What It's Like to Book a Mentalist for Your Calgary Event: From First Email to Show Night
If you’ve never hired a mentalist before (or any entertainer, for that matter), the process can feel like a bit of a black box. You send an email into the void, and then… what? Contracts? Phone calls? Sound checks? Who handles what, and how much of it lands on your plate?
I’ve written before about how to choose the right entertainer for your event, which covers the shopping-around part: comparing performers, watching demo videos, and asking the right questions. This article is the other half of the story. It’s what actually happens after you reach out. This is my real booking process, step by step, from your first email to the final applause, so you know exactly what to expect (and how little work it should be on your end).
Step 1: The First Email
Everything starts with an inquiry, usually through the contact form on my website or a direct email. You don’t need to have every detail figured out before you reach out. Plenty of people contact me while their event is still half an idea, and that’s completely fine.
That said, a few details help me help you faster:
The event date (or a rough window, if it’s not locked yet)
The city and venue, if you know it
The type of event (holiday party, conference, gala, client appreciation night, etc.)
An approximate headcount
What you’re picturing: a stage show, mingling entertainment, both, or “honestly, no idea yet”
My team typically responds quickly, usually within the same business day. The goal of that first reply isn’t to sell you anything. It’s to answer your initial questions and, if it seems like a fit, set up a short phone call.
Step 2: The Phone Call
This is a relaxed conversation (usually about 15 to 20 minutes), not a pitch. I prefer an actual phone call over endless email tag (though I’m happy to hop on Zoom if that’s easier for you).
On the call, I’ll ask about your event: who’s in the audience, how the evening is structured, what the venue or room setup looks like, and what you’re hoping the entertainment accomplishes. Maybe you want a centerpiece moment for the night. Maybe you need something to bridge the awkward gap between dinner and dancing. Those are different jobs, and knowing which one I’m doing shapes what I recommend.
If you can’t answer a question yet, “I don’t know” is a perfectly good answer. That’s what the rest of the process is for.
The call is also your chance to interview me. Ask anything: how the show works with a corporate crowd, whether the content is clean or inappropriate (it’s clean, and it still plays perfectly for adults), what I need from the venue, how audience participation is handled (spoiler: nobody gets embarrassed).
Step 3: The Quote
The vast majority of the time, you’ll get your quote right on that call. Once I understand the scope of the event, the location, and what kind of performance you need, I can usually give you a number on the spot. No mysterious pricing committee, no “let me get back to you next week.”
Occasionally, something genuinely needs figuring out first (think complicated travel routing or a heavily customized performance), and in those cases the quote follows shortly after the call. But that’s the exception, not the rule.
If you’re curious what actually shapes that number before you ever pick up the phone, I’ve broken it down in my guide to what magicians and mentalists cost in Canada.
Step 4: The Agreement
If the quote works for you, once you confirm the booking and what option(s) you’d like, my team sends over a letter of agreement. It covers everything in plain language: the date, the performance times, the fee, exactly what’s included, and a tech rider that spells out what the venue needs to provide (usually less than you’d expect).
You sign electronically, payment gets squared away (the details are laid out right in the agreement), and the date is yours. Locked. No performer double-booking drama, no wondering if you’re actually confirmed.
Step 5: Between Booking and Show Day
Here’s the part clients tend to appreciate most: for you, this stretch is mostly nothing. That’s by design.
As your event gets closer, I’ll check in to confirm the details: timing, run of show, any changes to the room or the headcount. If your event has tech requirements, I can deal directly with your venue’s AV team so you don’t have to play middle-man between us. And if your venue already has someone who knows what’s going on, or the setup is simple, the tech rider usually answers every question without a single extra phone call. Either way works; the point is that it’s handled.
Schedules shift. Speeches get added, dinner moves half an hour, the awards portion doubles in length (it usually does). None of that is a problem. Just keep me in the loop and I’ll adjust.
Step 6: Show Day
I arrive early, well before your guests notice, and get set up. My setup is self-contained and quick, and I’ll do a sound check with the venue so everything’s dialed in before doors open.
If you’ve booked mingling entertainment alongside the stage show, that usually happens during cocktails or dinner: small, impossible moments happening right at people’s tables. Then the stage show goes up at the agreed time, runs the agreed length, and ends on schedule (event planners tend to notice that last part).
Your job on show day? Enjoy your own event. Be the hero for getting top-notch entertainment. Bask in the glory after. That’s it.
Step 7: After the Show
A day or two later, my team follows up. Partly to make sure everything turned out the way you hoped, partly because feedback genuinely makes the next show better. (And, if you’ve got photos from the night, I’d love to see them.)
And if the show did its job, this step often turns into the first step of next year’s booking. December dates in particular have a way of getting claimed by returning clients before the general public ever sees them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should I book?
Earlier than you’d think, especially for holiday events. December dates typically start filling up in spring, and premium Friday and Saturday dates are often gone months before the season starts. For non-holiday corporate events, a few months of lead time is usually comfortable. I’ve written a full breakdown of how far in advance to book event entertainment if you want the details.
What does our venue need to provide?
Less than you might think. A performance area and, depending on the size of the room, a sound system. The tech rider in the agreement spells it all out, and standard venues (hotel ballrooms, conference centres, theatres) handle it easily. If you’re not sure your space works, ask me on the call and we’ll sort it out before you book anything.
What if our event schedule changes?
It happens at almost every event, and it’s fine. Night-of timing shifts are normal, and I build my evening around being flexible. For bigger changes, like moving the date entirely, just reach out as soon as you know and we’ll figure it out together.
Do you only perform in Calgary?
Not at all. I’m based near Calgary, but I perform across Canada. Alberta events in Calgary, Edmonton, Banff, and Red Deer are the most common, but I regularly travel to Vancouver and Victoria in BC, Saskatoon and Regina in Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, and out east to Toronto and Ottawa. Travel logistics are mine to handle, not yours; they’re simply built into the quote.
The Short Version
If you take one thing away from all this, make it this: after your first email, your workload shrinks. You answer a few questions on a phone call, sign one document, and show up to your own event as a guest instead of a stage manager.
If that sounds like the kind of booking experience you’re after, get in touch. Worst case, you get a pleasant 15 minute phone call and a number to budget around.
