|
|
Jeff Jenson Veteran user Denver, Colorado 319 Posts |
I'm looking into trade shows and I have some material on them. The only thing that us not clear to me is this. Does every trick or effect need to have a company message?
Jeff Jenson
"Keep The Magic Alive" |
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
It depends on how you sold them. I am not being sarcastic here.
Certainly if you said that was what you would do then yes it should. If however you simply mentioned you would gather a crowd to turn over to the sales guys then no. The answer is in your pitch.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
tacrowl Inner circle Maryland 1633 Posts |
Jeff -
I did an interview with trade show magician Anders Boulanger for Entertainment Experts. We covered the market in great depth. The videos won't release until late this year - but here is a link to his answer to that question: http://youtu.be/kednseS_WUM Subscribe to the YouTube Channel to get notice when videos are released. You can also go to the web site at: http://entertainment-experts.com and subscribe to the newsletter. Hope it helps, Tom |
Jeff Jenson Veteran user Denver, Colorado 319 Posts |
Danny & Tom thank you for your input, it was very helpful.
Jeff Jenson
"Keep The Magic Alive" |
David Thiel Inner circle Western Canada...where all that oil is 4005 Posts |
You need to discuss this with your client. Discuss everything with them. Do you perform continually or do sets? Remember your purpose is to make your client the star and attract people to their booth...and then fade away. I will always feature the client or one of his key products in the last effect of my set.
It is also a perfect medium for using someone from the client booth and a prospective customer in the same effect. It puts people together...and keeps the client presence in the forefront without being obnoxious about it. I always have a quick session with the booth staff to outline how they can use me and what I do to their advantage. Many clients honestly don't know how to use a trade show performer properly. Good luck! It's very hard precise work...but very rewarding. Let us know how it works out for you. David
Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Except bears. Bears will kill you.
My books are here: www.magicpendulums.com www.MidnightMagicAndMentalism.com |
Mindpro Eternal Order 10587 Posts |
Trade show work is actually a generally used term or umbrella term. It is simply a market or venue. Actually working a trade show has many variables and as David said each with it's own selective, desirable outcome. Most trade shows do not want continuous entertainment. Actually most do not want "entertainment" at all. They want an attraction or presentation, that serves a purpose within their overall marketing plan of attack. You are playing a role in a much larger plan, campaign or promotional execution effort.
The key to any good trade show presenter or performer is to completely understand the clients needs and interest first and foremost, then adapt what you can offer to their needs. And their needs can be many and varied. I have found in many cases they may not even understand their own needs fully. This needs to clearly be defined BEFORE proceeding or as I've seen in many situations, if goals are not met or fall short of expectation, you are the one they often blame or point the fingers at. Trade shows are a very costly proposition for these clients. Most who have a booth at a trade show pay between $5,000-$20,000 for the booth, another $3000 - $12,000 to ship their booth, equipment and accessories to the event or to pay outrageous prices for GES services or the affiliated production house/company to rent their needed booth setup, equipment and accessories, then there are premiums and giveaways that cost thousands of dollars, the expense to fly and lodge all of the management, staff and key players to the event for the duration, several having to come in a few days early and remain a few days after, the cost of courting potential clients with dinners, hospitality suites, nights out on the town, etc. Oh yeah then your cost as well. It all adds up to literally thousands and thousands of dollars. If they are trusting you to make their booth come to life, they have much more at stake than just the cost of your services. When things fall short or fail, who do you think often gets the blame? This is why just because someone is an entertainer or magician, in no way makes them a trade show entertainer, presenter or attraction. It is much more than this. Going back to predetermining the clients needs, what are their needs? What are you claiming you can do for them. Performing magic is rarely enough. Are they looking for lead gen, name and contact captures? Are they seeking a presentation on the hour that is part of a three step process to feature the clients product, message, theme or campaign, then to be directed to the second phase or step of a sales rep to qualify them as a legitimate prospect? Do they expect you to bring people into the booth for a presentation or just be a novelty to hope people notice their booth? Or is it to use you to get something in their hands? Or to get them to signup for something? Or to distribute premiums? Do they want you for an off-floor