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Talent testimonials 

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I’ve now used <strong>acta</strong> to process a few corporate bookings for my talent clients and on all occasions, its been a really enjoyable experience. 

Lucky Ent

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I’ve been using <strong>acta</strong> from the moment it launched. What a dream to be able to have one centralised platform that hosts all the information I need for an event. I particularly love the standard contract feature that allows me to send a contract in seconds.

Candy Hertz

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I was booked through acta for a recent speaking engagement. The invoice and contracting templates provided by acta made it really easy to process the booking and having direct communication with the client was great.

Pat Farmer

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I've really been enjoying acta's automated contracting and invoicing, as it saves so much time for me as a performer! 

Kenny Cheung

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Ever since adopting acta as my tool to receive and manage booking requests, I’ve only had positive feedback from my clients. It’s easy to use, professional and ensures booking security which I love. 

Neo Song

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acta is the easiest way I've used to book my own gigs. I love the 50% upfront payment!

Al Del Bene

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I have found using acta to be incredibly easy and seamless.  In particular, the way the system allows us to communicate directly with clients, draw up contracts and process payments all within one platform has been really valuable. I look forward to assisting many more clients with their events through acta! 

Sassy Entertainment 

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acta has been incredibly helpful when booking gigs and makes things so much easier to connect the artist to the booker. It has also made scheduling events much easier as they are all listed in the one place.

James Sutherland 

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acta has been in invaluable for easily connecting us with potential clients for corporate and private bookings. Great platform!

One Hit Agency 

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Using acta really streamlined the booking experience. Having all communications and documents in the one place allowed us to progress smoothly from the initial inquiry through to contracting and invoicing. The acta team were also really responsive and helpful with any questions I had during the process.

Four Seventeen

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Using acta, our business manager deals directly with all of our clients.

The TeamMates function allows us to see everything and avoid asking management any uncomfortable questions because it’s all there. We love it! 



Sooshi Mango

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A seamless system that ensures all event booking and logistic details are accessible at all times to all relevant parties – making managing talent’s expectations easy.

Profile Talent Management

Our friends in the industry 

The best talent for your next event, all in one place.

The future of talent booking

Event Coordination and Management was ranked the 5th most stressful job in 2020 by Forbes, surpassing the pressure experienced by Senior Corporate Executives, which came in 9th on the list. Unfortunately, stress has become the norm in the field of Event Management. However, there is a way to turn this statistic around. acta is here to help you. 

At acta, our goal is to make the event booking process smooth and stress-free. Whether you're planning a corporate event and looking for celebrity talent, we provide a platform that offers peace of mind and simplifies the entire process. By cutting out the middle-man and tangled web of communication, we save you time and effort. With acta, you gain instant access to thousands of talent through a single, secure interface. 

#### How does acta work? 

**1. Create your event** 

 Set up your event on acta within minutes using our user-friendly creation form. This establishes the framework, allowing you to explore the marketplace and start making talent enquiries. 

**2. Filter talent & make enquiries**  

Browse through various talent categories, including Musical Entertainment, Comedians, Cultural Performers & Speakers, to find the right fit for your event. 

acta's sub-categories then make it even easier to find exactly what you're looking for. Whether it's a specific music genre, sporting code, model, social media influencer, or politician, they're all available and easy to find within our marketplace.  

If you’re struggling a bit finding talent that matches your brief and budget, not to worry, our expert talent curation team is here to help. Within 24 hours, we provide you with a curated list of talent options, saving you valuable time and effort.  

For more information on our talent curation offering, [CLICK HERE](https://actaapp.com/blog/introducing-talent-curation).

**3. Connect & Collaborate**  

After you’ve submitted your enquiry, you’ll then be invited to communicate directly with the talent or their representatives via acta’s messaging portal. 

Throughout the entire booking process, acta also ensures that everyone is kept on the same page with instant notifications, team collaboration and online storing of key information and documents.   

**4. Contract & Pay talent directly**  

Once you’ve agreed on the deal terms, acta’s transparent business model allows you contract directly with the talent or their authorised representatives. When it comes time to pay talent invoices, they can either upload their own invoices or use acta’s template which includes their ABN and banking details. In both cases, yep you guessed it, you’re paying them directly.  

With acta, streamline your talent booking process, alleviate stress, and focus on creating a memorable event. 

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Planning an event? We'd love to assist!  

Head to our website to request an account by clicking [HERE](https://actaapp.com/). 

Alternatively, reach out to our amazing talent curation team at hello@actaapp.com and we'll work with your brief and budget to select the perfect talent for your event and assist you every step of the way. 

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Book talent for your next event in just a few clicks

If you’re in events, you’re in the business of creating memorable experiences, and inspiring both leaders and future leaders across your relative industries. 

Celebrities have always played a role in helping create memorable events — as speakers, performers, motivational acts — but they’re now playing an even greater role than ever as consumption patterns evolve and modern culture wrestles with massive communication changes, serving as arbiters of taste, style, and public opinion all over the world.  

And with so much competition, what’s most essential for corporations and brands is authenticity: if the pairing of an event with a celebrity is perceived to be an authentic one, that celebrity can lend credibility to an event and influence the emotional bond between the event and its audience. 

 In order to help you find and successfully book the perfect celebrity for your events, we caught up leading celebrity music talent agent with Rhys Paynting – Senior Bookings & Talent Agent at Lucky Agency, to get some tips on how to make an enquiry and lock away the talent you need! 

