It’s an understatement to say that we all want our events to be a success.  From food and beverage to the entertainment, the satisfaction of the guests’ is what it’s all about.  As an entertainer who is part of the event’s program, I believe that my success is your success and your success is my success.  

It’s shocking how often a client will call and tell me what they envision, ask for my thoughts, and then argue against my advice.  One of the reasons you hire an established professional is for their experience to make things work.  Their advice is not to harm but to help.  Experience is vital to success, and when an entertainer offers their advice – listen to it. And if your entertainer asks for changes to the seating or layout of the room on the day of the event – listen to them. They’re not trying to be difficult… they’re trying to give your members and guests the best experience possible!

Your professional experience is valuable in creating the event, but so is the experience of everyone involved.  When a performer makes a suggestion please remember that it is for the betterment of the event… and will most likely make your life easier!

Sound: It is strongly recommended that you have good external speakers.  Your in-house sound system that is in your ceiling is almost never good for a performance.  Good speakers can be purchased on Amazon and are a great investment for your club.  While you’re at it… get a good microphone system.  Fender makes great speaker systems and Shure or Sennheiser are the standards for microphone systems. 

Lighting: If they can’t see it, they won’t pay attention.  If you’re hosting a performance, even just a singer or band, make sure the performance area is well lit.  A few lights will make all the difference… and if you really want to make it look great, use some colored lights to add a splash behind the stage area.

Stage: Yes, you should get a stage.  Most stages are sectional and you want to get a bigger stage than you think you need.  Most sections are 4×8.  You will want at the very least three sections, but more is always better!  Stages are a great investment for any venue that hosts events. And if you’re using stairs, be aware that a railing will impact views. No railing is best, but if needed for safety, put the stairs on the side of the stage.

Layout: If you’re putting on a show, think about where you would want to sit to see it best.  Tables to the far sides or behind the stage don’t make sense.  If you wouldn’t want to sit there, your members and guests won’t want to sit there.  It’s important to convey to your team that this is a show with a dinner… not a dinner with a show.  Your members are coming to see the show – make sure they can all see it!  If your room isn’t really set up for shows, i.e., it’s really long, there’s a big pole in the middle of the room, etc – the best thing you can do is call your entertainer and find a solution.  Again, hiring an experienced professional will help you make this all work out great – just talk to them!

Length of Show:  I get a lot of requests for 90 minute shows… and while that’s a great idea in theory, depending on the location, time, and event, it may be too long.  Talk to your entertainer about what they think is the right amount of time. If you’re having a meal before the show, for corporate events, 30-45 minutes works well, for club 1 hour is just right.  If you have an additional element to the show (for example an award presentation or president’s address) keep the motto less is more in mind!

Michael Gutenplan is the top rated mentalist and corporate entertainer in the United States. He is the creator of The Members Only Show – a mind reading show designed for private clubs. Looking for a corporate entertainer, the best show for your convention, a magician in Los Angeles... book Michael!