E3 Group

Dora Bryan is one of the nation’s most beloved stars of stage and screen. As Aunt Ros Utterthwaite she endeared herself to fans of Last of the Summer Wine and picked up a BAFTA nomination for her role as Dolly in Absolutely Fabulous. Before these memorable roles, Dora picked up a BAFTA for her scene stealing performance in A Taste of Honey and an Olivier Award for her turn in Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party. All these accolades lead to Dora receiving an OBE in the Queen’s honours list in 1996, recognising her stellar contribution to British film, television and theatre. Dora’s life has certainly been eventful and not exactly what you would call smooth sailing. This excellent article in the Daily Mail served to emphasise this while extolling what a true talent to be admired Dora really is. E3 Group entertainment agency CEO David Hill, who is also Dora’s manager and close personal friend, decided that at the very least, Dora deserved an evening of entertainment to celebrate all her achievements. And so Dora was born; a Gala Charity Show celebrating the career of Dora Bryan OBE. David Hill commented on the celebration, “It is a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute to a very special lady and an incredible British talent.”

The event will be held at The Really Useful Group’s Her Majesty’s Theatre, London on the 31st May 2009. Dora herself will be the guest of honour at the gala show which will bring together many of her friends and fans for an evening of entertainment and reminiscence on the career of this highly renowned BAFTA and Olivier award winning actress. The evening will consist of performances and speeches from many of the famous friends Dora has made throughout her career which has now spanned seven decades. The show will be ticketed in order to raise money for a charity very close to Dora’s heart, the Variety Club Children’s Charity, whose dedication to helping sick and disabled children through variety entertainment has inspired the evening. The Variety Club’s Chief Barker, Kenneth R. Mustoe commented on Dora. “Dora Bryan is a true legend of the entertainment industry and has been a supporter of The Variety Club for over 30 years. We are extremely honoured that she has nominated us as the charity of choice for her well deserved tribute evening. This gift will make a true difference in the lives of sick, disabled and disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.”

Tickets are available to purchase through See Tickets and ticket enquiries can be made on 0844 4124 657 or through www.seetickets.com. The full line up of the evening’s entertainment will be confirmed shortly. Please don’t hesitate to contact E3 Group for any information pertaining to the show.

For more information on the Variety Club Children’s Charity please visit www.varietyclub.org.uk

BAFTA’s television awards went ahead yesterday with much aplomb but significantly reduced viewing figures on last year. With Britain’s Got Talent drawing a whopping 12million viewers over the weekend, BAFTA’s 4.4million means just over a third of the amount of BGT viewers made the effort to watch the ceremony. Although it could be argued that awards ceremonies are somewhat self-congratulatory affairs where the TV industry recognises the brilliance of the TV industry, for me, these awards are vital to ensure that standards of programming do not dip. Without goals and benchmarks to aim for, how can TV ever be expected to progress and improve? These BAFTA’s seemed to recognise the changing landscape of British television reflected by some surprise nominations and some surprising wins.

June Brown, whose nomination for best actress was unusual for a performance in a soap, failed to take home the award; a step too far for soaps this year perhaps. Struggling Broadcaster ITV were surprised to pick up gongs for the Bill and their coverage of the Formula 1 Grand Prix victory of Lewis Hamilton, an award almost universally handed to the BBC’s Olympic coverage before the winner was announced. The awards which seemed a shock to some observers but came as no surprise to us here at E3 were the BAFTA for best entertainment programme and the Phillips Audience award. The X Factor beat off competition from The Apprentice, QI, The Sunday Night Project and TV Burp to pick up the best entertainment programme award and this is a reflection of the huge public interest and engagement with the talent show. Advertisers and events organisers have understood the power of this programme for some time now and are continuously looking to hire former X Factor contestants to associate their brand or experience with this hugely influential brand. The Phillips audience award shocked some due to the winner, Skins, enjoying significantly smaller viewing figures than its competitors such as Coronation Street and The Apprentice. The nature of this award’s voting almost guaranteed Skins the win, as the online and text based voting system seemed to inadvertently target Skin’s primary, tech-savvy, audience. Ultimately, the results from this years BAFTA’a should act as a lesson to entertainment industry professionals. Writing off potential victors based on trends from previous years and underestimating your target audience can be costly for anyone using entertainment as a selling point. All in all, these BAFTA’s seemed to do a good job reflecting an tenacious but slightly weary industry, while pushing to the fore those entertainment concepts which really will really work in 2009.

