Celebrity: the state of being
famous or celebrated, a
famous or celebrated
person.
Booking a celebrity speaker
is a much more involved
process than booking any
other type of person to give
a keynote speech.&
Booking%a%Celebrity%Speaker%
Event planners book celebrities
to increase attendance, build
cachet, drive media and PR hits
and/or increase overall interest
in their events.
Top film and television actors
will rarely accept paid speaking
engagements. Most "A-List"
celebrities will only speak a few
times a year at industry or
charity events. If you want to
entice a top celebrity, be
prepared to offer mid to high six
figures.
But there are many other
celebrity names on the speaking
circuit within reach. Ask your
speakers bureau representative
which celebrities are currently
accepting engagement
opportunities since availability
changes constantly.
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Payment: a 50% non-refundable
deposit of the honorarium will
be due upon signing the
contract. A 50% balance will be
due at least two weeks before
the presentation date. If your
procurement department is net
30 or 60 days, then be sure to
start the invoicing process
quickly. A celebrity speaker is
not secured until the deposit is
in and the balance must be paid
before the presentation date or
the celebrity will not show up.
Glam team: many celebrities
will expect hair and make-up to
be supplied on site. Sometimes
a celebrity will travel with their
own glam team. Remember,
you'll be responsible for travel
expenses for any additional
members of the team.
Most recognizable names – in
any field – will charge speaking
fees of $30K and up.
Inflexibility: Celebrities are
much less flexible about
scheduling changes than other
types of keynote speakers.
Booking a celebrity for your
event is a much more involved
process than booking any other
type of speaker. Once you do
find a celebrity for your event,
here are some things to prepare
for:
You should always stick to you
original agenda and timing.
Celebrities are much less flexible
about changing anything
originally agreed to in the
agenda. Sometimes even small
changes can derail the entire
booking and the celebrity
may decline.
Most will request no down
time during their visit, so
schedule all time
commitments back to back.
They will normally arrive
close to their speaking slot
and depart soon after.
Autograph sessions: make
sure these are clearly and
specifically defined, including
the number of people, what
items will be expected to be
autographed. If using a book
written by the celebrity,
define the title beforehand
and determine how the books
will be purchased.
Response to your requests:
celebrity teams are notorious
for slow response times. So
be sure to make any requests
well in advance.
Marketing materials: all
promotional materials and
announcements will need to
be run by the celebrities PR
person. So, be sure to give
enough leeway for them to
review. This can take up to a
week or two of back and forth
to be approved.