Lessons from 45 Years of Placing Top Las Vegas Talent

by Malik Anderson

Jaki Baskow reflects on celebrity booking trends in the top convention city

In the 45 years talent broker Jaki Baskow has been booking celebrities in Las Vegas under the Baskow Talent brand, a lot has changed. Prices, for one. “Since some of these entertainers have gotten residencies here, their prices have gone sky high,” said The Queen of Las Vegas in an exclusive interview with Smart Meetings.

But the woman who has recruited big-name talent such as Billy Bob Thornton’s The Boxmasters and Kevin Costner’s Kevin Costner & Modern West, worked on more than 600 movies and TV shows, and partnered with hospitality companies such as Caesars Entertainment to book corporate speakers and entertainment says groups don’t always have to pay full retail price. Although prices may sometimes look out of reach, when it comes down to it, Baskow has found that people are willing to negotiate a lot of the time, especially when a connection has been made with the client.