Rider, Please! How to Design a Business Rider That Protects Your Peace, Your Time & Your Bag

“Your speaking fee is not automatically your travel budget.”

You got booked! YAY!

Whether somebody wants you to teach a workshop, speak on a panel, host an event, perform, make an appearance, facilitate a training, consult with their organization, or bring your brilliance into their space, getting booked is exciting.

But then comes the part that far too many entrepreneurs forget:

What do you actually need in order to do your job well?

Because saying, “Yes, I’m available!” is only the beginning. How are you getting there? Who is paying for the hotel? What kind of hotel are you staying in? Are you expected to bring your own projector? Are they feeding you? Can they photograph you? Are you expected to promote the event? Who is picking you up from the airport? Is there accessibility support? Will you have a private place to change, decompress, prepare, or simply not have strangers talking to you for five minutes?

Friend, this is where your rider comes in.

And if the word rider makes you picture a celebrity demanding white couches, twelve dozen roses, and exactly 47 green M&Ms in their dressing room, I need you to expand that definition. A rider isn't about being difficult. A rider is about being prepared.

First Things First: What Is a Rider?

A rider is a document that accompanies your contract and outlines the conditions, accommodations, technical requirements, travel arrangements, hospitality needs, and other details necessary for you to fulfill your responsibilities.

Your contract answers:

“What are we agreeing to?”

Your rider answers:

“What needs to happen so I can successfully do what we agreed to?”

That distinction is important. Your rider can help eliminate endless emails, uncomfortable conversations, last-minute surprises, and assumptions that leave you scrambling to make things work. And as an adult brand business owner, you may have needs that don't automatically occur to someone working in a more conventional industry. You shouldn't have to reinvent those conversations every single time. Put it in the rider.

Your Rider Is Part of Your Business Systems

One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make is treating every booking like it's brand new.

New client? Start from scratch. New conference? Start from scratch. New appearance? Seventeen emails back and forth asking the exact same questions you answered for the last event.

NOPE.

Remember: systems are supposed to make your business easier to run. Your rider is a system. Instead of remembering every tiny detail whenever somebody books you, you create the framework once and customize it when necessary. That means fewer forgotten details. Fewer misunderstandings. Fewer moments when you arrive somewhere and think: “Why in the hell did I not ask about this beforehand?” Been there? Exactly. You know I've been there multiple times.

Start With the Basics: What Are You Actually Being Hired to Do?

Before creating one giant rider for everything you do, think about the different ways people hire you.

A speaking engagement may require:

• A microphone

• A podium or stage setup

• Presentation capabilities

• Specific seating arrangements

• Books or products available for sale

A workshop might require:

• Tables and chairs

• Demonstration space

• Specific equipment

• Supplies

• A projector or television

• Privacy requirements

• An assistant or event staff

A performance or appearance may have completely different backstage, security, photography, or hospitality needs. You may eventually want different rider templates for different types of bookings. Your rider should support the work you're actually being paid to provide.

Let's Talk Money

Your fee belongs in your contract, but your rider needs to make it very clear which additional expenses the client or organizer is responsible for.

This can include things like:

• Airfare

• Checked baggage

• Ground transportation

• Mileage

• Parking

• Hotel accommodations

• Meals or per diem

• Shipping equipment

• Additional staff or assistants

• Specialty supplies

• Childcare

Here's where new (and versed) business owners sometimes get themselves into trouble. Let's say you charge $2,500 for an appearance. Fantastic.

But then you spend:

$600 on airfare.

$200 on ground transportation.

$500 on your hotel.

$180 feeding yourself.

$100 checking bags full of materials.

Suddenly your $2,500 booking isn't looking so $2,500-ish anymore.

Your speaking fee is not automatically your travel budget.

Decide whether expenses are reimbursed, booked directly by the client, covered through a flat travel stipend, or incorporated into a larger fee. Whatever you decide, get clear before you sign.

Travel: Because “We'll Take Care of It” Is Not Enough

If a client is booking your travel, give them parameters.

Think about:

Airports. Which airports are reasonable for you? Are there airports you won't use because getting there adds another two hours to your travel day?

Flight times. Are you really willing to catch a 5:15 a.m. flight after working until midnight?

Connections. Will you accept two layovers to save the organizer $74?

Maybe not.