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• Upsets at the Baftas (guardian.co.uk)
• Top shows vie for audience award (news.bbc.co.uk)
• ITV cuts: Could X Factor and Coronation Street be affected? (telegraph.co.uk)

• RT @MrMilestone: @E3Group Oooo, you are close to 100 followers!! Spread the word! http://bit.ly/roDP #
• my time in sunny Spain is coming to an end. Boiling hot today so sad to be returning. Will upload the pics when i get back! #
• RT @ShentonStage: The Arts Council “only” lost £4m in yesterday’s budget cuts to the DCMS., instead of £14m. Shttp://bit.ly/6igux #
• Really liking this audioboo thing. Its like twitter, just audible! http://audioboo.fm/ #
• Heading over to the launch of our brand new Majorca office now. The trilogy is complete! #
• the overseas team through a fantastic graduation prom last night for all the hardworking overseas entertainers. slightly peaky today! #
• touched down in Majorca, preparing for the prom night celebrating the hard work of all our overseas entertainments managers. #
• some of the E3 team are headed out to the Majorca office today. a few tweets from sunny spain coming up! #
• Enjoying Susan Boyle’s version of Cry me a River. not the Justin Tmberlake one we’re talking Julie London circa 1955 http://twurl.nl/dw2bii #
• E3 Agent Ryan has just returned from a meeting with Louis Marrette, Britain’s Next Top Model’s new Judge! on http://twurl.l/al524p #

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So Alistair Darling has announced the 2009 budget to mixed reactions. Some say his economic projections for the coming years are ludicrous and that the Government is living in a “fantasy world”. Others are slightly more positive, but only as much as “it wasn’t as bad as we thought it was going to be”. While the budget will affect us all personally and impact on everyone’s lives in some way or other, I was more concerned with the impact the current economic climate would have on the arts budget. Arts are always first on the chopping block. It is as if entertainment and culture are luxuries that we can’t afford in difficult times. With the joy that London felt after it was announced we had secured the 2012 Olympic Games, many people in the arts and entertainments industry began to notice subtle relocations of funds from community arts projects to the ever growing Olympic pot. As soon as a funding gap emerges, the arts suffer and that is a false economy, especially in an economic downturn.

The Guardian has taken the view that the £4 million cut from the Arts Council is good news following predictions that were much worse than this eventual result. The Stage however has emphasised that this will have an impact on the Arts sector and reiterate my view that arts are more than “a luxury add-on” to be cast off in times of want. My worry is for the future of entertainment if this trend continues. Now those artists who find themselves out of pocket can look to supplement their income by working with a company like the E3 Group. Our corporate clients are always looking to hire talented singers, dancers and performers so options still exist. It is those just getting in to the industry at, to coin a sporting phrase, ‘grass roots levels’. Without the funding to community projects, arts schools and workshops, our resource of entertainers may dry up as time goes by. With less encouragement and support for young talent, we run the risk of impacting on all of the entertainment sectors we love. Fewer British artists sweeping music and film award ceremonies. Reducing queues at The X Factor and Britain’s got Talent auditions and fewer Star studded West End productions. The Government must stop ignoring all the evidence indicating just how important entertainment and live performance is to the British public and stop treating the Arts Council and community arts projects as cannon fodder in difficult economic times.

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• Arts and budget (guardian.co.uk)
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• Arts Council to warn of collapse in private funding because of recession (telegraph.co.uk)

I headed out to sunny Spain this week to catch up with the busy E3 Production team training our entertainment staff for Thomas Cook and Hi! Hotels. The training courses are drawing to a close and to mark this, the E3 Group threw a lavish Prom Night for all their overseas entertainers. The entertainment spectacular was highlighted with an awards ceremony, performances from a Bee Gees Tribute act and a very special guest appearance from Group CEO David Hill. The evening was created to celebrate the hard work and dedication all the entertainers have displayed throughout the intensive training the E3 Group provides. Today, the entertainers are making their way to Thomas cook and Hi! Hotels properties across the globe to implement production shows and entertainment concepts designed by E3.

