Mind Boggling Professional Magician in Cheshire

Are you currently planning a wedding or event in the Cheshire area? Are you interesting in hiring a magician in Cheshire but dont really know where to start? If you have answered yes, then this article was quite simply written with you in mind!

Find out below how you can hire one of the UK's most experienced and professional magicians. One that will elevate your event and provide unforgettable 5 star entertainment!

Mind Reader & Magician in Cheshire

Looch is my stage name. I have been performing professionally for over 15 years and am highly experienced at providing entertainment for all types of events. I specialise primarily in corporate entertainment and weddings all over the region and the wider UK. The entertainment that I am known for is my performance of Magic and Mentalism. Mentalism is a type of magic that deals mainly with 'Mind Reading' and something that has become known as 'Psychological Magic'. It has become hugely popular over recent years, and is guaranteed to blow your guests minds!

What type of Performances do you offer?

There are many different types of performances that I can offer for various events. There are however two primary ones that are a sure fire way to elevate your event, and provide something amazing for your guests. The first is a type of performance that is known as 'Mix & Mingle Magic'. This is also known as close up magic or 'meet and greet' entertainment. Mix & Mingle is perfect for drinks reception entertainment, and is equally effective at weddings as it is corporate events and private parties.

In this type of performance, I will mingle with your guests and perform up close in front of them. Its a fantastic ice breaker and a great way to get the party started. Typical bookings for this type of performance are for up to 2 consecutive hours. This is ideal for the vast majority of events. However sometimes when you have a large number of guests attending, you may require a bespoke longer booking. This can be discussed at the time of enquiry!

Looch will deliver exceptional service for your event. (Photography by Will Hey)

Do you perform on stage?

The second primary performance that I offer is my stage show. It is a unique and energetic performance that is designed as the perfect After Dinner Entertainment. Typically 60 minutes in length (but can be performed incrementally) the stage show is designed when you want to amaze and enthral every single person in the room. It is a fully interactive performance that incorporates plenty of audience participation and humour.

Most bookings for the stage show are either conferences or dinners but i have been known to perform a very unique version of the show after the wedding breakfast and speeches! Mind reading & magic has proven to be very popular amongst couples planning their wedding day and want something truly memorable and mind blowing! If you would like to speak with me about performing as your very own magician in cheshire, please get in touch today!

Looch's Stage Show is ideal for Corporate Events.

Award-Winning Skills

You might be wondering what makes me so special? After all you could hire any magician out there! Well over the years I have been hugely privileged to have won a variety of entertainment based awards throughout the entertainment and wedding industry. I am a full time professional entertainer and absolutely love my job. I am passionate and highly experienced at performing all over the UK and even Europe. My goal is to exceed your expectation, amaze your guests and make sure I help your event be entertaining and memorable!

Where Have You Performed?

As a professional magician in Cheshire, I have been fortunate to have performed at some of the regions most stunning venues. Whether its' at a wedding or business event, Cheshire has some of the UK's finest event venues. Here are some of my favourite venues in the region: Peckforton Castle, Styal Lodge, Stock Farm & Nunsmere Hall Hotel. I am a recommended supplier on the majority of exclusive Cheshire based venues, and have had a long standing relationship with many all across Cheshire.

What About Testimonials?

For over 15 years, I have been entertaining at events professionally. In that time, I have been hired to perform at over a thousand events. Most of my clients repeatedly book me for annual events and wedding couples recommend me to their friends and families. I am 5 star rated on Google and take enormous pride in receiving exceptional feedback. Here are a small sample of testimonials:

"Looch was fantastic! He did a number of sets at our Annual Conference and was utterly amazing. The franchisees were talking in awe about him throughout the day and he added a completely different feel to our annual event. Book him, he is great!"

Ian Maclean - Belvoir!

"We booked Looch to entertain the guests at our Wedding. This was the most amazing experience! He constantly wow'd everyone along with ourselves. We would highly recommended Looch to everyone we know that wanted something a little different at their event or party. Many Conversations we have had since have been about the things that Looch did to amaze our guests. So many Wow moments had by all. Thanks again for making our day so memorable."

Mr & Mrs Robotham

Lets have a chat!

Now that you know a little bit more about me. I would love to get to know more about you and your upcoming event. There are a couple of different ways to get in touch. You could either give me a call on 07841 332816 or if you prefer, make an online enquiry. I look forward to hearing from you and offering you the best service a professional magician in cheshire can.

A Day In The Life of A Mentalist – First Response Finance Ltd Wellbeing At Work Day

In my line of work, corporate celebrations, conferences and awards ceremonies are commonplace and each one is completely different. However, when I received a request to run a workshop at the First Response Finance Health and Wellbeing Event late last year, I jumped at the opportunity as I had never done anything like it before. 

Mental health and wellbeing is not only intrinsic to happiness, which of course is paramount, but it is vital for productivity and efficiency in the workplace. This is something First Response Finance, whose Head Office is in Nottingham, recognised and they invited me to be part of a series of 'Health and Wellbeing Event' days they were hosting for employees.

