Why We Created This Resource

My name is Matt Altman, and welcome to Booking Insights.

Welcome to our clients, colleagues, family & friends, and to everyone we’re meeting for the first time.

If you’re reading this, you may be planning an event, considering live entertainment, or simply wanting to learn more about how the business of booking entertainment works. Whether you’re organizing a private celebration, milestone event, corporate meeting, fundraising gala, or another special occasion where live entertainment can create an unforgettable experience, welcome.

After more than 25 years in the entertainment industry, booking headline talent and producing concerts for private luxury events, I’ve noticed something.

People ask the same questions time and time again.

How much does it cost to book a headline artist?

How far in advance should we start?

Why do artist fees change?

What happens after we decide to move forward?

How do we avoid making costly mistakes?

The list goes on.

Most people don’t book headline entertainment every day. In fact, for many organizations, companies, or families, it may only happen once or twice in their lifetime. There isn’t a playbook sitting on the shelf and there are very few places to find straightforward, experience-based answers.

That’s why we created Booking Insights.

This isn’t a sales pitch.

It’s a resource.

Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of working with private individuals, corporations, charities, foundations, and event professionals to help create unforgettable live entertainment experiences featuring some of the world’s most recognizable performers.

Along the way, we’ve learned that successful events are built on far more than selecting the right artist. They require thoughtful planning, open communication, realistic expectations and a clear understanding of how the entertainment business works behind the scenes.

Each week, we’ll share practical insights drawn from real-world experience. We’ll discuss artist fees, booking timelines, negotiations, production, planning, and many of the questions clients ask before making important decisions.

Most importantly, we hope this becomes a conversation. We encourage you to engage with us, ask questions and send us your thoughts. Many of our future Booking Insights will come directly from the questions you ask.

We’ll also share lessons we’ve learned over the years, an ongoing story of what works, what doesn’t, and what often makes the difference between a good event and a truly unforgettable one.

Whether you’re an experienced event planner or someone organizing live entertainment for the very first time, we hope these articles leave you feeling more informed, more confident and better prepared throughout the process.

If even one article answers a question, saves you time, helps you avoid a mistake, or gives you a better understanding of how this business works, then we’ve accomplished exactly what we set out to do.

Thank you for joining us.

We look forward to sharing what we’ve learned, continuing to learn alongside you, and helping you create extraordinary live entertainment experiences.