Tony Dorsett, former NFL


running back, signs autographs at an event sponsored by Play


With A Purpose. Photo Credit: Pictures used with permission from Play With A Purpose (playwithapurpose.com)


you might have a match. And remember their image will refl ect on you, so if at all possible get some references from groups that have used the athlete before.


• Sometimes it’s all in the timing: Watch the papers for informa- tion about what celebrity may already be in town for another upcoming event (book signing, charity golf, ribbon cutting, etc.) and make it easy for them to participate in your event before or after. “Making it easy” can involve such things as offering a car service for pick up and return, buying a copy of their book for your attendees, solidifying positive publicity or including their elderly grandmother in the festivities. The downside to this is that trying to tag on to another event means that your offer may come at the last minute, but if you can still pull it together, then why not go for it?


• Come up with a plan of action: This is important to do before you ask for their participation. It’s usually not enough to offer a free round of golf along with your charitable donation. Most of these people like fan interaction, so give them something to do with your guests. Have giveaways with memorabilia that can be autographed; give them a microphone and let them share some behind the scene stories with your crowd; stage photo ops and book signings, being careful to time or limit these so they know there’s a start and a fi nish to the commitment.


• Autographs and photo opportunities: Most celebrities have some restrictions so proceed with caution. For instance, you might get a football player to join in your golf tournament but he won’t allow any photography while on the golf course. There are many reasons behind limitations such as sponsor endorsements and of course the obvious, maybe the guy can’t hit a golf ball past the fi rst tree and doesn’t want the world to know it! “If you’re doing a charity auction in conjunction with your golf tournament and your celebrity has donated autographed memo- rabilia for this fundraiser, you would be diminishing the value of the auction items if you allowed unlimited autograph signing dur- ing the tournament,” says Kevin Davis, a former catcher with the Houston Astros. Kevin also offers this helpful insight, “People forget that


WWW.MIDWESTMEETINGS.COM 39


celebrities are just human beings like the rest of us. They’ve all been affected in some way by life’s challenges, and have been helped along their journey to stardom by coaches, mentors, friends and family. Because of their popularity, they cannot help everyone, so often times, they tend to say no to a lot of events, which in turn makes people think they’re not good people. At the end of the day if the person asking for their participation is a referred friend and they can fi t it into their schedule they will most likely do it.” As meeting pros you have to treat these celebrity opportunities like the business functions they are regardless of whether it’s for a charity event, your company’s own good will, or perhaps just for your attendees to rub shoulders with high level athletes. It’s all in a day’s work when you plan meetings and events for a living.


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