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Kevinr Inner circle 1854 Posts |
Can anyone reccomend a good trade show program to get into tradeshow magic?
I saw a step by step program that retailed for like $2999.00 the Surplus Magic Exchange had it for sale for like $1500 USED! What programs works what out there? |
David Thiel Inner circle Western Canada...where all that oil is 4005 Posts |
About a quarter of what I do is trade shows. I'm not convinced there IS a program that will tell you how to break into the market...and I'm not saying that to sound snotty.
Here's what I did: get a list of people who plan trade shows. Keep in mind that there are TWO possible clients here. First is the guy actually putting on the trade show. He will purchase your services if he sees a direct payoff for him: happier exhibitors, intelligence on who's grousing and/or your ability to draw people to specific areas of the trade show floor. The other client is the individual corporation -- the people actually purchasing the booth space. They will be interested in two things ONLY: your ability to draw people to their booth and THEN pass them onto the salespeople there AND the cost-effectiveness of your proposal. (Can they expect a good return on their investment?) This is why getting those first few jobs is critical. You need to ensure your act IS designed for a trade show -- and not just a bunch of close-up stuff you're hoping will work. You also have to have KILLER material. It all has to be high impact and powerful enough to get people who have no interest in seeing what you do STOP and listen and THEN come into the booth. Some guys in this business did their first few shows at a reduced rate. This is likely to work for the small exhibitors. Others made tapes of what they've done. I got in by physically going to the client, meeting them and making a direct pitch to them, customizing my effects so that some of them highlight the client product/logo/show special. When you do a trade show, the money is good but expect to work your butt off. I go home at the end of each day totally bagged...and you can expect to do the same thing over three days -- which means you will need at least some fresh material each day. So...this is not a direct answer to your question. But I hope it is helpful to you. Good luck! 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 |
Kevinr Inner circle 1854 Posts |
David have you ever heard of this program for trade show magic.
http://www.zellman.com/autobizography.htm |
David Thiel Inner circle Western Canada...where all that oil is 4005 Posts |
No I haven't Kevinr. Sorry.
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 |
Kevinr Inner circle 1854 Posts |
Me either,
Pretty expensive not sure what it really offers. |
Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
Great, true, real world advice David. Anton's materials are excellent, but like any true professional course, only IF YOU ARE WILLING TO PUT IN THE EFFORT AND DO THE WORK. You have to do every step of the process to bring it to life to even begin to expect any results. Trade Shows are high input, high impact events, with high expectations from the client. You are not performing magic, you are doing several professional things at once - crowd gathering, lead gen, educating, showcasing a theme or message, and are usually a step in an overall process which includes management and sales rep as part of your presentation and formula progression. It is about anything but the actual entertainment. Your performance is just the hook to attract and execute the real expectations and results.
Anton's stuff is excellent for the serious, true professionals. You have to have a certain level of proficiency to understand, work and execute it. It is a lot of work and effort on your part. That being said it is some excellent resources and Anton's assistance is world-class. He is a great guy that cares about your success...if you are serious. |
Dynamike Eternal Order FullTimer 24148 Posts |
Joel Bauer is great with trade shows. I noticed his 4 VHS set is not being sold anymore. But he does have a DVD set for sell, Hustle Hustle. It is the same title of his VHS tapes. But I noticed the timing is much less. http://themagicwarehouse.com/DA6318/Hust......uer.html
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gadfly3d Special user 963 Posts |
Have you done this? Go to several trade shows, during slow times talk to the exhibitors (not trying to sell them but rather just to hear what they may say). Observe the crowd and consider would they find seeing a magician a good thing? Just hang around several and absorb.
Gil Scott |
LVMagicAL Elite user 460 Posts |
The Zellman program is a value at $3,000. It is a good deal, but not a steal at $1500. For $1500 you get all the information, but not the access to Zellman (which was a perk that came with a new program purchased directly from him). I purchased the pachage about 5-6 years ago and spent a great deal of time with Zellman on the phone in personal consultation regarding the theories, approaches, methodologies, etc; His personal advice regarding how to implement the concepts into my particular business model were invaluable (although trade show marketing wasn't the #1 priority on my list at the time). You get what you pay for, and I certainly received extreme value from Zellman when I spent the big bucks for his program. My business wouldn't be as successful as it is today without Anton's personal assistance.
Bauer's Hustle-Hustle on the other hand, just didn't resonate with me. I admire and respect what Joel has accomplished, but his style and approaches just didn't "click" for me. Your mileage will most likely vary. |
corpmagi Special user New York 725 Posts |
Many on this forum have had nice things to say and have gotten started with my book, "A Modern Trade Show Handbook".
While it's not a course per se, it contains lots of practical advice about the trade show business and how to avoid common pitfalls. You can check out some of the reviews and the Table Of Contents at http://www.trafficstoppers.com/handbook Seth
A Modern Trade Show Handbook
www.trafficstoppers.com/handbook |
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