Ok, let’s hop right into this one! How often do you get emails from various sources saying you’re a VIP and that you should RSVP for this, that and the third? Or some special event or holiday weekend pops up like the NBA All-Star weekend, the Super Bowl, Memorial Day, etcetera, and you find yourself RSVPing to all these amazing events with promises you won’t have to stand in line and be treated like the VIP you are?
And yes you are all very special in my book! [Wink]
Only to arrive at the place and realize 70 million other people got those same RSVP emails. Not only that, but they got there before you and now the list is closed, they lost your name or the club is at capacity.
Think I’m lying? Well, here’s an example of how even celebrities deemed “Very Important Person” get stiffed at the door. I stood next to NFL diva T.O. – Terrell Owens for you celebrity impaired people – for an hour outside a Vegas holiday event last year, only to overhear the man at the door tell another well-known celeb “Sorry your name is not on this list but there are two other lists with people who are inside. You’ll have to wait until they come out.”
What the [explicit]? That’s crazy!
I’m mean really, dozens of these email invites a week arrive in publicists and everyday people’s inboxes and they all are pretty standard with only one email address to RSVP to, so how is it that there’s always more than one list and most of the time you’re never on the one at the door?
How many trained monkeys does it take to get this right?
But the reality is this doesn’t happen by accident. As they say, the industry is a lot like high school with a pyramid scheme of who’s hot, who’s not, jocks, whores and finally nerds. Many people are very temperamental in their, for a lack of better words, “middle management” industry jobs. So when they have a chance to kick up some dust and pick and choose who’s in or out, oh-baby do they relish their opportunity, making things just a little more difficult for the people they wish they were.
The power of the list is almost intoxicating [laughing].
Don’t think I’m just talking about nightclubs. This also tends to be the case at many industry events as well. Labels and management companies hire event and promotion companies that don’t know their ass from their elbows. These companies personally invite A, B and C list celebs and whoever else they can find as fillers to events. Then they aren’t even organized enough to get those who have priority in the doors first.
And the reality is publicists and reps can’t always show up to events with their clients to guarantee a proper welcome. I recommend getting a direct contact; possibly the company representative and also provide them you and/or your client’s contact. This way if the host/ doorperson plays the name game upon arrival, you have a direct person accountable and not just a reference email or cardboard invitation that doesn’t prove RSVP wasn’t confirmed.
That way you won’t look foolish when shady promoters, event companies and, yes even PR firms, mislead you. Shoot, they should be honor to be graced by your presence and treat you like the Very Important Person you are!