location such as a hospitality or VIP suite? There are many objectives that can come into play here. Once this is understood and defined, then you must propose how you can make this happen to meet their needs. A continuous "performance" falls flat and can become uneffective quite quickly. A segmented presentation while it can offer impact and create interest, must have people there in attendance. Are you responsible to get these people in to each presentation or will you be working with professional lead gen assistants to fill your presentations? Are you doing a "performance" or "presentation"? Remember the same people attending are there throughout the event, so this must be also kept in mind while formatting. Do you see my points? There is much more to trade shows than meets the eye. Much more at risk and at hand than most non-trade show pros ever understand. If you have to ask the question posed in the original post above, I would tend to say you are surely not ready for the trade show market yet. Trade shows are not about the magic, they are about education, impact and results. The much bigger picture. You also must be more than a magician as attendees will turn to you with their questions and expect you to have their answers - after all you are the feature in the company's booth. Are you educated about the company, message, product and campaign? Until you know and understand this, I wouldn't suggest doing trade shows. Educate yourself to the trade show market and working trade shows first. Like any chance for success in any market or venue you must know it well before you begin. You will be dealing with very professional people (many who's reputation will be at risk by booking you) including Sales Managers, HR Directors, Sales Teams members, CEOs, COOs, company Presidents and Executive Boards. You must be able to operate with these people on their levels. I do not offer this info to deter you, but rather to present to you a bigger picture, better understanding of working the trade show market. This is most definitely a major, high-stakes professional market. It is work that is message and results-based and driven. It's not about the magic, it's about achieving predetermined, specified results. |
Jerskin Inner circle 2497 Posts |
I used to do trade shows for a living but first I went to some trade shows to see what the magicians working them did. I'm always surprised by performers who've never visited the venue (this goes for ever venues: people who've never been on a cruise, a comedy club, etc)
GrEg oTtO
MUNDUS VULT DECIPI |
Oscar999 Elite user 401 Posts |
Mindpro - that was an outstanding mini-lecture on the Tradeshow market.
Thanks for that. I agree 100 percent; it's not about the magic, it's about the overall lead-gen strategy (which may include targeted messaging and branding). I haven't done a tradeshow yet (I had an opportunity last year, but knew I wasn't ready), but I live in the corporate environment and have attended many ... and you're dead on. Excellent thoughts from you. Oscar |
CurtWaltermire Special user Curtis The Mentalist 505 Posts |
Excellent thread. I'd like to toss something in this kettle a bit and see how it cooks up. I just today I received a phone call about doing a trade-show event down in Houston for a large corporate client. I'll spare the details of the phone call and email, but the basic request was for my fees for two hours of trade-show booth style entertainment and product pitching. The event is only two weeks away, so it is rather short notice for such a thing. I have been a performer, public speaker, magician, musician, actor, etc., since the 1980's. I have been specializing in mostly corporate mental magic show entertainment since about 2007 (no kids shows, birthday parties, etc.). However, I have NEVER done a trade show specifically, but I have had a desire to do so. I'm looking at this offer as an opportunity to get my feet wet without having to tackle too much at once. I suppose I don't really have a particular question that I'm presenting here, but rather indirectly soliciting input from more knowledgeable pros like...well..MindPro. Like anything, there has to be a first time actually doing it and though it is important to be prepared, I believe certain things present themselves sometimes even before we as individuals think we are "ready", and that opportunity has to be seized upon when it is knocking at the door. I have only slightly considered turning it down due to some lack of specific experience, but I've managed to turn my thinking into focusing on my strengths as a presenter and giving them a shot at this particular event. I suppose if I were to ask any question it would be--AM I CRAZY?
Curtis Waltermire
Mentalist/Magician/Speaker/Actor/Grandpa/Cool Dad & Above-Average Husband CurtisTheMentalist.com YouTube Channel My Touring Public Show "The Mastermind Show" Check Out My Podcast "The Mastermind Show with Curtis The Mentalist" |
Mindpro Eternal Order 10587 Posts |
Congratulations Curtis on the trade show offer. For the most part I feel the same way as you stated above, perhaps as it pertains to you. It is hard to make general statements here, as others will read into it or adapt it as how they feel it pertains to them and often gets off track of how it was intended.
