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event magician

Tips on how to hire a magician

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Tips on how to hire a magician

There’s one way to make your event truly magical – hire a magician! Whether you are planning a kids’ party, corporate event, or wedding, magicians can truly add something special to your event. But, there are lots of magicians out there – each with different styles and specialties. Finding the right fit for an event certainly takes time. Here are some tips that can help you to find the performer that fits your needs:

Know Your Audience
When selecting a magician, you should first think about the event you are hosting. Are you looking for a magician to perform at a child’s birthday party? Or are you looking for someone to amaze and interact with your co-workers and clients? These details play a role in your search. It’s important to know which type of magic you’re looking for from your performer. 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. You wouldn’t want to accidentally hire a birthday party magician to perform for your top corporate clients.

Do Your Research
When you start your search for a magician – visit performer profiles and get to know what they have to offer. Clients should really do their homework and research before they even call an entertainer. They should only consider hiring magicians or other types of entertainers who have performance videos and testimonials on their websites. Reading client reviews on a performer’s profile is a very important step in the search process. Make sure to look at reviews that are appropriate to your event type. As suggested, you should also watch videos of the magician and view their pictures. If you would like more footage or additional references, you can always ask the performer to provide you with more information.

Considerations for the Kids
If you are hiring a magician for a children’s event, you will likely have concerns about inviting a performer (who you don’t know) around your kids. Many clients may be looking for entertainment for their 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 also want the performer to be someone who is very trustworthy. Before you let anyone around your children you should know a little about who they are as a person. Ask for references from schools and day care centers.

Professionals Only Please
When a client is considering hiring a magician they should pay very close attention to the length of time the performer has been doing magic professionally. It’s not hard to go online and buy some magic props, but crafting routines and magic effects that will make your events amazing, fun and interactive take a lifetime of experience. Also, when a performer 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 at the event. You should also ask any magician you are considering hiring if they are insured. The truth is, about 80% of entertainers are NOT insured. In my opinion, it’s not worth the risk of hiring someone who is not insured. It is common practice for entertainers to be insured with at least some liability insurance. Live entertainers are working with props and people at your event, and though we 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 piece of mind when hiring the entertainer.

Contact
When you have narrowed down your magician selection, you should contact them for a price quote. 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.

  • Tell us about your show, what type of show can we expect?
  • What types of magic do you perform?
  • What effects or type of magical effects will you be performing?
  • How long have you been performing professionally?
  • Are you a full time professional performer?
  • How many shows a year do you perform?
  • Where can we see you or where can we see video of you?
  • Do you do anything special for the guest of honor?
  • Do you have liability insurance?
  • Can you provide references?

You should feel free to ask the performers you are considering anything that crosses your mind. The more information you have, the higher the chances are of you finding the perfect fit 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.

If you need help finding a performer for your event you can reach out to us by calling +65 8188 2717 or emailing .

A magician performs underwater

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event magician

Mind Reader in Singapore

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Mind Reader in Singapore

Last week I was hired to perform as  a Mind Reader in Singapore at a corporate event the Prestige Class Award 2014-15 for about 400 people. In my usual stage performance I do a couple effects with mind reading but I mix them with other magic effects. The challenge with this event was that the client wanted  to have a complete 30 minute show. I have a show that did fit the requirement however I usually limit it to an audience up to 150 people at a dinner event. Since people were eating during this performance I decided to limit the number of people that join me on stage which is normally the highlight of a Mind Reading performance but  I just do not feel comfortable to get someone up, while his main course is getting cold.

The audience consisted of business owners and their spouses. I decided to do an effect related to marketing – subliminal advertising. Which is the of hidden images in commercial content in the hopes that viewers will process them unconsciously. I used the logo of a famous company which was displayed on the screens. The logo actually contains a number which is displayed only when the logo is inverted. I had the audience look at the logo and then a couple of audience members thought of 3 and 4 digit numbers. These numbers were totaled by another audience member and the total matched the number hidden in the logo. The rest of the performance went OK however I still prefer to do a show after the meal…

 

event magician

Magician Singapore price

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Magician Singapore Price

This essay answers the question regarding magician Singapore price and fees and might be helpful to bring clarity how they are, or at least should be calculated. It will also enable the reader to ask a performer questions.
Please note that numbers given might change over time and need to be adjusted by an average inflation rate and. Since I currently live and perform in Singapore the fees are stated in Singapore Dollars.

