Tracy Childers, Ford Entertainment
Let's take it from the top.
The decision of what the right show is becomes a battle in itself. Committees, fair & festival boards, corporate meeting planners, and marketing departments generally end up with this task. Of course, everyone is an expert in telling others what they think is best and what they like, as it should be. After all, they do know what they like and they should know what is best if given the responsibility of finding talent. The idea of knowing exactly what the right show is, staying in budget, securing the right production, filling the contract and rider requirements, promotion, ticketing, building rental, insurance, etc., is a breeze. After all, 80 to 90% of these folks do this once a year or even less. To think that an event would have to pay someone, or there is money on top of what the artist gets, is a tough thing to take in today's performance fees.
Before we get any further down the road let me use the term "middle agent." Who in the world is this guy or girl and why do I need this person? First of all, I don't know that you do. The choice is certainly up to the decision maker. Those of us who have had to make a living out here seek to serve and I hope honestly represent the best interest of the decision maker, as we affectionately refer to as buyer. After all it's your money we are striving to get the best value for. Here are some caught thoughts for your consideration, and some things I have learned in my tenure as buying talent and servicing shows on behalf several different events. If you are comfortable with what show to buy and where to get it and confident of the cost... go for it. If not, consult a talent buyer, yes, middle agent; after all, it's what we do. We are plugged into the necessary sources and can get there very quick with the pertinent information.
When cost and web information became assessable on the internet, the consensus was, "Well, nobody is going to need any help with buying shows now." As it turns out, there is no replacement for relevant experience and expertise. As you are probably reading this now on the internet, just take a little trip when you are done and go to http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRWebSite. Go to the charts and just take a look at how diversified the genres have become. In the old days, we had two kinds of music: rock and roll - just kidding. If you are seeking someone to help you get a show, and they have no idea of what you are looking for, they are not the right source.
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