Help and Advice
This section will build into a valuable source of information for those booking entertainment, as well as assistance on using the Associated Artistes website.
» Frequently Asked Questions
Q) Why should I choose Associated Artistes?
As one of the fastest growing entertainment agencies in the country, we have access to a massive range of top quality acts so, whatever you're looking for, we've got it.
But we know that having an endless catalogue isn't enough, that's why we have profiles for hundreds of acts on our website, so you can browse and compare them instantly. Backed up by full descriptions, song lists, hi-res pictures, sound clips, video clips and, most importantly, price guides, we offer one of the best 'try before you buy' websites you'll find.
What else? Two words - free advice. If you aren't experienced in booking live entertainment, no worries. We'll help you choose the right act(s) for your event and guide you through the whole process. You'll receive a clear and concise booking confirmation with the key points highlighted so you'll never be let wondering what the next step is.
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Q) Why use an agent? Isn't it cheaper just to book the act directly?
Not necessarily. We're here to negotiate the best possible price for you and, most importantly, booking through an agent gives additional safeguards which can be invaluable if things go wrong.
The contracts issued by Associated Artistes constitute a comprehensive, legally binding document between the client and the act, helping to ensure that everything goes off without a hitch.
But, if the act has to pull out through illness or other unforeseen problem, we'll work hard to find you a replacement, even if it's at the last minute. And in the rare case that something goes wrong, as an objective third party we'll do all we can to mediate and rectify the situation.
Read our terms and conditions for more information.
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Q) How does the booking process work?
We work hard to make the booking process as straightforward as possible, so that everything should be easy to follow, even if you've never booked entertainment before.
- Selection - Use the website to find the entertainment which you'd like at your event. There are lots of tools to help you do this, including the ability to sort acts by price and distance from your location. You'll need to enter your postcode to unlock these features and get the most from the site.
- Enquiry - Once you've found the act or acts you're interested, you can can contact us via one of the web forms or by phone or email. Try to provide as much details in your enquiry as possible, including dates and times where possible. This is also the stage at which we can answer any initial questions you may have or give our recommendations if required.
- Price & Availability - When we have the necessary details, we will contact your chosen acts to check their availability and get a firm quote for your event. This can take anything up to 48 hours but often much less. As soon as we have a response from the act(s), we'll get straight back to you so that you can make a decision.
- Confirmation - If you'd like to go ahead and book an act, we'll request some final details (contact details and so on) before sending out a contract for you to sign and return. A booking fee typically equal to 15% of the act fee is required to secure an act. This gives both you and the act piece of mind that the booking is certain to go ahead. The balance is usually payable either direct to the act on the day of the event, or by cheque or bank transfer no later than 14 days before, if you prefer.
This is just a brief summary of the booking procedure, so if you have any further questions, please do note hesitate to contact us.
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Q) What payment methods do you accept?
For payment of booking fees, we accept all major credit and debit cards including Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Solo and Electron. To make a payment, please use the link to our secure online payments system which accompanied your invoice or call 0845 094 1455, with your Booking Reference handy. We also accept cheques made payable to "Associated Artistes" and bank transfers (via BACS or CHAPS, usually classed as a 'bill payment' in telephone/internet banking). Full payment details can be found on your invoice.
For payment of act fees, we allow Cash on the Night or payment via cheque or bank transfer no later than 14 days prior to the event. We also accept credit and debit card payment for act fees, subject to a 4% surcharge. This is necessary as we are handling the payment on behalf of the acts and, as such, the surcharge is necessary to recoup the hefty processing fees.
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Q) Why don't the sound/videos/pictures work properly?
See 'Using The Website'.
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Q) Why is your site so slow?
We try hard to keep everything running smoothly but even so, people do sometimes experience delays when using the site.
If pages are slow to load, please first check that other UK sites are accessible at high speeds (like http://news.bbc.co.uk), to check that the delay is at our end and not yours. If it is just us, then please report it via email to webmaster@associatedartistes.co.uk with the time and date that you couldn't get on. We can check things out and see if it's a problem we can do something about.
Usually, if there is a problem, it clears within a few minutes, so have a cup of tea or something then try again in five or ten minutes time. It might be that our web site itself may be down, but this is very unusual, and we always try to minimise downtime, so that the site is available whenever you need it.
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Q) What is the Share/Bookmark button for?
Using the Share button, you save, tag and share pages on the Associated Artistes site with friends, family and people with similar interests.
As well as options for adding a page to your favourites/bookmarks and emailing to a friend, you can also add it to any one of dozens of social networking and bookmark sharing websites including Facebook, Digg, Del.icio.us and many more. All of these sites are free to use but do require you to register. Once you have registered you can begin bookmarking.
In short, it's a quick and simple way to share possible entertainment options with your friends, family or colleagues.
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» Terms and Conditions
As an entertainment agent, it's important that we make clear our Terms and Conditions of business. Follow the link to read them in full, as they appear on our contracts.
» Using The Website
The Associated Artistes website is designed to be cross-platform and cross-browser compatible. This basically means whatever computer you're using with whatever software, it should work just fine.
However, the site does use technologies which may not be installed on your computer or may be disabled by your security settings. The sound, video and image functions are all powered by Flash and JavaScript. Without a Flash plug-in and basic JavaScript enabled, you will not be able to view videos, listen to sound clips or show full size images.
You can download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player here.
JavaScript settings can be found in Tools -> Internet Options -> Security in Internet Explorer and Tools -> Options -> Content in Firefox.
