Celebrity Booking Tips
Gail Davis, 18 March 2021
Virtual speaking opportunities have made celebrity keynotes more accessible than ever. In addition to the below video, here are some considerations when booking a celebrity or high-profile speaker.
- Celebrity availability cannot be confirmed without submitting a firm offer. While production and speaking calendars can be checked in advance, only with a firm offer can their personal calendars be checked.
- On average, celebrities typically take 2-4 weeks to respond to a firm offer.
- After a verbal “yes” has been provided, it may take an additional 4-6 weeks to get a fully executed signed contract.
- Any and all publicity you would like from the celebrity must be formally requested and approved. This approval process can take up to 1-2 weeks for each item requiring approval. It is recommended to submit all requests together.
- Only one firm offer can be worked at a time. Our speaker industry code of ethics prevents us from working more than one firm offer.
- Unique terms are often included in a Celebrity Rider, including some highlighted below:
- Celebrities usually have requirements like private planes or fully refundable unrestricted first class travel.
- Often, celebrities travel with at least one other individual, and in some cases, an entourage.
- Additional travel requirements may include high-end car service, airport greeters, hotel accommodations for additional travel companions.
- Many celebrities do not book travel until the one to two weeks prior to an event.
- It is not uncommon to be asked to provide services such as hair and makeup.
- Photo sessions are often limited to the number of clicks.
- If a celebrity accepts a media interview and/or moderated Q&A, all questions and moderator must be approved at least 2 weeks before the event.