Booking your Corporate End of Year Entertainment

Right now you’re scouring through pages of magicians and entertainers trying to find the best and most suitable event entertainment for your work Christmas party or end of year entertainment.

So how do you decide who to go with, and who is the best? After all, there are lots of glitzy websites of entertainers out there, but does this mean they are good entertainers, or simply good at web design?

Before I help you out with breaking down which of my internationally renowned and performed feature shows are most suitable for which types of entertainment, allow me to give you a few hints to help you become the ultimate entertainment sleuth.

When selecting an entertainer, there are a few tips that can save you time, money, and embarrassment along the way:

1. Has the entertainer won legitimate awards for their work? Such as “Best Show” or “Audience Favourite” by organisations such as the Australian Institution of Magicians, or from public festivals such as Adelaide Fringe Festival, Perth Fringe, or Melbourne Magic Festival?Do look into any other awards as there are even some entertainers who have made up awards in the past to appear as though they are award-winning entertainers
2. Have they been featured on television numerous times, and how were their performances each time?
3. Do they have client video testimonials available?
4. Do they have an impressive performance history both in Australia & internationally?
5. Are they represented by multiple entertainment agencies? Certain agencies do not screen their entertainers, but most do. So it’s good to ensure that the entertainer you are considering is of a high calibre.Booking through an entertainment agency is also a good idea. This should not cost any more than if you went direct, but the peace of mind in knowing that the entertainer is accountable is worth every cent.
6. Do they perform the style of entertainment you are specifically looking for? I.e. roving magic, feature show, comedy magic, etc.

Now, having cleared this up, allow me to guide you through which of my shows would be best suited to particular styles of events.

Cocktail & Networking Style Events

The magician or mentalist makes his or her way around a room performing close-up miracles with your guests. Each set runs roughly for around five minutes with each group. This sort of entertainment is sophisticated & low-key.

Roving performances require no AV or setup. All the artist requires are the guests. It is worth noting though if the event is catered with waitstaff making their way around the room with offerings of food, to inform them to approach everyone except those who are experiencing a performance.

Roving entertainers only perform for around five minutes with each group, so they are best left for that moment to enjoy the entertainment.

If you have a small space available, or will be holding speeches, a great segue into these is with a short feature spot.

Most of these entertainers, including myself, have a stand-up piece that can be performed for small groups in front of everybody at once after the roving hour is complete. See 1-hour Roving performance, plus 10-minute feature piece.

If your group size is over 50 pax, a microphone a speaker should be used. This would be the case for the person delivering the speech also. No mic is required for roving performances only.

Corporate End of Year Dinners & Luncheons in Function Rooms

If your function room is enclosed and you have an area dedicated to being a performance area, such as a stage, then your entertainment options increase substantially.

You can have any of the shows listed. While I would like to start rattling off each show, I feel that the best way to ensure you and your event receive the BEST and most suitable show package, I highly recommend completing my online performance questionnaire. This allows me to revise your needs, the rooms capabilities, and other factors to work with you to recommend the best show for your event.

If you don’t know all the details just yet, that is perfectly fine. Complete what you can and we can get underway in allocating the best show for your event.

Gala Events & Awards-Evenings

Essentially ANY of the shows will work well in a gala or awards setting. We have found that the top two shows offer that work exceptionally well with gala events and awards evenings are:

• “Medium@Large”
• “Mind Games” Comedy Hypnosis Show

Both of these can be performed in formal attire and are delivered in a sophisticated, yet mind-blowing & fun format. “Medium@Large” is like having a Medium with a very funny & sophisticated sense of humour at your event.

This show also features a routine that highlights the importance of the event and both thanks and congratulates all those present at the event. This is certainly both a crowd-pleaser and a management-pleaser!

“Mind Games”, while being a comedy stage hypnosis show, is also corporate clean and features no humiliation.

Your guests will leave feeling as though they have seen one of the most amazing shows of their life. Just ask Karl Stefanovic who was initially a sceptic, but was converted as soon as he saw this show!

Coupling a Feature Show with a Roving Performance

Many clients decide to book a roving performance upon arrival, followed by an after-dinner feature show.

Below are some of the shows on offer, and which ones are best suited to the Executive Combo Package & Roving Hour:

• Mind Magic & Comedy Show: YES
• “Mind Games” Comedy Hypnosis Show: It CAN be, although I recommend not having both hypnosis and mind-reading in the same session, so No is the recommendation here
• “Influencer”: YES
• “Medium@Large”: YES – HOWEVER, adequate time between the completion of the roving hour and the start of the feature stage show is required. Minimum 1-hour. While this show is mind-boggling, the setup and preparation are extensive. Please discuss with us first.
• “Psyche!“: Yes – Though this show does require a full dedicated stage
• “Breathe!” (Similar to Psyche, but includes additional routines, such as the water tank escape: Not recommended

If you would like any further information or guidance, please don’t hesitate to contact us today!