 We’ve also thrown in some additional golden nuggets … 

**What piece(s) of information is the most helpful when receiving a booking enquiry for talent on your roster?**

**Rhys -** *Apart from the obvious key information such as timing, budget, role and the reason or  theme of the event, it is always helpful to know who the audience or guests will be at the event (the number and demographic) so that our talent can get a sense of who they would be performing to.*  

**If I’m running an event and would like a celebrity DJ, how should I know what to budget? Is there a starting point?** 

**Rhys -** *If the budget isn’t set, then the starting point is to ask for ball park fees and make it clear that the event is at budget planning not booking stage.*   

*We often talk to event organisers in the early stages of planning and provide rough estimates based on their initial project plan or give them a range of price options.*  

*The next step is go back to agents/managers and provide as much detail as possible for a firmer quote.  Rates vary depending on many factors including the demand for the talent, role, if there is travel and rehearsal time involved, if promotional usage of any content featuring the talent is desired, if the talent is required to provide any special content for the appearance.*   


#### Establish If You’ll Want Promo With Your Appearance

We often encounter event organizers who expect promotional materials from the talent for their event, such as promo videos, some social posts, etc. assuming it is included in the fee. It’s important to note not to expect anything that wasn’t stated during the booking process. If promo is going to be necessary, let the agent know so that they may adjust the fee accordingly. 

**At what stage should I discuss additional requirements, such as promotional material (social media or other)?** 

**Rhys -**  *Everything involved in the booking should be listed in the initial booking request. Any desire for promotional materials, social media posts or activities other than the event appearance itself, should be part of the initial brief. One important reason for this is that some talent have restrictions on their promotional/social activities if other brands or sponsors are involved.*

*Also, if these activities are added to the brief after the talent accepts the engagement, then these activities may be subject to a further fee negotiation or the talent withdrawing. It’s best to be clear up front so all expectations and any conflicts are understood.* 

#### Make Sure You’re Dealing With the Right Person 

When googling a celebrity, various websites and names will pop up claiming to represent them. Doing your due diligence and making sure that you’re contacting the right person for your request will save you time, effort, and mostly, budget. acta does just that. Which is why it is proving to be an absolutely essential tool for an event organiser. 

**Will enquiring via multiple websites help to negotiate a lower fee?**  

**Rhys -** *If we received the same booking request from a few websites or avenues, our fees would remain consistent.  Our clients have fee expectations for levels of work that we stick to and quote.* 

If there are fee variations it won’t be discounts but rather some may be adding on middle step fees that make them appear more expensive to others. 

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#### Make Sure Your Celebrity suits your Brand/Event 

It’s not uncommon for clients to book celebrity talent for their event just based on availability or popularity, without too much consideration for the audience / attendees. 

Having a good understanding of your audience will go a long way to completing a successful booking. i.e what is the average age of the attendees, where are they all from, and the industry they work in. 

Booking an MC, performer, or speaker around the same age, and potentially even from the same city, will mean that you’ll be able to make that appearance or performance more relevant and meaningful. 

**Can you give us a couple final pointers on how event organisers could improve when dealing with talent agents?** 

**Rhys -** *To provide the best service for the client, having all of the information finalised in advance is crucial as it can be hard to manage last-minute amendments such as setlist change requests or call sheets at the 11th hour when the talent has no time to review and prepare.*

*Also having talent booked well in advance but no communication on event status or if it cancelled– it’s always good to check in from time to time in the lead-up with any event updates, or just to touch base. Trust me, we have had talent on hold and deposits paid but the events have sometimes been cancelled or postponed and we are none the wiser to release the date from the diary.*

#### Finally… Don’t Be Shy and Give it A Go! 

This may all seem like a lot to take in, but being organised and having all the above decided on prior to enquiring, your booking process will be seamless! It may seem intimidating at first, but don’t be shy and reach out to introduce yourself and the event as concisely as possible. With acta simplifying the process and offering complete privacy and security for all parties, they’ll be in touch shortly! 

If you’re using acta, the above process will be even more simplified. All of acta signed talent and agents have been vetted by our team and you can feel confident that you are speaking to the talent’s true and exclusive representative, and that all of the information your receive is legitimate. You can browse a variety of talent from various genres including Jimmy Barnes, Hamish & Andy, Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Havana Brown, and you’ll have the ability to see what appearances they’re accustomed to doing, and to chat and negotiate with their agents.  

Finally, for event organisers, the platform has been made mobile responsive, which is crucial to their organiser which operates within a real time environment on event day. The App mirrors the web platform so, it hosts all of your booking details as well as all of your event and talent logistical, production and performance documentation with a notification system which alerts all parties to a booking and ensures that everyone is kept on the same page, at all times. 

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Planning an event and looking to book a celebrity? We'd love to assist! 

Reach out to our amazing talent curation team at hello@actaapp.com and we'll work with your brief and budget to select the perfect talent for your event.  

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In conversation with Lucky Agencies Senior Booker & Talent Agent Rhys Paynting 

It’s a question that is sure to have been on every event manager’s mind, and with good reason too. Choosing the right talent can make or break an event, and even seasoned industry professionals know that finding talent that is a great fit for an event, within budget and available is nothing less than an art form. So, we spoke to industry veteran and CEO at Lateral Event Management, Megan Peters. With two National Event Manager of the Year (Agency) Awards and an Event Professional of the Year Award from Meetings & Events Australia, as well as over 15 years’ experience in the events industry, Peters has shared some of her best tips and tricks on how to navigate talent bookings in a fast-paced, ever-changing industry.