A Meeting was Set

I had met the company’s New Business Operations Director, Matt Dickie, during a wedding I’d performed at, at Colwick Hall the previous year. He kept my card with the intention of inviting me to perform at a business conference however, he then had other ideas.

We met in Nottingham and discussed the possibility of me tailoring a bespoke performance in which I could take some of the techniques I use in mentalism and mind reading and teach them to small groups. Naturally, the skills I taught would need to be relevant for their industry and before we’d even finished the meeting, I had numerous ideas of what I could do.

We settled on two wellbeing event workshop sessions: one at their offices in Leigh and the other in Nottingham. They had asked if I was able to travel to their Glasgow offices, but I had a prior commitment.

Teaching the staff how to spot 'Poker Tells'

The Workshops

The first workshop came around so quickly and I was excited at the prospect of delivering something entirely new. The day was going to be split, with me delivering the workshop three times to small groups. This would work best for delivery, teaching practical techniques and answering questions.

I explained at the start of each session that my segment was part workshop and part performance, which would help give the team an insight into what I did and welcome them into my mentalism world. Only once they were feeling relaxed and settled would I teach them skills they could add to their own professional toolkit.

Throughout my performance, I involved as many of the participants as I could and they soon became an excellent audience, with some forgetting it was meant to be a training day.

When it came to teaching techniques, I’d chosen psychological tells. This was to be a simple 50/50 task of one person placing a coin in their right or left hand and their partner reading their ‘tells’ (which are not too different to poker tells) in order to identify the correct location. To make this a little more entertaining, I taught two different techniques to see who did better and interestingly, it was always the second group!

The people-reading skills I taught were designed to help the team with customer relations and team dynamics and seemed to be a success.

As well as mentalism, the day involved a series of yoga sessions, gong baths, art therapy, drumming, cooking demonstrations and healthy food.

It was wonderful to observe team dynamics and the benefits of these types of exercises on the mind, body and soul.

Photo of the Wellbeing Event Board that was on display throughout the day.
The event was fantastically well organised by Matt Dickie

What They Said...

“Ace, fantastic, insane, amazing, entertaining, eye opening and fun. Not to mention a great education on how to read people! Best part of the day by far!”

Matt Dickie – New Business Operations Director

If you are looking to open up your business doors soon, why not welcome staff back with a unique workshop to help them return to a business mindset.

Contact me today  to learn more about my employee engagement workshops. All performances can be undertaken effectively from a distance, while still managing to bring the room together.

The Ultimate Guide on How to Host a Successful Virtual Event

COVID-19 has significantly changed the business landscape.

Everywhere you look, big and small events are getting cancelled—the Summer Olympics, Coachella, book fairs, concerts, indie markets, parties, the Cannes Film Festival—you name it.

Shelter-in-place or safer-at-home orders prevent many corporations from holding conferences and events they'd previously planned for weeks or months.

But the smart, adaptive companies are doing something different: they're learning how to host virtual events. Businesses like Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, and a slew of others are pivoting their tactics and spearheading the virtual events space. This innovation allows them to continue to connect with and serve their clientele, while others have no choice but to, well, disappear.

So, how can you host a digital event or conference that entertains, educates, and engages your audience? Keep reading!

Honour Their Distractions 

When you're hosting a face-to-face event, it's almost guaranteed you've got your audience's full attention (especially if there's an entertainer on stage). Everyone is sitting down in their chairs, looking up at the person speaking, with the kids at home and chores out of mind.

When hosting a virtual event, however, you've got to recognise that people are dealing with different distractions. Many people have children at home, dogs barking in the background, meals to be made, and more. Homelife makes it a tad bit harder to focus and engage.

Rather than allowing this to be a point of frustration, acknowledge it!

You can even acknowledge it right there in your introduction, making everyone breathe a bit easier. Explain exactly what the audience can expect during the time, how long the event will last, and how they can participate. 

Keep it Authentic.

Keep It Authentic to Your Brand

In the physical realm, your audience knows you—they name your name, logo, employees, niche. How can you translate your brand and vision onto the digital screen?

This question will have to be answered by you.

Consider what makes your brand your brand, and try to bring that into the digital space. Keep it consistent and authentic, so your audience recognizes you. Now isn't the time to reinvent (any more than you already have to do)—instead, people want something they can rely on.

Consider Your Hosting Platform

Your choice is highly subjective per cooperation and depends on the goals of your event, how many people are attending, and what's budget-friendly and user-friendly (for you and them).

You can even consider omnichannel hosting, providing different sections of your conference on various platforms. If you choose only one channel, vet it through a series of queries and tests. Do your research when it comes to virtual conferencing and determine which would be best for your mission and vision. 

Keep It Goal-Oriented and Structured

Just as you would plan a face-to-face event, you'll need to structure your virtual event, too. 

You'll need to have goals (what is the point of the event?), date and time, a purpose. What is the core need of your audience, and how can you plan an event around that theme? What makes your affair unique and valuable to your guests?

Additionally, having a pre-event and post-event follow-up is immensely helpful. Pre-event, ask your guests if there are any subjects they'd like included. Ask the audience for feedback post-event so you can know how to improve for next time.

