National Conference of Personal Managers Inc. • www.NCOPM.com
National Conference of Personal Managers
Established in 1957, NCOPM is the nation’s premier trade association of entertainment, music and talent managers.
National Board
What is a Personal Manager?
A personal manager advises and counsels talent and personalities in the entertainment industry. Personal managers have the expertise to find and develop new talent and create opportunities for those artists which they represent.
Imagine a wagon wheel. At the very center is the axle. The axle is the performing artist around which everything revolves. The hub protects and supports the axle. That is the personal manager. The rim of the wheel is the artist’s career which travels on what can often be a bumpy, long, winding road.
Connecting the hub with the rim are many spokes which give the wheel support in different directions. These are the attorneys, business managers, producers, publicists, social media managers, talent agents (e.g., commercial, endorsement, film/tv, lecture, literary and personal appearance agents) and other industry professionals which support an artist on the road to success. When the wheel is well constructed, the artist’s journey can be smooth, speedy and successful.
Similar to a corporate chief executive officer, a personal manager is responsible for everything and anything that enhances the development of a performing artist’s career. From simple staging suggestions, to complex negotiations, to long term career plans, a personal manager lives the artist’s career every day behind the scenes. The manager’s commitment to and involvement in the artist’s career is one hundred per cent. The personal manager is the driving force breaking through the barriers of frustration and difficulty so often encountered in the entertainment industry. A personal manager is the person who believes in and keeps fighting for a client when all others have given up.
With responsibilities like that, it is a prerequisite that a personal manager must have the broadest of experience in the entertainment industry. Professional personal managers are also well informed on industry practices, standards, and regulations. Plus, managers are alert to the constant changes affecting the entertainment industry. Only with experience and up to date knowledge can a personal manager benefit clients.
