Check out our guide to hosting an entertainer before your next party so you know just what to expect and how to make it work! To put a very fine point on it for readers who want a quick answer: you will coordinate your booking in advance, and on the day of your event, you will not need to lift a finger to provide a great entertainment experience. No, really, you don’t need to do anything else – they’re all good, enjoy your party!
Coordinate your booking
Your entertainer will need to know a fair amount about your event ahead of time to prepare appropriately. Communicate the details of your event thoroughly – including where they should park at your venue, how they can access the space, and where you would like for them to set-up on the day of your celebration. Little details like theming, color schemes, design ideas, etc. can also be shared well in advance of your event.
When everything is arranged ahead of time, even if you are insanely busy (most hosts are right as the party starts!) your entertainment is able to get set up and begin working with minimal effort from you. They will have your contact information if they need it, but otherwise will be able to get set up totally independently.
Prepare the space
Most entertainers are very low-maintenance and don’t require much from you at your venue to succeed. Artists who set up a station and welcome guests to be seated (caricature, henna, face paint, fortune telling) will typically require only a table and two chairs.
Artists and performers who “stroll” the venue (magicians, stilt-walkers, jugglers) will bring everything they need on their person and have 0 setup requirements at the venue.
Each event and performer is unique and there may be additional requirements for your space which will be communicated to you well in advance of your event, including minimum ceiling heights for jugglers and stilt-walkers, electrical access for artists working low-light events, green rooms for costuming options which cannot be worn to travel, etc.
Don’t worry too much!
Our clients are always so kind to our entertainers on-site, and oftentimes ask us about accommodations or needs from our performers at their venue. Rest easy, these professional event entertainers know exactly what they need to succeed and our contract covers their needs and communicates them to you well in advance.
While bottles of water, fans, breaks, etc., are always appreciated, trust that your entertainer knows what to do to make your guests happy and is capable of pulling off all of that amazing-ness on their own.
Tipping
Performers booked by the hour are not expecting additional payment from your guests at the event. About Faces has a strict “no tip jar” policy and specifically asks entertainers to set their rates accordingly. You don’t need to tip an artist who is being well-paid for their time. If you are blown away by the henna tattoo, caricature, or face paint you’ve gotten, the best way to thank an artist is by booking them for another event!
That being said, sometimes guests feel motivated to offer cash tips, and our talent will accept gratuities if they are offered to show their appreciation for the kindness and generosity of your guests. Tips are never expected, but always appreciated.
Departure
Sometimes clients expect that their artist will come and check in with them before departing their event, but this is not a requirement that most agencies have. Typically, folks who have coordinated parties are looking for their vendors to be as self-sufficient as possible for setup and departure to give them one less thing to worry about. If you’ve got 10 vendors on-site, it turns into quite an inconvenience to have to set aside time to debrief with each one of them, so our people do not expect to bother you before departing at their end time.
When the time comes for your artist to start preparing to leave, they will politely tell additional guests that their time on-site has concluded before packing up their stand and leaving. Very often, guests who did not book the artist would like for them to stay a bit longer to entertain them or offer art services. Unless the client who has booked the artist authorized this overtime, the artist will politely decline.
Overtime
If you feel that your artists are a runaway hit, and you want to extend their booking time on-site, you should always notify the artist well before the end of their booking time. Typically, they are happy to stay late, but will not assume that you want them to, as it comes with an additional cost for the additional time. If you would like overtime completed, ask the artist before their booking time is over if they can stay overtime. If they agree, you should be asked to provide written consent for the additional charges to be applied to your event.
