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misterillusion Special user Roseville, California 748 Posts |
I am looking for an additional pro-active way to meet people who want to book me. It has been brought to my attention that ISES (International Special Events Society) would be an excellent networking group to join. The explanation is that this organization is made up of people and companies who are actively looking for performers like magicians. I am a little hesitant about doing this only because my past experience with networking groups (Chamber of Commerce, and LeTip for example) yielded results which were rather disappointing. The only reason I am even considering ISES is because the members would supposedly be more interested in what I have to offer.
Any opinions? Any actual experiences? --Charlie |
Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
The key to any of these such organizations and events is A.) finding the one that is the best match and most appropriate for your service or type of business, and B.) how willing you are to be aggressive, take action and utilize the opportunity. I can tell you that you will only get out of these what you are willing to put into it.
I have seen entertainers purchase a booth, pay to get to the event, pay for lodging and meals, and then have their booth design and promotional materials (and often premiums) costs on top of all of this, only to sit behind their booth and wait for attendees to approach them and ultimately get little or no results and then convince themselves that that association and event did work well for them. I can not tell you how common this is. ISES is for event planning. Yes, this can include entertainment, but that is only a very small potion of what goes on at these events. There are soooo many more elements to successful event planning and at most of these events, entertainers often leave disappointed. Now again, if you are aggressive, have a well-designed plan and promotional campaign in place BEFORE you ever get to the event, have all of the things required to execute the plan, and have a strong presence at the event, you can stand out, separate yourself from the array of other vendors, and make a splash. Even then it doesn't mean you will generate bookings or even recoup your expenses. Also the third element and to me the most crucial is it also depends greatly on what you do after these events. Followup is where the bookings occur, rarely from the event itself. This is true for the majority of trade or association events. I have done hundreds of these of the years and have learned every step of this the extremely hard (and costly) way. I once did an event that only had about twenty booth visitors come to my booth all day. Attendance was nearly 1200. I knew next year I had to do something much different to make a splash. At the time I had several of the Chicago Bulls players working for us on our roster, so the next year I had one of them appear at out booth. It cost $6,000 for the appearance but it resulted us in doing over $20,000 of business ultimately from the very same event at which we bombed the year before. So it's never really a matter of are these events any good or can you get bookings, but rather what you can do to make it successful and then of course if you are willing to do so. People mistakenly think Event Planners are like Agents and that they all book a lot of entertainment. This really isn't true. The make their money on the spread between the cost and what they can sell services for, and entertainment often is one of the lower profit spreads while coming with the most problems (there are many reason for this which is an entire topic of its own) so it's not one of the priorities of most event planners. Linens, decorations, balloons, and in-house services are the most profitable, not working with you, unless you are very agent/event planner-friendly. if you don't what that means, then it's not you - lol. |
Jesse Lewis Loyal user 227 Posts |
Mind Pro is right you have to be AGGRESSIVE. I have been doing networking events for a while now, 3 years in fact. To start I had the dismal results that Mindpro spoke of and yep I blamed the group. In reality I did not know how to network properly. All I can say is networking in my opinion is not about promoting oneself but becoming friends with the influence-rs.
Currently I drive every 2 weeks for over 2 hours just for one event. NOT ONE OTHER ENTERTAINER DOES one agency does. This group is a chamber of commerce with some decent sized companies and to recoup my total financial cost for the year I have to book 1/2 of a show. So if I book 1 show every 2 years I make my money back. This also does a lot for me personally as a business person. It allows me to get out and meet people, it allows me to network, it increases my profile, and I have even made a friend or six. Before you go into this endeavor make sure you have some clearly defined goals and that you are the type of entertainer they need. If you are a corporate guy and all of them are wedding planners the fit will not be there. If you are a birthday guy and they want corporate the fit will not be there. Often these groups will have an open house or a meet and greet option to test the waters check into that. If they do go to it and see if it is a good fit. When you do start networking always get their information and FOLLOW up with it. Often people are too lazy to do this and that is where the real money and indeed friendship lie. Also go out of your way to help if you can help them without wanting anything in return do so it makes you look good and you become the go to guy for finding and helping others. This does not equal dollars up front but a year down the road when you have helped 30 people find venues or caterers or whatever else you become the guy for entertainment. I hope this has helped Jesse.
Learn how to build a bigger business at www.showbizsuccesssecrets.com
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lou serrano Special user Los Angeles, CA 671 Posts |
There is some excellent information here. I always recommend, as was stated above, to attend several of the events being held by these associations. Some of them are free, and some have a low entrance fee. Check out several groups in your area, and see which one is the best fit for you. Some ISES groups will have quite a few event planners and agents, while others will be heavy on the vendor side with very few event planners.
