Frequently Asked Questions

Need Help?

Call us on 083 231 9819 (Deon) or 082 891 6345 (Bryan)

Benefits of using an entertainment agent

WHY CHOOSE BIG TALK ENTERTAINMENT?

African Acts
Magicians
Fire Acts
Master of Ceremonies
Corporate Entertainment
  • We are a team of insight-driven, industry experts aligned with current trends while anticipating future trends.
  • Specialized customer service and expert advice are what separate Big Talk Entertainment Agency from the competition
  • We support private and corporate clients.
  • We also discover new, emerging talent to increase our ever-expanding roster to provide a diverse offering to our clients.
  • We produce custom entertainment solutions tailored to our client’s needs.
  • We’ve successfully established and nurtured professional relationships with top local talent.
  • Big Talk Entertainment has decade’s worth of experience in the market and you can trust our advice.
  • We are professional entertainment consultants with a national and even international level of experience. We provide industry leading event entertainment consulting for event entertainment in Johannesburg, Cape Town and all other areas of South Africa and abroad.

For no-obligation help and advice, please submit an online enquiry for the most suitable Artist you’ve found so far, or else call us on 083 231 9819 (Deon) or 082 891 6345 (Bryan), and we will be happy to assist. Our offices are open 9 am – 5.00 pm Monday to Friday. Once your enquiry has been made, whether by phone or online, the same coordinator will look after you from start to finish so you’ll always deal with the same person, and they’ll work with you to understand exactly what you’re looking for.

Your coordinator will be able to make recommendations based on the information you provide and on any artist selections that you’ve already made. If you have found one Artist you like, we can answer any questions you have about them and, if required, discuss the differences between them and other similar artists so you can compare a range of options and quotes.

The more specific you can be about what you want, the more easily we’ll be able to help. Think about what style of entertainment you like, what you want the joy to achieve (dancing, mood-setting, ice-breaking etc.), how much you want to spend and how much space you have. Do you want lively, calming, modern, funky, sophisticated, cool, mature, young, vibrant etc.? All these descriptions will help us to make a suitable recommendation.

We also specialise and pride ourselves in themed entertainment, specifically designed according to your needs.

Firstly, select the entertainment you’re interested in and either submit an online enquiry or give us a call. We’ll discuss your requirements and get an actual quote directly from the Artist. Once you’re 100% happy that the Artist is right for you, we’ll issue a performance agreement. We require the signed contract and a 50% deposit to confirm the artist.

The remaining balance is payable by the date set out in the contract. You can make payment in advance to Big Talk Entertainment if you prefer, and we hold your payment for security in our ‘client’ account, releasing payment to the Artist only after the event. Depending on the Artist booked, the full amount is due to ensure their performance. It all depends on the artists’ conditions.

We understand concerns about booking an artist you’ve not seen before. However, there are two very good reasons why you shouldn’t worry:

  1. Big Talk Entertainment exists so that you don’t have to do all the hard work of vetting bands and artists yourselves. We do all that for you and only represent those who pass our strict vetting procedure. If you are concerned about quality, don’t be. All the artists we work with are pre-vetted and continually monitored by ourselves to ensure quality is maintained. Our artists are professional and have too much at stake to let you down or us.
  2. Most artists have photos, audio examples and references from previous customers. The feedback from other happy clients is one of the best ways to calm your nerves and hear what each band sounds like from their audio demos. We all make ‘blind’ booking decisions when we book a hotel room or holiday, and as with websites such as TripAdvisor.com, Big Talk Entertainment allows you to be guided by the feedback of previous customers. Some artists are already well known commercially.
 

You also have the added security of a comprehensive booking contract and 24-hour emergency support. We book entertainment for hundreds of clients each year, and we are only doing this by providing a first-rate, reliable service.

When you book live entertainment with Big Talk Entertainment, you get a comprehensive booking contract. This contract legally binds the Artist to perform at your event, and it confirms exactly what the Artist will provide and at what times, and it also binds the Artist to provide a high quality of service and behaviour. This contract is legally binding and cannot be cancelled unless someone dies or is seriously ill.

