1 Confirm the details – and read the contract!
I know, this sounds, well… too basic! However, we have been doing this many years and it is surprising how many times clients have provided incorrect information. There are several opportunities to double check the details prior to booking. First, when the client sends us the details in the first place. Second, they review the contract we send them to sign. Third, once the contract is returned, we send an email containing all of these details once again, asking them to verify that they are correct. It’s easy to assume that all of the information came through correctly, but with surprising frequency, we are provided with incorrect addresses, parking information, or even the flat-out wrong date…even after a client has all of those opportunities to make sure it’s right. For the success of your event, make sure to double check the date, the time, and the location. We want your entertainers to be there when you need them, not the day after!
2 Think about your times
Does the party start at 2pm but most of the guests will not arrive until 3pm? Is the ceremony at 7pm and everyone will be at the ceremony until 8pm? Start your performer at a time that that will maximize their value. Too frequently our artists spend time at events sitting and waiting for guests to arrive and begin to interact. We want you to get the most value from your entertainer.
Pictured right: a digital caricature artists station, bored, abandoned, because she’s the only person there who isn’t currently in a meeting. Thanks Sam!
3 Reach out early enough to make it happen
We’ve pulled off all kinds of last-minute events but sometimes it’s just impossible, especially on peak dates. If your event is on a Saturday evening in December or say a Fall Festival the weekend before Halloween, do not wait until a month beforehand to book your entertainment. This can be particularly challenging around holidays and remote locations.
4 Provide the info needed to find your event
If your event is on a college campus, our performers will need to know where it will be on the campus , as well as where to park. If your event is at a convention center, the name or number of the ballroom or exhibit hall should be provided. If your small party is in a gated community or a military base, we will need to know how our performer will be admitted at the gate. In keeping with this all, we ask for an on-site contact name and cell number good for that day. Many times, we find out the hard way, that the number provided is not a number at which they can be reached during the event! It is an office number that is not answered during the event, or it is the bride’s cell phone, and well, she is a bit busy getting married! Make sure to give a number for someone who will be able to answer the phone.
5 Don’t overpromise your guests or yourself!
Don’t assume everyone needs to have a caricature (or face painting, or balloon, etc’) done and don’t assume everyone will. Sometimes, clients want to hire an artist not just to provide a source of entertainment, but to provide a party favor to every single guest present. While this can be done, the guest count, expectation, and drawing speeds 100% needs to be discussed with your booking agent. It usually takes more booking hours to accommodate this expectation. Most often, our performers are booked for entertainment purposes – to provide ambience, fun, or attract customers. In these cases, our customers know not everyone will get a caricature, for instance, but everyone can watch and have fun!
