Booking agents are considered to be one of the professionals in the entertainment industry who are hardworking with a powerful ethical code and possess a desire to create profitable deals for the firm. They also look forward for detecting and including new talent in the industry.
The booking agent needs to follow some procedures before starting his services. He is required to inspect the laws of labor that are specifically designed for work agencies. The entertainment lawyer helps the booking agent in filing court petitions and interpreting complex legal records. He also assists in creating applications designated for licensing procedures.
It is necessary for the booking agent to introduce the business name of his agency in a recognized print media for at least 4 sequential weeks. He may even require to visit the court assembly along with the evidence of his publication. He needs to publish the request for registration through recognized periodicals in the location where he has decided to run his booking agency.
In order to register the booking agency as a fresh business venture, the booking agent is required to go through the Department of the Treasury. The Department of the Treasury usually asks for the tax identification number when the booking agent puts in his application for the registration. Besides, the booking agent also needs to contact the Internal Revenue Service in this regard. These agents generally acquire the license from the Labor Commissioner.
Both the experienced and novice booking agents can gain large resources through 'The Association of Talents Agents' (ATA). It also acts as a great industry leader for the booking agents. As per the updates of ATA, the booking agent is entitled for receiving a commission that is restricted to ten percent.
Requirements of a Booking Agent
There are no particular educational degrees or courses designed, not there is any ready career path for becoming a booking agent. Yet, the booking agents must have at least a high school diploma. Additionally, they are required to complete a professional course work in business, communication or any associated field. The booking agent can start his career as a junior assistant or agent for a booking agency. Gradually, they start building up their business networks and stimulate themselves to grow in the industry.
Skills of a Booking Agent
The booking agents are required to book themselves on global, local, and national travels for some musical acts. These musical acts are often arranged four months to six months beforehand. Therefore, they need to possess the best coordination abilities to coordinate with the managers about the arrangements of the business tours including the transportation procedures.
Moreover, the booking agents need to have excellent communication skills. The reason for this being their need to interact constantly with the venue owners, clients, managers, and promoters during their work. They are expected to be polite, humble, consistent, and attractive to achieve victory in this industry. Besides, they need to possess good time management skills.
Job Responsibilities of a Booking Agent
The booking agent is responsible for negotiating the contracts with the promoters and expressing new talents. This procedure of negotiation generally involves the identification of the percentage of gross revenue gained through the sale of tickets or the musical band fees. It also involves the reservation procedures of the performance dates for the club.
They are also found talking over the terms such as accommodation, food, transit facilities, and other needs of the artists like peculiar items that are required backstage or in the grooming areas. They also manage the terms related to the appearance of the artists particularly in the music sector.
The promoters are considered to be point persons of the booking agents and are responsible for the booking of the musical acts in the concert scenes. The booking agents hold the responsibility of helping the individuals who are associated with the entertainment sector in winning contracts or any other work related to the field. They are frequently found to travel with the clients so as to make sure that the proceedings are executed as per the plans and that the contracts are honored.
The booking agents work constantly to determine employment opportunities for the bands, musical artists, and singers. They do this by drafting the correspondences to the employers, answering to the queries of the employers or by contacting the industry contacts. They have an option whether to work with the booking agencies or to work independently.
As a primary responsibility, the booking agent looks after the lining up of the presentations of the musical artists and other artists belonging to different industries. They also act as talent agents who take up the role of setting up of the photo shoot programs and the auditions of the models and celebrities. They work in close relationship with the casting directors, event coordinators, and promoters in order to receive client auditions and client gigs.
Booking agent responsibilities are considered to be a potent equipment that helps the individuals to make a breakthrough in their career. It gives the right knowledge about booking agent job profile and its responsibilities.