**What to look for in a brief**

When a client approaches you with an event or talent brief, Peters highlights the importance of not just determining the budget, but also understanding audience demographic. Aside from the usual pointers like gender, age and occupation, sometimes a bit of thinking outside of the box and extra digging can really go that extra mile: 

> Try and get an understanding of other events that those audience members might attend. So, if it’s a client whose audience members do the circuit of corporate entertainers … don’t go down the path of ones that you see at awards nights … do a bit of research to see who’s performing where so [you] don’t just wheel out the same stuff that they would’ve seen at other events.

**Phone-a-Friend**

When an entire event is already on your plate, spending precious hours finding the right talent and searching for their true representative, just to even find out whether they are available or not, may not be the top priority in your lengthy list of tasks. Or, maybe you’re just stuck on who might be a good fit for the vague brief you’ve been given. So, what’s one solution? Peters says calling in some outside help can really save you time.

> Having a trusted person you can call to source talent I would say would be very important … [and] now, with acta in the mix, I get the best of both worlds. There’s the personal touch of talent curation, but also the added piece of mind that you are talking to the right people when it comes time to book. No more having to try and decipher your way through different platforms and different agents. It’s a huge relief.

For more information on acta’s talent curation service – [CLICK HERE](https://actaapp.com/blog/introducing-talent-curation)

**Prioritise**

As tough as the conversation may be, sometimes clients’ budgets just aren’t big enough to get the exact talent they want to perform at their event. For example, that full band behind your performer will definitely make a big splash with your guests, but it could be a better idea to strip back the performance type to make additional room in the budget for extra bar tab or another meal course. Carefully weighing up your options and making decisions to prioritise particular things over others, even considering things like what kind of event is being hosted, can make a huge difference to the overall outcome of your event.

> We work out first the non-negotiables, so things like flights, accommodation, food and beverage … and then, we kind of see what’s left once we’ve done the non-negotiables – you have to spend money on that regardless – If it’s an awards night, vision is probably a primary thing, because everyone is going to want to see who wins the awards and see the content. Entertainment would definitely rank very high in an awards night. But, if it’s a conference with a social dinner, then entertainment’s going to rate a lot lower, and content and vision is going to rank a lot higher.

**Manage expectations**

Often, there can be more than meets the eye to choosing and booking the right talent for an event. Clients in the corporate and charity spaces don’t always understand the obstacles and red tape associated with the enquiry and booking process, which makes your role in managing what they expect key to a successful event.

> I think in terms of booking talent, the biggest challenge is managing clients’ expectations around availability and the booking process. Not being able to hold talent is definitely – and I understand why they don’t do it – but it’s definitely a challenge in the corporate world because corporate clients don’t get that … So, we try and work with our clients to get the autonomy from them to make a decision on the spot without having to go back and forth.

But sometimes handling talent bookings can even be about managing your own expectations and being prepared for anything – everyone in the industry has heard stories about strange rider requests and Peters even has a tale or two of her own:

> I had one [artist] going back a long time now, 15 or 16 years ago, that we had to completely strip her hotel room and redecorate it with white décor because she didn’t like colour. And then she did a film shoot in the restaurant of the hotel that I was working at and we went through about 3 or 4 bunches of flowers because she didn’t like them, [and] had to redo the whole restaurant in white and it was quite funny.

**So… what does this all mean?**

As Peters wisely points out, every event and every booking is different, and there is no “hard and fast formula for that.” It may seem like there is a lot to navigate when figuring out which talent you should book and how to manage that booking, but be thorough, think outside the box and call for help if you need it, and there is no doubt your event will be a roaring success. 

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Planning an event? We'd love to assist!

Reach out to our amazing talent curation team at hello@actaapp.com and we'll work with your brief and budget to select the perfect talent for your even

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Lateral Events CEO Megan Peters lays down the do's and don'ts of booking talent

Planning an event can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to finding the right talent. Whether it's a corporate conference, a gala dinner or a wedding, selecting the perfect talent for your event can make all the difference in its success. This is where our talent curation service comes in - providing a one-stop solution to finding the best talent for your event. 

With the benefit of over 40 combined years of talent curating, our process of finding and engaging top talent is quick, efficient, and hassle-free. From performers and speakers to hosts and emcees, our talent curation service covers a wide range of talent categories, ensuring that organisers find the perfect talent for their event. 

> It was the easiest process I have been through with selecting talent, it made my job super easy. Jess took the brief and budget that I had and supplied me with a whole range of talent, I could have chosen every one of them, that’s how much they fit the brief! - **Vito Midolo (Event Producer – Graffiti Experiential)**

**The Process**

The curation process is a simple three-step process.  

**1. Swift Talent Recommendations:** If you need assistance finding talent that matches your brief and budget, our expert talent curation team is here to help. Within 24 hours, we provide you with a curated list of talent options, saving you valuable time and effort. 

**2. Seamless Onboarding:** Once you receive the talent options, you are onboarded onto our platform. From there, you can directly communicate with the shortlisted talent, including the artists themselves or their authorized managers/agents. This allows you to negotiate and confirm bookings hassle-free. 

**3. Ongoing Support:** If you require additional talent options, your dedicated talent curator will continue to provide you with more choices until you are completely satisfied and have successfully booked your desired talent. 

Given acta’s depth of talent pool (which at the time of writing is over 1,250 talent strong), organisers are guaranteed that no matter how long the process may take, they will end up securing great talent to perform or appear at their event that nails the brief and is within budget. 

