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Booking Tips

What information will I need to provide when checking talent’s availability and fees?
The following is the initial information typically needed by talent, agents, and representatives when checking availability for an engagement:

  • Speaker name
  • Budget range
  • Date of event
  • Event city
  • Event venue
  • Estimated starting time
  • Length of speech, appearance or performance
  • Estimated audience size
  • Target audience
  • Goal of event

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What additional costs and considerations should I plan for when booking talent?
The fee ranges listed on our site are for a standard talent appearance.  Below are some additional details that should be addressed in preliminary booking inquiries and included in the contract or agreement:

  • Deposit and payment terms.  Most talent will place a short-term hold on your event date while you work out the details, but a deposit for is required to confirm the date.  Full payment is typically required in advance or on the date of the event.
  • Air and ground transportation, lodging, meals and incidentals such as tips, etc.These charges are typically passed through to the client.  Additionally, some individuals listed on this site may have special requirements such as private air charter, first class air and/or lodging, etc.
  • Audio Visual Requirements.  These can range from standard to very involved and need to be considered in overall cost.
  • Reduced fees for local engagements. In many cases, talent will reduce their fees for events within their city, region, or state.
  • Extra charges for longer presentations. Many of the people listed on this site base their fees on a one-hour presentation and half-day or full-day sessions. Get a quote on your specific time requirement.
  • Audio or video taping permission. Some of the individuals listed on this site allow you to record their presentation free or for a fee while others do not allow recording.
  • VIP event attendance/meet and greet. Some individuals listed on this site will attend these events as a courtesy, others charge a fee and some will not participate. 
  • Books and other products. Some individuals listed on our site may provide a discounted resource for purchasing their books and products for your engagement.  You may also arrange for them to sell their books and other materials at your event.
  • International appearance fees. These appearances generally require an increase in fees over domestic appearances due to surcharges, tax rates and travel time and expenditures.
  • Cancellation policies. This should include reimbursement/payment policy if talent initiates the cancellation as if client initiates cancellation.

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How do I protect my interest when booking talent found on this site?
Since TALENTBLUEBOOK.COM operates strictly as a talent listing service, you are responsible for investigating the legitimacy of the talent and reps listed on our site.(Please fully read our disclaimer.)The vast majority of talent, agents and representatives you will encounter on the Internet are legitimate.   However, we recommend that you reduce your risk by taking reasonable precautions when dealing with individuals and business entities you do not have experience with. By following a few simple suggestions, you can negotiate the best fees for booking talent while minimizing your exposure to risk.  We recommend the following prior to submitting your deposit to the talent, agency or representative:

  • Referrals. Request referrals from previous clients.
  • Association Membership. Check to see if the talent, agent or representative is a member of a national or international organization that screens its members such as National Speakers Association (www.nsaspeakers.org), International Association of Speakers Bureaus (www.iasbweb.org) or Association or Talent Agents (www.agentassociation.com).
  • Recommendations.  Look for talent with a number of positive recommendations.  Our talent listings display an optional Recommendations where other clients, agents, speakers bureas and publishers can leave their comments. These recommendations are helpful in determining which individual listed on our site is credible and appropriate for your event.
  • Contract/Agreement.  Prior to sending any payment to the talent, agent or representative, always request and receive a completed contract or agreement. Be sure that it specifies the date(s) and details of the appearance (such as program choice, travel, air and ground transportation, hotel requirements, special considerations as well as cancellation and refund policies).  Without a signed contract or agreement, the talent is not officially booked and you may have little recourse in getting your funds returned if a problem occurs. If the talent, agent or representative prefers not to use a contract or written agreement, find one that will.
  • Report problems.  Please report any suspicious incidents you encounter dealing with the talent, agents or representatives listed on this site to reportthis@talentbluebook.com.

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How do I secure a celebrity appearance?
  • Asking a celebrity to appear for free or significantly reduce their fee for a “good cause”. In almost all cases, attempting to barter with a celebrity for a good cause will be unsuccessful. Unfortunately, there are enormous numbers of non-profit organizations and humanitarian efforts worldwide vying for celebrity support.  Imagine the massive stack of compelling letters a celebrity gets daily asking for appearances to support good causes.  Most celebrities are aligned with and already devote significant time to charities that are significant to them.  Considering this, their busy schedules and their need for some personal time, it is very difficult for them to volunteer for additional causes.  While, ideally, most would like to commit to more, it simply is not possible.  Please respect the heavy demand and limits on celebrity time.  Usually, you will not receive a reply to this type of request because of the high volume received by the celebrity’s agent.  If you would like to secure a celebrity appearance, you need to be prepared to pay a fee within the range listed on our site.
  • Working with celebrity agents. Nearly all celebrities use an agent or representative to negotiate their appearances.  These agents receive stacks of requests for celebrity appearances each day.  As a result, they only have time to respond to legitimate requests providing thorough information about the event and from clients who are prepared to pay a fee within the range listed on our site.  For best results, please be sure to fill in all of the information you are prompted for when sending a booking inquiry email from the celebrity profile on our site.

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