ENTERTAINMENT TRENDS FOR MEETINGS, CONVENTIONS AND EVENTS: The Customer Experience by Mark Sonder, CSEP, Chief Entertainment Officer, Mark Sonder Productions, Inc. Author, Event Entertainment and Production (Wiley © 2004) All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2006

In this ever-changing industry of not just meetings and events but music, entertainment and production, there has been nothing short of a transformation. Enter the world of MySpace, FaceBook, constant text messaging, weekly updates via email from record companies, fan sites, and ticket brokers to new professional certifications.

"It has been heavily documented that music plays a prominent role in promoting consumerism. From department stores and supermarkets to car dealerships, music makes sales increase!" (Sonder: Entertainment Trends © 2004) Now there is a prominent role that music and entertainment plays in events. From online gambling and listening to The Howard Stern Show over Sirius Satellite Radio comes not just retailers branding their products, but corporations, associations and incentives doing the same, plus the look, the feel, the total event entertainment experience and customer experience of their meetings and events.

The industry finds itself emerging into its own. Planners have created a budget of both financial and time spent on presenting entertainment. Although procurement departments seem to be in control of the financials, what about the expense? Writing in InTents Magazine (August/September 2006 issue) on trends, editor Katie Harholdt states planners are looking to, "…provide a polished look and clients are willing to pay the extra money…"

A Move Towards Headline Entertainment
Why Headline Entertainment?  It has become affordable in today's marketplace, especially with jazz and "oldies" artists. Featuring headline entertainment has been found to boost attendance and creates wonderful PR for your upcoming event(s). Plus it sets an opportunity for Meet & Greets with the artists and VIP's. Planners get the most impact from the dollar spent. Most of all…you are creating an experience for your customers/attendees. What Happened? As written in Corporate Incentive & Travel Magazine, they call headline entertainment Your attendees will remember a show with Sir Elton John, but could easily forget a local or regional band.

The events that had local or regional bands billing upwards of $7500 are realizing that they can start to acquire headline entertainment for approximately the same amount of money. The events featuring national "convention" bands with expenditures up to $22,500 have realized that that entertainment dollar can buy headline entertainment. Companies and associations that have already realized what headline entertainment can bring to their events are now treating their attendees to a "concert" feeling in two different ways. One, bringing in an opening act, possibly a comedian or another musical headline entertainer, making their event a "double-bill," to bringing in stronger production values.

Production:
Events today are taking on not just audio, but video transformations. "That's the biggest change, using video as a tool," says Fenton Williams the LD (lighting designer) and scenic designer for Dave Mathews Band since 1991. Aaron Stinebrink, assistant to Williams, adds "The visual element will keep changing, as we'll catch a riff and run with it, playing off the band." No dim bulb Pete Franks, lighting crew chief for Dave Mathews Band since 2001 proclaims, "For the first time, there are no dimmers being used on the show. Everything is LED (light-emitting diode) or moving."

So the trend is: choose a format of music, acquire headline entertainment and beef-up the production of your show.
Although most people don't consider them in these terms, attendees, registrants, customers, fans, etc. are all synonymous and consumers of hospitality industry services provided by associations, corporations, incentives and its suppliers. Whether on the cutting edge or not, take the time, as well as put aside a budget for the ever increasing piece of pie for meetings, conventions and events that is music, entertainment and production.

I would like to conclude with this quote from the Kensei News and Information Services 7/28/06, with its source: the Global Gaming Expo, "Spectacular shows and quality entertainment have become a mainstay of modern casinos [events], and the cutting-edge technology implemented behind-the-scenes helps to ensure the best possible customer experience."