The Singapore magician price and fees in this article are directed at the Strolling Magician (also called Roving Magician, Close-Up Magician, or Street Magician). I am basing this on my experience as a full time performer in Germany and Singapore. The fees are related to the corporate market. For private events you can deduct about 10-20% from the fees given

I believe, and this is my opinion, that magicians (and other variety acts) should work at a level system. The number of professional shows a performer has done will determine his or her fee. This raises the question what are the criteria for a professional show?

Well if the performer got paid (no matter what amount) it was a professional engagement independent if it was a wedding, kids birthday party or corporate sales meeting. The fee will increase with the number of performances over time and some performers change their target market over time as well. This means showing tricks at a family reunion dinner or to some friends at a bar or party are not considered a professional shows.

Note: A magician should have at least 100-200 free or tip based performances before he or she accepts a professional engagement at the first level rate. Again – this is my personal opinion. Where can a performer do tip based or free shows? Well that is a topic for another essay but briefly, busking shows, working in bars for tips, charity events, hospital shows…

The rate of a performer is dependent on:

  • How many shows he or she has done (see above)
  • Whether any of those shows were repeat bookings
  • The demand/popularity of a performer in his or her target market
  • What the target market is willing or able to invest
  • How many shows a performer wants to do.

Based on these factors a performer can gauge the level he or she is at.

Levels:
A. Beginner: 1-100 professional shows
B. Occasional performer: 100 – 200 shows
C. Semi-professional: 200 – 300
D. Professional: 300+

Who is a professional performer?
A professional performer makes 75-100% of his income from performing shows.

A occasional/part time performer 10-50%

A semi-professional performer 50 -75%.

This means these 2 groups have other forms of income either a job in a company or another business (e.g. event company or selling magic products).

Prices and Fees:
These are magician prices and fees for 1 or 2 hours of roving, strolling or close up magic shows.

Beginner:
Tip based in bars and restaurants, busking shows on the streets.
1 hour $50-100
2 hours $100-150

Occasional/part time worker
2 hours – half of the Semi-professional fee for 2 hours – $400-500
1 hour – half of the Semi-professional fee for 1 hour – $250-300

Semi-Professional:
2 hours – $700-1000
1 hour – $400-600

Full time professional:
2 hours – $1200- no limit
1 hour – $700- no limit

Like with anything in life quality is more important than quantity. Quality in magic can only be assured if the performer has performance experience and this can only be achieved with a lot of performances.

Note: The above fees do not contain any performance related cost like travel, accommodation, rehearsal etc.

For more information regarding magician Singapore price and fees for different shows please visit corporate magician Singapore.

event magician

Meeting friends at CTC performance

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Last Friday I was hired by Roots Asia to entertain the customers and employees of CTC  at 1 Altitude. CTC is a japanese IT company providing wide-ranging solutions that cover all phases of the IT life cycle. I did an hour of close up magic during prior to the official start. At events like this I usually act as an Ice Breaker between the different groups – most of time the clients don’t know each other. I have background in IT and I also know CTC from time when I was working in Japan which made the initial start of the conversation easier.  I was also meeting friends at the CTC performance that I have worked together at other occasion: Sharlyn Lim who is a bilingual MC as well as Adam Chua one of the best caricature artist in town.

CTC event meeting friends

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CTC hires Singapore magician

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If your company needs an Ice Breaker for their next event please feel free to contact me,

Stefan

Corporate Magician Singapore

event magician

Magician Stefan Ebinger entertains at STT

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Singaore Magician Stefan Ebinger entertains a crowd of 170 people at a corporate event for Singapore Telemedia Technologies at the Conrad Hotel Nov 28 managed by Muse Inc. I had 2 slots doing close up magic during the cocktail reception and a 20 minutes stage show after dinner. I love doing close up, since I do only sleight of hand routines I just have to pack minimal props and I am ready to entertain.

Magician Singapore close up stuff

The event schedule was very tight we had to keep the timelines to avoid delays. Muse did an excellent job regarding the stage and tech set up. Usually I try to give the client some extra performance on stage (depending on the reactions) However in this case I had to stick to the 20 min to avoid a delay of the overall schedule. Here is a pre-event picture of the room.

