Often times when it comes to entertainment we tend to put all of the musicians, DJ's dancers, comedians and magicians into the same sector...entertainment. Do we really do our research and find the best entertainment for each of our events? Maybe. Sometimes. But now that the event industry sector of entertainment is growing vastly, don't we owe it to our industry to do the extra work and really find the best fit for each event?
 
It's not too late, there will be thousands of events ahead of us that will give us the opportunity to go the extra mile and really define our reasoning behind our event entertainment decisions. So, where can we improve our "weeding out" process of the events' entertainment options? First, define the audience. Research your audiences' current needs and wants over trends. Look at why they are attending and what they would want out of the event. Exceed expectations with the entertainment as sometimes it may cost you nothing but mean the world. Second, the entertainment is supposed to aid the purpose of the event. Here often times planners tend to want to change things up a bit for the sake of change...don't. Always remember the purpose and don't drift away from it too much for the sake of being creative.
 
And lastly, have a strategy and stick to it. A strategy is developed by doing research on the aspects of the project or event. It is developed from a purpose, if you keep the purpose in mind; a complete strategy is developed from research and thought. Follow the path and remember to sit back and put some thought into the entertainment decision as if you were a member of the audience. In other words, put yourself in their shoes.

Ashley Sostaric
PLAN Event Details Management