Tag: magic

Serendipity in Action

Published February 23, 2012 / by Molly Whitehouse

I get performance leads from several places. Some people Children's party entertainmentrecommend me as the birthday party magician or I have some listings online. One such lead company is Gig Salad. I get a few leads, and I follow up, usually with a phone call. On this particular day, I had a lead from “Emad”. No large amount of specifics, just “birthday party for 7 yr old daughter”. Name: Emad, phone and email. I called the phone number and got a recording like “Please leave a message for 612 555-1212”. Well, I had not called “612-555-1212”, so I knew the number must have been forwarded. I left my message, and went on with my other leads. A few days later, I followed up with another phone call. Same message. At this point, I figured the lead was no good. No harm, no foul.

A couple of weeks later, I was attending the “Kinect For Developers” meeting. This was a group of about 50 developers who wanted to learn how to “HACK” the Kinect. Very geeky, and technical. I had an idea for an application, so I decided to join in. When I arrived, the room was set up with 15 or so tables so that attendees could group in about four to six per team. I sat at a table that was already occupied by another gentleman. We exchanged pleasantries and then got down to getting the wireless to work on the laptop. Yossef joined the table next. Then Bob and Larry. And finally, one of Yossef and Larry’s co-workers: “EMAD”. We all had name tags, and of course, having the experience with Gig Salad the several days earlier, I was stunned to find someone named Emad at my table. More jokingly than serious, I asked: “Were you looking for a magician for your daughter’s birthday party a couple of weeks ago?” Emad looked stunned! “Why, yes I was. Why do you ask?”

Well, I’m MrGoodfriend, and I left you a couple of messages. I guess you realize that since this coincidence is so outrageous, you will HAVE to hire me now!

His daughter opted for a bounce house and clown.

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Ahead of the Curve

Published August 16, 2010 / by Molly Whitehouse

We’ve all heard the term “getting ahead of the curve.” Simply put, it is a reference to driving. You want to turn your wheels, adjust your speed based on the approaching curve. This will keep you in control and guide you smoothly through to the desired direction.

As in driving, event planning has some nasty curves that dot the road landscape. Here are the key things you can do to “get ahead of the curve” and have a successful event.

Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance

Any cliche about planning can fit here, but it isn’t just trite commentary. PLAN PLAN PLAN. And plan EARLY. What kind of things need to be secured early in the process?

  • Venue – Get the location locked in. And make sure you have adequate facilities for your event.
  • Entertainment – Your entertainment vendor(s) book many months and sometimes years in advance. If you want quality entertainment, be sure to look way ahead, even if it’s just to pencil in the date.

Expand On Success

What has worked before? Was the event given good reviews by the participants? Did they say, “Let’s do this again next year!” It is exciting to put on a successful event. The problem comes in trying to best the previous event. Add a little extra, or equally as good, eliminate the unnecessary. For instance, if everyone loved the DJ and dance last year, why not add a strolling magician? For the wall-flowers, they will have even more to enjoy!

Post Mortem Isn’t Just For Dr G

Get reviews. Find out what worked and what didn’t. Keep an event notebook and update it with the after party details. And don’t forget to show your appreciation to the vendors that helped make your event a success. Even a personal note shows your gratitude.

So there you have it. Short and sweet, simple and doable. Now go out there and have a bang up time!

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