Take your time to research and answer all these questions. Ensure that you're staying on track with your theme or purpose. Last, provide value for those taking the time out of their day to be there.

Advertise the Same as You Would a Face-To-Face Event

What day is the event taking place? What time? Which platform are you planning to use? Does your audience need anything to participate other than their laptop or smartphone?

Market your digital event the same as you'd market anything else.

Prepare flyers and ads that answer these questions and advertise them through Facebook, Instagram, email, and any other social media platforms you use. Encourage your audience to set reminders, and be consistent (but not sales-y) in sending out your own reminders. 

Ensure the Tech is on your side!

Identify Potential Problems and Prepare Solutions

Another part of hosting a digital event is preparing for various problems you wouldn't have considered otherwise.

This includes things like internet connection, having a paid channel that doesn't boot you off before you've concluded, and even having less tech-savvy audience members attending.

How can you help them before the event begins?

Consider sending out an email that breaks down the process of getting into the event—something that explains exactly how to join or log in. Encourage people to ask questions pre-event, so that you or a team member can gladly guide them through the process.

On your end, ensure everything checks out before beginning.

Check your internet connection, video feed, and microphone volume. Consider areas where things could go wrong and identify solutions early-on.

Learn How to Host a Digital Event (Or Risk Getting Forgotten)

Using this guide, you should be well on your way to having a fantastic event!

The best part is that since businesses are still actively navigating the digital event space, everyone is a little more understanding.

If you have a few hiccups, you can likely overcome them with tact, and no one will be judging too harshly. In fact, once we're back to face-to-face events, you and your audience will feel that much closer having gone through it together.

Now that you know how to host a virtual event, let's get to planning.

If you're looking for a great guest to spark fun and laughs and keep the audience engaged, I can help. Contact me today for extraordinary, unforgettable virtual event entertainment. 

4 Outstanding Entertainment Ideas For Your Next Black Tie Party

Black Tie Party Entertainment Ideas

Throwing a black tie party or corporate event takes a lot of planning. In most cases, there's a specific reason for throwing these types of events, and you'll want to be sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. 

Because the event you're throwing is a professional event, it's important that you impress all of your guests. Impressing your guests will leave an ever-lasting impression and will have them ready to RSVP for the next event!

For this to occur, you'll need to find some amazing entertainment ideas that'll make your event stand out from others. Here are 4 outstanding entertainment ideas for your upcoming black tie events!

1. Hire Live Music

Not many professional events have live music. It's a great way to stand out from other corporate or black tie occasions and doesn't mean hiring a DJ to spin tables and play favourite songs.

It consists of hiring actual bands who will come to your event and perform live. Consider choosing a band that'll play classical music to fit the theme of a classy event. Don't forget to set up a dance floor as well. 

Your choice of entertainment is vital

2. Hire a Mentalist / Magician 

Hiring a mentalist or magician is the perfect way to break the ice in the room and get people to start mingling with one another. A mentalist/magician creates a relaxed setting with amazing performances that'll lead to conversations amongst your guests due to the "wow" factor.

Another added benefit of hiring a mentalist/magician is you can have the performance incorporate your brand or company message into it! You can have the performance after dinner as a way to entertain while guests eat dessert, and leave them on a fun and exciting note.

3. Hire a Bartender and Catering Service

Don't forget to include a bartender and catering service. A great bartender with a few sophisticated choices such as wine and cocktails is an exceptional way to keep guests entertained, content, and relaxed while at the event.

The right professional catering service will also know how to deliver dishes in a way that impresses everyone! Imagine being served a beautiful dinner plate with vibrant colours and design patterns all made with food.

Black Tie Event Entertainment
Incorporate an Additional Theme into your Black Tie Event

4. Incorporate a Theme

Incorporating a theme is a brilliant way to spruce things up for your event. Think of a theme that might fit well with your brand. If you're throwing black-tie events, then you can consider hiring entertainment that'll fit well with the black-tie theme, such as a sophisticated or classical performance. 

If you're throwing a company corporate event, then consider choosing a theme for the guests and entertainment. Consider a cabaret-style theme, which is a classy and fun theme to follow. 

How Will You Impress at Your Black Tie Party?

Black tie event planning doesn't have to be difficult when using these tips.

Which ideas listed above will you use to impress your guests at your next black tie party or corporate event? Use a few or use them all to create an event that everyone will remember!

Contact us today to see how we can help make your event an event to impress!

5 Ways to Make your Business Launch Parties a Success

Firstly, congratulations. If you are looking for ideas on how to make your business launch parties a success then you and your team have either completed a project that took countless hours of dedication, you are launching a new product, or you are the owner of a brand new start-up company and want the world to know. There could be other reasons but ultimately, you are looking for a way to build reputation or reinforce client and customer relationships.

Here are some launch party ideas you should consider when organising your big event.

Budget & Professional Services can be vital.

