Most planners hire a magician once a year, if that. It's a small line in the budget and a big part of how the night is remembered, and there's no obvious way to tell the right magician for a corporate event from a good party magician with a nice website.
I'm a corporate magician and mentalist in New York, so I'm on the other side of these calls every week. These are my tips for hiring, the checklist I'd use if I were the one looking to hire a corporate magician: what to decide before you start looking, how to vet the magicians you find, and how to set the one you book up to succeed. Whether you're planning a holiday party, a client dinner or a trade show, the steps are the same.
The short version
- Decide what job the entertainment has to do, and when in the evening.
- Have your date, guest count, venue and rough run of show ready.
- Shortlist magicians who specialize in corporate events, not every type of event.
- Watch video from real events, not just a studio reel.
- Ask the questions below, and listen for red flags.
- Get everything in writing, including insurance.
- Give the magician your run of show and a point of contact for the night.
1. Decide what the magic is for
Before you search for a magician for hire, decide what you need the entertainment to do. The format follows from that.
- Get a cocktail hour moving. Strolling magic, also called close-up magic or walk-around magic, is performed for small groups while the event is already happening. It needs no stage and nothing from the venue, and it breaks up the clusters of people standing with the colleagues they walked in with. Here's how a strolling magician works at a corporate event.
- Give everyone one shared moment. A stage show, with audience participation built in, works once guests are seated and facing the same way: after dinner, before a keynote, in the middle of an awards night. It's the one part of the evening everyone experiences together.
- Both. If the event has a reception and a seated program, booking both from the same magician covers the two moments where entertainment matters most.
Then think about audience. A client appreciation event, a holiday party for the whole company and a dinner for the board are different rooms, and the right entertainer for one may not be right for the others.
2. Know your numbers before you reach out
You don't need everything settled, but the first conversation goes much further if you have:
- The date, or a few possible dates
- The venue, or at least the neighborhood
- Roughly how many guests
- The shape of the evening: a reception, a seated dinner, a program with speakers, or a mix
With that, a good magician can tell you on the first call which format fits and roughly what it will cost.
3. Look for corporate experience, not just magic
Lots of magicians are excellent at birthday parties, family events and private parties. Corporate entertainment is a different job. The audience is adults who don't know each other well, senior leadership is often in the room, and the magician has to fit around a run of show without being managed.
When you look for magicians, check:
- Who they've performed for. Look for corporate clients like yours, by industry and by size of event.
- Testimonials from event planners, not just guests. Look for testimonials that mention the night itself, not just the magic. Planners mention the things that matter to you: arriving on time, working with the AV team, reading the room.
- Whether they specialize. The best magicians specialize. A site that offers kids' parties, weddings, corporate events and balloon animals on the same page is usually built for volume.
- Magician or mentalist. Some magicians work mostly with card tricks and sleight-of-hand; others read minds. Mentalism often lands especially well with corporate audiences. If you're not sure of the difference, here's what a mentalist actually does.
4. Watch real event video
A studio reel is edited to make everything look good. Ask the magician you're interested in hiring for video from actual events, ideally corporate ones, and watch the audience more than the magic tricks or the big illusion at the end. Are people leaning in? Are the volunteers enjoying it, or uncomfortable? Is the material clean enough for your room?
5. Questions to ask the magician
Every magician will say they're great. These questions show you which ones are:
- What type of magic do you specialize in? Close-up, stage, mentalism, or a mix.
- Will the magic show be built around our company, or is it the same set every night? The best corporate magicians customize their performance to the people in the room, and can often build in a product, an announcement or the person being honored.
- How do volunteers get treated? Nobody at a company event should be made to look foolish in front of their boss.
- What do you need from the venue? For strolling, the answer should be close to nothing. For a stage show, expect a microphone, some light and room to move.
- How long do you perform, and when? A good entertainer will suggest timing that fits your run of show rather than asking you to rebuild it.
- Do you carry liability insurance? Most corporate venues require a Certificate of Insurance naming the venue.
- Can we speak to a past client? Ask for references from previous corporate events.
- What's included in the fee? Preparation, customization, travel and the performance itself.
Red flags when hiring a magician
- No video from real events, only a polished reel or stock photos.
- A package menu with no questions about your event. If they quote before asking who's in the room, the show isn't being built for you.
- Humor that relies on embarrassing volunteers. Fine at a comedy club, risky in front of a CFO.
- A stage show pitched for a cocktail hour, or the other way around. A magician who doesn't ask about the shape of your evening is selling what they have, not what you need.
- Vagueness about insurance, arrival time or what's included.
- A price far below everyone else's. It usually means less preparation, less corporate experience, or both.
How much does it cost to hire a magician for a corporate event?
In New York City, hiring a corporate magician typically costs $3,000 to $6,000. A stage show usually runs higher than strolling magic alone, and booking both for the same event costs more again. Professional magicians charge an appearance fee for the event, not an hourly rate. The date, the guest count and how much of the performance is built around your company move the number most. I've written a full breakdown of what a corporate magician costs in NYC, including how to compare quotes.
When to book a magician
For galas and holiday parties, three to six months ahead is typical, because December dates and Thursday and Friday nights go first. For a smaller executive dinner or a product launch, a few weeks is often enough. If your date is close, ask anyway.
What the booking agreement should cover
Before you sign, make sure the agreement includes:
- The date, venue, arrival time and performance times
- The format and length: strolling, a stage show or both
- The fee, the deposit and when the balance is due
- What's included, such as customization and travel
- Cancellation and rescheduling terms
- A Certificate of Insurance naming your venue, if the venue requires one
- A contact on your side for the day of the event
Set the performer up to succeed
Once you've booked, a few things make the night go better and keep it with your guests long after the event:
- Share your run of show early, so the performance is built around your schedule.
- Name one point of contact for the night, so the magician knows who to check in with.
- Tell them about the room: who the senior people are, any inside jokes, anything that should be avoided.
- Plan the introduction if there's a host. A good magician will send the wording ahead of time.
Get this right and the magician takes care of the rest. As Gene S., Executive Vice President of the ARMA Metro NYC Chapter, said after I performed at their Spring Conference:
Whoever you are, if you have the opportunity to hire this guy, I would definitely recommend it.
Hiring a magician: FAQ
Where do I find a magician for a corporate event?
Start with referrals from other planners, your venue or your event agency. Booking sites like GigSalad list local magicians, but they mix every kind of entertainer together. Searching for a corporate magician in your city, then vetting each website against the checklist above, usually finds the specialists.
Is a magician a good fit for a professional business audience?
Yes, when the magician works corporate events regularly. The material should be clean, the volunteers treated well, and the format matched to the event. Strolling magic in particular suits business crowds, because it gets colleagues and clients talking without asking anyone to sit through a performance.
How long should a magician perform at a corporate event?
Strolling magic usually runs 60 to 90 minutes, enough to reach most groups at a cocktail hour. A stage show usually runs 45 to 60 minutes and can be shortened to fit a tight program.
Do we need a stage?
Not for strolling magic. For a stage show, a small stage or riser helps once the audience is above about 100 people, so everyone can see.
Planning a corporate event in New York?
If you're looking for a magician for your corporate event, tell me about it. The date and the venue don't need to be settled yet, and the first call is where we work out what your event needs. If you're still weighing entertainment options for your next event, these corporate event entertainment ideas can help.