Director Of Entertainment Job Profile
With the fierce competition to attract guests to casinos and casino hotels, it is essential today that facilities offer an all-encompassing entertainment experience. While for some a trip to the casino gaming floor is entertainment enough, others want more. By bringing guests into the casino property for various forms of entertainment, the facility increases the odds of having people gamble, eat in their restaurants, drink in their bars and clubs, purchase items in their retail outlets, and stay in the hotel. All of this results in increased revenue for the casino.
Depending on the specific facility, casinos may offer a variety of entertainment options ranging from lounge singers to megastars, major sports events to Broadway style production shows, and everything in between. The facility may host one or more lounges, nightclubs, arenas, and showrooms.
The person responsible for entertainment at the casino and casino hotel is called the Director of Entertainment.
He or she may also be referred to as the entertainment director.
Within the scope of the job, this person has a great many duties. He or she is first and foremost responsible for the development of the entertainment concepts and events for the casino. Entertainment might include events such as weekly boxing matches, periodic major championship boxing matches, major megastar concerts, or traditional entertainment such as piano bars, singers, or bands in lounges and bars, karaoke nights, comedy clubs, magic shows, Broadway-style theatrical plays, huge production shows, and nightclub shows.
Depending on the specific casino and its structure, entertainment might be held in various areas of the casino property including bars, lounges, and clubs on the property, theaters, showrooms, arenas, and public areas. The Director of Entertainment at casinos and casino hotels has an interesting challenge when developing and booking events and entertainment. He or she must try to bring in entertainment that will attract fans who will spend money in the casino, book rooms, and eat in the property’s restaurants. What that means is that the person cannot just book an act based on its reputation or even if the act has a hit tune on the charts. If the act’s fans won’t drop money into the slots or play table games, the most famous act in the world is not a good “buy” for the casino, even if they do sell out the seats.
Conversely, the Director of Entertainment might bring in an event like a championship boxing match where general admission tickets are given away gratis. While under normal circumstances this might be considered a loss, but when people watching these boxing shows go into the gaming area after the event and gamble huge sums of money, eat at the casino’s better restaurants, or visit its clubs, it is quite another story. What this could mean potentially is that even if an event such as a big fight ends up losing money in ticket sales, the casino can experience a really good night financially, resulting in a huge profit.
The Director of Entertainment deals with a great many different people in his or her job.
These may include booking agents, casino talent buying services, concert promoters, touring artists and attractions, event product vendors, managers, attorneys, public relations and publicity people, press agents, marketing people, special event producers, and those working in various areas of production. While of course, there is always standard classic entertainment such as lounge singers or piano bars, the Director of Entertainment is also expected to develop new, exciting, and innovative shows and entertainment events for the casino. Once this is accomplished, the person must find the perfect entertainers to make the shows happen and then negotiate terms. In some cases, the Director of Entertainment may outsource some of these events or shows. He or she may, for example, develop a deal for a show to be brought into the casino and then work with a concert promoter or production company.
In order to choose the best entertainment and entertainment events, the person must have a total knowledge and understanding of not only the entertainment industry, but the gaming and hospitality industries as well. What will work? What type of entertainment do casino visitors enjoy? Can the event be cross-marketed? What will end up ultimately making the casino the most money?
The Director of Entertainment must have the ability to forecast revenue projections as well as managing costs for the proposed entertainment. To do this, the Director of Entertainment will be expected to perform a risk analysis for every show and entertainment event. Will building a new multimillion-dollar showroom for a star bring in enough money to make it financially worthwhile? Can the facility sustain ticket sales for a long enough to pay for the facility and the megastar? These are all questions that need to be answered. The Director of Entertainment is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day activities of the entertainment department, its staff, its entities, and any subcontractors and vendors. He or she will generally work with one or more assistants handling this task. The Director of Entertainment often works with both the casino marketing and public relations departments in marketing, promoting, and publicizing all casino entertainment and events to ensure maximum visibility and attendance. The person may also work in partnership with the management, marketing reps, and publicists of any acts or entertainment events to help promote the entertainment at the casino.
The Director of Entertainment is expected to oversee the operational and production logistics for each entertainment event. After events are completed, he or she is also responsible for writing reports to assure that all logistical as well as financial objectives were met. Additional responsibilities of the Director of Entertainment at a casino and casino hotel include:
- Preparing annual budgets
- Maintaining relationship with local police agencies, local authorities, trade associations, and unions
- Obtaining necessary licenses, permissions, and protocols
- Reporting any incidents to the appropriate parties
- Handling employee disciplinary actions
- Overseeing logistical needs of entertainers
- Preparing and reviewing entertainment contracts
- Working with the marketing department to develop marketing strategies in regard to casino entertainment events
- Preparing reports for corporate management
Earnings for the Director of Entertainment at casinos and casino hotels can vary greatly.