Set aside a budget and if you can, hire the help

Planning, promoting and hosting start-up launch parties is not a simple task. With the hours you have put into the business or new product, you deserve an event that is slick, sophisticated and one that will attract the right people. Therefore, if you can, hire a professional events team to design and manage your launch party which will also ensure you get to relax and enjoy the benefits and rewards yourself.

Select a spectacular venue

If you do not want to hire a team to help plan and organise your launch party, then the first objective you need to meet is to find and hire a venue that will accommodate your guest list. As soon as you reveal the event’s location to your guests, a certain tone will be set and so you should select a venue in line with your brand and/or your company ethos.

Where possible, try and select a unique location; one that creates an air of sophistication and one that gets both you and your team out of the office. It’s a special time for both them and you.

Vary the way you interact with guests

Once you have selected your guestlist full of your target audience as well as friends and family, you need to think how you are going to interact on the day. We don’t mean the way you say hello or the conversations you have. Instead, plan to have digital demonstrations of your product, videos of your team discussing what they have achieved and how, live showcasing and product giveaways (note that everyone loves free gifts and you will enjoy free marketing out of it too).

Interactions like these will help your team feel far more involved in the launch party itself and your guests will have far more opportunities to engage. However, it will also need some planning.

Whats your Theme? Formal? Unique? Fun?

Have a theme

Everyone loves a theme or at least guidelines of how they can be expected to dress. Pick a theme that works with your brand, your ethos, the venue or your product. A theme will be a fantastic conversation starter for both you and your guests. It will also create opportunities for creative and sophisticated photographs to be shared via social media (with specific branded hashtags) both during and after the event.

Pictures are not only invaluable marketing tools, but also a great way for your company to network via social media too. It would therefore be an idea to set time to follow up on any posts or comments your social media outlets receive in the days following the launch.

Wow your Guests!

Entertain with a wow

While this is essentially business, your launch parties should be exactly that; parties! Therefore, your guests will expect some form of launch party entertainment from music, colour, magnificent table decorations or unforgettable food. However, why not hire an act that will keep your guests talking about your event for months to come. It’s essentially free marketing too!

An award-winning mind reader such as Looch can perform in any way you deem appropriate for your launch party. This could be:

For more information about how Looch Mind Reader could help your business launch parties, get in touch today!

8 Awesome Benefits of Hiring a Halloween Magician for Your Party or Event

Are you having friends over for Halloween? You'd better have some entertainment prepared. With everyone dressed up and feeling jovial, a hired entertainer can take your Halloween party to a whole new level. A hired Halloween magician will ensure that your party is the most unforgettable one of the Halloween season. If you're skeptical about what a magician will bring to the table, let me tell you. In this post, I'm going to tell you 8 of the amazing benefits that you'll see when you hire a magician for your next Halloween party.

1. One of a Kind Entertainment

As a form of entertainment, magic is unlike anything else. The mystique mixed with the interactive nature of the performance is something that sticks with people for a long time. If you want your guests to be talking about your party from Halloween until New Year, you know what you have to do.

By having a professional magician mixing stage performance with smaller tricks while he/she floats around a room, you're giving your guests something personal that other types of entertainment can't provide. 

2. Capture People's Attention

If you're trying to capture your guests' attention at this party, magic is a no brainer. Sometimes it's nice to break up the monotony of the average Halloween party. Sure, people are dressed up and having fun, but most parties go down the same path: eat, drink, converse, go home.

Throwing magic into the mix is jarring to the typical party dynamic. Instead of talking about politics or what's going on in each other's lives, a magician can provoke different kinds of feelings in party guests, which will change the dynamic significantly.

A Halloween Magician can provide the Tricks & the Treats!

3. Less Entertaining for You

When you throw a party, you have to do a huge amount of work to prepare. From booking the entertainment and ordering/making the food to preparing the venue and making a guest list, you have a laundry list of important tasks to take care of.

By the time the party rolls around, you just want to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Unfortunately, you'll have people wanting to pull you aside and talk to you. After all, it is your party.

If you book a magician, however, they'll take this social pressure off of you and place it on themselves. I can roam around the room and perform card tricks to smaller groups of people or if the party calls for it, can perform some more detailed illusions in front of everyone.

4. It Can Be Tailored for Different Groups

Every good magician should be able to tailor their act somewhat to suit the theme of your party, which is especially useful for a Halloween party. Magic and Halloween go hand in hand, so they won't have too much extra work to do. Sit down with your magician ahead of the party and go over some of the finer details.

I may ask if there's a good staging area, what the decor will be like, and the types of personalities that are coming to the party. So long as your partygoers are all in a jovial spirit, I shouldn't have trouble getting people involved. 

I'll also able to vary my act for different groups, which is my way of making sure everyone at the party is individually entertained.

5. Flexible on Time

You can book a magician for an hour or the entire length of the party. It's hard to tell if a magic show will go over with your party guests until you throw them into the fire. Many party planners like to keep me around for at least a few hours to entertain guests.

But, if you're more interested in a 30-60 minute all-encompassing magic show, followed by a DJ, band, and other activities, I can do that as well. I know that it's hard to get partygoers to sit still for long periods.

