Interview - Ben Anshutz

BEN ANSHUTZ

Let’s talk about celebrity speakers as the keynote speaker for your next event. Everybody wants that celebrity feel for their event but there’s a lot more to it from finding the right person to getting it to work for you and being successful. Ben Anshutz from Gotham Artists is an expert in this field and provided the inside scoop on how to find, book, and be successful with a celebrity.

Ben Anshutz has been with Gotham Artists for 10 years and leads the entertainment division of the business. Being a performer and entertainer himself has given him a way to get involved with Hollywood and celebrities. Working with celebrities can be challenging but with all the trials and tribulations it brings, it keeps him interested and looking forward to each day.

What do celebrities bring to events? Ben said most people hire a celebrity for the marketing sizzle and bragging rights while the expertise and content the celebrity brings just come in second. Ideally, you’ll want somebody that will be able to give the audience real takeaways and not just a fluffy appearance. To figure out who the right celebrity is ideal to bring to your event, Ben suggests thinking of someone that has a great story to tell to form a connection between the speaker and the community that the event is for. 

More Famous, More Money

The popularity of the celebrity speaker is a big factor when it comes to the cost of their services. The bigger they are, the bigger the prices that they would command. However, there are some exceptions. According to Ben, a celebrity might accept a lower offer when they are really passionate about the cause of the event and the desire to be in front of the audience.

Making movies or TV shows is different than speaking in front of hundreds or thousands of people live. To help determine whether the celebrity is going to handle the speaking well, Ben strongly recommends finding a good agent who’s had years of on-site experience with these types of speakers. He also stressed that the event producer has the power to set the speaker up for success. To do that, he suggests throwing the keynote speech out the window and trying something different like an on stage Q&A between the celebrity and a moderator or a panel of moderators. “Your audience is going to lean forward more and be more involved with the back and forth conversation rather than someone just talking at you for 45 minutes.” Getting a good moderator is almost as important as selecting the speakers. Celebrities are not used to big audiences so when someone drives the conversation, that’s when you see your investment kick in.

When it comes to getting your money’s worth, unlike professional speakers, celebrity speakers often won’t promote the events where they are speaking. According to Ben, the bare minimum that event planners should expect from the celebrity is their influence and the approval to utilize their names and put their pictures on the event website for promotion. “Nine times out of 10, event planners want the marketing muscle.” so you need to clearly understand what the celebrity will do.

Cancellations

Ben said that cancellation is the ever-present risk when hiring a celebrity. Even if it’s stated in the contract that they couldn’t cancel inside the 30-day window, it still happens. It only happened once in Ben’s 10 years in this business but event planners should still have a backup plan in place. According to Ben, a good agent must have a list of people that he can keep tabs on just in case he needs a replacement. Besides replacing the person, he added the fantastic idea of getting a heartfelt apology video message from the celebrity speaker sent for the audience.

Finding A Good Agent

When it comes to finding a good agency to become a resource and bring the right celebrity speakers for you, Ben says, “If you want to catch the best fish, have a couple of fishing poles.” 99% of speakers can be booked by any agent for the same price. It’s all about service, who you like, who gets back to you fast, who has good ideas, and who’s the most creative. Ben’s advice is to work with three or four different people for two weeks, then choose your agent, and then choose the artist. 

Cost

You can get a celebrity for a speaking fee of hundred thousand dollars or a quarter of a million dollars but there are often also hidden costs. Ben strongly suggests event planners not ever sign a contract that says “plus travel” because you can end up paying loads of money for the airfare tickets. “Celebrities do not care about how much they spend on travel when you are footing the bill.” Ben strongly suggests doing a fixed amount travel buyout to save you from so much headache, stress, and anxiety.

I hope you’ve found some great tips and learned a lot with our guest expert from Gotham Artists, Ben Anshutz. Gotham Artists and their amazing team help people connect the dots and find something that’s going to inspire them and their audience. If your organization is looking for a celebrity speaker to inspire and share some knowledge with your people, you can visit their website at www.gothamartists.com.