Category: Uncategorized

Of all the questions we are asked here at The Bazel Group, Inc. – the single most popular by far is: “Will an Artist appear at our charity fundraiser for free?“

Time and time again, we have people contacting us with amazing causes and charities. Their passion and drive are awe-inspiring, and believe us, here at The Bazel Group, Inc. – we understand fundraisers. 

How understanding, you might ask? While we donate funds to the Girl Scouts to buy their Thin Mint cookies (yum) – we go much deeper than that. Case in point – our VP of Operations, Gina Cheshire was named the “Big Sister of the Year” for both Nashville and the state of Tennessee by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee. Our CEO Ed Bazel once organized “The Transcontinental Ride For Hope” and rode a bicycle from the end of the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, CA – to the end of the St. John’s Pier in St. Augustine, FL. That is eight states, 278 cities and towns, and over 3,000 miles on a bicycle – to raise money for The City of Hope.

Good News/Bad News

Through our years of experience on the front lines of the music industry, we have found that most Artists are wonderfully charitable and do indeed donate a portion of their time to their personal causes and charities. That’s the good news Now for the not-as-good news: Anything over and above this amount of donated time, and the Artist (or Artist’s business manager) has to consider the event as a regular paying engagement. Believe it or not, like all of us, they have bills to pay and sometimes many people on their payroll. We are not exaggerating when we say that Artists are asked to give their performances for free weekly.

There are still ways that you can make your fundraising event work. We have found that most professional fundraisers will go ahead and find corporate sponsorship and then secure the Artist at their normal appearance rate. 

This way, they can be 100% sure the Artist will perform and confidently sell tickets to raise funds for their event. Again, they ensure their sponsor’s financial commitment is in place before they lock in the Artist.  

skills. In addition to regular ticket prices, they also sell gold circle tickets (higher-priced, which include front row seats and a Meet & Greet with the Artist) to get the best return on their investment. We are sure there are plenty more ways to maximize the use of your entertainment, as there are some very sharp and efficient fundraisers out there. 

We want you to know that while your event is significant to us – and want to make sure your event is a money maker and not a financial loss.

Our team of professionals at The Bazel Group, Inc. stands ready to consult and deliver celebrity talent for corporate events, conventions, conferences, sales meetings, new product promotions, holiday parties, concerts, and more.

Contact Us Today

Meeting Planner Survival Guide – a suggested timeline for your convenience:

Planning your next meeting or conference can be a daunting task, as many details and logistics are involved in producing a successful event. Here is a brief guideline to help you plan your next event:

​Six to Eight Months In Advance

• Establish meeting theme and objectives

• Establish meeting budget

• Determine audience participants: the size of the group, facilitators, dignitaries, etc.

• Select meeting date

• Contact venue sites: convention centers, conference facilities, hotels, convention, and visitor bureaus

• Check references of other meeting planners that have booked the facility

• Select meeting locale and meeting site

• Decide on topics and speakers/trainers that will address the topics and objectives of the meeting

• Contact us to check on availability and speaker’s fee

• Are you having a celebrity concert? Now is the time to contact us to book your headliner entertainment.

• International considerations: Climate at time of the meeting, cultural considerations, third-party vendor contact information, banking arrangements, receiving agents for shipments needing to be secured through customs, interpreter arrangements

Four to Six Months In Advance

• Decide on the length and the agenda of the meeting

• Inform attendees of the date, place, and objectives of the meeting

• Finalize facility arrangements

• Decide on food and beverage arrangements

• Finalize the specific meeting rooms and layouts required

• >Have all decisions finalized in the contractual form, including appropriate clauses for display or use of competitive goods and services, issues of attrition, indemnification, arbitration, and other issues where appropriate

• Make all necessary hotel reservations for attendees attending out-of-town

• Contract with proper transportation services

• Decide on the use of giveaways. Order and confirm delivery date if applicable

• Arrange for any on-site communication needs such as internet provider, telephone accessibility, office services, pagers, cell phone accommodations, etc.

• Make all arrangements for shipping materials and confirm

Three Months In Advance

• Determine what materials need to be reproduced.

• Determine what materials need to be included in the registration packet

• Arrange airport arrival requirements for meet and greet arrivals, ground transportation arrangements, designated luggage tags for group participants, etc.