Photo of a Halloween magician at work
Magic is a surefire way to delight your guests!

6. Magic Can Be Spooky

Halloween and magic jive really well together. A lot of the illusions make the unbelievable believable and can even be frightening when framed the right way. We can meet ahead of time to come up with a really good theme for my act. That way, you can scare the daylights out of your guests.

7. Bring People Together

One of the biggest virtues of magic is its ability to bring people together. Every party has people that don't know each other in attendance and realistically, you'll be the only person that knows everyone in the room. Often, entire parties will go by without different groups of people intermingling, but that's not what a party should be about.

Magicians can take two people that barely know each other, involve them in an illusion, and they'll be talking about it all night. Not many forms of entertainment can help forge new friendships, some of which can be long-lasting, but magic can.

8. Gives You Options

Finally, booking a magician for your Halloween party gives you options. If you let me freelance a little bit, you don't have to make a rigid schedule for the party. I'm known for my creativity and have been lauded around the UK for my performance and personal touch.

When the pizzas are taking too long to arrive, I can perform to keep your guests entertained; if you decide you want to set up the karaoke machine early, I can take a back seat for a bit until called upon. It makes your life, as the party planner, easy and stress-free.

If You Want a Good Halloween Magician, Hire Looch

For this year's Halloween party, get the most qualified Halloween magician. As an award-winning mind reader and magician, I've performed all over the UK and Europe with my mind-bending act.

I specialise in both mix & mingle as well as after-dinner entertainment, so let me help take your Halloween party into the stratosphere.

Gala Dinner Entertainment

Your Gala Dinner Entertainment should reflect the glamour & extravagance of the overall event!

Guests will be dressed in their best, with black ties aplenty and ball gowns everywhere you look. Your entertainment should stand out with the elegance and opulence of your gala evening. Looch's mind reading performances are designed so your guests become the stars of the show. In todays article, we are going to examine how Looch's gala dinner entertainment can compliment and enhance any gala dinner.

Enter The Man Who Knows!

For over a decade, Looch has offered his exciting mind reading skills for awards evenings and gala dinners. He is a professional mentalist who specialises in performing a range of acts that are a a surefire way to leave your guests with their minds well and truly 'blown'.

He is sometimes referred to as a mind reader or psychological magician. Looch has the uncanny ability create almost instant rapport with your guests and then lead them into his world of magic & mystery. There are 3 primary performance options on offer and all are highly recommended. His work is especially desirable if you want to leave your guests with incredible memories of your gala for years to come.

Photo showing Looch's Gala Dinner Entertainment Show
The Gala Dinner Show - Great Way to Conclude the Dinner

Gala Dinner Show

Without a doubt, the most unique of the performances is Looch's utterly enthralling After Dinner Show. Introduced onto the stage after dinner and any presentations, Looch will perform his fully interactive mind reading show live for all. The full show is typically 60 minutes in length, but can be shortened or split incrementally depending on your gala schedule.

The show is full of audience participation, humour and mystery! Each of your guests will be enchanted by the demonstrations performed on stage. They will be left with their mouths open and minds blown once they experience the grand finale! Shows can be tailor made for your gala, with personalised tricks that can be designed upon request.

Photo showing Mix and Mingle entertainment at a Gala Dinner in between courses.
Mix & Mingle engages guests pre-dinner and in between courses.

Pre Dinner Entertainment

Some Gala Dinners dont require an After Dinner Show. Instead there might be a live auction followed by a band or musical act. For these types of events, I would recommend for your gala dinner entertainment, Looch's fabulous Mix and Mingle performance. This type of entertainment is sometimes known as 'Meet & Greet'. It consists of Looch mingling with your guests throughout the drinks reception. He will approach guests in small groups, introduce himself and entertain them with his incredible mind reading magic.

This type of performance can also be continued throughout dinner. Looch will effortless mingle with seated guests in between courses. That way dinner isn't interrupted and guests can enjoy their food, yet still experience the magic before and after individual courses.

Photo showing the set up of 'Challenge the Mind Reader'
Challenge the Mind Reader is a 2m x 2m static show that creates a real focal point.

Create A Focal Point

In addition to the 2 primary performance options above. Your gala dinner entertainment could also include a very special type of performance if your venue is suitable. Looch offers a static performance called 'Challenge the Mind Reader'. This is a really unique option that attracts crowds and generates laughter and interaction. Positioned inside a roped off VIP area, Looch will take challenges from your guests as he successfully reads their minds time after time.

This performance really is a perfect focal point at your gala dinner. It is typically set up in the vicinity of the drinks reception location. Guests will be intrigued and excited as they enter and enjoy a glass of champagne. Curiosity always gets the better of them and within a few minutes a crowd around the roped off barriers form. Sometimes Looch is blindfolded, yet can continue to successfully blow the minds of guests all throughout the night.

*Challenge the Mind Reader can also be used as a fundraising aid at charity events.

Lets Talk about your Gala Dinner

I would love the opportunity to be able to speak with you regarding your gala dinner entertainment ideas. Perhaps we can schedule a call or even have a chat over coffee? It all starts with an online enquiry, which can be made here. I look forward to hearing from you, and learning all about your forthcoming gala dinner.

