Booking someone to perform at a private event is one of those things people do rarely and therefore do badly. The conversation usually covers price and date, and then everyone finds out the rest on the night.
Here is the list I wish somebody had given me the first time.
What exactly is included in the quoted price? A number on its own tells you very little. Does it cover travel? Setup time? Equipment? Costumes or props? Ask for the breakdown and you will often find the quote you were comparing against a competitor was not comparing the same thing at all.
How long is the performance? Forty minutes and ninety minutes are different products at different prices, and both are sometimes described simply as a set.
Is it continuous or split? A performer doing two shorter segments with a break gives you a different evening than one continuous block. Neither is better, but you need to know which you are buying so you can plan food and music around it.
What do they need from the space? Floor area, ceiling height, a changing area, power. A performer who needs three metres of clear floor cannot work in a living room with the furniture still in it, and finding that out on the night is too late.
What sound equipment is theirs and https://www.tumblr.com/ what is yours? This is the single most common failure point. Both sides assume the other is bringing it. Write it down.
How long do they need to set up and pack down? If it is an hour each way, your evening has an hour of nothing at each end unless you plan around it.
What happens if they cancel? Illness happens. A professional will have an answer, usually either a replacement from their network or a full refund. Someone who has never considered the question is telling you how they operate.
What happens if you cancel? Deposits, notice periods, partial refunds. Get this in writing before you pay anything.
How is payment structured? A deposit up front is normal and reasonable. Full payment up front is a risk. Cash on the night is common in some markets and fine as long as both sides expect it.
Do they need a meal or a break? Sounds trivial. A performer who has travelled two hours and works for ninety minutes is a person, and forgetting this creates awkwardness at exactly the wrong moment.
Can you speak to a previous client? Not a review on a website, an actual person. Anyone with a real track record can arrange this and anyone who cannot is worth a second thought.
And the one people skip: what is the plan if the audience is difficult? Quiet rooms, drunk rooms, rooms where half the guests are on their phones. Experienced performers have handled all of it and will tell you how they read a room and adjust. The answer tells you more about their level than any promotional video.
A note on getting the size right. Matching the performance to the guest count matters more than matching it to the budget. Something built for a hundred people feels strange in front of twelve. Something intimate gets lost in a large hall. Tell the performer your numbers and your space honestly and listen if they suggest something different from what you asked for. They have seen more rooms than you have.
Finally, put it in writing. Not a contract full of legal language, just an email confirming date, time, duration, price, what is included and what happens if either side cancels. It takes five minutes and it resolves every disagreement that might otherwise happen at eleven at night in front of your guests.