We get asked all the time, “So, what does an agent do?” The role of the agent (aka entertainment consultant) is primarily to help our clients identify and book entertainment perfect for their event(s). The agent is a knowledgeable resource and idea generator, an events industry expert, an entertainment guru.
The ECE Agent Life series gives you an inside look at the day-to-day of an agent’s life. No two days are ever the same making this a career requiring adaptability and organization. Today, we’re following ECE Charleston agent, Scott Toole, as he takes us on a whirlwind ride of balancing family life, work life, and professional development.
6:45 AM: Kids awake. I try and sleep for five more minutes.
6:50 AM: Check phone to see if anything exciting happened overnight in that magical 6-hour timeframe of sleep
7:40 AM: Everyone has been fed and properly caffeinated. My wife leaves for work.
8:00 AM: I hear the first work email come in. Check it out and, luckily, it’s not urgent.
8:03 AM: Receive the first urgent work email. How am I going to balance this 8-month-old, a bottle of milk, and my phone to write back ASAP? The magic of parenthood. You have no idea how it happens; it just happens.
8:30 AM: A little me time at the gym
9:10 AM: Roll into the office possibly still sweaty. You know… it happens to all of us.
9:10—11:30 AM: Answer some emails and make some phone calls. Usually, it’s a mix of checking calendars and trying to make sure that everyone is ready to do what needs to be done for the upcoming weekend. Sometimes it’s catching up with a client or co-worker when the conversation steers quickly from the one legit work question to the ten personal questions. It’s all about the relationships.
11:45 AM: Arrive at Enterprise to pick up a car for my trip to Hilton Head for some networking.
12:30 PM: On the road for two hours. It’s a great time to make some phone calls. I catch up with a DJ, plan a booth for a wedding show, and learn about a new bride from a planner client. Anything but actually answer emails or texts while driving because, well, that’s dangerous.
2:30 PM: Missed lunch again. I grab something and pull out my laptop to answer those emails that came in while driving: proposals for upcoming events, new requests for proposals, payment instructions, first dance requests, and so much more.
4:00 PM: Checked into the hotel, showered, and put on nice clothes for the networking event. I make sure that everything is caught up and head down to the hotel’s beachfront music venue to take in the scenery.
5:30 PM: I’ve got a pocketful of business cards and it’s time to put on my game face as I say hello to others from the industry. Every time I attend a networking event, I can always count on seeing a new face of someone whom I’ve only communicated with over email. The name officially becomes a face. The digital world is funny like that.
6:30 – 8:30 PM: Man, how long are we going to network? Of course, there is some food and moderate hydration. If there are two things that professionals in the wedding industry can do exceptionally well, it’s: 1) their job and, 2) have a good time.
9:30 PM: I call it a night to get that I-slept-at-a-Holiday-Inn feeling for the morning.