Wedding Planning Tips – Why your Magician shouldn't perform late into the evening.

Top Wedding Planning Tips

Some couples tell me that they are interested in hiring a wedding magician to perform during their evening reception. That seems like a pretty normal idea, right? In my experience, the evening receptions can be loud, busy and logistically unforgiving for the roll of a close up magician. Before you close this browser tab, and find another magician, allow me to explain why. The role of the wedding magician is to provide entertainment and create magical moments for every guest. There are times during your wedding day that naturally lend themselves to this better than a traditional evening reception. Here are the primary reasons why your Magician shouldn't perform late into the evening.

Why Your Magician shouldn't perform late into the evening

OK, so you have decided to hire a wedding magician to entertain your guests. You want them to perform during the evening reception, so that both your day & evening guests get to experience the magic. This is a great decision as it maximises the impact the magician can have at your wedding! However it might be a good idea first, to take a look at what else might be happening during your evening reception. This is especially important before you decide on the exact times you want your magician to perform. Your evening reception will than likely consist of the following:

Photo showing Why your Magician shouldn't perform late into the evening.

Photography By Grace Nicole

Hey guys! We've not seen you for years!

The average number of daytime wedding guests here in the UK is 79. As the evening reception draws in, it rises to just over 110 guests. Thats an increase of approximately 25%. Immediately after the wedding breakfast & speeches, there tends to be a slight lull. Everyone has eaten and will have been at your wedding for several hours. This can often be quite a stressful time for guests with young children or elderly guests. As your evening guests arrive, you will notice a rejuvenation in the overall atmosphere. People who haven't seen each other in years will chat and catch up, its a very social time and one where a wedding magician can take advantage of!

Hiring a wedding magician to perform as your evening guests arrive is a wonderful idea. I would recommend you arrange the time so that it coincides with the end of the speeches and during the room turnaround. Your day guests will often be stood around, with their stomachs fill and have begun to tire. This is a perfect opportunity to inject some magic into their day! In addition to your day guests being amazed, your arriving evening guests will also be able to experience the performances. It really is the best of both worlds so to speak.

Mmm Cake...

Once your evening guests have arrived, quite a few wedding traditions typically occur within a short space of time. The cutting of the cake being one of the most famous. It wouldn't be polite for your magician to perform during this part of your day. Imagine having the majority of your guests celebrating and photographing such a special moment and the rowdy bunch loudly reacting to your wedding magician in the corner. You can request your magician to not perform during the cake cutting ceremony and also during the next segment.

Photo showing a wedding magician performing at the evening reception

Photography By Grace Nicole

The First Dance

Here it is, the most frequently 'filmed' part of your big day, the first dance. You will be surrounded by all your family and friends as they watch your first ever dance as a married couple. Phones are out in masses and everyone is capturing this moment and creating digital memories for you to watch for years to come. As with the cutting of the cake, it is not an appropriate time for your wedding magician to perform. During the booking phase, it is recommended that you request them not to perform as the first dance takes place. A good quality professional magician will already know this, it will have been something they have done previously but it's better to be safe and speak to them.

I Can't Hear You!

Once the first dance has occurred, the music will begin to pump. Guests will be enjoying themselves on the dance floor and thats when the party really gets started. A loud and busy area is never the best for a magician to perform in. If you want them to perform during this part of the evening reception then its recommended that your venue has a separate room with a bar. Those guests who prefer not to dance will still be able to enjoy themselves and chat in the bar area. This is a perfect environment for magic as both parties can hear each other and not fight to be heard over the loud music. The magic can be enjoyed and appreciated!

What Was My Card?

The later the evening reception goes on, typically the more alcohol has been consumed. This invariably results in tipsy guests! Whilst guaranteed to be fun with everyone relaxed, dancing and celebrating your wedding. It's not the ideal time for your wedding magician to have their best impact. Guests who have been drinking for a while become less focussed and can often be a magicians nightmare. They often forget their role in the magic, and can forget instructions given by the magician.

Many times I have experienced a participant completely forgetting their chosen playing card or a simple set of instructions. This can affect the impact of the performances, and often result in a sub par experience for all guests, including the magician. Remember, your wedding magician wants to be at their best and exceed everyones expectations! Avoiding them performing late into the evening is certainly recommended.

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Final Thoughts

If you want to hire a wedding magician to performing during your evening reception then, I think it's important to minimise any logistical problems for your magician. Common sense will often tell you wether you think a specific time is good or bad but as a general rule, hire a magician for the early part of your evening reception. Have them perform away from any loud music, preferably a bar area and not after the first dance. That way you will maximise the potential of the booking and ensure your guests are well and truly entertained to the best of the magicians ability.

One final thought you may want to ask yourself is; "Do I tell my guests, I have hired a Magician?" Why not check out my wedding planning tips blog series for more information and advice to help you plan your wedding entertainment.