The bespoke production shows E3 have designed will be implemented by a superb team of individuals this holiday season and the enthusiasm displayed during the prom night demonstrates that entertainment is well and truly ingrained in the working lives of all these individuals. This enthusiasm was rewarded by the Golden Clappers award ceremony with categories such as, best entertainment team, course personality and most talented entertainer up for grabs. It won’t be long before Thomas Cook and Hi! Hotel customers are being entertained by E3 Production’s tailored entertainment and exceptional staff. Hopefully they can build on the successes of last year and keep on delivering the high standard of entertainment the E3 Group has become known for.

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• Spain 2009: accommodation options (telegraph.co.uk)
• Spain: Insider’s Guide introduction (telegraph.co.uk)
• Thomas Cook sees a recovery in bookings (telegraph.co.uk)

• RT @Eventmagazine: MOBO Awards are set to be moved to Scotland http://tinyurl.com/c3g752 (For the first time in its 14 year history!) #
• Was Patrick Stewart right to lose his rag with fans who photographed him during a live performance? http://twurl.nl/tmha10. #
• RT @ShentonStage: The Susan Boyle phenomenon has now hit America. her youtube clip has been viewed 17.5m times! http://bit.ly/11bSM #
• Susan Boyle is amazing but is it another example of the judges leaning towards musical acts.? True variety never seems to make it on BGT #
• A must for all events organisers looking to be involved with the London 2012 Olympics. get involved! http://twurl.nl/olvk0w #
• Is Theatre dead? Gabriel Byrne thinks so. Seems that the swelling Twitter Theatre community might contradict that! http://twurl.nl/v0jsgc #
• Just added E3 group to http://www.eventweeps.com directory. Great initiative lead by @kamaglover and @pkerwood for events industry professionals! #
• Phones are working again, i guess it’s back to work… #
• Anyone else having phone troubles? apparently BT is having national problems today. #
• God this robot likes to talk about Blade Runner. http://twurl.nl/qb31mx. Hope the phones work soon so i can escape this artificial argument #
• Our phones have mysteriously stopped working. will have to amuse myself somehow. Talking to a robot is always fun. http://twurl.nl/edsy5j #
• Beyonce plans to hunt down her various Twitter impersonators. Start hiding if your one of them! http://twurl.nl/6ibzh8 #
• Morning! The Queen has been rated more attractive than Sienna Miller by FHM readers . Great way to start the day! http://twurl.nl/68v4br #
• RT @mediaguardian: Red Dwarf brings Dave record audience http://bit.ly/3M5r67 Classic Red dwarf, right down to the metaphysical quandaries! #
• http://twitpic.com/3ayy5 - Madonna - Sore Neck #
• RT @rajanand: Please RT ! Business Plan template to ‘Grow a business’ http://is.gd/slHN #
• Will “Springtime for Hitler” be too close to the bone for German Audiences as The Producers opens in Berlin http://twurl.nl/dkzjog #
• Britain’s got talent kicked off with a bang this weekend. Stavros Flatley for victory? http://twurl.nl/2fmdd0 #
• Covent Garden is more quiet than usual. Funny how the world gets bank holiday hangovers. People just decide that one more day off wont hurt! #

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Susan Boyle is slowly becoming a global phenomenon as her YouTube video, boasting an impressive 19.2 million views as I write this post, clearly demonstrates. Her unexpected vocal talents have been the subject of national debate, prompting some journalists to evaluate the snide and almost sickening reaction to Susan before she wowed the Britain’s Got Talent judges and audience alike. Susan has now made appearances on prominent American TV shows and is due to appear on the Oprah Winfrey show, if you believe the rumours. Susan clearly has an exceptional gift and her performance is testament to just how much we as human beings appreciate talent. Her success is in no way undeserved, but her instant achievement and catapult to fame hasn’t materialised out of thin air. Simon Cowell will have been busy working in the wings to garner this global exposure but, once again I reiterate, it is wholly deserved. What it has made me think about is that the Britain’s Got Talent judges clearly have a type of act they seem to favour, the musical variety. The true spirit of variety and indeed the royal variety show itself is one of complete diversity. People don’t watch the Royal Variety show to see a singer, then a dancer, then a vocal group, then a dance troupe, they watch it to see the plethora of talent on offer and, in fact, often to see a talent they have never conceived of before.