Yes, there always has to be a first time, and while ideally we should all be reading and rehearsed before this arrives, it often doesn't present itself that way. For some reason I do not get the impression you are a full time professional here, but you do seem to have several decades of experience (it always hard to tell with magicians because they always seem to state their "experience" from when they received their first magic kit/trick) and seem well spoken, so my perceptions are based on this and as I feel it pertains specifically to you, not necessarily as general perspective, as if your were one of my students or consulting/coaching clients. I think this could be a great opportunity for you to enter the trade show market and get your feet wet, as it is only a two hour performance (uniquely rare, also tells me they don't have much of a budget), and provided you heed much of the information offered earlier in this post. If you're thinking of just going in and doing two hours of closeup magic, I would say no, that is not likely what the client would want, what they are investing in you for, and you more than likely would be regretful in the aftermath (the only exception would be is is the client specifically said they only want closeup magic entertainment). Even if the client hasn't clearly stated exactly how they'd like it or how to tie it in with their company, brand or corporate message, you should independently on your own figure this out and use this as the foundation to your approach. By the timeline offered, I do not think their expectations are too demanding, so I would approach this as an opportunity to shine, over-deliver and blow the client away with more impact than they ever may have though possible which could plant the seeds and ideas for future events with this client. Mental magic may work well here. Other advice is to carefully think of what your performance requirements will be and clearly state them in advance so there are no surprises when you arrive. As for the performance, think personality, company/brand/message inclusion, and impact. Since I'm assuming by the details that you are on your own with no hired crowd gatherers working with you, put the proper attention into how you are going to attract and generate the attendees to your booth. Don't just rely on your "being there" your "magic" to draw them in, it won't. Finally do all that you can do to communicate with them to get their needs and expected results before you structure your presentation. Yes, also approach it like a presentation rather than a performance. Unless they are hiring you as a magic monkey, a presentation will play much better to the executives and attendees. Make it about the message, your personality, the companies message and positioning, and less about the magic. This can be a great opportunity to learn the trade show experience form the inside. Understand there will be much reflection and ideas of how and what you could have done better, or will do next time, as you reflect after the event, but this is part of the learning process as well. Yes you are crazy...we are all somewhat crazy to be in this business, but no you are not crazy for seeing this as a professional opportunity with the chance to grow. Best of luck. |
Close.Up.Dave Inner circle Behind you! 2956 Posts |
Trade shows are much different than I thought they would be when I first decided to try doing them (as per all the points Mindpro said above).
Quick story: I did a trade show (meaning tagged along) with a colleague and got some great footage to make a demo video. I have a friend who works for a major trade show carpentry company, so he and I were planning on connecting me with some of his clients to see about working with them. I ended up selling my services to a local company, risk free, to get my feet wet a bit more. The concerns they had were nothing like the private parties, restaurants, etc. that I had done in the past. Long story short, that company ended up canceling on me because the owner had a death in the family and wanted to be there for my performance (but couldn't). So, I approached other booths at the show since I already had a ticket in. I got to pick their brains and see how I can best relate to what their goals were, how to be effective for their booth, etc. After that experience, I realized trade shows were not something I wanted to pursue at the present time and to focus on entertainment. A lot of magicians I've talked to seemed to think people who work trade shows make easy money for doing magic at a booth. I found it to be quite the opposite: hard work and less entertainment type magic. But, people obviously work them for a reason. I say do your research as it will help a lot if you decide to keep pushing forward with them. |
Scott Burton Inner circle 1131 Posts |
Trade show is hard work. Full days on your feet and working hard to pull in crowds and produce a return on investment for the company. I was hired and I developed my material to great success. I pursued more business and soon realized that I hated it. I guess I'm not tough enough for it. And...the whole idea and lifestyle went against my life balance goals. Good for all you out there that do that work. I admire your dedication and hard work!
|
CurtWaltermire Special user Curtis The Mentalist 505 Posts |
Thanks for all of the input. I apologize for steering this a little off course from the OP question, but it seems that has been answered to a large degree.