A Day in the Life of a Mentalist – Belvoir 2020 National Conference

Bespoke performances are some of my favourite to design and plan whether for private parties or large corporates. My most recent event for Belvoir Estate Agents was exactly that; it was bespoke, personal and so much fun – what’s more, it was over a year in the making and so I am extremely grateful it went ahead given the current climate. Here’s how the Belvoir 2020 National Conference happened!

Introductions

I met a member of the Belvoir Estate Agent team at a property show in Lincolnshire 18 months ago. I approached them and gave a demonstration. As usually happens, they were freaked out and later that week, she made an introduction to Ian Maclean who is company’s franchise director.

We met for a coffee and he was extremely responsive to what I did as he seemed to like mentalism; he mentioned the company would be having their annual conference in 2020 and asked if I would be interested in performing at such an event; of course the answer was yes as corporate events are so rewarding to perform at as they are often large scale.

The booking came directly from Alan Baker, the event planner at Xprez, who was responsible for organising the 2020 conference. During the ensuing months, it was decided three, 20-minute-long performances would work well alongside the other presentations happening throughout the day.

Fast Forward to 2020

With such a long time in between booking and performing, I was able to carefully craft the three requested individual acts to ensure they were truly bespoke to the company and in the blink of an eye, the conference arrived.

I travelled to the venue the night before the conference, staying at St. George’s Park in Burton-on-Trent, which is nestled within the National Forest and home to all 28 English football teams (not difficult to understand with 330 acres of private land surrounding it).

I felt extremely fortunate the event was going ahead with many events being cancelled that week due to Coronavirus and it turns out this would be my last event for the foreseeable.

Belvoir 2020 National Conference

I woke up early as I usually do when staying overnight anywhere that isn’t home. However, I had an undisturbed sleep and this was probably due to the room I was in, which is what I would describe as a sensory bubble. It was so quiet and peaceful; truly lovely.

I met Geoff Ramm, who was the main keynote speaker on the day, for breakfast. Dealing with customer service and customer experience, his talks use many anecdotes and his northern humour makes him extremely approachable. I instantly hit it off with Geoff, he was warm and welcoming. I was looking forward to watching him work.

We then both left to set up our various ‘acts’ and waited for everyone to arrive for the day-long event.

Photo showing Keynote speaker Geoff Ram & Mind Reader Looch at the conference.
Geoff Ramm & Looch

The Stage

While I have performed for numerous large corporates, I had never seen a set up quite like this. The Main Stage was a catwalk-like platform, arranged as a living room complete with Chesterfield sofas and a cartoon-like window looking out. There was also the Kitchen Stage, which was set up as you might expect, except with a 1940's element. Finally, there was a smaller stage to the side of the room.

Something would happen on every stage throughout the day, keeping things moving and keeping the presentations fresh for the audience which was mostly Belvoir franchisees.

The Performances

The day opened with a discussion between Ian Maclean who I had met all those months ago and Director of the Belvoir Group PLC, Dorian Gonsalves. They both sat at the Kitchen Stage counter enjoying coffee (which I thought was a nice touch) before introducing Geoff Ramm. Geoff's 'Celebrity Service' seminar was fantastic! He was funny, direct and delivered a keynote that inspired many of the delegates and got them thinking along his lines.

Finally, it was my turn to perform on the main stage. I gave a demonstration to show how easy it is to read people. I revealed someone’s name without them telling me verbally and then performed some memory magic. Then, I asked someone in the audience to Google search anything they wanted before revealing precisely what it had been.   

My next slot saw me invite three participants up to the stage to sit on separate chairs. I asked them to think back to their school days before selecting specific memories which I in turn revealed whether they were memories about certain teachers, incidents or childhood friends.

The Final Vision

Following lunch and an auction, I took to the stage for my final performance and the main bespoke piece of the day which was something entirely new for me. As the conference itself was entitled ‘Vision 2020’, I decided to manipulate the senses.

Selecting one member from the audience to join me, I proceeded to manipulate their sense of touch, making them believe I had touched them when I was actually standing a metre away. I then went into the audience to touch someone much further away than I had originally been. As I touched them on the shoulder the lady on stage screamed out loud.

Photo of Looch performing at the Belvoir National Conference
Looch on stage 'Influencing Thoughts'

Influencing Thoughts

The sense of sight was next, and I showed the audience a sheet of paper with the instructions 'Draw a Picture' printed on them. This was turned around to face my participant. She drew a flower, which I had predicted and drew while she was drawing hers. When asked why she drew a flower, she answered ‘because you told me to,’ to which the audience laughed. This unnerved her as she realised she had seen something written on the piece of paper which was totally different to what everyone else had.

For the final section of my performance, I took an envelope from a stand which had been present on stage the whole day. Through a series of tasks involving the lady, other members of the audience and their calculators, the room reached a 7-digit number which was exactly the number I had concealed inside the envelope. The finale was turning this number through 180° to reveal the name BELVOIR in specialised, stylised writing to great applause. I was delighted and so pleased the performance had been everything I had hoped for, for both me as a performer and the company.

