*italic text*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.

Caleb Bush (pictured above), 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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Agency Exec Urges Industry To Embrace New App That Cuts Hours Of Work When Booking Talent

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Our friends in the industry

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.

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, A.C.T.A 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'.*