Summary
Booking Managers are known by many names, such as Booking Agents, Theatrical Agents, Bookers, or Booking Representatives. They negotiate contracts and secure engagements for musical artists, theatrical or ballet productions, nightclub acts, concerts, lectures, trade shows, dance troupes, and similar performers. Their primary responsibility is to help artists find gigs.
Duties
A Booking Manager’s duties may vary greatly depending on the client. They may act as a representative of the client, checking venues for potential availability dates when their client may perform. Booking Managers may also arrange payment details and manage any special agreements as part of the contract. In addition to that, they may contact film and industry professionals on behalf of their clients to acquire suitable jobs for them. Once their client is hired, they coordinate contractual agreements, such as hotel reservations, transportation, and meal appropriation and payments. Booking Managers may also be responsible for maintaining a portfolio of his client for distribution to potential employers. This may include a video or DVD of the client’s work and photos or media clippings of the artists.
Education and Training Requirements
A college education is always an advantage, although there is no specific educational requirement in becoming a Booking Manager. Being a Booking Manager is much like running a business where you “sell a product,” in this case – the artist, so getting a business-related degree would be a good idea. You may also opt to get a college degree in Communications since the job requires talking to many people. Some states may require you to acquire a license to work as a Booking Manager.
Knowledge and Skills Requirements
To be a successful Booking Manager, one must have excellent communication skills, business acumen, knowledge of making itineraries, be patient enough to withstand talking on the phone for long hours, be dependable, good grasp of sales, has strong networking skills, and a passion for music and the arts. They need to have a strong work ethic, and can work well with artists.
Working Conditions
Booking Managers spend most of their time on the phone or in front of the computer answering emails. They usually have their own office with basic communication equipment such as fax machines, telephones, and a computer. Nowadays, they don’t spend as much time in the office and tend to answer calls and emails while outdoors, arranging venues and talking to talents.
Salary
The typical salary of a Booking Manager is $44,000 per year. This varies greatly due to the industry their client is in, the amount of gigs they book, the number of clients they have, location, experience, and in some cases, the size of the agency they are employed in. Booking Managers earn a percentage of their talent’s earnings, so the more successful their client is, the bigger their salary is.