It seems that the judges’ predicate is to stick with what’s safe and what has a clear route to market. Simon Cowell knows that Susan Boyle will be able to sell records if she emerges victorious from the show. I am reminded of the reports that Simon organised “secret” singing lessons for previous contestant Faryl Smith which could have constituted an unfair advantage. There were no such reports indicating similar training for non-musical contestants. Ant and Dec who host the show have both expressed their desire to see a comedian win the show but admit that with Simon’s unusual sense of humour, such acts are at an immediate disadvantage. Is there money to be made from variety and light entertainment stalwarts such as comedians, magicians, circus performers and specialty acts? In Cowell’s eyes, Perhaps not. Undoubtedly, many of the aforementioned acts that do appear on Britain’s Got Talent are woeful but, here at E3 Artists, we see such a wide variety (no pun intended) of talented acts that fall under these brackets that it surprises me that the finals of the last two series of Britain’s Got Talent have been dominated by singers, dancers and musicians. Of the fifteen acts that made it through to the live finals of the first two series, just three stood out as offering something besides musical or movement related talent. Damon Scott, a ventriloquist, Strike, a martial arts team and E3 favourites, the Barwizards. Ultimately it is up to the British public to keep acts in the show so we can only hope that those E3 Artists clients who have chosen to hire a comedian, magician or speciality act in recent months, pick up the phone and keep these acts represented throughout the competition.

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In recent months, E3 Group has been attending some of the top events related exhibitions in London’s capital. As I blogged before, these events are great networking opportunities and also a fantastic chance to see new talented entertainers and keep abreast of developments in this dynamic and vibrant industry. Looking back, I have spent some time thinking about how exhibitors effectively communicated their message to attendees. The conclusion I came to was that people are much more willing to hear what you have to say if you manage to grab their attention. This may seem like an obvious point but in the events industry, with thousands of professionals attending some of the most glamorous events the world has to offer, grabbing attention is easier said than done. The stands which grabbed my attention and encouraged me to engage with the exhibitor the most were those that provided entertainment. I was not alone in this viewpoint as many attendees flocked to those stands that had entertainment on offer. I found magicians in particular to be particularly effective in generating brand engagement.

Magicians, by their very nature, set out to confuse and beguile you; not really qualities you would associate with effective brand communication. However, when followed up with an effective sales patter or brand message, the magician’s worth is clearly emphasised. Their ability to transport their audience into a child-like state of wonderment makes that audience much more receptive and less cynical than they would be with their business hats on. Magicians are experts in dismantling barriers between groups and their skills translate to almost any event imaginable. E3 Artist clients who hire a magician for live events benefit from the increased audience engagement. Corporate functions with a magician in their midst create a relaxed atmosphere for attendees and help to generate talking points for people who may have been strangers five minutes ago. Nick Reade, one of E3 Artists’ own magicians, has performed in front of celebrities such as Kylie Minogue, Emma Bunton and even for Queen Elizabeth herself as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations. Nick can verify the same level of wonderment at his magic from them all, no matter the status. Any company exhibiting at a trade show, hosting an event designed to generate brand engagement or simply hosting a function in need of some adept ice breaking, should book a magician. They provide entertainment with a clear purpose and instantly measurable rewards.

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Britain’s Got Talent began again in earnest this weekend providing avid viewers with entertainment that continues to add new definition to the word variety. From the bizarre to the sublime, Britain’s Got Talent has it all. Whether your personal preference is dancers, singers or perhaps something a bit more madcap like Stavros Flatly, the show continues to provide a buffet of entertainment spectacle to suit all pallets. In my opinion, Shows like Britain’s Got Talent are a real bonus for event organisers everywhere. It is a platform from which some of the less traditional but often more remarkable acts are thrust into the public eye and therefore making them more attractive booking propositions.

