E3 Group

Studying this year’s crop of Big Brother housemates has taken up a bit of our time this week as we try to determine which housemates will progress to the final weeks and build up booking-worthy public interest. It may seem odd, but Big Brother housemates are an extremely popular booking for corporate clients looking to promote their products or services to the young generation of avid Big Brother fans. Those who follow the show tend to do so avidly and as a result, build up strong opinions, likes and dislikes regarding their favourite housemates, ultimately voting with their hard earned money to keep their favourites in the house. Those who watch the show take part in the journey of that particular housemate and they subsequently become an important and relatable media profile. Brian Dowling, Kate Lawler and Brian Belo all enjoyed this rapport with Big Brother fans and it is obvious why they are still popular with clients looking to hire a Big Brother Housemate today.

It may be still too early to tell, but there are a few candidates for success in the current house. Sophie Reade, whose legal name is now Dogface thanks to a particularly cruel BB task, will no doubt have a glittering career in modelling waiting for her post eviction or victory, which ever comes first. Rodrigo is the clear fans favourite at the moment with Heat magazine professing their love and the bookies labelling him early favourite. The dark horse of the show could be Freddie Fisher, now known as Halfwit after he carried out the same task as Dogface. He seems likeable enough although he’s perhaps even too wide eyed to go the distance. The housemates seem to think so after putting him up for eviction this week. As the show progresses, it will be interesting to see who reveals their hidden talents and that unquantifiable likeability that keeps certain former housemates so popular for so long.

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Update June 6th 2011 – The details on this page are now quite old. If you are looking for information on how to book Britain’s Got Talent acts such as Diversity and Flawless, please visit our main site, where you will find our contact details and more.

The cost to hire a Britain’s Got Talent act can fluctuate significantly according to a number of factors including the media exposure they continue to receive after the show and the demand for their time that this creates. As a general guideline it is possible to book some former BGT acts from around £750. However, the majority of acts that make it through to the live finals of the show have fee expectations of £2,000 or more. Some of the most successful acts, such as 2009 winners Diversity, can command over £10,000 for a performance. For a more accurate indication of booking fees you can contact one of our entertainment agents using our online form.

1. Hire Escala
Escala wowed the nation on BGT series one with their classical renditions of modern favourites and their stunning image. It’s possible to hire Escala for corporate events, however having recently had an album reach number 2 in the UK charts they are now one of the more costly acts to book. For an indication of the cost to hire Escala, contact us via our online form.

2. Hire Diversity
This electric dance act pulled off the shock result of the competition this year by being crowned champions. Deserved winners on the night, Diversity are available for both corporate and private events. For an indication of the cost to hire dance act Diversity, contact us via our online form.

3. Hire Flawless
Eventual winners Diversity claimed that they were inspired to create their dance troupe after seeing Flawless perform. A popular booking request, Flawless are available to bring inspiration to your next event. For an indication of the cost to hire dance act Flawless, contact us via our online form.

4. Hire George Sampson
Winner of series two and the forerunner to the hugely successful BGT dance acts that followed. George is available to perform at professionally produced private and corporate events. For an indication of the cost to hire George Sampson, contact us via our online form.

5. Hire Stavros Flatly
This father and son duo proved to be much more than just a one trick pony delivering exciting and hilarious performances at every stage of the competition. For an indication of the cost to hire Stavros Flatly, contact us via our online form.

6. Hire Signature
Favourites from Britain’s Got Talent, Signature have forged a hugely successful career as entertainers following their massive popularity on the show. Currently a very popular choice for a wide range of events. For an indication of the cost to hire dance act Signature, contact us via our online form.

7. Hire Gareth Oliver, Strike & Julian Smith
Gareth Oliver amazed the BGT crowd with his fantastic ventriloquist skills, narrowly missing out on a place in the grand final. Strike’s high impact martial arts skills were a crowd favourite on BGT series two and Julian Smith’s laid back saxophone stylings secured him a place in this year’s grand final. For an indication of the cost to hire these acts, contact us via our online form.

