Booking the right entertainment can make or break a guest’s stay. Yet a lot of venues still hold back from working with an entertainment agency in the UK because of things they have heard, rather than things they have seen for themselves.
Some of these worries sound sensible at first. “It must cost more.” “We will lose control.” “That sort of thing is only for the big resorts.” The trouble is, most of them simply are not true.
At South Stars, we work with holiday parks, resorts and leisure venues every day, so we hear these myths a lot. Below we bust the six most common ones and show you the real picture in plain terms.
Myth 1: An agency always costs more than doing it yourself
This is the biggest worry we hear, and it is easy to see why. On paper, paying an agency looks like an extra cost on top of everything else.
But agency costs are not the whole story. When you hire your own team, you also pay for adverts, interviews, training, wages, holiday cover, uniforms and the hours your managers spend sorting it all out. When someone leaves in the middle of a busy season, you pay to do it all again.
An agency rolls most of these jobs into one clear price. You get trained entertainers ready to work, without the hidden bills that pile up behind the scenes. For many venues, the true cost of doing it in-house is higher than they expected.
It helps to compare the two side by side. Here is a simple look at what each option usually asks of you.
| What is involved | Hiring directly | Through an agency |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising and interviews | Your team | Handled for you |
| Training entertainers | Your team | Handled for you |
| Wages, payroll and tax | Your team | Handled for you |
| Holiday and sickness cover | Your problem to fix | Covered by the agency |
| Staff checks and safety | Your responsibility | Managed and checked |
| Time spent by managers | High | Low |
If you want a deeper look at this choice, we cover it in full in our guide on hiring entertainment staff directly versus through an agency.
Myth 2: You lose control of your entertainment
Plenty of venues fear that outsourcing entertainment means handing over the keys and hoping for the best. That is not how a good agency works.
A strong partner starts by listening. We build the programme around your venue, your guests and your brand, not a one-size-fits-all script. You still say what you want, when you want it and how it should feel. The agency simply takes on the hard work of making it happen.
Think of it as gaining a team, not losing a say. You keep the vision. We handle the running, the staffing and the day-to-day problems so you do not have to.
Myth 3: Agencies are only for big resorts
There is a belief that entertainment agencies only suit huge holiday villages with deep pockets. In reality, smaller and independent parks often gain the most.
A big resort may already have its own entertainment team. An independent park usually does not, so bringing in a partner means it can offer the same high standard without building a whole department from scratch. You get access to trained entertainers, fresh ideas and proper cover, all sized to fit your park.
We explain this in more detail in our article on why independent parks choose a holiday park entertainment agency.
Myth 4: The entertainers will not fit our brand
Some venues worry that agency staff will feel like strangers who turn up, do a show and leave. Good training makes sure that does not happen.
We build the entertainment around your brand, including your look, your characters and your tone. Our team trains entertainers in performance skills and customer service so they feel like part of your family, not outsiders. Regular on-site checks keep the standard high all season long.
The goal is simple. Your guests should never think about where the team came from. They should just remember a brilliant time.
Myth 5: Outsourcing means loads of extra paperwork for us
Many managers assume that hiring entertainers through an agency creates a mountain of admin, with contracts, wages and HR issues landing on their desk. The opposite is true.
A full-service agency takes the paperwork off your plate. At South Stars, we can run all the entertainment and activity staff we provide through our own payroll and HR system. Wages, contracts and tricky staffing situations are handled for you, so your managers can focus on guests instead of forms.
You can see the full list of what we take care of on our entertainment agency services page.
Myth 6: We cannot be sure the staff are properly checked
When staff work around families and children, safety comes first. Some venues fear that using an agency means they cannot be sure who is on site.
A trustworthy agency treats safeguarding as a core part of the job, not an afterthought. That means proper background checks, clear standards and staff who are trained to work safely with guests of all ages. In the UK, this includes official DBS checks, which show whether someone is suitable to work with children and vulnerable people.
A good partner keeps records tidy and standards high, so you can relax knowing the people entertaining your guests have been checked and are ready to do the job well.
The real picture
Most fears about working with an entertainment agency in the UK come from old ideas, not real experience. When you look closely, an agency can save you money, protect your standards and take a huge weight off your team, all while keeping you firmly in charge of the guest experience.
If any of these myths have been holding your venue back, it may be time to see what a proper partner can do. At South Stars, we would love to show you the real picture.