Seat preferences. If you have accessibility, mobility, health, or comfort requirements, include what's relevant.

Baggage. Do your teaching supplies, merchandise, wardrobe, equipment, or demonstration materials require additional luggage?

And one of my personal favorites:

Arrival Time

Do not let people fly you into town 45 minutes before you're supposed to be brilliant. Travel gets delayed. Bodies get tired. Hair needs fixing. Brains need food. Sometimes you need to lie horizontally and stare at the ceiling before giving people the best version of you. Determine how much time you need between arrival and your engagement. For major workshops, conferences, or intensive engagements, that may mean arriving the evening before. Build your recovery time into your business model. REST IS NECESSARY.

Hotel Accommodations Matter

“Hotel provided” can mean many things. And some of those things might have you looking at the room like: Oh, absolutely not. Your rider can establish reasonable expectations around accommodations, such as:

• Private room

• Minimum hotel standard

• Private bathroom

• Wi-Fi

• Proximity to the venue

• Check-in/check-out needs

• Number of nights included

• Accessibility needs

• Whether shared housing is acceptable

And adult industry professionals should be especially thoughtful about privacy. You may not want attendees knowing exactly where you're staying. You may not want your legal name announced at check-in in front of a group. You may not want to be housed in an Airbnb with six other presenters you barely know. Your comfort and boundaries matter.

Don't Forget Ground Transportation

Who is getting you from the airport to the hotel? From the hotel to the venue? From the venue back to the hotel when your session ends at 1:00 a.m.? Please do not discover the answer to these questions while standing outside baggage claim with three suitcases and a box of demo supplies. Your rider can specify whether ground transportation should be:

• Pre-arranged by the client

• Reimbursed through rideshare/taxi receipts

• Covered by a transportation stipend

• Provided by an assigned driver

And if an organizer is sending somebody to pick you up, you should know who that person is before they arrive or at least something about them that vetted from the producers. Safety first. Always.

Feed the Talent!

Listen. I know food sometimes becomes the funny part of celebrity riders. But a person who has been traveling, teaching, presenting, networking, and answering questions for eight hours needs to EAT. Food is not frivolous. Your rider can outline:

• Dietary restrictions

• Allergies

• Meal requirements

• Preferred meal windows

• Per diem expectations

• Water and beverages

• Snacks between sessions

If you need food before you teach, say that. If caffeine is part of your operational infrastructure, beloved, put it down. Nobody benefits from hungry, dehydrated talent.

Technical Requirements: “There Will Be a Projector” Does Not Tell Me Enough

If your engagement involves technology, spell out your requirements. That can include:

• Projector

• Screen

• HDMI compatibility

• Laptop adapters

• Television or monitor

• Microphones

• Speakers

• Internet access

• Lighting

• Extension cords

• Power outlets

• Clicker

• Recording equipment

• Demonstration tables

• Stage dimensions

If you're teaching adult education, kink education, product demonstrations, anatomy education, or another highly specialized topic, do not assume a traditional conference room setup will automatically work. Think through your actual lesson.

• What needs to be visible?

• What needs to be heard?

• What needs space?

• What needs electricity?

• What needs privacy?

Put it in writing.

Think About Your Teaching and Demonstration Supplies

Adult industry professionals can have some particularly interesting packing lists. Depending on your work, you may be traveling with:

• Educational models

• Demonstration products

• Merchandise

• Books

• Props

• Kink equipment

• Lubricants

• Cleaning supplies

• Barriers

• PPE

• Towels

• Mats

• Specialized furniture

• Printed worksheets

Who provides what? That should not be a mystery. If the venue needs to supply something, list it. If you're bringing something, determine whether there are associated baggage, shipping, setup, cleanup, or replacement costs. And please discuss venue restrictions before you arrive. The day of the event is not when you want to discover that the hotel won't allow the equipment necessary for the workshop they hired you to teach.

Privacy, Photography & Recording

This one is HUGE for adult brand professionals. You need to know:

• Will the event be photographed?

• Will your session be recorded?

• Where will those photos or recordings appear?

• Can your presentation materials be distributed?

• Can attendees record you?

• Can the client turn your 90-minute workshop into an online training they use forever?

Because, uh...