> I have been exceedingly impressed with the support and guidance provided by Jess and the acta team. Having limited experience previously dealing with engaging professional talent, it was a relief to deal with a single point of contact that could help us find the best talent that fit within our budget. - **Raechel Gleeson (Corporate Partnerships Coordinator - Lifeline Geelong)**

**For a limited time, Talent Curation is FREE!**

During our invitation-only phase, acta's talent curation service is also free of charge, providing clients with an affordable and accessible solution to finding the right talent for their event. Hurry to take advantage though, as this offer won’t last forever and will likely end around the same time as our full launch later in 2023.  

In conclusion, acta's talent curation service is an essential component of event planning, providing event organisers with a quick, efficient, and hassle-free solution to finding the right talent for their event. With a deep pool of talent, a strategic and systematic approach, and a dedicated team of experienced talent curators, acta is the perfect partner for anyone looking to find killer talent for their event.   

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Planning an event? We'd love to assist!

Reach out to our amazing talent curation team at hello@actaapp.com and we'll work with your brief and budget to select the perfect talent for your event. 

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Expert assistance in sourcing the perfect talent for your event 

It's been a hot minute, but we're back and we've just launched a bunch of new features! 

Since our invitation-only launch in May, we’ve had a lot of amazing feedback from users. We’re listening, and today, we’re excited to share the latest updates in response to their suggestions. 

**Free Public Liability Insurance**

We know that insurance can be one of the biggest hurdles to a successful booking and event. So we've taken care of it. 

When talent are booked for $10,000.00 or less through acta, they are now automatically included as an interested party under acta’s Public Liability Insurance policy. 

Excitingly, this means that talent can save on annual PLI costs, simply by using acta to manage their bookings. Additionally, for talent that wish to use their own policy, we also now allow custom policies to be uploaded to their profile. 

In both cases, the Certificate of Currency is automatically uploaded to every booking once the contract has been exchanged which is excellent news for event organisers given how important this requirement is for talent attendance and the overall production of events.

**Broadcast Messages for Event Organisers**

Managing an event where you're booking multiple talent can be stressful. Everything has to be communicated 2,3,4,5 times right? Not anymore. 

With acta's new Broadcast Message feature, in addition to being able to message talent 1:1, event organisers can also send a single broadcast message that will be received by all the talent attached to an event Event Organisers can also choose to specifically broadcast messages to all talent that are either in enquiry or booked stage.

Given the amount of event organisers that are utilising acta to book their entire entertainment program, we anticipate this will greatly improve the productivity of event organisers on acta by making it quick and easy to instantly share communication with all relevant parties. A real-time industry needs real-time solutions. 

**Message Reply By Email**

Moving to new online platform can be difficult and daunting at first. It's another bloody system to learn how to use and can sometimes leave you worried that you'll mess something up. Not really something you can afford to be worrying about when you work in events. Now whilst we know that we'll eventually win everyone over, in the meantime we understand that emails are the dominant mode of communication. 

So, to make everyones life easy, we've introduced the ability for users to reply directly to the “unread message” email notification. Simply hit reply, type your message into the body of the email and once sent and we'll magically copy your message into the platform so that it doesn't get lost.  

All new “new chat message” emails will now include the body of the message right inside the email for extra convenience.  

Now like we said, we're improving the product every week and soon, we'll be releasing a lite version of our mobile app which will make it even easier to reply to messages and check event documents. For now though, when you're on-the-go using your mobile or just strapped for time, this will do the trick! 


**We'd love to hear from you!**

So that's it, just a few little features from us to you that we know are going to really improve your experience when using acta. 

As always, your feedback means a lot to us, so we’d love to know what you think of the new features and also if you have any suggestions for what we should be focusing on next. 

If you'd like to share your feedback or suggestions, send us an email to support@actaapp.com or get in touch with one of our amazing customer success managers via the support chat on the platform. 


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Introducing Insurance, Message Broadcasts & Message reply via email


There’s no doubt that securing startup funding can be one of the most difficult tasks faced by tech founders — Jess Ruhfus, founder of online collaboration marketing platform Collabosaurus, says “securing funding in Australia is one of the longest sales processes you can go through!”

And without a reliable source in place, many startups struggle to achieve significant traction, market or develop their products, not to mention hire talent and grow their business.

So, how can you secure the funding?
The good news? There is money out there. We’ve rounded up five key things to consider when seeking funding.

**1. Before $ flow, keep it lean**

Keeping costs low is a basic business principle 101, but it is even more critical when you are a pre-revenue tech startup. Don’t get swept away by your global vision before finding revenue for major financial commitments.

Harris Meitanis, founder of The Event Ecosystem, says it’s all about being resourceful in the beginning.

“Don’t hire contractors too early, in terms of functions such as PR and marketing,” says Meitanis, who recently launched blockchain-based talent booking platforms A.C.T.A and G.E.T.

In just six months, acta has attracted A-list talent from Molly Meldrum to Megan Washington and the platforms are game changing the event and entertainment industries.

“Learn to do this yourself when soft launching. If anything, find a good team to help in driving leads via digital advertising such as SEO, SEM and SMM, but look to create your content and manage socials and communications in-house to keep your early costs down.”

**2. Laser focus on revenue**

There is a saying in the startup world: “if it doesn’t get you traction, it’s a distraction.” Make it your daily “distraction” — focus! — to nail your first revenue.

This is an attractive sign for investors — and focus is an investment itself these days.

