7 Crucial Reads for Entertainment Event Professionals

I’ve been planning and producing events for ten years, most of which has been in the entertainment sector. While there is absolutely no substitute for experience, I still find it important to round out my knowledge of corporate event entertainment and employee team building activities by reading whatever I can get my hands on. Below are seven must-reads for event professionals who create entertainment events, be they concerts, performance art, stand-up comedy, scavenger hunts or (you guessed it) live trivia parties:

1) Entertainment Industry Economics (Harold L. Vogel) – When I was in graduate school studying music & entertainment industry management, this was the book which we were assured was on the shelf of every executive from Hollywood to Broadway. A comprehensive economic overview of each industry sector, this book provides a broad foundation of the market forces at play in creating entertainment events. It also has a significant portion devoted to the nature of leisure time, which I find to be very intriguing and useful.

2) This Business of Artist Management (Xavier M. Frascogna, Jr. & H. Lee Hetherington) – Part of the acclaimed BillboardBooks imprint, this is an essential guide to all aspects of working both around and directly with event talent, from contracts and “green M & M” type stuff to reputation management.

3) Guerrilla Publicity (Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Fishman & Jill Lubin) – A terrific resource for event professionals with limited PR experience or know-how, this extremely easy to follow book provides a comprehensive overview of how to get free publicity and exposure for your events in a variety of traditional media.

4) Concert Tour Production Management (John Vasey) – Even though this is a book specific to the concert industry, I often find myself referring to it because it’s such a simple and easy-to-use guide to event production, from tech stuff to dealing with unions to terminology.

5) The Power of a Positive No (William Ury) – From the co-author of the landmark negotiation book Getting to Yes, learn how to practice one of the most useful skills an entertainment industry professional can master: how to say no in a constructive, useful and productive way.

6)How to Work a Room (Susan RoAne) – The bestselling book by “mingling maven” RoAne remains popular for a reason: within its pages lie the secrets to how to socialize professionally, effectively and respectfully. An absolute must for those seeking to meet the right people when the opportunity rises.

7) Confessions of a Public Speaker (Scott Berkun) – Being the entertainment event organizer often means having to speak in public, be it for orientation/closing remarks, talent introduction or providing the “voice of god” announcements over the house PA system. This newer book provides a fresh and realistic approach to public speaking, covering everything from anxiety to attire.

Are you an industry professional with other book recommendations? We’d love to hear your suggestions, please feel free to leave some in the comments section below!