If one of the artists is seriously ill or injured, the Big Talk Entertainment coordinator is always available to be contacted to make alternative arrangements. This could include arranging an alternative artist or helping the band to replace an injured member. Your appointed entertainment coordinator will also be on hand to help with any questions or queries up to and after your event.

The contract is not cancellable without consent from both you and the Artist or unless a situation arises covered by the standard force majeure clause. The force majeure clause from the contract states:

“In cases of ‘Force Majeure’ (which shall be known as war, fire, death, illness or other capacity certified by a properly qualified medical practitioner, epidemic, accident, civil commotion, national calamity, order of Government or Local Authority having jurisdiction in the matter, changes in law, foreign government policy, the act of God), which are not attributable to any act or failure to take preventive action by the ‘artist’ or ‘client’, then the ‘artist’ or ‘client’ may cancel this booking without penalty other than loss of deposit.”

In laymen’s terms, this means that unless the Artist dies, is seriously ill, or has an accident travelling to your event (and if none of the above is attributable to them failing to take preventative action), they can’t cancel your booking without being in breach of contract.

One quick call from you or the Artist, and we would seek to provide a replacement artist.

As above, the contract is not cancellable without consent from both you and the Artist or unless a situation arises which would be covered by the standard force majeure clause (see above).

Calculation of cancellation fees works as follows:

  1. If you cancel once the contract is signed, Big Talk Entertainment will claim a 50% deposit one month or more before the event.
  2. If you cancel within two weeks of the event, the full fee is payable as it’s unlikely for the Artist to secure another booking.

In most circumstances, this is not possible as we work with bands and artists specialising in performances at private or corporate functions. By the nature of the fact that they are private or corporate, we cannot obtain access.

On the very rare occasion that an artist might be doing a public show, it’s impossible to guarantee that the Artist will still be available for your event by the time the show takes place. The best artists get booked very quickly, so if you find one you like, you are much safer basing your decision to hire on the strength of their demos, playlist, biography and references from other customers.

The Big Talk Entertainment coordinator will also be able to offer their recommendation, and many artists now also have video clips that enable you to get a good flavour of their performance style.

Mostly not with singers and bands, as artists rely on us to communicate with them via yourselves. Should you be booking a motivational speaker or EMCEE, we arrange a briefing with you and the speaker/Emcee. This only takes place once the booking is secured with a contract and deposit. 

In most cases, if the band offers this service, it will be noted as a booking option on their profile page. If you are unsure, please ask your coordinator.

The same applies to a solo singer. If the singer has the song as part of their repertoire, that is fine. Otherwise, a fee as above will be charged.

In many cases, if the song is not something the band feels they would perform again, they will charge a fee to cover rehearsal time and hire a rehearsal room. They will usually also only consider learning a song if it can be performed with their standard instrumentation. For example, it would be difficult for a guitar-based band to perform a convincing Frank Sinatra track without the piano and orchestra unless substituted with backing tracks, and these might need to be purchased. 

Most bands prefer you select the songs from their playlist, which you do and don’t want, then leave them to structure your choices into a workable order. They will need to consider many variables to ensure their sets flow well, and the singer will probably want to avoid having certain songs side by side.

Feel free to make an input but let the band bring their considerable experience to bear when finalising the actual playlist for the evening. 

Some artists do, and some artists will send you a technical rider for you to provide the sound and backline and lighting and stage.

This will be communicated with you by the Big Talk Entertainment coordinator. More commercially known artists don’t provide their sound and backline.

You almost always provide the stage, the client. 

A Master of Ceremonies also known as a MC is the official host of a ceremony, event or gathering. He/she is responsible for keeping the event moving and setting the correct tone and appropriate atmosphere for different types of events.

Whether it’s the romance of a wedding, the prestige of corporate events, the glitz of award ceremonies, or the power of impactful speeches, the Master of Ceremonies is your key to turning your event into amazing memories!

Prices for MC’s in South Africa vary between different classes of MC’s.The price range of each class of MC is as follows:

A list MC: Between R75 000 to R180 000
B list MC: Between R30 000 to R 75 000
C list MC: Between R15 000 to R 25 000

Impress Your Guests with Professional Entertainers & Performers from Big Talk.

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