First off, fundraisers are not immune to Calendars and competing events. Know your target audience and competing days and/or competing events. If you’re doing a fundraiser on a very busy day like a New years fundraiser or a Friday/Saturday in December (this is considered Christmas Season and is usually the most expensive time to hire entertainment as well as facilities and Catering), except to pay top dollar. A prime date event can be very successful depending on who your target audience is. Do it so you are successful and be prepared to pay on busy dates. If you’re organized you’ll make money. If you’re not, you could lose money.
Secondly, different Organizations have hired me to perform a Hypnosis Show in Calgary and other areas for fundraising events. The most financially successful events are the ones that actually have a budget to spend money on entertainment, advertising, Catering etc. They usually have target goals on the amounts they are fundraising and I’ve been part of events that have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in one night. I’ve also performed at events that have lost money. What is the difference? Organization. The groups that planned to make money and created events that were successful and repeat their success over and over. The groups that didn’t plan for success lost money and couldn’t do another fundraiser.
As an entertainer, it’s easy to tell when a client contacts me whether they are going to make money. The ones that are usually going to fail ask for free shows and/or large discounts and tell me about another entertainer who’s willing to do it for less to try and get a discount. The ones that make money have always paid my full price and never asked for a discount. Just remember, you get what you pay for. Do your research as I describe in the rest of my blog about selecting a Hypnotist.
This is not to say I’ve never given a discount or a free show. There have been occasions where I’ve believed in the charity and wanted to support it, or because I’ve received something else in return such as massive media exposure for a high profile charity. If you are on a limited budget and you want to receive a free show you’ve either got to have a cause that the hypnotist believes in so that they feel they are helping out, or there has to be a perceived benefit such as media exposure and/or the potential for more paid business such as a guest list the hypnotist can market their services to after.