Las Vegas Weekly

December 11, 2008 · 12:37 PM

Want to book Fergie, Lindsay, Paris or Britney for your event? Mike Esterman can make that happen — if the money’s right!

By Robin Leach

Traci Bingham, Criss Angel and Mike Esterman.

Photo: Mike Esterman

Ever wonder how celebrities and other VIP names turn up at red-carpet events -- not only worldwide but right here at all our Las Vegas celebrations? Be it the opening of a new resort or a special party in a Strip nightclub, there’s always an agent in the middle who makes it happen -- for the right price!

Yes, they are paid gigs for the most part, and the price tags can become quite staggering. In fact, if you have some big bucks to blow, the stars might even attend your own private party or lend you their name to put atop a new building development.

One man who makes it all come down to money as a real-life Entourage character is celebrity booking agent Mike Esterman, who spends more time in our platinum playground than he does at home or in Hollywood!

Mike just booked our hometown hero R&B star singer Ne-Yo for New Year’s Eve in Seattle, and Paris Hilton is weighing a multi-million-dollar deal to have two towers named after her in Dubai!

“The whole celebrity appearance and branding phenomenon has really blossomed in the past few years,” Mike told me over dinner at Iron Chef Kerry Simon’s Cathouse restaurant in the Luxor, where client Traci Bingham of Baywatch was hosting an ultra-lounge event there. “Celebrities have become more in demand, but they’ve also become more accessible for this work. If you offer the right price, celebrities are willing to do it.”

Mike says he’s heard stories in his industry of Justin Timberlake being paid $1 million to appear at an event in the United Arab Emirates and Jeremy Piven of Entourage being paid $50,000 to appear at a private birthday party in San Francisco. You could actually book all four Rolling Stones to play at your party for $5.2 million or Celine Dion could sing “Happy Birthday” for $4 million -- but Caesars Palace co-headliner Sir Elton John will do it for $1.5 million -- and has! He turns the money over to his AIDS charities.

Usher, who is appearing at the Bank in the Bellagio on New Year’s Eve, has a $1 million fee, although I think his Dec. 31 gig here comes at a lesser price tag. But you can bet the Kardashians will pocket their normal $30,000 fee apiece at LAX in the Luxor and Carmen Electra her customary $25,000 to $35,000 fee at Tao for the midnight countdown.

Mike even revealed that the going price for the new duo of Ashlee Simpson and Fall Out Boy hubby Pete Wentz now carries a $150,000 asking price. They’re appearing New Year’s Eve at Pure and, considering Britney Spears received $250,000 for her ill-fated countdown there two years ago, the Caesars Palace club will save $100K and get two stars into the bargain! Even Fergie, who will be in concert at The Venetian and then appear at Lavo in the Palazzo next door, has a $100K to $150K figure for her appearances today -- a year ago, it was $50K for her birthday bash at The Mirage.

It might all seem expensive, particularly when you add in the cost of providing plane tickets, limos and hotel rooms for the stars and their entourage. However, as Esterman points out, the red carpet photos, the name on the invitations, the pre- and post-press coverage and paparazzi photos that run in magazines for months make it all worthwhile.

“People will talk about their night out with a star for months,” he smiled.

Not every star always says yes to the money, though. U2 and Bruce Springsteen refuse to play private or corporate gigs, and the Eagles price their fee at a whopping $6 million to discourage buyers! But one buyer didn’t blink back in the good old days, and they got their price and he got their private show.

Kylie Minogue’s $4.4 million fee didn’t stop billionaire developer Sol Kerzner from shelling it out for his star-studded opening party for his new Atlantis resort in Dubai a few weeks ago. In fact, Sol, who plans to build another Atlantis here on the Strip alongside Circus Circus when the economic woes of the U.S. subside, went for $20 million in the most expensive private party yet where even inseparable Samantha Ronson and Lindsay Lohan showed up alongside tax casualty Wesley Snipes and actresses Charlize Theron and Mischa Barton. My friend lumber mogul Joe Hardy once hit his own wallet up for a cool $1 million for two consecutive years to have Bette Midler and Christina Aguilera perform his “Happy Birthday” concerts.

Esterman posts all his star clients, including everybody from Mario Lopez to Ian Ziering to Daisy de la Hoya to Cindy Margolis, along with their fees on Click www.esterman.com.

He said, “It doesn’t matter if it’s a reality star appearing in Chicago or a major star appearing in Vegas -- they are all A-listers to the fans who turn up for them. It’s the ‘we have a celebrity in town’ theory. Famous faces can quadruple media attention for a property or an event.

“Paris Hilton’s father, Rick, is going over a $2 million offer with his lawyers from a Dubai developer who wants to name twin towers after Paris. She’d loan her name for three years and just make one appearance on opening day. That would be one of my biggest deals ever when signed.”

His unique and unusual business takes him as far afield as Macau, Shanghai, Moscow and Monte Carlo as more and more nightclubs and real estate developers want the stars to add their glamour and glitz.

So there’s no need for look-alikes or clowns at your next party. You can now get the real thing -- providing your credit card can stomach the cost!

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