I’m The Intellectual’s Illusionist, not a personal injury attorney, so please forgive the giant check. I had to get the point across somehow.
Earn a Referral Fee for Introducing Gentry
You know people who plan events. Introduce me to one of them, and when they book a private or corporate engagement, I'll pay you 10% of the performance fee.
That's the same share a booking agent earns. You make one introduction by email, and I handle everything after that.
Three Steps, One of Them Yours
Introduce us by email. Write to the person planning the event and Cc me at gentrymind123@gmail.com. A line like "You should talk to Gentry. He's remarkable" is plenty.
I take it from there. I talk to them, send a proposal and handle the contract. Here's what planners usually ask.
You get paid. When they book and pay in full, I send you 10% of the performance fee within 14 days, by Zelle, PayPal or Venmo.
When the Fee Is Earned
The fee is earned only when every one of these conditions is met:
The introduction is a Cc'd email. You introduce the client in an email thread with me (gentrymind123@gmail.com) in Cc. Calls, texts, social media messages and conversations don't qualify, even if the client books later.
It's a first-time client. They've never booked me and aren't already talking to me about an event.
The client actually books. That means a signed contract and payment in full for a private or corporate engagement.
There's no conflict. You're free to accept the fee under the law, your employer's policies and any professional rules that apply to you. You also have no part in choosing, approving or paying for the booking.
It's their first booking, signed within 12 months of your introduction email. One fee per client, ever.
If any one of these isn't met, no fee is owed. The full terms are in the Fine Print below.
What the Fee Comes To
You earn 10% of the performance fee, which ranges from hundreds to thousands of dollars. The bigger the event, the bigger your share. Trade show and conference engagements pay the most.
Who to Introduce
The best introductions go to someone who has an event coming up and needs it to go well:
A marketing team planning its trade show booth
An executive assistant organizing the holiday party or a client dinner
A conference organizer looking for a keynote or an opening act
An HR or people leader planning a team offsite
A friend planning a milestone birthday, an anniversary or a private dinner
A nonprofit putting together its annual gala
My clients include AWS, MassMutual, DuPont, Capital One and Penn Medicine. I perform wherever the event is, in any city or country.
Want to Be a Booking Agent? Start With One Introduction.
Booking agents earn a commission for connecting clients with performers. At established agencies the standard is 10% of the fee, and smaller agencies often charge 10 to 20%.
The job itself is demanding. Agents build a roster, find clients, negotiate contracts, coordinate logistics and chase payments, usually for many performers at once.
This program pays you the same 10% for the part of the job that matters most: knowing the right person. I handle the proposal, the contract, the logistics and the show. If you enjoy connecting people, it's the easiest commission in the business.
How Much Is a Typical Finder's Fee?
A finder's fee is a one-time payment for introducing a buyer to a seller. Referral fees usually fall between 5% and 35% of the sale, depending on the industry and the size of the deal.
For live entertainment, 10% of the performance fee is a strong offer. It pays you the way the industry pays its professional agents.
What Do Entertainment Agents and Speakers Bureaus Charge?
Booking agents: 10% of the fee at established agencies, and 15 to 20% at smaller regional ones.
Speakers bureaus: commonly 25 to 30% of the speaker's fee.
Referral partners here: 10%, paid to you for one introduction.
For Venues, Planners and Agencies
You already field the question "Do you know a great entertainer?" This makes the answer pay.
Hotel and venue event managers, independent planners, DMCs, exhibit houses and experiential agencies each earn the same 10% on every new client they introduce. There's no cap, and nothing to sign. Every introduction counts on its own.
If you'd like me on your list of recommended vendors, get in touch and I'll send what you need: bio, photos, video and a one-page summary for your clients.
Common Questions
What counts as an introduction?
An email to the person planning the event with me in Cc. That thread is the record, so the credit is always clear.
Can I introduce my own company?
Yes. The fee is then taken off your company's price as a discount, so the event costs your organization less.
Can I give the fee away?
Yes. You can keep it, have it sent to a charity you choose, or pass it to the client as a discount.
Does the event have to be local?
No. I perform wherever the event is, across the country and abroad, and the fee is the same.
What kinds of bookings qualify?
Private and corporate engagements: parties, receptions, conferences, keynotes, trade show booths, team events and private dinners.
Do I need to stay involved?
No. Once you've made the introduction, I take care of the rest.
Fine Print
Introduction. An introduction counts only if it is an email from you to the prospective client with me (gentrymind123@gmail.com) in Cc. No fee is owed for any other kind of introduction, including calls, texts, social media, forwarded contact details or conversations, even if the client later books. If more than one person introduces the same client, the earliest qualifying email wins.
First-time clients only. The client must be booking me for the first time. Past clients, and anyone already in contact with me about an event when you make the introduction, don't qualify. That includes people in my records from an earlier inquiry.
One booking, one fee. The fee applies only to the client's first booking, and only if that booking is signed within 12 months of the date of your introduction email. Repeat bookings, rebookings, extensions, add-ons and later events earn no fee, even within the 12 months.
Booking. The fee is earned only when the client signs a contract for a private or corporate engagement and pays in full. Inquiries, proposals, holds and unsigned agreements earn nothing. Tickets to public shows never qualify.
Conflicts of interest. No fee is paid where paying it would create a legal, ethical, regulatory or contractual conflict. That includes cases where your employer's policies or your professional rules prohibit or restrict it, and cases where you have any part in choosing, approving or paying for the booking. It also covers planners, agents and vendors who are already paid by the client for the same event, unless the client agrees in writing. You're responsible for checking your own obligations and making any disclosure they require.
Employees of the client. If you work for the booking organization, no fee is paid to you. With your organization's approval, the 10% can instead be applied as a discount on its invoice.
Amount. The fee is capped at 10% of what the client actually pays me for the engagement, after any refunds. If an event is cancelled, the fee is 10% of whatever the client actually paid and I kept.
Payment. I pay within 14 days of the client paying in full, by Zelle, PayPal or Venmo.
Agents and bureaus. Bookings made through an agent or bureau follow that agent's or bureau's own commission agreement. Only one fee is paid per booking.
Your options. You may keep the fee, have it donated to a charity of your choice, or, where rule 6 applies or you prefer, have it applied as a discount for the client.
Your role. You're making an introduction, not acting as my agent or representative. You can't quote prices, make promises or agree to anything on my behalf. Nothing here creates an employment, partnership or agency relationship.
Fair play. Introductions must be genuine, and made to people you know. Mass or unsolicited emails, arranged self-referrals and introductions made to split the fee with the client don't qualify. The right to a fee is personal to you and can't be transferred.
Taxes. Referral fees are generally taxable income to the person who receives them. If my payments to you reach the IRS reporting threshold in a calendar year, I'll ask for a W-9 before paying and send you a Form 1099. Please ask your own tax advisor how this applies to you.
Eligibility. You must be 18 or older. The program is void where prohibited. I decide in good faith whether an introduction qualifies, and my decision is final.
Changes. I may update or end this program at any time. Introductions made before a change keep the terms in place when they were made. These terms are governed by the laws of Pennsylvania.
Who Do You Know?
Think of one person planning an event this year. Send them a short note, Cc me at gentrymind123@gmail.com, and I'll take it from there. Everything is subject to the conditions above.
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