These groups are all about building relationships. Engagement and follow-up are crucial. You just need to connect with one person who is willing to hire you over and over again. Connecting with the right person can mean the difference between failure and success. Lou Serrano |
Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
Another point I wanted to make is do not go into these events seeking bookings, but rather seeking relationships. I've often told the story before about doing a trade event I really didn't want to do. I looked into getting my paid money back but it was too close to the event within their "no refund or credits" window. Airfare was so expensive because it was within two weeks, I couldn't find a decent hotel room anywhere as they were all booked up, and so on. I really dreaded all of this but since I was committed and couldn't get my money back, I did it anyhow.
I made three decent contacts. One I was excited about, and another two that were just so-so. I ended up building relationships with all three and still work with all of them to this day. One of them lead to a series of five bookings in the same town/area that have been part of my Spring tour for ten years or so. This one relationship has netted me well over six figures and all from doing an event I didn't want to do. But when I was there I was aggressive and did what I knew I had to do and it paid off quite well. |
Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
I guess I was posting while Lou was saying the same thing about relationships.
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Paddy Inner circle Milford OH 1571 Posts |
Also have a kick *** "elevator pitch." A 30 second sales talk that you use to get the prospect's attention to how you can help him look good. I identify the person's "pain" then in a quick one sentence tell him how I can help him.
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MrHyde Special user 810 Posts |
Charlie
ISES are a good source of strong connections. But, they may not be what you are looking for. Spend some time on the website of your local chapter or various chapters to get a feel for the types of people involved. They often have a member directory and also a Committee directory. Are these the sort of people you need to meet? I've been to quite a few of their events here in Sydney. They are not "buy a booth" type things but rather Networking breakfasts, dinners, panels, site visits etc. I've also been invited in to perform at a few events they have organised which proved quite valuable. If you do join - really get involved, get on the production team, run the registration table at events etc. This is really the best way to get traction. Timothy |
Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
What happened to the OP?
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David Thiel Inner circle Western Canada...where all that oil is 4005 Posts |
I've done MPI as well as ISIS -- and both have "paid off" very well. But you need to remember a few things:
1) If your act isn't DIFFERENT in some way from what other "magicians" are doing, you're not going to get anything. You need to be memorable. Keep in mind that these people have seen dozens of performers who, frankly, are probably better than you. Why do they want to bring you to their event? I hesitate to use the term "brand yourself" -- but that's what you have to do. 2) Read what Mindpro said about BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS. It's critical. You're probably not going to sell anything directly at your show. BUT you're going to meet people who have the ability to book you often. Remember that meeting planners work on a LOT of events, so you can be sold over and over again provided you do a great job, that they can make good money by selling you and you work to continue to build relationships with them. 3) Know that having a good show isn't enough. You need to be prepared with marketing materials, crisp business cards and a CLEAR idea of how you're going to pitch what you do. GET THEIR CARDS...don't just depend on handing out your own. FOLLOW UP with them. Don't wait for them to call you. They're likely to start forgetting all about you as soon as they leave because (contrary to what many performers think) their lives don't revolve around you. Good luck. David
Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Except bears. Bears will kill you.
My books are here: www.magicpendulums.com www.MidnightMagicAndMentalism.com |
misterillusion Special user Roseville, California 748 Posts |
Thanks to everyone for the excellent input...it gives me some very good direction.
David Thiel.....There is another group called National Association of Catering and Events (NACE). Have you had any experience with that group? --Charlie |
Joe S. Loyal user Los Angeles, CA 272 Posts |
I have experience with NACE. It's a fine organization.
FYI: The 3 big dogs in the USA are ISES, NACE, and MPI (meeting planners international). The strength of these organizations (as with the IBM and SAM) lies with the LOCAL chapters. In Roseville, it's possible that NACE is run very well, while ISES events are mismanaged and poorly attended. Or it could be the other way around! It comes down to the chapter prez and the officers installed. Check out a meeting or two. Shake some hands, drink some bad coffee, and make some friends. Once you have a feel for the local chapters, then you can decide where you want to focus your time and energy. And as mentioned above, remember that this is a long game. You're not going to book work from attending one meeting. This is about making friends and relationships that pay off years down the road. It takes time. |
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
With all these things you will get back what you put in. Be prepared to participate!
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
misterillusion Special user Roseville, California 748 Posts |
Well, I went to my first MPI meeting last night and spent 2 1/2 hours there meeting as many of the members as I could. There was a very short formal meeting and the rest of the time was socializing and networking. I must say that I met quite a few people in positions which would have taken me a long time to locate by other methods. I believe it will be worth while to join the organization. Next month I will be going to a NACE meeting.
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
Glad it seemed to work out for you. The true benefits are what you do to establish and cultivate the contacts and the relationships you build from it. Congrats!
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misterillusion Special user Roseville, California 748 Posts |
Quote:
On Jul 16, 2014, Mindpro wrote: Yes. Thank you for your advice and I will do exactly as you described as I get more involved. I appreciate your guidance. --Charlie |
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