Magician singapore SST event

 

With the new year just around the corner, many companies are in the planning stages of their company Sales Kick Off or Chinese New event. If you’d like to add a touch of magic to these events, please contact us. I can provide everything from strolling close-up magic during the cocktail reception to an after-dinner show for audiences up to 250 guests.

I’d love to hear from you.

Happy Holidays

event magician

Magician Singapore performance updates

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October was a busy month. I was performing mainly close up at various corporate events. One event was a marketing event from Zenith Watches. They invited existing and potential clients to further establish the brand in Singapore. As a special guest, they invited Felix Baumgartner the man who did the free fall from outer space – the motto of the event was achieving the impossible. It was hosted in the warehouse which was nicely set up. Below is a picture of the setup at the entrance.

Zenith

Next was performances for the Visa award night at the Gardens by the Bay. Somehow my suit and tie matched the overall event…

corporate entertainment idea

Then I was working for Neuberger Berman at Boathouse and at an NTUC Income client event. I finished that week at the Hyatt Sunday Brunch performance. I guess I most have done 10 hours of card tricks that week… but I am not complaining… 😉

event magician

German Magician Singapore

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Last Saturday I performed close-up magic at the Association of Dutch Business people’s annual Gala Dinner. It was hosted at the Tamarind Hill restaurant.  The group consisted of about 150 guests most of them from the Netherlands. One might think that a German magician in Singapore isn’t a good match for a dutch event but even at football matches the 2 groups can celebrate together – just look at the last world cup. The setting for this event was very nice and the guests were receptive to the performance. I like venues where people are seated at big tables from 10-15 this doesn’t feel anymore like a close-up performance but rather a parlor show in a living room. If you are interested in information on how to get the most out of entertainment you hire for your corporate event please check out this article:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

event magician

Corporate Entertainment Singapore

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10 Tips for a successful engagement of corporate entertainment Singapore

Part 2 of 3 on tips how to get the most out of corporate entertainment Singapore that you engage for your events.

4. Remove Tall Centerpieces on the Table
While tall center pieces look beautiful , they can also obstruct the view of your guests. This is also a barrier for inter-table communication. When your guests cannot see what is going on at the stage they will lose interest and start talking among themselves and this will have a negative impact on the performance.  If tall centerpieces cannot be avoided then make sure that you ask the banqueting staff to place them to one side before the show and return them after the show has ended.

5. Stop the Service During the Show
Whether it is a free bar or not, people at events enjoy drinking. But people moving around during a stage show are disruptive to everyone in the room. The best way to handle this is to have the bar closed during the stage show. We recommend covering the bar with a table cloth, allowing people to see at a distance that the bar is currently closed. Furthermore don’t have the bar at different location than where the show will take place. Especially after dinner your guests will be there instead of watch the performance that you paid for.

Also announce the temporary closure at least half an hour before the show begins, it allows your guests the chance to grab a drink or two to keep at the table.

For a western style dinner the show should begin either after the main course or after dessert when service has concluded.

In case of a Chinese style dinner the show should begin after the dishes and main course (rice and noodles) and when the fruit has been served. The service should stop at this time.

In general keep in mind that when people are eating they will not pay any attention to what is taking place on stage. If you don’t want to interrupt the service it might be better just to have live music instead of an audience participation act like a comedian, magician, juggler etc.

6. Never Have a Break Immediately Before the Show
Some people will lose track of time during the break and not return on time. People arriving part way through the show will disturb the enjoyment for the other guests. If people need a break to use the facilities they will do so as and when they need to.

stay tuned for part 3

event magician

Close up magician Singapore

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Close up magician Singapore

Last week I was hired as close up magician Singapore at a private birthday party at the Grand Hyatt. The person who hired me had seen me before at the Mezza9 Sunday brunch. It was a small group of 10 people in a  function room at the Hyatt. I decide to do 30 min Parlor Show. This type of show is ideal for a smaller function that is hosted in a restaurant or at your home, like a private party or a company dinner event. The show is a mix of close up and effects that can be played for audience up to 80 people. I can be played almost any environment and the client does not have to prepare anything. The show went well and I had a great time with my audience.