The End of the Day

I hung around to watch the final presentations by Geoff Ramm, who really was a delight to be around, and former Rugby Union star, Ollie Phillips who also delivered a talk covering his lifetime achievements including setting a Guinness World Record!

The whole day was a sheer delight to be part of and if this was the last performance I will do for a while, I could not have hoped for more. Thank you so much Belvoir Estate Agents and the delegates at the Belvoir 2020 National Conference. I wish your company and franchisees continued success, particularly through this unprecedented time.

Testimonial

"Looch was fantastic. He did a number of sets at our Annual Conference and was utterly amazing. The franchisees were talking in awe about him throughout the day and he added a completely different feel to our annual event. Book him, he is great." - Ian Maclean - Belvoir Franchise Director

To bring Looch to your annual conference please get in touch today!

Wedding Planning Tips - Do I tell my Guests I've hired a Magician?

Top Wedding Planning Tips

Hello and welcome to the latest in my 'Top Wedding Planning Tips' blog series. This is an ongoing series designed to help couples planning their wedding entertainment. In the last post, we discussed wether or not, your magician should perform during the wedding breakfast. Today, I would like to talk about another popular question that I receive from many of my wedding couples:

Do I Tell my Guests I've Hired a Magician?

This is a really unique topic to discuss and one that I have several different thoughts on. So, get the kettle on, pull up a chair and let's find out!

Do I Tell my Guests I've Hired a Magician?

Over the past 15 years, I have performed as a Wedding Magician & Mind Reader at close to 1000 weddings! A fairly hefty portion in my earlier days was exclusively as a Mix & Mingle Magician. I would walk around and perform close-up magic during the drinks receptions, and sometimes throughout the evening reception.

The vast majority of those bookings, the guests knew in advance that I had been hired by the couple. Sometimes the news of my performance was known in advance, through conversation during the planning stage. However, there were those times when it was announced that a wedding magician would be performing when guests arrived at the venue. The most common way to do this has been the use of an 'Order of the Day' sign at the venue. These types of signs can be really helpful in keeping guests informed of the running order and schedule. These types of signs can be designed and manufactured by a quality venue decor company.

The 'Mystery Guest' Option

Recently I have noticed more and more couples not telling their guests that they have hired me to entertain on their big day. From speaking to them about this decision it has given me opportunity to consider why they have chosen to do this. The vast majority of weddings that I have been booked to perform at, the guests are aware that there will be some form of entertainment present. Most have been told there will be a Magician or Mind Reader entertaining throughout the day. This often makes the opening moments a little easier from a performance point of view, due to the fact that there is a level of expectation present before I even start.

However, recently I became increasingly aware that more and more guests had no idea that I would be performing on the day. This meant I would need to spend a little more time introducing myself and explaining what I was doing. I quickly realised the reactions and the rapport with the guests seemed to increase. There was no level of expectation prior to the wedding, instead it was replaced by surprise and a genuine excitement in the moment as I began to perform. I had become a 'Mystery Guest', someone who the other guests began to speak about frenziedly. Bigger crowds began to form around me during performance and the level of excitement peaked.

Photo asking Do I Tell my Wedding Guests I've Hired a Magician?

Photo by Andy Saywell

Introduce the Element of Mystery...

As time went by, I began to speak to existing & new couples about the possibility of keeping me a secret until the big day. The idea that there would be a 'Mystery Guest' performing introduces excitement and intrigue. When I began performing at these weddings, there was an increased 'buzz' as the guests realised that I was the surprise performer. The levels of excitement were noticeably bigger and thus, the reactions to the magic were also heightened.

Overall, the majority of guests seemed to engage and interact more during the performance times. As a result, my couples began to receive overwhelmingly more comments and positive feedback from their friends and family. The initial question of 'Do I Tell my Guests I've Hired a Magician?' now seems to be self explanatory, but remember, not all weddings should be the same.

Whilst I can discuss the pros & cons for both decisions, the final choice will inevitably be yours to make. Either way hiring a magician to entertain at your wedding is a fantastic choice and will guarantee to amaze your guests. Magic can help create wonderful memories for years to come!

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Positive Feedback

"We decided not to tell our guests beforehand that we had hired Looch to perform at our drinks reception. We had a blackboard at the entrance to the venue with a timetable of our day written on it. 1-3pm it simply stated; 'Drinks & Magic'. When our guests saw this they immediately rushed over to ask us if there was going to be a magician performing. They were so excited that when he arrived, a huge crowd of our friends formed around him. They LOVED it!" - Mr & Mrs Johnson

"Looch was our perfect mystery entertainer. No-one but us and our parents knew he was coming! Everyone loved him and the element of surprise was exactly what we wanted." - Mr & Mrs Richards

Do You Want to Bring a 'Mystery Guest' to Your Wedding?

If you are in the planning stages of your wedding, let's have a chat. I would be delighted to be the mystery guest on your big day and guarantee your friends and family will absolutely love it. Please either send me a message, or give me a call today. I cant wait to hear from you!

For more Wedding Planning Tips, why not check out my previous post: "Should a Magician Perform during the meal?" - You might be surprised at my thoughts!