Planning an event can feel deceptively simple until you reach the entertainment part, and then everything gets gloriously complicated. This workshop strips away the jargon and panic and gives organisers, couples, venues, and anyone who’s ever Googled “entertainment near me” the confidence to find and book performers who actually make an event sing.

First we map the entertainment landscape so you understand what’s available and what each option actually does. Live bands, DJs, tribute acts, roving performers and interactive shows are explained in plain English and illustrated with real examples so you can match the act to the audience, the mood, and the budget. Next we focus on how to spot the good, the bad and the utterly baffling: what to look for in a performer profile, which questions you must ask before you pay a deposit, why video footage is far more revealing than glossy photos, and how to tell a genuine review from marketing fluff. Budgeting is covered in a practical, no-nonsense way that shows realistic price ranges, highlights common hidden costs nobody mentions, and explains where it’s worth spending and where you can sensibly save.

The booking process is demystified step by step. Enquiries, contracts, technical riders and timelines are translated into straightforward language so you can avoid last-minute disasters. You’ll also learn to design an entertainment journey rather than just a playlist, thinking about how to build energy across an event, where to place surprise moments, and how to create “wow” without chaos. Because talking about entertainment without demonstrating it is dishonest, the workshop features live demonstrations from different act types so you can see how each feels in a real room. Interactive moments show how performers handle audience interaction and what a successful singalong or roving performance looks like in practice.

Attendees take part in an exercise working in small groups to design entertainment plans for a fictional wedding, corporate gala, festival or community party and receiving candid, constructive feedback. The tone throughout is smart, accessible and slightly irreverent—no jargon, no hard sell—just honest insider insight from people who actually work the floor. This session is ideal for event planners and organisers, venue staff, corporate bookers, couples planning a wedding, festival teams and community groups: anyone who needs to move from clueless to confident when it comes to booking entertainment.

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