Hiring a Birthday Party Magician

HIRING A BIRTHDAY PARTY MAGICIAN

When hiring a Magician for a birthday party make sure you do your homework!  Today it is relatively easy to find information about people.  Use that technology to your advantage.  When hiring a birthday party entertainer questions are your friend, and there are no stupid questions.

RESEARCH

You are inviting a stranger into the lives of your children and the children of your close friends.  Before you do that, you should search the internet.  Who are the magicians performing in your area?  Check to see if they have reviews on websites like Google, or Yelp.  A presence on Google or Yelp tends to show their legitimacy as a reputable business person.

Does the business have a Facebook or Instagram presence?  Are there current postings to those pages.  If they aren’t posting on at least a semi regular basis this can tell you something about their acumen as a professional.  Do they post appropriate material on their social sites? A true professional’s social media will be free of complaints and personal or political drama.

Check around! Has a local school or friend used the services of the person you are looking to hire?  What can they tell you about their experience with the performer? These inquiries can provide a lot of insight.

Lastly…talk to the person you intend to hire.  This is your chance to “interview” your entertainer.  A short conversation can give you an idea of a person’s personality, style and professionalism.

QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK BEFORE HIRING A BIRTHDAY PARTY MAGICIAN

Here are some questions you should think about asking when on the phone with your birthday party magician.

1. How long have you been performing professionally?

2. How many magic shows do you do yearly?

3. What do you provide for your magic show?

4. What do I need to provide?

5. Do you have Insurance?

6. How much does your show cost?

7. What is included in your fee?

PROFESSIONAL VS AMATEUR

How can you tell you are getting a true professional as opposed to an amateur?  This seems like a daunting task, but it is easier than you might think.  There are major differences between the two and it is easy to tell the difference.

PRICING

A professional will place a value on their time.  This is more than just the actual time at your event.   There are several hours of preparation for every professional magic show.  While pricing can vary within the magician market a very low price in comparison to others is indicative of someone without experience and knowledge.  In all my years of performing this is the best indicator to indicate someone’s level of performing experience.  BEWARE the $75.00 birthday party magician.

EQUIPMENT

What does your performer provide for the performance?  A true professional will provide sound equipment, microphones and all the tables needed for the performance.  A professional entertainer knows that even ambient background noise is difficult to overcome without amplified sound.  Also, can your magician provide a professional backdrop?  A backdrop is important for many reasons.  Firstly, it sets the mood for the performance.  It also sets the performance area, it immediately tells everybody where to sit/stand and a professional knows this.  Lastly it protects the performer from prying eyes from behind.  A professional knows the worst angles for magic are often from behind and that area needs to be protected.

BRANDING

 This seems like something only a marketer should be concerned with.  However, if your magician has a “brand” it tells you they have been performing for a while and surviving in an industry fraught with amateurs passing as professionals.  A professional magician wants/needs to be remembered.  Branding is how they accomplish this.  Do they have a professional Logo?  Are their pictures current and relevant?  Their branding should match the service they are selling.

INSURANCE

This seems like a no brainer.  A business professional understands the world isn’t perfect.  Even under the best circumstance’s things can go wrong.  A professional will take steps to protect themselves and you from unforeseen or unfortunate accidents.  An amateur doesn’t give these things a second thought.

WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT

Once you have decided on your party magician you should expect to receive a confirmation or in some cases a contract.  These documents should minimally include the date, time, event address, price and what is included in your show.  Your magician should be in touch with you a least a week before your event and your magician should call you a couple of days prior to confirm last minute details and approximate attendance numbers.

On the day of your event, your performer should arrive 15-30 minutes early to set up the show.  Your entertainer should be ready to begin his performance at your agreed upon time.  You think this would go without saying, but he/she should be presentable and professionally dressed and their equipment should be clean and well cared for.

The discussion of how to hire the right magician for your event could go on and on.  I hope the information contained herein gives you some insight on how to proceed. If you would like more tips for hiring a magician or would like to start the process of hiring a high-quality Birthday Magician for your event, then you are in the right place.  Simply contact us here at johngardenier.com, I am waiting to assist you.