Ruhfus says it’s all about balance.

“Your company’s sales and growth while you’re fundraising is frustratingly important. Find a balance that works for you so that you don’t let growth slide,” she says.

“Investors want to see a growth trend, which is always really difficult to maintain when you’re spending so much time raising capital, especially with a small team.”

**3. Grow and nurture your network**

Every conversation is an opportunity. You never really know the source of your next investment. And while you may not see the fruits of your networking immediately, have faith that your persistence will grow your network in the long run.

“It’s important to begin building relationships with potential investors, advisors, mentors and customers well before you decide to kick start a funding round,” says Ruhfus.

And remember that you already have friends.

“Start with the people you know: friends, family, your professional network,” says Meitanis. “This will not only help you get started, but will also give you the learning to start to move onto options outside of your network.”

And your enthusiasm will be infectious for all your networks. “Confidence and complete belief in what you’re looking to achieve is an absolute must,” says Meitanis.

**4. Know your numbers — and market**

Persistence is one thing, but you also need to know your stuff.

Financial projections is one essential area of focus for tech entrepreneurs.

Get to know the fundamentals of a financial spreadsheet — start by downloading a financial projections template (there are plenty online) and customise it for your business well before you start meeting investors.

And then there’s your competitors. “You need to deeply understand your market—look at size, competitors and growth,” says Meitanis. “Spend time building your business model. Accurate numbers are everything. Be meticulous.”

**5. Seek legitimate feedback**

If you find yourself being knocked back time and time again, Ruhfus recommends seeking legitimate feedback from investors, while also remembering that not all advice is golden.

“If you feel that an investor has said ‘no’ without a clear reason, don’t be afraid to ask. Sometimes, there is a deeper issue as to why an investor isn’t interested,” says Ruhfus.

“I get the line ‘it’s a little early for us’ all the time. So, I push for exact metrics that the investor needs to see before we become an attractive investment.

“Everyone has an opinion, and raising capital is not for the faint hearted. Be careful whose advice you take. Logically distinguish between advice that comes with the right intentions, grounded in relevant experience, with those opinions that are not,” says Ruhfus.

***Date Published** - 25th April 2019*

***Source** - http://anthillonline.com/shaking-the-money-tree-how-to-secure-funding-for-your-tech-startup/*

**Associated Celebrity Talent Application (A.C.T.A) and Global Event Talent (G.E.T) were the Beta platforms that have now been combined to comprise the newly revamped 'acta'.*

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Even the most game-changing business idea won’t fly on a wing and a prayer—sadly ideas aren’t currency, however visionary they happen to be. Before your startup can truly soar, you need to work out a way to fund it.

It was a whirlwind and dynamic week at EVOLVE 2019 for the team at The Event Ecosystem beginning with an informative and eye opening keynote speech on the Third Industrial Age from founder Harris Meitanis on Monday, to a visit from acta ambassador and ARIA award winning musician, Megan Washington (who was across the road penning her Opus for Opera Queensland) and on Tuesday night, a stunning win — The Event Ecosystem won the National Award for Innovation in Events for their groundbreaking platform, acta.

This after taking down the NSW State Award for Innovation last month! Phew!

Three epic days for the events and entertainment industry culminated in an amazing gala dinner in the ballroom of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Center, held to recognise the country’s best and fairest. With 1000 event professionals in attendance, awards were dished out in categories from Best Corporate Event of the Year to Best Audio Visual Achievement and Government Event of the Year.

The national MEA Award for Innovation is a welcome boost of industry recognition for The Event Ecosystem’s vision in adopting peer-to-peer technology within the Events and Entertainment industries. However, it’s the unique technology that acta and G.E.T are built on that makes The Event Ecosystem’s platforms truly special.

They are the first booking platforms to adopt frontline blockchain technology, ensuring security and transparency for all parties and allowing clients and suppliers direct communication, contracting and payment facilities. This is coupled with a patented CMS designed specifically to deliver the artist/service in a professional capacity. The platforms totally eliminate the need for middle men and hold no funds in escrow, ultimately culminating in the world’s first P2P talent bookings platforms which work autonomously and FOC on behalf of the artists.

Whilst acta services celebrities and media personalities, G.E.T is home to all categories of performance talent including cover bands, DJs, speakers, magicians, circus acts and more.

Since launching G.E.T on February 19 at AIME 2019, the platform has welcomed over 800 new talent members, from musicians and DJs, to magicians and clowns.

acta has recently welcomed over 50 new celebrities, including Hamish and Andy, Adam Goodes, Craig Johnston, Tom Thumb, Jordan Raskopoulos, Fiona O’Loughlin, Fifi Box and Carrie Bickmore. These top Australian celebrities join existing household celebrity talent from music and comedy to sports and film, who have already shown support that include Paul McDermott, Megan Washington, Sophie Monk, Olympic champion Michael Klim and UFC Middleweight Champ Robert Whittaker — all embracing the innovation.

"There’s no greater accolade, than one bestowed upon you by your colleagues and by those who your work is designed to serve,” Meitanis stated on stage, accepting the award on behalf of the 20+ staff and Advisory Board. “The Event Ecosystem’s platforms were built specifically for an industry we’re extremely passionate about, and to receive this award, as well as the NSW State Award and continuous plaudits and adoption by our peers justifies to me personally that I wasn’t crazy after all - people are actually excited to embrace the future.”

On Monday, day 1 at EVOLVE 2019, Harris spoke to delegates about the Third Industrial Revolution, aka The Information Age which, for over 40 years now has called for the embrace of frictionless sharing of information — the bedrock on which the digital age rests.

