for their time. You might also give that local columnist something to write about in a future edition!
Bands / Musicians – Many events feature entertainment. While you could go the DJ route, consider hiring a well-known local band instead. Of course, you will need to match the entertainment preferences of your clients, and make sure that music selections are designed to mesh with the type of event that you are putting together. However, perhaps you live in an area where musical talent resides in abundance. Take advantage of this circumstance, and shop around for bands and musicians.
Add some “red carpet” charisma to your next event – affordably! Your clients probably haven’t considered doing so themselves. If they are impressed with the talent that is provided along with the price tag – it’s a sure bet that they will be impressed enough to hire you for future events (and spread your name around!)
