A trade show magician is one of the best ways to attract a crowd, deliver your message and generate a higher ROI. In fact, trade show magicians have been around since the advent of trade show attractions - starting with the late Eddie Tullock.
The reason that trade show magic has been and still is a popular trade show attraction is simple: most people are fascinated with magic (or in my case, mind reading) and rarely get the opportunity to see it done live, done well, and by a professional. The words "done well" and especially "professional" are the key. Like singing, there are many people who can sing a song or two - just like there are many people who can do a magic trick or two. However to be able to make your entire living from doing it is another matter. You've got to be really good!
If you want to enlist the aid of a trade show magician or trade show mind reader to help you generate a buzz throughout the floor, attract crowds, deliver your marketing/sales messages and generate higher quality leads, then you want to make sure that you get the best talent to do that. Here are 8 tips to keep in mind, when evaluating trade show magicians:
1) Professional vs. Semi-Professional or Amateur
A professional is someone who earns their entire living from their business. A semi-professional only occasionally earns money from their line of work and usually has another business or employment at which they earn a living. An amateur just does it for fun.
With that said, you wouldn't hire someone who occasionally designs and builds trade show booths to create yours, would you? Would you use a shipping company who only occasionally ships large items to transport your booth or would you use a company that specializes in that field? You wouldn't use a person who just likes to make videos for fun to develop your corporate video. Why would you do anything less with regard to the person who is representing your exhibit at your show?
The trade show magician is the first thing that attendees will see at your booth. He or she is your spokesperson for the length of the show. That's why you want to make sure the trade show magician is a professional in that he or she has a proven track record at working trade shows. The talent could also work other corporate events such as meetings or conferences, but he or she must have experience in working shows. In other words, you want a specialist - a professional who earns their living working for corporate clients. If the talent also works children's birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, school assemblies, etc. - then you are looking at someone who is a generalist. As in the aforementioned illustration of an exhibit builder, shipping company or videographer, you want to hire a specialist.
2) View Demo Video, Website and Testimonial Page Carefully
Checking out a website is helpful in finding out the level of experience. (This should quickly help you come to a conclusion, as to Step 1.) When viewing the video see if your candidate has done more than a few trade shows and if the video backs up his or her claims, as to the level of experience. Some questions to ponder are: Have they worked for similar size companies? Does he or she constantly attract big crowds or is it just during the "big give away?" Is a marketing message incorporated into the presentation? Do they have a way to separate the qualified attendees from the unqualified attendees?
Also, examine the video to see if the companies represented on the video also provide a testimonial as to the effectiveness of using this talent - which leads me to the testimonial or clients' comments page. Showing a bunch of logos means nothing, unless you have the testimonials to back them up. Ask if the talent has references or comments from these companies on file for you to see that they are actually real comments. Examine the other comments to determine if they are they from mid-sized to large corporations. What were the shows? Are they small shows near where the talent lives or are they national or international shows. (I have worked multiple times at trade shows in over 10 countries for major corporations. This is an important detail to keep in mind. Many trade shows cater to an international audience and the talent must know how to interact properly with diverse groups and customs.)
3) What's the Client Repeat Rate?
I have been working trade shows for over 25 years and approximately 90% of my clients rebook me at multiple shows, year after year. Any one can work for a company once, but see if the talent has worked repeatedly for the same clients.
4) Talent Should Be Self-Contained
A seasoned trade show magician will also be able to self-contained. By self-contained, I mean the talent should be able to provide their own podium/table and sound system. True, some companies prefer to supply the magician or mind reader with a customized table that fits the look of their exhibit and will also provide a sound system. But a professional will be able to provide his or her own working space and also not utilize a large footprint in your booth.
5) Customization of the Script
In order for the magician's presentation to make sense to your audience and to effectively deliver your marketing/sales messages, there needs to be a customized script that is created by the magician. A professional trade show magician knows how to get the right information from you, create a script and then send it to you for any corrections or additions. When speaking to a potential magician, see if they bring up the customization of the script or if you have to mention it first. That will give you a clue as to their level of experience. Additionally, there should be no extra charge for customization.
6) Look and Presentation
How does the talent dress? Business casual is the customary look at trade shows. If you see pictures of the magician working a trade show in a tuxedo or western gear or some other "get-up," just move on.
With regard to the presentation, ask what type of effects the magician will perform and how they will tie into your theme or messages. In less you are having the magician perform in a theatre style exhibit - one with a large stage and chairs for attendees, the vast majority of magic or mind reading presentations at trade shows are of the "close-up" vein. In other words, the attendees are close to the talent. Large colorful boxes or other similar paraphernalia does not play well and looks amateurish.
7) Times and Length of Shows
Generally speaking the length of a presentation should be approximately 10 to 12 minutes and be delivered approximately twice an hour. The talent should be willing to work extra shows, when the show floor is busy.
8) PR, Leads or a Combination of Both
You need to determine if you want the talent to just attract a crowd (PR) or actually provide you with quality leads that your sales reps can turn into sales, therefore heightening your ROI.