Great Tips for hiring a children’s entertainer
Contracting a kid’s entertainer for a children’s party can be a little stressful, children’s entertainers are perhaps the most popular choice of parents for children’s birthday parties as children tend to carry the memory of the magic man entertaining at their birthday parties with them throughout their lives. You really don’t want just anyone at your children’s birthday party and you want to keep them safe from strangers. Following the tips on this blog will help you be sure you hire a professional and quality act.The ultimate aim of having a children’s entertainer for a children’s birthday party is ultimately to have a successful children’s party that is Safe and really good fun for your children and their friends.
Here you can read my tips for organizing a successful Children’s Birthday Party with a Children’s Entertainer:
Contact someone local. If you call an entertainer you’ve found online, ask them where they are located. no more than 50 miles away will save you paying their travel time and costs. Be aware that you may be speaking to an entertainment agency who simply subcontract your party to some unknown person who is local to you and this will end up costing you more as all agencies charge commission.
Look for genuine testimonials, Facebook is always a good way to see genuine approvals from parents who have already booked that particular Children’s Party Entertainer. No form of advertising can beat a recommendation from other parents.
It is always advisable to search for a children’s entertainer well in advance. Quality entertainers are booked for months ahead, especially during the months of July and December. It’s also a good idea to find out if your chosen act is available before contacting potential venues.
Contact several kid’s entertainers for a quote, but please consider that booking a performer is not the same as searching for the cheapest car insurance quote, there are huge differences in quality between children’s entertainers. Children’s party entertainers of average ability or who are lacking in experience often quote under the more experienced and quality acts. Speaking directly to the person (especially by telephone) is always advisable, I believe you can tell a lot about a personality by speaking to them on the phone rather than emailing.
Use the internet to search out information about any children’s entertainer you may be considering hiring. There is usually a wealth of information available online about the entertainer you are considering using, not just their own website, but directories, social media and possibly on entertainment agency websites too. If the performer has posted videos of their performances online, it’s well worth watching them as you can tell in an instant whether your act has the entertaining skills to pull off a great show.
It’s really important to bear in mind (as with any other service you seek out online) that websites which are listed first on a search engine do not by any means provide the best or even the most popular service. Where a website ranks on a search engine is relative to the time and money invested in that particular website. Some party entertainers prefer to utilize other methods of publicity and others rely heavily on word of mouth, which in reality is probably the best way for potential customers to contract a children’s party entertainer with complete confidence.
I recommend you ask the following questions when contacting a children’s entertainer:
All professional entertainers should possess Public Liability Insurance (PLI) ask you entertainer to provide proof of PLI before you commit to a booking. It’s also worth asking whether the act in question is affiliated in any professional bodies like “Equity” (union for actors and performers). Obviously it is prudent to do a reasonable amount of research on any potential entertainer especially where children are involved. It would be useful to know if your chosen performer is contracted by any public services like schools, pre-schools and local councils as they would have carried out standard background checks on any one they contract out to.
Ask about cancellation fees or rescheduling dates should you need to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances.
Let the entertainer know how many kids you’re expecting to attend the party and their age range.
Inquire about the intended format the party entertainer has in mind. Children’s entertainers usually take a break while the children eat their party food about half way through the party duration.
It’s advisable to ask about the variety of children’s entertainment the performer undertakes at a typical children’s party.
If you haven’t yet booked a venue, you could always ask your entertainer, they’d usually be able to recommend somewhere to host a kid’s party.
Tell the act if your child has any favorite tricks or favorite songs that they would like included in their birthday party entertainment.
Finally, use you intuition. Just because an entertainer comes highly recommended, it doesn’t mean they are right for you or your child’s birthday party. Do the two of you “click”? The entertainer’s enthusiasm and willingness to make your child’s party a huge success should emanate in the tone of their voice, the information they give you and their flexibility to accommodate your wishes.
When you have decided which entertainer you’d like to book ask how to confirm your booking. Most children’s entertainers will issue you a contract, the details and times of the children’s party are listed as well as the contact details of the entertainer. Your name, address and telephone numbers should also be included on the contract. Once you receive your contract, you’ll need check, sign and return it.