“We have too long been subject to slow, tangled processes and some unscrupulous behaviour,” says Meitanis. “Freedom and control of information is the defining characteristic of this The Information Age and we have a duty to our beloved industries, to keep innovating and evolving processes so that all parties are able to work safer, easier and freely in order to create incredible and memorable  events.”

Throughout the conference, T.EE.’s booth was alive with event industry professionals chatting with T.E.E’s senior project managers Michael Westerway and Laura Chung as well  Marketing and Relationships Director, Joel Cangy.

When Megan Washington popped by to say G’day, talk quickly moved to her explaining the importance of the acta and G.E.T platforms for both celebrity artists and talent.

“For an artist, the sharing of performance and logistical documentation in a quick and safe manner is crucial to achieving the very best performance,” Washington says. “Knowing that this information is being handled and stored safely by these platforms is new and refreshing, which is crucial to feeling safe as an artist.”

"The Event Ecosystem wouldn’t exist without the support of both clients and talent, who are eager for its success,” said Meitanis. “It was lovely for our acta ambassador, Megan Washington, to take some time away from her Opera Queensland duties to meet with delegates and explain how the content management system really helps both clients and talent improving the way we all work in procuring, delivering and managing talent for events."

***Date Published** - 3rd April 2019*

***Source** - https://www.eventconnect.com/pressreleases.aspx?pr=2008*

**Associated Celebrity Talent Application (A.C.T.A) and Global Event Talent (G.E.T) were the Beta platforms that have now been combined to comprise the newly revamped 'acta'.*

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acta by The Event Ecosystem Wins the big one: National Innovation in Events Award at MEA Annual Gala Awards Night!


Designed to be the “Uber of the celebrity entertainment”, acta is an Australian-developed platform that connects event organisers with the true representatives of celebrity talent.

The roster of celebrity talent already includes the likes of Robert Whittaker, Paul McDermott, Megan Washington and James Mathison.

CEO Harris Meitanis said the platform was created to provide an “on-demand, commercially disruptive and transformative solution”.

“It is a solution invented through technological advancement to satisfy the on-demand requirements that we have evolved to embrace as a commercial society,” he said.

“Such demands have insisted on the elimination of friction through ease of use, the promotion of transparency and the promise of a better experience
overall.”

acta aims to eliminate many of the obstacles associated with procuring talent for events and to reduce the frustrations felt by event professionals over misrepresentation, miscommunication and over-quoting.

Once a user finds the celebrity to suit their event, they can negotiate terms, exchange contracts and arrange payment directly through the app.

acta’s in-app messaging function provides real-time answers and instant notifications of updates and changes.

Following on from its successful first month of operation in Australia, acta plans to launch into the global market in 2019.

The official launch will take place in February during the 2019 Asia Pacific Incentives Meetings Event in Melbourne.

acta is currently free to download on iOS devices with an Android app set to launch in early 2019.

***Date Published** - 20th December 2018*

***Source** - https://www.spicenews.com.au/supplier-news/new-talent-booking-app-goes-global/*

**Associated Celebrity Talent Application (A.C.T.A) and Global Event Talent (G.E.T) were the Beta platforms that have now been combined to comprise the newly revamped 'acta'.* 

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Newly launched talent booking platform acta is making waves in the industry and has big plans for 2019.


Having been in the talent booking and events management space for 20 years (after a brief stint as a lawyer to “keep Mum happy”), Harris Meitanis is well-versed in the issues plaguing entertainers and celebrities, both big and small.

Meitanis runs a number of different companies in the industry, including record label iSPY Records and events and entertainment company APE Events. He tells StartupSmart he’s been working on his most recent venture for the past four years, finally taking the wraps off late last year.

Today, Meitanis’ business, acta, is up and running, being used by big-name Australian celebrities and entertainers such as Molly Meldrum, Megan Washington, Sophie Monk and Paul McDermott.

Meitanis explains one of the biggest issues for talent landing jobs is the quagmire of middlemen, fees and unauthorised endorsements associated with lining up an opportunity, and decided to launch acta as a solution.

“acta facilitates the procurement and curation of celebrity talent, and we’re using blockchain technology to eliminate 90% of time, effort and margins for resourcing all manners of services in the entertainment industry,” he says.

“It cuts out the middlemen and lets the actual representatives of artists deal directly with clients. We’re universally laying a foundation of transparency. What we do in this industry is so mired in darkness that this level of transparency is the only light available.”

This transparency is driven by blockchain technology, specifically the Ethereum blockchain. Talent or their management create the contracts and then, in turn, they are signed by clients. These contracts are immutable and embedded in the blockchain, providing proof of contract and payment for all to see.

The blockchain aspect also allows secure and confidential transferral of details between parties, along with confirming both parties are paid the correct amount, and on time.

acta is just one part of Meitanis’ overall platform, dubbed the Event Ecosystem. The startup has also recently launched GET (Global Event Talent), a sister platform to acta focused specifically on booking smaller entertainers and performers.

The founder says a third part of the platform is in the works, which he describes as an “Airtasker for events”.

“I just came off the Australian Red Hot Chilli Peppers tour, and we spent a lot of time with the production staff. I shared with them what we’re doing and they were very excited,” he said.

“They told me every time they land in a new country they need 20-30 extra staff like stage runners, merch managers, all manner of things, so our new platform will give them a way to hire those on demand.”