8. Hire The Barwizards
The Barwizards jaw-dropping act kept audiences entertained, flipping, spinning, throwing, catching, shaking and pouring their way through to the BGT final. For an indication of the cost to hire The Bar Wizards, contact us via our online form.

9. Hire Bang On!
Bang on! is a unique live percussion act perfect for experiential events. For a competitive fee, Bang On! are the perfect booking for event planners looking to make a real impact. For an indication of the cost to hire Bang On!, contact us via our online form.

10. Hire Tracey Lee Collins
Tracey Lee Collins is a sensational drag act with a unique voice who owes her creation in no small part to Simon Cowell’s matter of fact judging style. For an indication of the cost to hire Tracey Lee Collins, contact us via our online form.

E3 Artists has forged a close links with many former BGT acts and their management teams. As regular bookers we can negotiate preferential rates for our clients. For a tailored quote please contact us using our online form. Alternatively, subscribe to our blog for monthly updates!

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As summer has begun to slowly creep up on us in the typically stop-start fashion that we are used to here in the UK, E3 Artists has seen a marked increase in the amount of enquiries we’ve received to hire a band. These requests have been dominated by clients looking to secure the services of a function band for their wedding, garden party or summer soirée. With a few months until the height of summer and therefore the height of wedding season, it has been prudent for these clients to get in early and make sure they have their entertainment sorted well in advance of the big day. It is surprising how quick these events can sneak up on you and organising all the minor details of your entertainment can be more of a headache than you might anticipate. Your chosen band will invariably have to transport their equipment to your venue and detailed checks will have to be made on what technical equipment is available and what your chosen band will have to supply themselves. Here at E3 Artists, the bands we work with are fully equipped with all the necessary sound equipment and we aim to manage all the logistical aspects that go along with ensuring quality entertainment at an event.

Proving extremely popular for these kind of functions are The Urban Jazz Collective, FUNKification and Swing Connection. These three bands adaptability, huge repertoire and ability to tailor the band size to each individual booking makes them a great choice for anyone looking to take the hassle out of their entertainment needs. These bands have also been requested for a surprising amount of Hollywood themed parties in recent weeks, bringing the big band sound to events centred on the golden era of cinema and the amazing film scores and musical numbers this era produced. Many clients have expressed their concern regarding bands not turning up on the day and throwing a huge spanner in the works of an event. Often we find that these experiences are the result of improper contracting between the band and the client. Often, the band is under no obligation to perform due to verbal agreements or cash-in-hand deals. The best way to avoid this is to ensure that you have a contract in place recognised by the Agents Association of Great Britain. That way, only an act of God or ‘force majeure’ as it is known in the contract can dissolve the agreement and all other circumstances will allow financial or legal action. Of course this is scant consolation if you have no entertainment for an event so using a booking agent is a good idea for more than just contractual concerns. As an agency, we book a huge number of bands and so in the event of one not turning up, we can make every effort to replace them with a band of the same quality and genre. The phrase ‘book early to avoid disappointment’ gets thrown around a lot in entertainment but this is one instance where it really does pay to get in early and secure some piece of mind along with your chosen band.

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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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Please note the following article was written in April 2009. For more recent updates on Britain’s Got Talent, please click here.

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.

For further information on booking Britain’s Got Talent acts please get in touch with our London office.

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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.

For booking enquiries please get in touch via our contact page.

For booking enquiries please get in touch via our contact page.

Alun Cochrane

TV Credits include: 8 Out of 10 Cats (Channel 4), Michael MacIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow (BBC), Mock the Week (BBC), Dave’s One Night Stand (Dave).

Greg Davies

Winner of the Laughing Horse New Act of The Year 2002. TV Credits include: The Inbetweeners (Channel 4), We Are Klang (BBC), Ask Rhod Gilbert (BBC), Fast and Loose (BBC), Mock the Week (BBC).