How Do Celeb Get Invited To The Kentucky Derby?

The first week in May means three things to me: The Met Gala, Cinco de Mayo, and the Kentucky Derby. And this year, like every year, the horse races in Kentucky are pulling out all the stops to make sure the parties and events at the 2016 Kentucky Derby are even better than the ones from last year. But anyone who knows anything knows that the perfect recipe for an amazing event is a special occasion, lots of booze, and plenty of high-profile celebrities. But how exactly do celebrities get invited to the Kentucky Derby? Not so surprisingly, it’s actually quite similar to how they get invited to other glamorous events.

It’s no surprise that there are a ton of advantages to having celebrities at an event. According to Specialevents.com, celebrities bring free publicity to any event, which has a tendency to increase ticket sales, secure sponsors, and add an element of glamour to an otherwise so-so occasion. And that’s exactly what the celebrities do for major events like the Kentucky Derby. What would the Derby be without its parade of celebrities dressed in their Sunday best with hats the size of Saturn?

Just a couple of horses running in circles.

But the trick to getting celebrities to events like the Kentucky Derby is to hire the right people. For large events like the Derby, the event organizers likely have a slew of PR people sending out invites to people whose names are in the spotlight this year or in years past. For an event like the Kentucky Derby, there may even be celebrity recruiters, people hired for the sole purpose of getting celebrities to come out for the race.

With these PR professionals at the helm, who gets invited to the Kentucky Derby is likely a combination of who they know — celebrities they’ve worked with in the past or who they have built a professional relationship with — and who’s hot now.

Now, how exactly do I become friends with one of these celebrity recruiter so I can start getting invited to these incredible events?

Anyone? Anyone?

Image: Giphy