Are you planning a corporate event in Calgary and looking for entertainment that'll leave your guests in awe? There's no better way to do that than hiring a magician or mentalist to amaze your guests at your next event in Calgary!
Hiring a magician is a great way to add an element of surprise and delight to your event. But how do you find and hire the right magician in Calgary? Luckily for you, I am a magician in Calgary who specializes in corporate event entertainment and offers a variety of performances, including close-up magic and stage shows, so I may know a thing or two that can help you out. So, I put together this handy guide to walk you through the steps to ensure your event is nothing short of magical. Hiring a magician for your event is a GREAT idea. It’s entertaining, engaging, and most importantly, different. But many magicians will offer several options for your event, and it can all boil down to two different kinds of performances. A stage show, or close-up performances.
So, which do you choose? Are you better off with the intimate, up-close-and-personal marvels of close-up magic, or a stage performance that engages the entire crowd? Or, both? In this article, we’ll break it down for you! First, What’s The Difference? Since this may be the first time you’re hiring a magician, let’s go over the basics of Stage vs. Close-up. A stage show, is, indeed, a stage show. It happens in front of a crowd, on stage (or a dance floor, or a corner of the room, etc.), for everyone to watch at once. Depending on the event and the venue, it can resemble anything from a stand-up comedy show to a grand Las-Vegas-Style magic act, to a banquet presentation. But, no matter the scale, it’s a show that everyone watches at once while seated in an audience. However, because a magic show is, well, magic show, even a stage show for a thousand people can engaging, interactive, and astounding. It’s a great experience that the whole room gets to not only experience together, but interact with in real time. Close-up magic refers to a type of performance during which the audience is within arms' reach of the magician. Typically, close-up magic can be presented in one of two ways. The first is roaming or walk-around performances; the magician moves from group to group around the room, performing magic for a few people at a time. The second is a stationary show; people come to the magician, where he performs a small-scale close-up show before the group leaves the table. In either situation, the magic is up-close, personal and happens right in the spectator’s hands. Have you ever seen faces in places they don’t belong? Maybe a wall outlet with a surprised expression? Or a smiling face in the holes of a cardboard box? Or the shadow of a person in chipped paint on a wall? Or, maybe most controversially…a face on the surface of Mars? In 1976, Viking 1 was sent out into our solar system to snap photos of Mars and beam them back to NASA here on our little blue marble. While most of the images were of the barren Martian landscape, one photo showed something that caused a craze that has persisted for decades. That is a face. A large face. Approximately two miles across. On Mars. When the photo hit the public, it caused a sensation. It's become a staple image for conspiracy theorists claiming extraterrestrial life and has been featured on magazine covers like the National Enquirer on a seemingly annual basis.
After all, it’s a face. Something like that had to be constructed, right? However, as NASA stated, it's just a trick of the shadows. If you don't believe it, here's a photo of the exact same location from 2001 taken with a better, higher-definition camera. No face. Just a mesa on the surface of Mars. But what does this have to do with seeing faces (that aren’t actually faces) in random places? When I tell people I’m a mentalist, they correctly assume that I do what I do via a combination of methods: magic, psychology, and suggestion. Very real, tangible things that have very real, tangible explanations.
And that’s at least a little bit by design. I mostly perform for corporate audiences at private events, which are packed full of very savvy, intelligent people. Plus, the general population is a little more “on the ball” than previous generations, so pulling a fast one on today’s audiences is much more difficult than it was in the yesteryears before. What a lot of people don’t know is that a lot of mentalism effects of today originate from fraudulent psychics and mediums in the past. Many of their methods were adopted by magicians looking to add some mind-reading miracles to their act under the guise of being in cahoots with “spirits” or the “Great Beyond.” But where did that idea come from? How did the Spiritualism movement that inspired these fake mediums (which, in turn, inspired countless magicians and mentalists) adopt their methods? Well, I’m here to tell you the story. And it's a little bit spooky. Despite the lighting-fast development of AI, humans are still the best when it comes to creativity and innovation.
