Think you can't afford a celeb for your show? Think again. EXPO talked with Josh Gair, CEO and Chief Entertainment Officer at Impact Entertainment Services, which provides celebrity entertainment for events, meetings and trade shows, to get money-saving tips and booking ideas.

Ask your attendees. You might think a particular celebrity would be great for your audience or demographic, but you don’t want to find out you’re off the mark after they’ve arrived at your event. To keep it simple, try sending an informal e-mail blast to attendees or add a polling function on your show’s Web site to learn what types of entertainers they’d like to see at the show.

Book beyond the peak. Use entertainers who aren’t currently at the peak of their careers or fame. For example, while hiring comedian Ray Romano during his TV sitcom days would have been very expensive and difficult to arrange, his fees are more affordable today. The difference can be as much as $50,000 or more, Gair says, saving you money while still benefitting from his name. If you’re looking for a good party band, consider acts like Kool & The Gang or Hall & Oates — both appeal to broad age groups and cost much less than red-hot bands.

Consider a niche speaker. These speakers are less expensive to book than more typical celebrities, often require less negotiating and can often provide better content that more directly connects with your attendees. For example, consider hiring a motivational speaker like Chris Gardner of “The Pursuit of Happyness” fame.

Stage a popular themed event. Create an event similar to a popular TV show’s like “Dancing With the Stars,” but without the celebrities. You can still benefit from the popularity of the show, but use professional dancers, celebrity impersonators or other entertainers instead.

Partner with a charity. One way to save money is to find out if your entertainer is fond of a particular charity and consider donating a portion of ticket sales or proceeds from a show fundraiser to the charity they’re involved with in exchange for a reduction in their appearance or performance fee.

In-house or outsource? Will you handle the booking yourself or leave it to an entertainment firm? It can be difficult to indentify and reach a celebrity’s agent. And performance contracts and “riders” (additional expenses that aren’t included as part of the celebrity’s total fee, such as hotel and travel accommodations, dressing room, meals, perks, etc.), can be tricky. It’s tempting to skip that thirdparty fee, but they might save you even more because they frequently work with a variety of celebrities and speakers and know what can and can’t be negotiated.

Check out your vendor. If you decide to work with an entertainment or event management company, evaluate them just as you would any other show vendor. Ask about their experience and have them to walk you through the booking process step by step. And make sure to get references and follow through on them.

Book in advance. The further in advance you can book, the better fee you’ll get. It saves to book up to years in advance, if possible.

Promotion is key. Make sure to include the entertainer’s name in all show promotions to help get attendees excited about the appearance and build a buzz. That’s why you’re booking them, after all. Timed e-mail blasts leading up to the show are effective. It adds appeal to mention if your celebrity is difficult to book or only grants a limited number of appearances each year. Another idea: if you’re hiring a comedian, post a YouTube video of his or her standup act on your show Web site and send it to attendees via e-mail — incorporating video is much more powerful than a simple text promotion.

Don’t let it overpower the show. Remember, the key is to make the entertainment part of the show, not the entire event. When done right, it can add lots of impact and help drive attendance.