NO. Not unless that's what you agreed to. Your intellectual property has value. Your rider—or your underlying contract—should establish boundaries around:

• Photography

• Video

• Livestreaming

• Audio recording

• Screenshots

• Presentation distribution

• Use of your name and likeness

• Promotional usage

• Content licensing

• Attendee recording

Just because someone hired you to present your intellectual property does not mean they purchased ownership of it.

What About Promotion?

This one sneaks up on people. You agree to teach. Then suddenly the organizer wants:

• Three Instagram posts.

• Two videos.

• A newsletter mention.

• A livestream.

• Six graphics shared to your stories.

• Daily promotion for two weeks.

Hold up. Promotion is labor. If promotion is expected as part of your booking, define it. Your rider can specify what you're willing to provide, such as:

• One feed post

• Two story shares

• One newsletter mention

• Approved graphics supplied by the organizer

• Required promotional materials by a particular deadline

That keeps “Could you also just...” from quietly transforming into an unpaid marketing campaign.

Your Green Room Is Not You Being a Diva

Sometimes you simply need somewhere to exist between obligations. A private preparation or green-room space can be particularly important when you are:

• Changing clothing

• Handling equipment

• Preparing demonstrations

• Facilitating emotionally intense content

• Working long conference days

• Managing accessibility needs

• Meeting with clients privately

• Needing a few moments without attendees having access to you

Your break time does not automatically become bonus networking time. You are allowed to have boundaries around your energy; especially if a lot of people are requesting that energy from you.

Include Accessibility From the Beginning

Accessibility should not be an afterthought. Consider what allows you to perform your work safely and effectively. That could involve:

• Mobility access

• Seating

• ASL interpretation

• Captioning

• Sensory accommodations

• Lighting considerations

• Break schedules

• Accessible transportation

• Dietary needs

• Assistance with equipment

• Other disability-related accommodations

You don't necessarily need to share your entire medical history. Your client needs to know what accommodation is required, not every detail of why you require it.

Safety Matters Even More in Our Industry

Adult brand owners sometimes work in environments that require additional consideration around privacy and personal safety. Your rider can address things like:

• Dedicated event security

• Escorts between venue areas

• Private backstage areas

• Procedures for disruptive attendees

• Boundaries around participant interaction

• Restrictions on attendees touching equipment

• No unauthorized demonstrations involving the presenter

• Confidentiality requirements

• Emergency contacts

• Who has access to private areas

Professional boundaries protect everyone.

Decide What's a Requirement and What's a Preference

Here's where rider design becomes an art. Not everything is a hill you need to die on. Separate your list mentally into:

• Non-negotiable requirements: Things you genuinely need to safely or effectively do the job.

• Strong preferences: Things that significantly improve your ability to work.

• Nice-to-haves: Things you appreciate when available.

That gives you room to negotiate. Maybe you strongly prefer a nonstop flight, but you'll accept one connection. Maybe arriving the previous evening is mandatory. Maybe your preferred hotel brand doesn't matter, but having a private room absolutely does. Knowing the difference helps you negotiate intelligently instead of treating every detail with the same level of importance.

Your Rider Should Grow With Your Business

The rider you create today does not need to be your rider forever. Every booking teaches you something. Every time you catch yourself saying:

“Next time, I'm definitely asking about...”

ADD IT TO YOUR RIDER.

That sentence is business intelligence! After each event, ask yourself:

• What went smoothly?

• What frustrated me?

• What did I unexpectedly pay for?

• What did I forget to request?

• What would have made my work easier?

• What boundary do I need to communicate earlier?

• What question kept coming up?

• What should become standard moving forward?

Your rider should evolve as your business evolves.

And Please Don't Apologize for Having One

This may be the most important part. A rider is not evidence that you're demanding. It's evidence that you understand your business. You're making it easier for the client to know what successful execution looks like.

• You're reducing confusion.

• You're reducing last-minute requests.

• You're setting expectations.

• You're protecting your energy.

• You're protecting your intellectual property.

• You're protecting your money.

And you're increasing the likelihood that everyone has a fabulous experience. That's professionalism. So when somebody asks, “Do you have a rider?” You don't have to nervously say: “Well...I have a few little requests...”

No, friend. Send. The. Rider.

Because your expertise deserves more than simply being booked. It deserves the infrastructure that allows you to show up, do the damn thing, get paid, and still have enough energy left to enjoy your life afterward.

Cheers to your professional sexcess!