Variety Attractions

What Variety Attractions does

Variety Attractions Inc. is a privately held entertainment consulting and talent buying firm headquartered in Zanesville, Ohio, founded in 1961 by George Moffett. The company operates as an intermediary between event organizers and artists, sourcing entertainment across twelve genres including country, comedy, rock, pop, Americana, hip hop/R&B, Christian, ground attractions, motor sports and thrill attractions, tribute shows, and specialty/non-traditional acts. Its four core service lines are Entertainment Buying, Marketing, Production Coordination, and Entertainment Consulting, delivered by approximately twenty team members with over 250 years of combined industry experience. Buying power exceeds $30 million annually across 350 events, enabling the firm to negotiate competitive terms on behalf of fairs, festivals, corporate events, theatres, and venues throughout the United States.

Revenue is generated on a professional services basis through negotiated, quote-based B2B contracts tied to each client engagement, with multi-year relationship cadences and no self-service or marketplace channel. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and event-driven, relying on entertainment consultants, repeat referral business (several clients have been with the firm 40+ years), and presence at industry conferences including IAFE, IEBA, NATD, and OABA. Marketing assets include the proprietary podcast 'Which Way Is Catering?', an Instagram presence, an industry newsletter, and Belmont University endowed scholarships that reinforce ties to the music business talent pipeline. Underlying technology is minimal: the company does not operate a proprietary software platform, API, or developer surface, and value is delivered through human relationships and negotiation expertise rather than technology products. Leadership transitioned in 2016 from founder George Moffett to Todd Boltin after his 34-year tenure with the firm.

Name

Variety Attractions

Legal name

Variety Attractions Inc.

Website

https://varietyattractions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Variety Attractions is a U.S.-based talent buying and entertainment consulting firm serving fairs, festivals, corporate events, and venues since 1961, with over $30 million in annual buying power across 350 events and a team of roughly twenty professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entertainment Booking & Talent Buying Services

NAICS

Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Artist Booking, Talent Buying & Agency Services (MPAGAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Talent Booking Agencies (Live Performance) (MPAIAGAB), Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA), Performers & Specialty Acts Booking (Magicians, Comedians, Circus, Variety) (HSACAHAB)

Keywords

• Talent buying services
• Entertainment booking
• Live event consulting
• Fair and festival entertainment
• Artist booking agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Zanesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Talent Buying and Entertainment Consulting Services: Variety Attractions earns fees by representing clients (fairs, festivals, venues, corporate events) in securing talent. The company acts as an intermediary, leveraging its extensive network of agencies, managers, and artists to source acts, then negotiates price, terms, hospitality riders, and production requirements on behalf of clients. As a trusted industry entity with over $30 million in annual buying power, the firm negotiates cost savings for clients while charging for its consulting and coordination services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Variety Attractions is a talent buying and entertainment consulting firm that represents fairs, festivals, venues, and corporate event organizers in sourcing, negotiating, and booking live entertainment acts. Leveraging over $30 million in annual buying power across approximately 350 events per year, the company provides an integrated suite of services including entertainment buying, marketing/publicity, production coordination, and strategic consulting, supported by a 60+ year network of relationships with artists, agencies, and managers.

Product overview

Variety Attractions is a talent buying and entertainment consulting company offering a unified suite of services including Entertainment Buying, Marketing, Production Coordination, and Consulting. The company serves as a talent buyer of record for 350 events annually, leveraging over $30 million in buying power to secure artists across 12 entertainment genres (Adult Contemporary, Americana, Christian, Comedy, Country, Ground Attractions, Hip Hop/R&B, Motor Sports & Thrill Attractions, Musical Show Groups and Tributes, Pop, Rock, and Specialty/Non-Traditional). The product portfolio centers on end-to-end event entertainment management, from talent acquisition and contract negotiation through on-site production coordination and marketing support. Featured acts include Alex Miller (Country), Greg Warren (Comedy), and Legends in Concert (tribute show), representing the company's diverse booking capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Entertainment Buying
• Marketing Services
• Production Coordination
• Entertainment Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves clients time and money through bulk buying power and expert negotiation.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• EtixminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEtix provides secure cloud-based ticketing systems and digital marketing services to Variety Attractions clients. For almost two decades, Etix has offered user-friendly ticketing software and customer service, recently coupled with an innovative digital marketing team to help clients achieve higher ticket sales and healthier bottom lines.
• SpectrumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpectrum provides rain, adverse weather, and event cancellation insurance to events both large and small. Their insurance products are recommended to Variety Attractions clients as a trusted partner for risk management.
• Broc Johnson CreativeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBroc Johnson Creative has been producing radio, television, and social media commercials for Variety Attractions clients since 2010. With a quarter century of broadcast media experience, Broc Johnson provides fast, affordable, turnkey marketing solutions from script to finish, including advice on media placement.
• Belmont UniversityminorOthersTwo endowed scholarships at Belmont University in Nashville, TN: The George Moffett/IEBA Endowed Scholarship and The Todd Boltin/IEBA Endowed Scholarship. Both scholarships support students enrolled in accredited music business programs at Belmont University.
• International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA)coreOthersGeorge Moffett was a founding member of the International Country Music Buyers (now IEBA). The company maintains an active membership and attends IEBA's annual conference. Variety Attractions has endowed scholarships through IEBA.
• International Association of Fairs & Expositions (IAFE)coreOthersIAFE is a major industry association for fairs and expositions. Variety Attractions is an active member and attends the IAFE annual convention.
• Nashville Association of Talent Directors (NATD)coreOthersNATD is a professional association for talent buyers and industry professionals in Nashville. George Moffett received NATD's Lifetime Achievement Award. Variety Attractions maintains active membership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Buddy Lee Attractions: Long-established independent talent buying and booking agency that represents fairs, festivals, and corporate clients across the U.S., serving the same customer base and offering the same core talent buying services as Variety Attractions.
• Monterey International: Talent buying and booking agency focused on fairs, festivals, and special events in the U.S., with a comparable mix of country, rock, and specialty acts and a similar relationship-driven sales model.

Broad incumbents

• Agency for the Performing Arts (APA): Established full-service talent agency representing a wide range of artists across music, comedy, and live performance. While broader in scope than Variety Attractions, APA competes for the same artist relationships and corporate/venue booking opportunities.
• Creative Artists Agency (CAA): One of the largest global talent and entertainment agencies. Operates broadly across music, live touring, and events and increasingly competes for live entertainment booking mandates that historically went to independent talent buyers like Variety Attractions.
• William Morris Endeavor (WME): Global talent agency with deep music, comedy, and live touring divisions. WME's scale and direct artist relationships are an indirect competitive threat to mid-sized independent talent buyers in the live events space.
• United Talent Agency (UTA): Major full-service talent agency with significant live touring and music representation. UTA's growing focus on live event booking places it in the same broad competitive set as Variety Attractions for talent placement.
• Paradigm Talent Agency: Talent agency representing artists across music, comedy, and literary fields. As one of the larger U.S.-based agencies, Paradigm is a broader incumbent competing for the same artist representation and live event placement work.

Others

• Etix: Cloud-based ticketing and digital marketing provider listed as a trusted partner of Variety Attractions. Not a direct competitor, but an adjacent ecosystem participant in the live entertainment value chain serving many of the same fairs and venues.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PL6OMoIB1kAnUtNBShFAcwRcxVjE1SGP6e
• Instagraminstagram.com/p/DYW8h_FgTqw
• Xx.com/varietyattract

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Variety Attractions