But daily tasks, deadlines, and office politics can often leave people feeling drained and uninspired. But what if I told you there was a simple solution to not only add some excitement and novelty to the workplace to fight off burnout but also help increase the creativity within you and your team? If you’re asking, “Jeff, what kind of magic is this that you speak of?” Well, um…it’s…it’s magic. Magic will help you do that. But how? Well, to help you understand, I’ve listed 5 reasons why magic can boost creativity and inspire innovation in you, your co-workers, your staff, your company, and your work environment. 1. The Power of Wonder: Do you remember how big and amazing the world felt when you were a kid? It seemed like anything was possible. And because of that, kids are incredibly creative. So, why not channel that as an adult? Awe and inspiration are key ingredients to unlocking creativity, and magic has a unique ability to create these emotions. Whether it’s through illusions, sleight of hand, or mind-bending tricks, magic transports us to a place where anything is possible, opening our minds to new and imaginative ideas. By incorporating magic into your team-building activities or meetings, you can break the monotony of the workday and create a sense of wonder and excitement, prime conditions for fostering creativity. I had a discussion about magic props with my mother recently that completely caught me by surprise.
"I'm trying to find an old Ouija Board." (which, by the way, has a super-interesting history.) "Are you out of your @#~!% mind?" was the response from my mom. (She probably didn’t ACTUALLY say that, but imagining a 72-year-old woman telling me I'm "out of my @#~!% mind" is hilarious, so we're gonna go with it. Sorry Mom.) My family isn’t big into the supernatural. I would classify my family as barely religious, maybe mildly superstitious, but that's about it. Ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and the like were always more-or-less dismissed as nonsense used to scare kids or entertain adults. So, I was surprised when my mom started to take a guarded interest in me searching out a Ouija board. Of course, I started to ask questions. My mom told me that when she was younger, she was at a sleepover with some girls from school, and one of them had brought a "talking board” with her. Of course, the teenage girls attempted to see if they could make contact with...well, something. Mom said that they had some garbled half-words appear, but for the most part, it was a very uneventful teenage seance. But after, when my mom started telling her family about the board (and how boring it was), things got weird. My mom’s aunt lectured them on how Ouija Boards are evil and they're vehicles for demons to take hold of you and use you for their bidding against the Holy Lord and Saviour. I realized that, as my mom told this story, this reaction from her aunt was more disturbing to her than the actual board itself. She told me this story as a warning: not so much against the evils of the Ouija Board itself, but the responses from people when you associate yourself with one. But this reaction is understandable, right? Because a lot of people think Ouija boards can be used to receive messages from the Great Beyond. But do Ouija boards actually send you messages? Well, in a way, yes. But they don’t come from the spirit world. Believe it or not, hiring a magician or a mentalist to entertain people at a corporate event is incredibly common.
In fact, some of the best mentalists and magicians in the world are ones that are rarely (if ever) seen on a public stage. They make their living by strictly being hired to do private events, company parties, conferences, fundraisers, and more. But a lot of people don’t realize that magic is not only a popular form of event entertainment but it’s also one of the best ways to make your next event the talk of the town. But why? Magic has been continually earning its place in the event industry due to its versatility, entertainment, engagement, and positive impact on guests. People often (incorrectly) think of magic as just somebody doing a few tricks. But magic is not just about identifying a card or pulling a rabbit out of a hat; it's about creating an engaging and unforgettable atmosphere that your guests will likely have never experienced before. Still don’t believe me? Well then, here are five reasons why a magic or mentalism show is the best entertainment for your corporate event, fundraiser, or gala. 7 Sneaky Psychological Hacks That Can Help You with Your Business - A Mentalist's Perspective24/7/2023 As a professional mentalist and magician, my entire career revolves around not only understanding human psychology but also how to manipulate it. And every year, I get to flex my psychology muscles and show off in front of crowds at company events, holiday parties, and more. And there are a few things I hear at these events often:
“Man, can you teach my sales guys how to get inside someone’s head?” “You should come to work for us!” “I wish I could do what you do…it would make my job so much easier!” From influencing people’s decisions to swaying opinions, there’s no denying the power that a little bit of psychology can wield. And not only can understanding human psychology be helpful to a mentalist on stage, but it can also be incredibly beneficial when it comes to succeeding in the business world. So today, this magician will be sharing seven sneaky psychological hacks that can help you take your business game to the next level. So, buckle up and get ready to learn some powerful mental tricks that can help you stand out! |
Jeff Newman:
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