Individuals may have salaries ranging from approximately USD 45,000 to USD 125,000; salaries may run higher.
Factors affecting earnings include the specific casino and casino hotel as well as its size, prestige, and geographic location. Other factors affecting earnings include the responsibilities, experience, and professional reputation of the individual. Individuals employed by large casinos or gaming corporations in gaming capitals will earn more than their counterparts at smaller facilities.
Employment prospects are fair for qualified individuals seeking jobs as the Director of Entertainment at casinos and casino hotels. The greatest number of opportunities exist in areas where there are large numbers of casinos. Las Vegas, Reno, Laughlin, Lake Tahoe, and Atlantic City, Biloxi, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Detroit, and Black Hawk, offer the largest number of jobs. Other employment settings include casinos and casino hotels in other areas of Nevada, Mississippi, New York, Louisiana, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Arizona, and California. Other regions hosting Indian gaming and land-based or riverboat gaming facilities, racinos, and bingo will offer additional opportunities. In some situations, jobs in this area may be available with large gaming corporations handling the entertainment functions for more than one casino property.s
Advancement prospects are fair for innovative and creative Directors of Entertainment.
Individuals may follow a number of different paths to climb the career ladder. The most common method for career advancement is to find a similar position at a larger and more prestigious casino, resulting in increased responsibilities and earnings. Some individuals advance their careers by being promoted to jobs such as the corporate entertainment director or vice president of casino entertainment. Other individuals climb the career ladder by locating jobs with large gaming corporations, where they become responsible for the entertainment at a number of properties.
Education requirements vary for casino and casino hotel Directors of Entertainment. Most jobs require a minimum of a high school diploma or the equivalent. A college background or degree may be preferred or required. In most situations, however, educational requirement will generally be waived in lieu of experience. Courses, seminars, or workshops in various areas of the entertainment, sports, music, theater, contracts, and gaming industries will be helpful.
Some states may require individuals in this position to hold a license from the state gaming commission or authority.
Experience in some aspect of the entertainment industry is necessary for those seeking a position as the Director of Entertainment in casinos and casino hotels. Individuals may come from prior jobs as booking agents, publicists, personal managers, club managers, show production personnel, or entertainment directors in other industries. Some individuals also obtain their experience by working in various areas of the casino entertainment department and moving up through the ranks. The amount of experience needed for this position generally depends on the size and prestige of the casino in which the employee aspires to work, and can range from five to 10 years or more in the entertainment field.
Experience working in the gaming industry may also either be preferred or required.
Successful Directors of Entertainment working in casinos and casino hotels need to be driven individuals with an innate sense of what will work in entertainment for a specific property. Good communication skills, both verbal and written, are essential to this type of job. Organizational skills are necessary. The Director of Entertainment needs to have a thorough understanding of contracts and negotiations. The Director of Entertainment must be a responsible person with excellent judgment and the ability to multitask effectively. The ability to supervise others is essential. Organizational skills are also necessary. Problem solving skills, customer service skills, and the ability to deal well with guests, employees, entertainers, their management, and corporate management are critical.
Individuals interested in a career in this field might look to join the International Association of Corporate Entertainment Producers (IACEP) or the American Gaming Association (AGA).
Become one!
1. Prior experience in some aspect of the entertainment industry will be helpful.
2. If you are still in school, seek out an apprenticeship in the entertainment department of a casino or casino hotel.
3. Many people move up the ranks to get this position. If you don’t have a lot of experience, seek out a position as a coordinator or assistant in a casino entertainment department.
4. jobs in this field are advertised in the newspaper classified section in areas hosting casinos. Look under the headings of “Casinos,” “Gaming,” “Director of Entertainment,” “Entertainment Director,” or “Casino Entertainment.” You might also look under the name of a specific casino or casino hotel.
5. Jobs may also be located online. Check out the Web sites of casinos and casino hotels. Many post openings on their sites.
6. Don’t forget to check traditional job sites such as Monster.com and Yahoo Hotjobs as well as job sites specific to the gaming industry.
7. You might also check out recruiters and search firms that specialize in the casino and gaming industry.
8. Send your résumé to casino hotel human resources departments.
9. Try to attend casino conferences and conventions. They provide a wealth of networking opportunities.