SME Entertainment Group

What SME Entertainment Group does

SME Entertainment Group is a Los Angeles-based talent booking agency that represents talent buyers rather than performers, connecting Fortune 500 corporations, charitable organizations, and private event clients with celebrity talent, keynote speakers, musicians, comedians, variety acts, and sports personalities. Founded in 1991 and operating for approximately 30 years, the company offers an end-to-end service spanning outreach, negotiation, contract execution, and on-site event production support. Its product portfolio is organized into five bookable categories — speakers (business, technology, leadership, motivation, sports), music artists (spanning pop, rock, country, R&B/hip-hop, jazz, dance/EDM, alternative), comedy and variety, sports athletes, and a corporate event production add-on — with publicly listed booking budget tiers ranging from $1K-$5K up to over $1M per engagement.

SME operates a take-rate / transaction-fee revenue model, charging on completed bookings rather than via subscriptions or SaaS. Pricing is quote-based, varying by talent selection, travel, hospitality, and production requirements, with detailed estimates provided before any commitment. The company's go-to-market is a high-touch enterprise field-sales motion: clients engage via a published phone number (310-207-2233), website booking forms, or dedicated account representatives who manage repeat engagements. The firm does not sell software, maintain APIs, or develop proprietary technology; its core technology stack is standard web infrastructure supporting the booking inquiry workflow.

The company is a Division of Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: LYV) and operates as a privately held California LLC under the legal name SME Entertainment Group, LLC. The Live Nation parent relationship grants SME access to the world's largest live entertainment network, including dedicated venues such as House of Blues, and provides structural advantages in sourcing talent and securing venue access for corporate clients. SME's customer base, as represented on its website, spans major enterprise buyers across financial services (American Express, Chase, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, Northern Trust), technology (Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, SAP, HP, IBM), telecommunications (AT&T, Verizon), automotive (Toyota, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Rolls-Royce, Buick), food and beverage (Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Starbucks, Burger King, Pizza Hut, KFC, Taco Bell, and others), retail and hospitality (Hyatt, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton), healthcare (Pfizer, Merck, Genentech, City of Hope), insurance, professional services, airlines (Southwest), and membership organizations (AARP, PGA). Headcount is stated at 51-100 employees, and the firm claims a "Worldwide" service footprint despite operating from a single Los Angeles headquarters.

Name

SME Entertainment Group

Legal name

SME Entertainment Group, LLC

Website

https://smelivenation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SME Entertainment Group is a Los Angeles-based talent booking agency and Division of Live Nation Entertainment that connects Fortune 500 corporations, charities, and private event clients with celebrity talent, keynote speakers, musicians, comedians, and athletes. It operates on a take-rate model with quote-based pricing across five booking categories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Talent Booking and Corporate Entertainment Services

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (711410), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (71141)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Entertainment Booking & Speaker/Talent Management (HSACAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meetings, Events & Group Travel Strategy (SMMP) (THACAMAE), Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) & Governance (THACAFAA)

Keywords

• Talent booking agency
• Corporate entertainment booking
• Keynote speaker booking
• Celebrity appearance booking
• Event talent procurement

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Talent Booking Services: SME Entertainment Group generates revenue through booking fees for celebrity, keynote speakers, and corporate entertainment talent for events. The company acts as an intermediary between talent buyers (corporations, charities, private events) and performers/speakers, earning commissions or fees on successful bookings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SME Entertainment Group is a talent booking agency and Live Nation Company that represents talent buyers rather than performers. It connects corporate, charity, and private event clients with celebrities, keynote speakers, musicians, comedians, variety acts, and sports personalities. Services span outreach, negotiation, and full event production support.

