Harry P. Leu Gardens – Orlando’s Secret

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I don’t often write about a single venue but as we head into October and a little break in the heat and humidity I thought I’d share one of the ‘tourist capital of the world’s’ secrets. It’s Harry P. Leu Gardens located less than a mile north of the heart of downtown Orlando. This 50-acre former residence of local business leader H.P. Leu and his wife Mary Jane was donated to the city of Orlando in 1961 and is now open to the public for tours, special events, and rental for private events.

Having grown up less than 4 blocks from Leu Gardens I have seen it transform from what we used to call ‘the big house’ with surrounding gardens and orange groves to one of Orlando’s best-kept secrets. The beautifully landscaped gardens containing what seems like hundreds of different varieties of camellias unfold to a gentle sloping hill leading to the shores of Lake Rowena. Yes, that’s the lake across the street from Loch Haven Park! As you can see, this is truly in the heart of downtown Orlando. In addition to the gardens there is a museum that depicts life on the property in the early 1900’s when Orlando was just beginning to grow. Of course Orlando didn’t really catch on until the wide use of indoor air conditioning in the early 1950s.

With a break in the heat and the secret out, Leu Gardens is the place to visit if you want to capture the beauty of the natural side of Orlando. Special events are planned throughout the autumn months starting in October with Storytime, Date Night, Jazz ‘n Blues Stroll (my personal favorite), and of course Halloween week would not be complete without Ghost Stories at Leu Gardens. General admission is less than $10 dollars, parking is free, and I’ll let you in on one final secret...daytime admission is free on the first Monday of each month.

Harry P. Leu Gardens is a real crown jewel for the city of Orlando and I have certainly enjoyed it most of my life. The secret is out – the first Monday in October is tomorrow and admission is free, go enjoy one of Orlando’s secrets!

Interview with Pat Doyle - International Talent Booking

I recently had the opportunity to sit down for a few minutes and talk to Pat Doyle, owner of one of Central Florida’s busiest talent booking agencies, International Talent Booking located in Orlando, Fl. ITB has been in business for over thirty years providing talent of all kinds to the local and international marketplace. With this track record of successful accomplishments I thought Pat would be the perfect person to ask about negotiating agreements with all kinds of clients from performers to promoters.

My first question to Pat was; “As a talent broker you actually have to negotiate at least two agreements with each performance, one with the talent that you are acting as the booking agent for and one for the customer buying the talent services. How do you bring all the parties together?”

Pat Doyle: “The very first job as a successful negotiator is to establish the mutual benefit of consummating an agreement between all parties. Everyone has to be comfortable with knowing that his or her needs are being met. I try to build a relationship with the parties in order to understand those needs first and then offer solutions. Everyone has to benefit from the final outcome and that’s how to start the process.”

In furthering that subject I asked Pat; “So, without disclosing any trade secrets, how do you establish the opening offer of terms and conditions when negotiating with such a wide range of clients? Is there some standard that you use?”

Pat: “Absolutely, and the only trade secret here is establishing and maintaining the relationships that allow us to continue to be successful. In beginning negotiations with clients one of the earliest conditions we agree to is the objective standard we are going to use to determine many of the remaining terms and conditions of the contract. The great news is that literally thousands of talent contracts are signed each week in this industry and between union standards and past practices, establishing that standard should be routine. Determining the promoter’s budget and the talent’s perceived market value are the two standards much harder to establish.”

My final question to Pat was; “What is BATNA?”

With a slight chuckle, Pat Doyle: “BATNA, the best alternative to a negotiated agreement is what that acronym stands for and especially during the talent to promoter discussions, I make sure the talent I represent knows what’s at stake in case we are not able to reach an agreement. I most cases, promoters/customers will let us know what their budget is for a specific appearance and once all the ancillary costs are calculated, it’s the talent side we turn our attention to. I’ll be the first to admit that compared to thirty years ago, our current talent list has a much better understanding of the business behind the scenes than ever before. Being able to decide what happens if we are unable to reach an agreement is near the format of that understanding.”

These are great tips to remember when negotiating any agreement whether you’re the promoter or the performer. Knowing how to reach an agreement is one of the first steps to success!