[ACML] Guest managers, and offer/counter-offers

[Chaz Baden (Anime Los Angeles)]

> "Your inquiry was forwarded to my office
> from her voice agency.  Her appearances are handled through our office
> and we are extremely selective about the events at which she appears in
> the U.S.  We appreciate your inquiry.  (blank) has a per day
> appearance fee that, depending on the date, location, size of event and
> the amount of her time/services requested can sometimes vary.

Well, that sort of thing comes across my desk for Anime Los Angeles
from time to time.
My usual response is something along the lines of

.....
Anime Los Angeles is a medium-sized non-profit 501(c)(3) all-volunteer
convention without any significant sponsorships.  Our budget is very
tight, and we don't pay appearance fees. What we offer our guests of
honor is:

- pay for your airfare, and that of a spouse/SO/friend/partner (could
be someone who lives somewhere else that you'd like us to fly out for
you)
- pay for a room for the duration of your stay. If you'd like to
arrive a day or to early, or stay later, to do a little sightseeing,
we'd be happy to cover your room.
- a per diem allowance to cover the cost of eating during the convention

We would like your participation in our opening and closing
ceremonies, a "spotlight" program item concentrating on you and your
career, and a few other panels -- our live program department will be
in touch.

We don't invite a large number of people to be a Guest of Honor.  If
you'd like references, you can ask Vic Mignogna, Svetlana Chmakova, or
Hiroaki Inoue how they liked being our Guest of Honor.
.....

I try to find out ahead of time if there's family involved, in which
case I'd offer to fly out and house the children, too.  I'd throw in
Disneyland tickets or offer to find out if there are any TV shows
taping during their stay. (Nobody's taken me up on that yet.)  I try
to learn a little about their likes and dislikes, and we spend between
$20 and $100 (he said vaguely) on a gift basket full of goodies to
leave in their hotel room.

I recognize that actors have to eat, and a paying gig is more
attractive than a free vacation. I try to pitch our convention as
being fun to attend, and a weekend of fannish adulation can be
enjoyable.  I also try to network a bit to figure out who would come
to the convention with the right attitude, to hang out and have a good
time.

Anytime the words "manager" or "agent" come into the conversation, I
view it as potentially a bad sign. Agents want their 10% (or whatever
it is), after all.

Anime Los Angeles has reached the level of visibility that people are
contacting us, saying "You should invite me and pay me too."  I
politely explain, as best as I can, that our budget won't cover that.

IF I were in the middle of a negotiation and got an e-mail like you
got, I would outline exactly everything that I'd be included; I'd get
the dollar amount for the per diem from my treasurer (we base it on
what it would actually cost to eat three meals a day in the hotel
restaurant) and mention that, since they want to talk dollars and
cents.  And if they declined, well, that's how the cookie bounces.

[I'm not convinced there are that many "headliners" that would
significantly affect my convention's attendance; and we're in the
position that we don't have room to expand anyway, so anyone trying to
tell me "Many hundreds of fans will want to come to the convention to
meet me" doesn't actually impress me that much.]

.....

I looked at Anime Nebraskon's guest list from last year.  You had some
voice actors.  Clearly you figured out how to talk to them.  What's
different this year?  (Are you trying to invite someone from out of
the country?)

Chaz

-- 
Chair, Anime Los Angeles 6 * LAX Marriott
8-10 January 2010 * Our fifth anniversary