Ideas on hiring a magician

Think About who is attending your event

When selecting a magician, you should first think about the event you're hosting. Are you in search of a magician to perform at a child's birthday party? Are you looking for someone to dazzle and amaze your coworkers and clients? Are you having a fancy dinner party? The type of magician you will want greatly depends on these types of questions.

Some magicians specialize in close-up magic and can stroll from guest to guest at a party, while others will perform a more formal stage-magic show. There are adult and/or corporate magicians, and there are children's magicians. In a small market they may do both.

 

Do your Research

When you start your search for a magician, read through different profiles and get to know what they have to offer. Clients should really do their homework and research before they even call an entertainer. Reading reviews on a performer's profile is a very important step in the search process. Make sure to look at reviews that are related to the type of event you're hosting. You should also watch videos of the magician, view their pictures and ask for additional references if needed. You can never ask too many questions during the search process.

 

Should you ask for a Background Check?

If you're hiring a magician for a children's event, you will likely have concerns about inviting a performer (who you don't know) to spend time with your kids. Often you may be looking for entertainment for your children, and we all know our children are our most valuable possessions. You will want to find out if the magician you are considering is someone who works well with kids and can keep their attention for longer than 15 minutes.
You want the performer to be very trustworthy. You may want to ask the magician if they have a current state background check. Before you let anyone around your children, you should know a little about who they are as a person. Most professionals will have annual background checks completed since it is a state requirement for schools and daycares to have a copy on hand before allowing anyone around the children.

 

Experience, important?  Yes
When you consider hiring a magician, it’s important to check how long this performer has been a professional magician. It's not hard to go online and buy some magic props, but crafting routines and magic tricks that will make their events exciting and fun takes years, or even a lifetime of experience.

When you find a magician that has worked hundreds of different types of events, you can be confident that he or she will be able to adapt to your needs and deal with any changes or issues that come up. They also may offer a variety of services like magic acts, stage shows, or perform close up magic.

 

Insurance ?

You should also ask any magician you are considering hiring if they are insured, and figure out how important that is to you. It is common practice for magicians and entertainers to be insured with at least some liability insurance. With live magic, props, and working with people at your event, even though you don't like to think of it, accidents can happen!
When the entertainer is insured, you have less to worry about, and everyone is covered and can feel safe. It will give you peace of mind when hiring a magician.
 

Contacting the Magician

When you have narrowed down your selection, you should contact that person for  price and availability. At that point, the magician will contact you and set up a time to discuss your event in greater detail.

Before you speak to the performer, you should have a list of questions ready, so you don't forget any important details. Here are some questions you should ask any magician you're interested in hiring:

1     Tell me about your show. What type of show can we expect?

2     What types of magic do you perform?

3     What effects or types of magical effects will you be performing?

4     How long have you been performing professionally?

5     Are you a full-time professional performer?

6     How many shows a year do you perform?

7     Where can we see you, or where can we see videos of you performing?

8     Do you do anything special for a guest of honor?

 9    Do you have liability insurance?

10   Can you provide references?

11    Have you ever missed a show?

12    Do you stay after the show?
 

The more information you have, the higher the likelihood of you finding the perfect magical entertainment for your event. When you are ready to book, make sure you get everything in writing with an entertainment contract. It's the best way to safeguard your event.
 

PS
  The more professional the magician is, the more of these bullet points they fulfill, the more the magician is likely to charge.
Their value is not for the amount of time they spend doing the show, it is for the hours of prep, practice, props, and perseverance.

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