Two new terms to add to your negotiation strategy: An FDO show and “bump and close managers.” Kevin Neal, APA, legendary booking agent with clients such as Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line, revealed the terminology during a power panel at the International Entertainment Buyers Association meeting in Nashville.
You offer $20,000, the manager says “get it to $25K and we have a deal,” you bump to $22.5K and close. That type of talent manager is known to booking agents as one who is just in it for the money. Developing talent? Not really. Planning and strategy? What’s that?
An FDO show is one you know is a s--- show, Neal said. A wanna-be promoter is making it hard to say no. The money is stupid. Rationality is not a factor. Finally you say okay and mark it down to FDO — For Deposit Only. It’s not going to make anybody happy or build anybody’s career or credibility.
Every day, we learn something new. A handful of participants at IEBA have been coming here for nearly all its 45 years. You might think they know it all now. Not so. Those are the people who are constantly learning.
We gather to network, connect, give back and recharge. The one thing I always take away from industry events — we get a kick out of each other. What fun to be in the sports and entertainment business. It’s hard work; it’s tiring; it’s against the grain – working so others can have fun. This is our play time and share time.
IEBA is showcase after showcase, hour upon hour, and that is fun. We saw everything from Louise Mandrell doing Calamity Jane (booked by Creative Booking Agency) to DJ Morgan Page (Circle Talent Agency) keeping us wide awake at midnight. The Jackson brothers (United Talent Agency) have reunited and hit the road six years after Michael Jackson’s death. Salt-N-Peppa (Universal Attractions Agency) couldn’t have been more engaging and interactive with the audience, even staying for photo ops ad infinitum.
“Did you see [Jennifer] Nettles?” asked John Huie, Georgia Music Hall of Fame agent with CAA after hugs (this is a hugfest). I immediately regretted missing it.
There is so much to do, so many old friends, so many new ones. Joe Vera, known around our office as the Grapefruit Man thanks to his annual Christmas gift of Texas grapefruit, has moved to McAllen, Texas, from Hidalgo, working as assistant city manager and helping with construction of a new performing arts center, building a parade and maybe even taking Borderfest to McAllen. Beth Colwell is moving from Cary, N.C., to Los Angeles to run the Greek for SMG. Jason Rittenberry, who made his own move to Circuit of the Americas in Austin, attended the wedding of Martin Thorson, Spectra Venue Management (also a move) and Sarah Rogers, director of development for the IAVM Foundation, Oct. 10 in Austin on his way to IEBA. Jeff Chabon has left AT&T Center, San Antonio, and is here networking. Eastern States Exposition (The Big E), West Springfield, Mass., turns 100 in 2016.
Wow. It’s one hopping industry.
God grant you many years to keep hoping and hopping.