Corporate entertainment is bought by somebody with a budget line, a fixed room and a fixed slot, which makes it a cleaner purchase than a wedding and a differently priced one. Acts quote by the hour with a minimum rather than by the day, the brief matters more than the taste, and the person signing it off is rarely the person who will be in the room.
Why the pricing shape differs from a wedding
A wedding takes a performer's whole day: they arrive early, they wait, they play across a long evening, and they cannot take other work. A company party takes a slot. That is why corporate work is quoted hourly with a minimum attached, and why a wedding day rate quoted for a two hour reception is the wrong product rather than an expensive one. Ask for the corporate rate and the minimum explicitly, and give the exact slot in the brief. Musicians and DJs who work both markets keep separate rates for exactly this reason, and the difference is not small.
What to put in the brief
State the room, the headcount, the slot, the sound limit if there is one, and what the entertainment is meant to achieve. An act that is background during a drinks reception and an act that is the focus of a room after a dinner are different bookings, and telling a supplier which one you want is worth more than a genre. Say whether there is a speech to work around and who is compering, because a professional act will take that job if asked and it usually goes better than the alternative. Say what the load-in is like, since a first floor room with no lift changes what is possible and what it costs.
The things that go wrong, and how to prevent them
Power and sound limits cause most corporate entertainment failures. A limiter that cuts the stage mid-set is embarrassing in a way that nothing else on the evening is, so get the venue's figure in decibels and give it to the act before booking. Timing causes the rest: a slot that starts twenty minutes late because dinner overran is normal, so agree in advance what happens and whether the act stays later or shortens. Put both in writing with the overrun rate, because the moment you need an extra half hour is the moment you have no leverage at all.
Questions people ask about corporate event entertainment
How is corporate entertainment priced?
Usually by the hour with a stated minimum, because you are buying a slot rather than a day. Ask for the rate and the minimum together, since the minimum is often the binding number at a short event.
Is it cheaper than a wedding booking?
For the same act, usually, because it takes less of their day. Comparing a wedding day rate with a corporate hourly rate without the hours is the commonest mistake in this category.
Who compères?
A professional act will usually do it if you ask, and it goes better than a nervous colleague with a microphone. Agree it in advance so it is in the brief rather than sprung on the night.
What does the venue need to provide?
Power near the stage, a load-in route, and its sound limit in writing. Those three answers prevent most of the problems that actually happen.