Before Signature’s amazing run on the show, offering a potential client looking to hire an entertainer a bangra-infused Michael Jackson dance spectacular would have labelled you as some kind of raving maniac. The overwhelming public support and acceptance Signature received during and as a result of the show has made them extremely popular amongst our clients looking to book utterly original entertainment. Britain’s Got Talent has opened the doors for people with exceptional skills to promote themselves to the events community. E3 Artists’ entertainers such as The Barwizards, Bang On! and Tracey Lee Collins (who all indecently found fame appearing on Britain’s Got Talent) as well as acts who would fit right in to the make up of the show such as Nathan Zorchak and Mat Ricardo, have all benefited from the huge resurgence of variety as a popular entertainment option. So whether you’re a small venue booking a magician or a huge outdoor event looking to hire a unique entertainment experience, examining the variety entertainer option is a great way to maintain impact while keeping the budget reasonable.

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There are a lot of entertainment agencies in the UK, many of which have a strong online presence. Try searching for “hire an entertainer” on Google, for example, and over 800,000 results are produced. So, if you’re looking to book live entertainment online, how do you go about making a decision regarding which agency to use?

There are a number of key things to consider. Firstly, it’s really important to establish whether or not the agency you are proposing to use is a member of the The Agents’ Association (Great Britain). This association is one of the largest trade organisations of its kind in the world and requires its member to adhere to a strict code of conduct and professional ethics. It’s therefore highly recommended that you check an entertainment agencies credentials on the Agent’s Association website before you go ahead and book with them.

Secondly, it’s important to check that your proposed entertainment agent uses contracts approved by the association. The legal contract between you, the hirer, and your agency, is the legal framework that protects you against the hazards of booking an act directly. A good entertainment agency will ensure that these contracts are signed by both parties, you the hirer and the artist you wish to hire, before confirming your booking. These approved contracts are absolutely crucial – many bookers have had their events ruined either through legally inferior contracting or by agreeing a deal directly with an act with no contract in place at all. This latter situation can be extremely costly and risky and we have heard of situations where event organisers have paid a fee to act up front only to lose it entirely, with no legal route to compensation due to the lack of a correct contract.

Thirdly, a good entertainment agency should be open and clear about fees and the fee negotiation side to the service. Live entertainment acts and celebrities do not always have set fees for their services. It’s the job of the entertainment agent to negotiate a fair price for both parties whilst also being clear about the nature of the deal. On-going, regular bookings (for example, a singer required once a week in a restaurant) usually results in what is called an Employment Agency contract. With this arrangement there is only one contract drawn up directly between the artist and the hirer. The entertainment agent will oversee this process, negotiate fees on both sides and accept a commission for placement of the artist (normally 15%). However, one-off events that require more resource and management from the agent (for example, booking a major pop star for an outdoor appearance) will now often result in what is called an Employment Business contract. When operating as an Employment Business, there are effectively two contracts involved – one between the business and the hirer, and one between the business and the artist. With these “buy-and-sell” deals, the contracts are entirely separate and the entertainment agency is liable to honour their agreement to pay the artist, even if the hirer cancels the booking. The benefit to the hirer when dealing with this type of contract is clear in the sense that the agent is contractually obliged to provide the artist or, in the event of illness or exceptional circumstances, provide a suitable replacement. However, the booking fee for Employment Business contracts is not as transparent as an Employment Agency one and an ethical agent should ensure that the commission they take on the former deal is fair and in keeping with the level of work required on a particular booking.

Fourthly, it is always important to consider the rider you will be expected to provide for any act you book, celebrity or otherwise. Riders consist of everything from food and drink to the technical equipment needed for a live performance. A good entertainment agency will take you through rider requirements step by step, demystifying any technical jargon and making all costs involved as transparent as possible. A good entertainment agency will also have extensive contacts with sound, lighting and staging companies and will therefore be able to help you source any technical equipment you may not have anticipated needing when initially booking the act. If you choose the wrong agency, or book an act directly, the responsibility of facilitating the rider will be solely yours and if the equipment you provide is not exactly correct, you could run the risk of your chosen act refusing to perform.

Finally, and on a more general note, a good entertainment agency will be passionate about live entertainment! It’s the job of the agent to keep bang up to date with what’s going on in the entertainment business. This involves seeking out talented new performers through auditions, events and networking occasions. It also involves the agent forging crucial links with other talent management companies, enabling a direct route to both emerging and established celebrities, pop stars and entertainers. By forging these relationships with entertainers, celebrities and talent managers, the agent is in effect creating the bridge for potential hirers to book the act that will transform their live event into a memorable occasion.