Product overview

SME Entertainment Group is a Live Nation Company and a talent booking agency representing talent purchasers (buyers) rather than talent. The company operates as a unified service offering centered on talent booking and event production. The core product portfolio includes Speaker Booking (keynote speakers across business, technology, leadership, motivation, and sports categories), Music Artist Booking (covering pop, rock, country, R&B, hip hop, jazz, dance/EDM, and alternative genres), Comedy & Variety Talent Booking (comedians, variety acts, dance bands, theatrical performances), Sports Athlete Booking, and Corporate Event Production services. From outreach and negotiation to event production, the company provides custom-tailored services for corporate, charity, and private events, serving Fortune 500 clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Talent Booking Services End-to-end celebrity, speaker, and entertainment booking service for corporate, charity, and private event clients. Covers outreach, negotiation, and event production support. For Fortune 500 corporations, nonprofit organizations, and private event hosts.
• Speaker Booking Booking service for keynote speakers across categories including business, technology, leadership, motivation and inspiration, adventure and exploration, arts and entertainment, climate and environment, innovation, and sports. For corporate conferences and events.
• Music Artist Booking Booking service for musical acts covering alternative, contemporary, country, dance and EDM, jazz, pop, R&B and hip hop, rock and classic rock for live performances at corporate, charity, and private events.
• Comedy and Variety Talent Booking Booking service for comedians, variety performers, dance bands, and theatrical performance acts for corporate and private events.
• Sports Athlete Booking Booking service for professional athletes and sports personalities for speaking engagements and personal appearances at corporate, charity, and private events.
• Corporate Event Production Full-service event production support including talent coordination, logistics management, and on-site support to complement booked entertainment. For corporate event organizers.

Named customers51 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Live NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSME Entertainment Group is a Live Nation Company and Division of Live Nation. This parent company relationship provides SME with access to Live Nation's global entertainment infrastructure, venue network including House of Blues venues, and extensive talent relationships. The company operates as a talent booking agency representing talent purchasers.
• House of BluescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSME Entertainment Group has a dedicated relationship with House of Blues venues, leveraging this partnership to provide entertainment booking services for corporate and private events at House of Blues locations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• William Morris Endeavor (WME): WME is one of the largest global talent and literary agencies representing a deep roster of artists, speakers, and athletes for corporate and live events. While much broader in scope, its speakers and corporate advisory desks directly compete with SME for Fortune 500 entertainment and keynote bookings.
• Creative Artists Agency (CAA): CAA is a leading global entertainment and sports agency with a major speakers bureau serving corporate clients. It overlaps directly with SME in booking keynote speakers, musicians, comedians, and athletes for enterprise events, but operates at significantly greater scale across the broader entertainment ecosystem.
• United Talent Agency (UTA): UTA is a major global talent agency with a strong speakers and corporate advisory practice. It competes with SME in placing celebrities, athletes, and thought leaders at corporate events, conferences, and brand activations, though UTA represents the talent side rather than acting as a buyer-side intermediary.

Direct peers

• Harry Walker Agency: Harry Walker Agency is one of the longest-standing speakers bureaus in the US, specializing in booking keynote speakers and personalities for corporate events. It is a direct competitor to SME in the speaker-booking category, serving a similar Fortune 500 client base with a buyer-side intermediary model.
• Keppler Speakers: Keppler Speakers is a prominent speakers bureau representing a roster of business, motivational, and celebrity speakers for corporate events. It is a direct competitor to SME in keynote and celebrity speaker bookings for enterprise clients.
• All American Speakers Bureau: All American Speakers Bureau is a talent booking agency focused on booking celebrity and keynote speakers for corporate and association events. It is a direct SME competitor, serving a similar buyer-side procurement role for enterprise entertainment bookings.
• Greater Talent Network: Greater Talent Network is a US-based speakers and entertainment booking agency representing buyers of keynote speakers, comedians, and musical acts. It is a direct competitor to SME in the corporate entertainment booking category.
• Agency for the Performing Arts (APA): APA is a full-service talent and literary agency representing actors, musicians, comedians, and speakers. Its corporate and live events division competes with SME in placing talent at corporate and private events, though APA represents performers rather than buyers.
• Booking Entertainment: Booking Entertainment is an online talent marketplace and booking agency for corporate events, parties, and private functions. It is a direct competitor to SME in entertainment booking for enterprise and private clients, with a more digital-first buyer experience.

Emerging players

• Cameo: Cameo is a digital marketplace where consumers and businesses can book personalized video shoutouts and select live appearances from celebrities and athletes. It is an emerging player in the talent-booking space that could disintermediate traditional agencies like SME by enabling direct talent-to-buyer transactions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SMELiveNation
• Facebookfacebook.com/SMELiveNation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sme-entertainment-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SME Entertainment Group