Mindpro, it's reassuring to know that your last post contains much of the way I already think and what I do. You are correct; I am not currently a full-time pro; I was several years ago, but for only a couple of years. It was during that time I discovered many things that I'm now putting to good use in getting ready to go back to being full-time. I have been very successful in business before (had a multi-million dollar sub-contracting company several years ago I started from scratch with some close friends), so I'm not a complete stranger to the business aspect of things while at the same time by no means claiming to know more than I actually do. I began performing paid, professional shows to a good extent to help pay my way through college in the late 1980's, though I began performing and studying magic as a child many years prior to that. I don't really count those years toward my "credentials", if-you-will, any more than all of my years of generated drama as a child count towards my professional experience as an actor; as far as that is concerned, to each his own there. That is just my opinion. I don't believe in unnecessarily showing your hand for the sake of being honest, but neither do I believe in stretching my experience and/or qualifications beyond where they genuinely belong to make myself more...well...credible. The client specifically requested a "mind-reading" type of presentation, and said that is how they found me on the web and what interested them in me. They also said that they want me to pitch their product and get things started off, though I do not have any of those details at the moment (I was assured they would provide them). The only thing that legitimizes it for me is that it is a well-known, Fortune 100 company. I submitted a proposal to them today and received a response that it is being reviewed. I am definitely concerning myself more with presentation and pitch as opposed to magic performance. I will first and foremost try to work in my most current performing repertoire of mental effects into the presentation. I will also endeavor to steer clear of clunky metaphors and following each trick with "it's the same way at this company..." I believe most people see through the nonsense in such things and you start losing them. In general, my intentions are to over-deliver and make them wish they had called me long ago. I realize that this is a very different way of thinking as a performer than I'm used to: I am used to performing at corporate parties and such where people are wanting to simply cut loose and have fun as opposed to trying to sell them or interest them in an idea or product (other than myself), generate leads, etc. I am looking forward to giving it my best shot. Like CloseUpDave and Scott, I may find that it isn't something I want to really do long-term. I won't know until I try. Besides, my wife and I are recent empty-nesters and are looking forward to the idea of doing some travelling, relocating, etc. So, having said that; this company is going to see sponge bunnies and the magic coloring book like they've never seen it before...and it'll take the tradeshow market by storm... ;)
Curtis Waltermire
Mentalist/Magician/Speaker/Actor/Grandpa/Cool Dad & Above-Average Husband CurtisTheMentalist.com YouTube Channel My Touring Public Show "The Mastermind Show" Check Out My Podcast "The Mastermind Show with Curtis The Mentalist" |
Cane and Able New user The Great White North 82 Posts |
We enjoy the trade show environment. Working with a client and seeing how our magic can fit to their message is a great rush. Trying it will be the best way to see if its for you. Good luck!
|
rrwagg New user 7 Posts |
Hi, brand new newbie here. I live on Vancouver Island and there are no magic stores.
My plan is to setup a booth a trade shows....perform the tricks and my partner sells the tricks and teaches the buyer how to do it. I can't find anyone that is currently doing this? Most of what I see are magicians performing at shows, not selling. Can anyone point me in the direction where I could get some additional info/tips/advice....anything would be appreciated. |
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
Well I think more information would be needed before you can be given tips or advice.
What you seem to be wanting to do is a pitch. LOTS of guys are doing this. There is an entire section called "Step Right Up" here on the Café'. It is probably more what you are looking for.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
Mindpro Eternal Order 10587 Posts |
Quote:
On Dec 11, 2019, rrwagg wrote: What you are describing is not trade show work or a trade show booth, but more of a vendor or kiosk type of tenant or arrangement. My first and foremost advice is you must learn the terms and language of the market otherwise you will come off as uninformed and inexperienced. A trade show is for a specific trade industry. There typically is no direct-selling allowed. It is more of an educational and promotional event within a specific trade industry to present, network, promote and take your offerings to your specifically intended market. A kiosk or vending type of booth is often done at malls, fairs, festivals, perhaps consumer community or business expos, but these are not trade shows. Danny's suggestions are a great starting point as is both an art and science of its own. It is about selling and performing or demonstrating, marketing and business techniques. It is less about performing than it is the selling and business aspects that lead to the sale. It can often be hard to get an ROI on these types of things but there can be other residual benefits if you know what you are doing and understand a greater picture from which you can benefit from. |
thomasR Inner circle 1189 Posts |
Quote:
On Dec 11, 2019, rrwagg wrote: I'm wondering if you are thinking of something like a hobby expo? Either way Danny is right, Step Right Up will get you on the right track. You don't want to set up an entire magic store though, you want to have a few items that are good for pitching. Svengali Deck, Coloring Book, things like that. |
Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
FYI, there used to be a magic store here on Vancouver Island for many years. First it was run by Tony Eng, who later sold the business to Murray Hatfield. Murray closed the shop a few years ago. He is a busy international performer.
There have been some performers here in Victoria who have offered magic lessons through local recreation centres, etc. I think I remember a performer out of Nanaimo who had a magic shop kiosk at a mall one December, but I don't remember him doing it the next year. There are a few book shops and toy shops around town that sell magic kits. Bolen Books, Indigo Books, etc. - Donald
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
|
Jerskin Inner circle 2497 Posts |
Tony Eng's shop, later Murray Hatfield's was in Victoria
GrEg oTtO
MUNDUS VULT DECIPI |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Tricky business » » Trade show question (2 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.09 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |