Entertainer networking seat

Why the Entertainer seat matters

Most entertainers get their bookings through word of mouth. A parent who watched a magician keep a room of seven-year-olds quiet tells the next parent, and an organiser who saw a band fill the dance floor books them again. Listings and adverts help, but someone booking a performer for a wedding or a big birthday usually wants a name from a person they trust.

A FindaBiz group keeps one seat per trade, so each group has only one Entertainer, and any entertainment referrals that come up in that room go to them. In FindaBiz Lichfield the seat is already taken. In the groups listed below, from Coventry to Sutton Coldfield, it is still open.

Who passes work to an entertainer

Event Management members are the obvious partners. Anyone planning a wedding, a gala dinner or a product launch needs acts, and they would much rather suggest a performer they have met than one they found online. Training & Events businesses run conferences and away days, where a host, a close-up magician or an after-dinner act can work well.

Other referrals come from places you might not expect. Human Resources and Recruitment Consultant members often hear about staff Christmas parties and team days months before anything is booked. Care Provider members arrange activities for the people they look after, and care homes often book a singer or musician for an afternoon. Accountants, Financial Advisers and Estate Agents sometimes hold client evenings or open days, and a Print & Promotional Goods member may be printing invitations for an event that still has no entertainment.

How a FindaBiz group helps a performer

Members pass each other referrals and meet one to one between meetings to learn about each other’s businesses. This matters more for an entertainer than for most trades, because whoever refers you has to describe your act to someone else. Are you better with five-year-olds or at a black-tie dinner? Do you bring your own sound system? How much space do you need? A one-to-one is a good time to show a short clip or talk through a typical set, so the people in your group can answer those questions without guessing.

It works the other way round too. Social Media Manager, Web Designer and Copywriter members can talk to you about how your act comes across online, which is often where a client looks you up after hearing your name.

Taking the seat or booking an act

If you run an entertainment business, look at the groups further down where the Entertainer seat is open and come along as a guest. Your first visit is free, so you can see who sits around the table before you decide. If you’d like to try FindaBiz first, there is free online networking every Friday, open to anyone with a free account.

If you want to book an entertainer, the member shown above belongs to a group whose other members have got to know the business through regular meetings and one-to-ones.