How to hire a magician
Are you looking to book a magician for your next event?
If so read on...
Booking a magician is like venturing out into the wild west. It can be overwhelming booking entertainment. In a metropolitian area like the Bay Area there are over 100 talented magicians that perform full and part time. So how do you choose what's best for your event?
You may consider hiring an event planner or someone experienced in booking entertainment if your event has one of the following elements:
Your event has over 250 people or is on "stage". (Entertainers have specific requirements or riders.)
Your event is a formal gala, or awards banquet.
You are entertaining clients.
There are multiple components: catering, multiple entertainers
If you are paying over $1000.00 for the entertainment OR your budget for the event is $10,000 or more.
If your event is an annual event. Reason - You'll want to change things up every year.
If you are booking entertainment directly do ask:
How many years have you been doing this?
Do you perform full time? If not what industry or company do you work for? (Sometimes hiring someone relateable is acceptable.) If so how many shows do you perform in a year?
If you sense any hesitation, on a question reconsider who you're hiring.
And when you do outsource entertainment to an agency be sure to ask for the top three choices. And ask them why they are recommending a certain entertainer. Look at their website. Make sure the performer has photos of themselves performing in a similar venue and situation. In addition to photos look at videos online. You'll also want to check the performers' reputation online on yelp, and videos.
Working with an agency does provide some benefits. Quite often agents know most of the entertainers in a market. Some performers work exclusively thru agents. I know quite a few performers who have done so because they would rather focus on creating magic rather than marketing and keeping track of the bookings.
So what can you expect to pay when hiring entertainment. Entertainment can be seasonal. Quite often you'll be paying multiples on Friday and Saturday nights OR your might get a deal with a performer on a non-peak date. I know of many really good performers who hold day jobs and have to take time off work just to take a weekday event so they quote insanely high when every getting a request for a weekday event. I also have heard horror stories of performers who have been hired with nice looking websites but who have had little performing experience. It doesn't happen often but in this case, a slick marketing and sales executive thought that he might moonlight as a magician. The only thing is that he didn't have a show that could compare to what was out there in the marketplace.
A top name who's been on television frequently or have gone viral can command over $100,000 for walk-around magic. Performers in this range would be many of the top name celbrities like David Blaine, Chris Angel and Lu Chen.
Dan Chan Master Magician has performed for consulate affairs, weddings, grad nights, private parties, television, community festivals, corporate events, restaurants cultural events, exclusive private yachts, boat cruises, historic estates, and security conferences, vineyards, historical mansions, private clubs around the world, the Magic Castle in Hollywood, countless corporate events and tradeshows in Las Vegas, Shanghai, Washington D.C., and in Japan for the U.S. Marine Corps four times. Dan and several of his team were flown out for Allen and Company's annual gathering in Sun Valley Idaho to entertain 187 billionaires, socialites, and media moguls. In addition to the multitude of milestone and high profile events listed above Dan Chan performs at super unicorn and non-disclosure events requiring being as discrete as possible.
If you would like Dan to help you find entertainment in your area. Feel free to reach out via email. Dan Chan Presents charges a flat fee of $100.00 for entertainment consultation. I will gurantee that you will like your entertainment or your money back.
