Top Five Party Tips for Any Party

I talk more about how to hire a magician on my FAQS page, but for now here are my top five party tips for any party.

This article was originally part of an series of emails offering advice on tips on planning Christmas Parties, but I reckon that they are useful for any type of celebration.

1. Cover the Party Basics

Someone called me recently about a booking and they asked me if there was anything else that I could recommend for their event. I checked they had what I call the ‘party basics’. It’s tempting sometimes to try to book absolutely everything but more is less, and I think that if you have these basics then everyone will be happy.

So what are party basics?

They are

• venue
• food
• entertainment
• decorations

2. Ask for Recommendations

If you’re not sure on which supplier to go for then first start by asking your friends and family.

Is there anyone that they can recommend?

Is there anyone they have seen at an event before?

Have you seen anyone at an event?

I hand out business cards when I perform magic, and I’m proud of the fact that a lot of my work comes through people keeping those cards, or passing them on to friends. It shows that I must be doing something right.

Another idea is ask at the venue or ask your other suppliers. I know several companies who provide excellent services for your party, so feel free to also get in touch with me if you want to.

3. Do Something a Little Crazy

OK, maybe this is in contrast to the first point, but if you’ve got a crazy idea then I say go for it! I love it when a party has a bit of a WOW factor. I performed at an indoor ski-centre which was really magical, I’ve performed at an event with a Willy Wonka look-a-like, and I’ve performed at an event that was filmed for a TV show.

If you can make people go ‘wow, that’s amazing!’ then they will be sure to remember you and your event for a very long time.

By the way magic is the only art form that makes people gasp, makes people do a double take and makes people go wow. That's why, if you want to create a memorable event that people will talk about for years to come, a magician is a great idea. It's the perfect way to add the wow factor to your party.

4. Invite People Early

Make sure you send your invitations and ‘keep the date free’ notices out early. It's difficult for people who have busy schedules to rearrange at the last minute. For my close up magic bookings, I usually recommend that people book me about six months in advance.

5. Enjoy Your Event

This is a really important one!

Make sure you take some time to relax, to enjoy your event and socialise and enjoy the company of your guests. That’s why you’re holding the party, after all right?

One way that can help this is to hire some sort of entertainment. I said that it's one of the party basics, and I've mentioned throughout this article, why I think it's important, but the reason it's so great is that when you hire professional entertainment, the pressure is off you.

You can relax while the guests are entertained by a professional entertainer. With close up magic, I’m there to share magic with your guests, but also to welcome them and to get them involved. My performance style is conversational, so I'll get them laughing, but also interrupting with their own jokes, and being a part of the fun. In short, I help people to connect.

I help to make sure everyone is enjoying the party. If it’s an event with a lot of guests this means that you don’t need to worry about anyone, because I will be there to take care of everyone.