**A two-part platform**

Another big part of acta’s platform is the app itself, which goes beyond just facilitating the payment between client and management. acta’s app also provides a centralised location for documents, communication and notifications, ensuring management, clients and talent are all kept in the loop.

“It’s a two-part platform: the first provides them with the direct contracting and payment, and the second part is the real guts of the content management system and real-time events management.

“The current method is just everyone emailing and calling each other, but we’re so confident in this tech that we think no one will go back to the old way of looking through email trails with old copies of documents. We’ve eliminated all of that.”

acta is free to use for talent and management, with the platform charging clients a 10% fee that is capped at $5,000. Meitanis says the level of automation on the platform means his overheads are minimal, allowing the company to offer lower rates.

So far, both talent and clients are seeing the benefits of acta, with Meitanis saying many of them appreciate the reduced friction for booking and organising.

“The goal is definitely to be the ubiquitous software solution for the industry. These platforms have been built and designed from the ground up, and we’re hoping they make people question why they’d keep using the status quo,” he says.

***Date Published** - 18th March 2018*

***Source** - https://www.smartcompany.com.au/startupsmart/news/acta-talent-management-blockchain/*

**Associated Celebrity Talent Application (A.C.T.A) and Global Event Talent (G.E.T) were the Beta platforms that have now been combined to comprise the newly revamped 'acta'.*

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After the hype-filled boom of 2017-18, some might think there’s no industry existing which hasn’t been put on the blockchain, but one Aussie entrepreneur is showing there’s still room to innovate.


acta allows event professionals to book talent directly online– and save up to 90% in time and effort and recently added some high-profile names: Audiopaxx (Carmada, LDRU), Profile Talent (Danii Minogue, David Campbell, Ed Kavalee, Joel Creasey), and Niche Productions (Furnace and the Fundamentals).

This month acta won the National Award for Innovation in Events at the Meetings & Events (MEA) Awards at the ballroom of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Center.

Accepting the award, founder and CEO Harris Meitanis told the 1,000 guests, “There’s no greater accolade, than one bestowed upon you by your colleagues and by those who your work is designed to serve.

“The Event Ecosystem’s platforms were built specifically for an industry we’re extremely passionate about, and to receive this award, as well as the NSW state award (in February) and continuous plaudits and adoption by our peers justifies to me personally that I wasn’t crazy after all – people are actually excited to embrace the future.”

A day earlier, Meitanis presented the keynote at EVOLVE 2019 on the Third Industrial Age.

“We have too long been subject to slow, tangled processes and some unscrupulous behaviour,” he said.

“Freedom and control of information is the defining characteristic of this The Information Age.

“We have a duty to our beloved industries, to keep innovating and evolving processes so that all parties are able to work safer, easier and freely in order to create incredible and memorable events.”

The Event Ecosystem team’s booth at the meet received a visit from brand ambassador and ARIA-winning singer-songwriter Megan Washington, who was across the road working on premiering her first opera, for Opera Queensland, based on Georgia Blain’s 2017 novel Between A Wolf And A Dog.

Washington met with delegates, and during an interview said, “I always enjoy events where the client has thought a lot about the song they want me to perform.

“Often it dovetails perfectly with their message, in a way which I would never have thought of myself.”

Since launch, the app has facilitated bookings from Adam Goodes, Reece Mastin, Glen McGrath, Touch Sensitive, Jules Lund, Tenzin and Sophie Monk.

In mid-February, The Event Ecosystem launched G.E.T – Global Event Talent – which sources non-celebrity talent.

G.E.T – Global Event Talent – which launched at AIME in February – is a platform for sourcing non-celebrity talent.

It’s picked up 800 new members, including clowns stilt-walkers, fire twirlers, DJs, cover bands and circus acts.

acta and G.E.T are the first booking platforms to adopt frontline blockchain technology, ensuring security and transparency for all parties with a patented CMS designed to deliver the artist/service in a professional capacity.

All financial transactions are between the act and the client, with the platforms not involved in holding any of the payment.

***Date Published** - 16th April 2019*

***Source** - https://themusicnetwork.com/aussie-celebrity-booking-app-a-c-t-a-wins-national-award-and-adds-audiopaxx-profile-talent-more/*

**Associated Celebrity Talent Application (A.C.T.A) and Global Event Talent (G.E.T) were the Beta platforms that have now been combined to comprise the newly revamped 'acta'.*


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Australian built acta, which officially launched last November, has justified the buzz around it.


After investment of close to $1 million and almost four years of development, founder and CEO of the Associated Celebrity Talent App, Harris Meitanis told micenet today the online booking platform is set to disrupt the events and entertainment industry in the same way that Uber and Airbnb have disrupted their market segments.

And the good news is that it already has significant backing from some of Australia’s hottest talent including Sophie Monk, Robert Whi
ttaker, James Matheson and others, as well as event professionals including George P Johnson MD, Caleb Bush, the former MD of Jack Morton Worldwide, Paul Kenny, and International Productions event director, Megan Peters.

Mr Meitanis said A.C.T.A. eliminates many of the obstacles that have plagued the industry in terms of procuring talent for events. The app allows users to check the availability of talent in real time and then book them immediately.

Clients are also able to communicate, contract and pay the talent’s true representative directly, while having the ability to host all of their event documentation and assets on a mobile and secure platform which is accessible to them at any time.

“A.C.T.A. reduces the frustrations felt by event professionals over misrepresentation, miscommunication and over-quoting – all issues that stem from an unregulated industry filled with third-party agents,” he said.

