Posts

event magician

Comedy Magician Singapore

LinkedIn Hires Roving Magician

LinkedIn Hires Roving Magician

  • Event: LinkedIn Employee Event – August 27
  • Venue: Open Farm Community
  • Package: Roving – 300 guests

LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking service. Founded in 2002. It is mainly used for professional networking.  It is the leader in Enterprise Information Management (EIM).

I was hired to entertain the international audience of the LinkedIn Singapore subsidiary. I provided close-up/roving magic entertainment for their employees.

Busking show at corporate event

Busking Show at Trafigura Company Event

  • Event: Company Party – June 16
  • Venue: da Paolo Bistro Bar
  • Package: Close-Up Magic – Busking Show – 90 guests

Trafigura hired me to entertain their employees during the  annual company party. They also wanted to have a stage show. It was a costume party and they asked me not to dress in suit and tie. Usually I don’t wear a costume because I need my suit pockets for the items I carry. I proposed to come dressed in busker outfit with a hat and pouch. There was no stage in the restaurant and this is why I proposed to do a 15 minute busking style performance surrounded by the guests.

event magician

corporate magician – Summary 2015

Here is the last update from the corporate magician Singapore for this year. First I would like to say thank you to all the people who have engaged my services, either the first time or repeatedly. Without you I wouldn’t be writing this entry.

2015 was, with over 100 performances, stage and close up,  great and I am looking forward to do more in the coming year. It is hard to pick a highlight since I enjoy and learn from all performances even the ones that don’t go to well.

Yes there are shows that could go better! I learn from each of them. In fact the shows that don’t go well are the ones I take the most out of. I am a perfectionist and I try to deliver the best job I can, however no matter how well you plan things sometimes go wrong. Who’s fault is it? Wrong question – what can be done better to avoid the same thing happening next time. I see performance like Kaizen – continuous improvement.

If I had to pick a moment from this year that illustrates what I want to achieve with a performance it would be this one:

I do an effect in which I borrow a coin which disappears and re-appears inside a small sealed envelope which was inside a zip closed wallet. I  offer my audience a long or short mystery. The short mystery is the option to open the envelope right now and validate that the coin is theirs’ . The long mystery is different. They don’t open the envelope. This means they have a mystery  as long as they have the envelope if it is really the coin with their initials on it. I claim it is – but I am a magician…

I have been performing this effect at my regular gig at the Grand Hyatt Sunday brunch for over a year now. Last week a family came back  and I was asked to come to there table. The daughter  (about 8 years old) still had  the envelope  unopened. The  last time they  were there was about 3 months  ago. The same happened with a  Gentlemen that comes to the Hyatt with his wife at least 5 times a year. He still has the envelope – not opened for over 4 months.

Why is this great? Because the performance is in their mind for a long time and they have a magical moment every time they look at the envelope. How many people open it right away? I would say about 75% and usually out of group pressure. However I still have them open it after I left the table. This means they will debate out after the performance is done.

My goal for 2016 is to have 50% not open the envelope.

Happy  Holidays!

Stefan

Finally some pictures from a recent performance. Amazing interaction

corporate magician - stage show

BBC Chartering hiring a magician

Hiring a magician in Singapore A couple of weeks ago BBC Chartering was hiring a magician for the Asia Eisbein Essen which is an annual luncheon event. Eisbein is basically a kind of German pork knuckle which is usually broiled not roasted. The audience consisted of BBC staff, clients and partners. When I did a […]

event magician

Tips on how to hire a magician

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

event magician

Mind Reader in Singapore

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

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

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