Recent drop in opportunities from Booking Firm

March 17, 2025 3:26 PM

How should I handle a recent drop in new opportunities from my booking firm?

I work in the entertainment industry. I'm not "seen" but it is a performing arts related job. I've been with the same booking firm for many years. Recently a couple of the staff members that I worked a lot with left the booking firm. Since they've left I've noticed I'm not getting the same number of opportunities I once got. Interestingly I'm still making money through the booking firm and getting jobs even with less opportunity. Which means both me and the booking firm are making money together.

But I'm obviously concerned that with less opportunity it will eventually mean less work. In years past with other booking firms I've never found that "checking in" or asking about why my opportunities are less has ever equated to getting more opportunities. If I'm being honest...the drop in opportunities is making me concerned that the booking firm might be preparing to part ways with me. My contract is up in the next few months...so it almost feels a little bit like they are trying to slow things down in preparation for letting me go so I was able to see it coming.

Now of course I might be making some assumptions or jumping to conclusions that are totally false. I've been with this booking firm for over a decade.

Some questions. Do you think I should just try to have an open conversation about what's on my mind? Or should I just take the hints and look for another booking firm? It will be much easier to get a new booking firm if I still have one then if I was recently let go by one. Booking firms love to steal clients...but they get suspicious if a previous booking firm released you from their roster. Of course a part of me is also saying to myself...you've been with this company for so long. It almost feels wrong to not at least attempt to talk to them about it before jumping ship. But that might make things worse and cause them to let me go before I find a new firm. Hopefully all this makes sense. Thank you for your input!

posted by ljs30 to Work & Money (7 answers total)

At a minimum I would reserve my loyalty for the people I actually worked with. A firm is a legal machine, one that treats humans as disposable resources. It's the people that count.

I don't know how tight knit your industry is, but if it possible to reach out to other firms without the current one knowing you might be able to get a sense of the landscape. Whether to stay or go may be moot if there is no place to go to.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 3:50 PM on March 17

I don't quite know what you mean when you say you’re having fewer opportunities but not less work. It sounds like most of the people you worked closely with are no longer there, and that may be the issue. I don't know anything about your industry, but if you had people who tended to get you work, and now those people are gone, the landscape may well be shifting, not in your favor. If there's someone at the firm you can reach out and talk to, it seems reasonable to say, Hey I've noticed a drop off in opportunities recently. Do you know why this is? Or something. Who knows if you'd get a straight answer. But the fact that it's much easier to get a new booking firm when you have an existing one suggests looking around now might be a good idea.
posted by swheatie at 4:06 PM on March 17 [1 favorite]

There are at least three potential causes worth thinking about: 1) your entire field is hitting a slow patch 2) your booking firm is getting a smaller fraction of business from potential clients , and/or 3) your booking firm is passing fewer opportunities on to you.

These three scenarios are very different! It's worth trying to understand which is the case.
posted by kickingtheground at 4:58 PM on March 17 [6 favorites]

Did the former staff members you worked with go to a different booking firm? It might be worth doing a little digging on LinkedIn to see where they're working now (if that's applicable) You might be able to reach out to them for insight about what's happening at the old firm or see if the new firm(s) they're working for might want to represent you/take you on as a client.
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 7:53 PM on March 17 [7 favorites]

Similar industry, talent booker side — I'd talk to them. It's important for you & your bookers to at least know who each other are, perhaps frame it as reconnecting with the new team and at least have a half hour conversation. (No to checking in, sorry... I don't have time to check in, if there's was new news I'd tell you). This should give you the intel you need to make a decision.

Re: thinking negatively if someone's left a roster, I can imagine why you'd assume that, but genuinely I'll always be happy to have a chance to work with someone nice & talented. We all know other agencies can be a dumpster fire for their clients.
posted by socky_puppy at 12:27 PM on March 18

Also, if it happens to be the speaking industry I'd be very happy to dish the current trends I'm seeing — it's changing significantly out there.
posted by socky_puppy at 12:29 PM on March 18

I'd talk to your pals in the industry and start setting up "coffee dates" with other agents. That way even if you current people want to renew their relationship, you will have other options to consider.

You don't mention your industry, which would have helped if you wanted concrete examples of what's currently going on. But just in case you happen to be doing editorial/advertising productions as non-talent, I can say based on what my wife's agents have been saying is that basically everyone in LA/NYC handling the bigger clients just stopped working after the election barely got back to work by end of January. After basically nothing in Dec/Jan, she got booked some in Feb and March/April is looking good.
posted by Back At It Again At Krispy Kreme at 10:16 AM on March 19