“Really, first and foremost, this is a professional tool built for the event professional.”

He said the app isn’t aiming to eliminate traditional speakers or entertainment bureaux.

“The great thing about those bureau is that they really understand the events industry and they really understand briefs that are given to them by clients and they have amazing relationships.”

Mr Meitanis recognises this through his many years in the industry as the owner of the successful agency Apples & Pears Entertainment.

“I think their true value is curating the perfect speaker or celebrity for their client. In my experience [at Apples & Pears], more often than not a client will pick up the phone and say to me this is the event, this is the date, this is brief who do you recommend? I will then give them a list of people and by a process of elimination we will cull that down and then I’ll go off and try to secure those people.

“I think the Saxtons and the Claxtons and the ICMIs would do the same thing. The majority of their work would be this and now they have a way of centralising their enquiries [through the app].”

“Unless they have their own speakers who they represent exclusively then they can use the platform. I think they should be just as excited as anybody else in the events industry.”

A.C.T.A. plans to use the Australian market as a springboard for international expansion which reportedly boasts a talent pool of more than 150,000 celebrities and is estimated to be valued at USD$9.28 billion.

***Date Published** - 20th December 2018*

***Source** - https://www.spicenews.com.au/supplier-news/new-talent-booking-app-goes-global/*

**Associated Celebrity Talent Application (A.C.T.A) and Global Event Talent (G.E.T) were the Beta platforms that have now been combined to comprise the newly revamped 'acta'.*



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A new app launched today is aiming to simplify the searching for and booking of event entertainers including musicians, MCs and keynote speakers.


Caleb Bush, managing director of George P. Johnson (GPJ) Australia, reckons there is still some very old school thinking within the events industry.

“Whilst some agencies have rapidly adapted to the ever-changing marketing environment, I think the events industry is probably behind the eight ball generally on [new technology] in the age of experiences,” he said.

GPJ was an early adopter of acta – a blockchain-based, peer-to-peer app that launched in late November and is set to revolutionise the way agencies source and book entertainers, MCs and speakers.

Transparency is key; with the removal of intermediaries, acta ensures agencies avoid common pitfalls when procuring talent through a third party.

With hundreds of celebrities and some of Australia’s biggest names in music, comedy, media, sport and television, acta enables clients to browse, communicate, contract and pay talent and their official representative directly via their secure, Ethereum-built blockchain platform.

Big names such as Sophie Monk, Megan Washington, Robert Whittaker, Jimmy Barnes, Paul McDermott, James Mathison and more are already listed on the service.

@acta_app is cutting the red tape in corporate gigs.
From @sophiemonk to @JimmyBarnes, celebrities are loving this unique talent booking platform! #AusBiz #YourMoneyAUS

— Your Money (@YourMoneyAus) December 11, 2018

A legacy agency with over 100 years under its belt, GPJ has offices all around the world, producing over 250 experiential events every year in Australia alone for clients such as L’Oréal, IBM, Toyota, Amazon, National Australia Bank, and QuickBooks.

“Of those 250 events a year, I’d say 90 per cent of those have some form of entertainment or engagement that’s required, whether that’s a speaker to talk on a specific topic, a band to entertain, or a combination of both,” Bush explained.

According to an independent study conducted by acta, celebrity appearances at Australian corporate, private and charity events total an estimated $336 million of the $4.4 billion value of the local events and entertainment industry.

There are between 30,000 and 40,000 events that require talent every year in Australia and a talent pool of 2,700 celebrities including actors, musicians, comedians, top speakers and elite sports stars.

Furthermore, booking the right talent, especially finding those with a specific skill set, is significantly time-consuming work.

And if finding an AI-expert-in-a-haystack (and their manager) wasn’t difficult enough, there’s nothing to ensure they will be available, that their booking price is reasonable, and that there’s no conflicting relationship with another brand.

“Talent’s schedules can change on a dime,” Bush said.

“The other challenge is from a contract perspective. If someone comes along on the same date with a better offer, unless you have all your ducks in a row, it’s quite easy to lose that performer.

“Getting all that information to present to the client is a significant amount of work. The reason that acta is such a good service is it houses all that information in a central portal, so it makes our lives so much easier.”

He cites a recent pitch presentation in which GPJ used acta to “cut 15 to 20 hours of work” otherwise spent lining up performer options.

By using the app, GPJ also knew the talent’s pricing and alternative availability in case the date of the event was changed.

Bush said the accessibility of information not only keeps the client happy, but also makes entertainers’ lives easier.

“Talent don’t like getting calls to ask their availability, and at the end of the conversation you say, ‘Oh, by the way, we haven’t actually won the job yet,” he said.

“It’s a waste of both party’s time – but at the same time, presenting good talent options could be the difference between winning and losing a job.”

While the idea of acta is not globally revolutionary, it is the first time the concept underpinning apps like Airbnb and Uber has been used to streamline event services.

“I think this app really meets the market – there are no other companies who are able to make the booking of talent a smooth and easy process like this,” Bush said.

***Date Published** - 17th December 2018*

***Source** - https://www.bandt.com.au/agency-exec-urges-industry-embrace-new-app-cuts-hours-work-booking-talent/*

**Associated Celebrity Talent Application (A.C.T.A) and Global Event Talent (G.E.T) were the Beta platforms that have now been combined to comprise the newly revamped 'acta'.*

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A prominent agency executive has called on the events and entertainment industry to adopt new technology to streamline their processes and bring business practices into the digital era.