• Determine meeting room setups and notify the site of additional requirements

• Order necessary signs, conference banners, and room signage

Four to Six Weeks In Advance

• Reconfirm with all external vendors

• Copy all materials that will need to be distributed

• Send attendees information regarding meeting attire, agenda, hotel, and travel arrangements. Include pre-printed luggage tags and participation requirements, pertinent telephone numbers, and contact information.

Two Weeks In Advance

• Prepare registration packet and name tags.

• Ship all required materials in numbered boxes to the meeting site: request acceptance receipts and confirmation of arrival notification.

• Confirm the number of attendees with the hotel and caterer.

One Week In Advance

• Check weather reports for possible delays and determine a backup plan for weather-altering scenarios.

• Coordinate delivery of special guestroom deliveries such as VIP gifts or employee incentive gifts.

• Meet with the necessary security and parking officials to coordinate meeting logistics

• Confirm rooming list with registration desk and procedure for check-in. Double-check rooms for VIPs and those with special needs.

• Discuss with the front desk appropriate information to be included on on-site marquee boards

• Meet with the accounting department of the site facility and confirm master billing procedures.

• Check inventory of materials and supplies pre-shipped. Compile registration packets that will be distributed. Set up a separate registration area if necessary.

• Conduct a meeting with personnel about on-site administration and delegate responsibilities where appropriate.

Post Meeting Follow Up

• Send thank-you notes to the facility and to personnel that went above and beyond to ensure the success of the meeting.

• Send thank-you notes to VIP’s for their attendance where appropriate.

• Document meeting notes, prices, vendors, and suggestions for future meetings.

Debbie Gibson burst onto the music scene at the age of 16 and instantly became the youngest artist in history to write, produce and perform a number one hit, “Foolish Beat.” She still holds this title in the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest female three decades later.

She has sold more than 16 million albums and has starred in 17 musicals, from Broadway’s “Les Miserables” to the West End’s “Grease.”

ASCAP Songwriter of the Year (tied with Bruce Springsteen) in 1989.

In 2019, she launched her SiriusXM radio show “Debbie Gibson’s Mixtape” on The Blend.

Debbie performed 55 arena shows across North America in 2019 on the mega-successful New Kids on the Block Mixtape Tour. It sold 600,000 tickets and featured Debbie along with Tiffany, Naughty by Nature, and Salt-N-Pepa.

Guest starred in the musical episode of “Lucifer” on Netflix.

FEATURED IN: Variety, Rolling Stone, Billboard, NY Times, NY Magazine, People Magazine, The Tamron Hall Show, Today Show, NPR Weekend, and on the cover of Pollstar Magazine’s August 30th issue

Recently completed an 8-show engagement “Debbie Gibson & Joey McIntyre: Live from Las Vegas” at The Venetian® Resort Las Vegas. 

Contact us to bring Debbie Gibson to your next corporate or special event!

Kenny Loggins’ remarkable four-decade-plus career has brought him from the top of the charts to the toast of the Grammys. He’s had smash hits on Hollywood’s favorite soundtracks, rocked worldwide stages, and found his way into children’s hearts while bringing his soulful, beautiful voice to platinum albums of a stunning variety of genres. His gift for crafting deeply emotional music is unparalleled, and it’s been a part of his life as long as he can remember.

When Loggins was 7 years old, he watched his two older brothers struggle to write a song, “and I remember thinking, it just can’t be that hard,” he laughs. Around a year later, inspired by the film Yankee Doodle Dandy, he realized songwriting was his future. “It’s a moment that sticks with you,” he says, “I knew deep inside that this is something I could do.”

Once he started doing it, he never stopped.

More than 25 years after Melissa Manchester released Tribute, her 1989 album that honored the great female singers who influenced her, she turns the tables with The Fellas, a radiant encomium to the men, including Frank Sinatra, Mel Tormé, Tony Bennett, and Dean Martin, and the iconic songs they made famous. Singing with a verve and emotional vulnerability that immediately captivates, the Grammy winner inventively reimagines these be-loved standards. Many of these tunes embedded themselves into Manchester’s musical DNA while she was growing up on New York City’s Upper West Side. Manchester brings her own experience and truth to each song and, though tackling the music of her heroes could be daunting, she was fearless. “A great song is a great song,” she says.

Contact us to bring the magic of Melissa Manchester to your corporate or special event!