5 Top Tips for Hiring a Magician to Wow Your Audience

You are the head honcho tasked with planning your company’s upcoming corporate event in Nashville, TN…  

The date is sneaking up! You’ve booked the venue and taken care of everything from keynote speakers to decorations.  

BUT, there is one slot you haven’t filled: the entertainment!  

Luckily, this is the fun part.  You’ve searched your options and have decided on a magician.  Now, it’s down to finding the right guy for the job.  

Here are 5 Top Tips to consider to make your magic show a big hit:

1. Know your audience  

Will your guests be bringing their families to the event?  Will the room be filled with savvy professionals?  Is the goal to engage warm interest from cold traffic?    

Either way, your magician MUST be prepared to adapt his material to your particular audience.  

Look over the performer’s website and promo material.  Make sure he has experience performing for the type of crowd that will be present at your event.  

Reviews from past clients are a great way to see the types of events a performer has done in the past.  Most magicians will have a section for reviews on their site.  

Are any of these reviews describing an event similar to yours?  If so, that’s a good sign.  It lets you know that the magician has experience working with clients like you.  Read through some longer and more descriptive reviews in addition to the short and sweet ones.  Longer reviews tell you the clients cared enough to go into detail about the experience they had working with the magician.

2. Decide what type of magic you are looking for 

Imagine a mystery guest strolling through the crowd and performing miracles right under your guests’ noses during the cocktail hour!  

Now imagine 45 minutes of fun, astonishment, and laughter on stage to close off the night with a huge roar!  

Do you prefer one or the other?  Or would you like the full experience of both? 

3. Determine what kind of magic will work best in your venue

Is your Nashville venue suited to a particular type of magic?  

Maybe there is grand and beautiful stage to take advantage of…  

…Or perhaps there is a gorgeous outdoor patio where a magician could work with the crowd up close and personal… 

…While at a trade show a lot will depend on the size and position of your booth. 

Take advantage of the venue you have booked.  Find a magician who is suited to the venue, and your guests will be rewarded with an unforgettable experience!

4. What is the best time for your show?  

This depends on the type of event…  

At a banquet or holiday party, close-up strolling magic is a wonderful way to keep guests engaged and entertained while they wait on food to be served.  When one table is served, the magician is off to another table that awaits their food!  Waiting on food can be fun!  

The best time for a stage show is after everyone has eaten, as a closing hurrah to the night!  The magician is introduced by the host or MC, and the night is finished off with a fun twist.  

Strolling magic is a wonderful way to break the ice amongst guests at a wedding or corporate event during the cocktail hour.  The benefit of strolling magic is that you do not have to dedicate a specific time period to it during the course of the event.  The magician mingles through the crowd during the cocktail hour, roams from table to table while guests wait for food to be served, and keeps guests entertained during any down time in the event.  It can serve as a safety net so that if there is a delay in the schedule or technical difficulties, your guests won’t be left twiddling their thumbs! 

At a conference, a magician might be used as a fun interlude in-between speakers to wake the audience up and build some energy in the room.  

5. Always talk on the phone with prospective performers before booking 

Do you know someone who has hired a magician before?  If so, ask about their experience.  Personal reviews mean a lot when hiring a magician.  

Alternately, you can search online for a local Nashville magician.  

Either way, you should ALWAYS talk on the phone with prospective performers before booking.

Is this magician confident and personable?  Your conversation on the phone will tell you a lot about how that performer will interact with the guests at your event.  

You are not only looking for someone positive and professional, but also you want to make sure the performer addresses your concerns and prioritizes the success of your event (over simply making a transaction).  

If you are still unsure after talking with the performer, you can always ask for a few references of past clients who planned similar events.  Talking with someone who has been in your shoes before is a great way to address your concerns.  

Many Nashville magicians have residencies where they perform one or more days per week…  

If you are interested in seeing a particular magician perform, ask him if he performs anywhere locally so you can come see him in action.  This is also a good sign that you will be getting a skilled magician who is constantly performing.  

House of Cards is a perfect place in Nashville to see local magicians in action.  If you are not familiar, House of Cards is a magic themed restaurant located in the basement of the Johnny Cash Museum in downtown Nashville.  Do a little research, and you will find that it is well worth a visit.  

Outside of House of Cards, many local magicians perform at different venues around town regularly, so do not be afraid to ask a performer that you are considering for your Nashville event!

Whether you are planning a business function, birthday party, convention, or banquet, the right magician can build energy in the room and make the event one guests will always remember.   In fact, often times, they’ll be talking about it for weeks!  Hopefully, you are now able to pinpoint the type of magic that will serve your corporate or private event best.  

At the end of the day, you want to work with someone you like and someone who makes you feel like you are in safe hands.  That’s a good rule to abide by in all business… Have fun planning your Nashville event!