It's shocking but true. Every day, businesses hire entertainers and speakers that they should not be hiring. Speakers, entertainers, and entertainment agencies often lie about their qualifications, charge you a LOT more than they should, end up turning your important event into an embarrassment and put your reputation on the line by presenting sub-par performances.

Organizing a corporate event is a DIFFICULT and STRESSFUL job. There are so many details that must be attended to. But here is the undeniable truth:

THE OVERALL SUCCESS OF YOUR EVENT HINGES ON YOU HIRING THE RIGHT ENTERTAINER OR SPEAKER!

I realize that you might not believe that right now but think about it for a minute. When is the last time you remembered the dinner you had at a corporate event? Did the centerpieces make the event memorable and successful? When is the last time you attended a corporate event when the band or the DJ made it successful?

Probably, never.

The speaker or entertainer is the "key" to a successful event, but here's the problem ...

Hire the wrong person and your event will be a flop. Hire someone who offends members of your audience and it is your reputation on the line. Overpay for an entertainer who delivers a sub-par performance and all eyes will be looking at you.

That is why I'm going to give you the inside-scoop on what some entertainers, speakers, and agencies do to unsuspecting event planners. You'll be armed with the knowledge you need so you won't be "taken" by these people.

Who Are You And Why Are You Revealing This Information?

My name is Ted Peterson and I'm a corporate entertainer and speaker. For the past 15 years my unique presentations consisting of magic, mind-reading, motivation, comedy, and audience participation have helped event planners at companies including: Harley-Davidson, Walden Books, Buffalo Bison's, Houlihan's Restaurant, Alfred State College, Cattauragus County Fair and the Findley Lake Chamber of Commerce , make their events and meetings successful and fun. I'm revealing information that the corporate entertainment industry doesn't want you to know for two main reasons:

REASON #1: If you end up hiring a lousy entertainer or speaker, this closes the field not only to me but other competent professionals. Odds are, if the person you hire stinks, you'll be very reluctant to hire a similar type of performer in the future.

REASON #2: I HATE to see bad performers rip people off and make event planners look bad. It puts a black eye on my profession.

Okay, now that you know who I am and why I'm doing this, let's talk about the 7 Biggest Mistakes Event Planners Make When Hiring Entertainers and Speakers ... And How To Avoid Them!

BIG MISTAKE #1 : Assuming That Going Through An Entertainment Agency Or Speakers Bureau Is The Best Way To Go

Many event planners feel that they are better off hiring performers from a "reputable" agency or production house as opposed to hiring performers on their own.

While it is true that making one phone call to an agency and letting them do the work is a lot easier than doing it yourself, but there is no assurance that you are going to get the performer or speaker that is perfect for your event.

Dirty little secret #1 agencies don't want you to know:

Most agencies' first concern is booking the highest priced performer so they'll get a nice fat commission. It's for this reason that they always ask you what your budget is. If you tell them you have a $5000 they are going to book someone in that price range, regardless if they are the right performer for the event just so they can gobble up all of your money!

Dirty little secret #2 agencies don't want you to know

If you have a very substantial budget, an agency will almost always book way more performers than are necessary. This is a common practise among agencies even if you only need one speaker/entertainer.

Dirty little secret #3 agencies don't want you to know: