Do you do magic at weddings?

The business of magic at weddings is worth big money in the United Kingdom. In this episode of Magician Business Podcast, one of England's top working pro magicians tells you how he successfully targets the wedding magic market and how you can do the same.

Wikipedia describes Andi Gladwin as “a professional British close-up magician, lecturer, publisher and performer. He has appeared on television numerous times, has lectured for magicians throughout the UK, US and Europe and written / published several books on magic”.

Although the wiki description of Andi is accurate, it fails to capture his generous nature and his dedication to the betterment of the art we know as magic.

When I emailed Andi to ask if he would be willing to share some business advice for magicians on the topic of doing magic at weddings he replied with a yes in less than 5 minutes. 

We speak about a range of topics including Andi’s writing, he shares about the upcoming column called “Magicana" for the Genii Magazine and about the 4 books scheduled for publication this coming year.

Andi Gladwin understands the business of being a magician. He successfully balances close-up and corporate performances, wedding magic and runs his publishing company called Vanishing Magic.

In this interview Andi reveals how he uses his downtime productively and you will learn how to turn a car journey to your show into a time of professional development for your magician business.

You will Learn the insider tips from a professional wedding magician. Hear firsthand how Andi Gladwin differentiates himself from his competition and how he personalises his correspondence to increase bookings.

in this episode we talk about

The “film on the cutting room floor” concept

The importance of substance over style

The new trick that Andi Gladwin is planning to bring to market and why he waited 20 years to release it.

What the rest of the world can learn from UK wedding magicians.

How to sell a show into the wedding market

how to work with other wedding professionals and get exposure

What to put on your website and why

Ever laid back and daydreamed about having your own magic show? A theatre with your name in lights? Keith Fields did. More than that, he did something about it.

Keith Fields has appeared in New York’s Broadway, London’s West End and the Las Vegas Strip, but not in his own show, doing it his way.

Keith’s new show “A Brit Of Magic” is a multimedia extravaganza of comedy and magic that plays at the Iris Theater in the tourist town of Gaitlinburg, Tennessee. This show exists because Keith had the drive and persistence to make it happen.

In this episode:

• Find out what busking taught Keith about business?
• Why he is an alien with extraordinary ability (no joke)
• Do you devise a show and try to find a venue or do you find a venue that needs a show? Is one of these better?
• How do you pitch your show idea? Do YOU need to have the business plan worked out in advance for the theatre?
• Who decides of the length of the  ‘run’ of the show?
• Who decides on ticket cost?
• Who pays for advertising?
• Who is responsible for drawing up a contract?
• Are there any advantages to playing outside your native country?
• Can you do back of room sales?
• Is it financially viable?

This is everything you need to think about if you want to know how to pitch, promote, advertise and create a magic show.

In this interview Scott speaks about the power of your branding as a magician. He shares the psychology of how our bookers think and how we can gain the advantage over our competition by using the same marketing techniques that used to leach a hundred million dollar feature film.

Branding is all about creating a uniform feel and synergy across the platforms you use to communicate and correspond with your bookers. 

If a potential booker visits your Facebook page, follows a link to your website and then received a quote from you, they should experience a seamless  progression with matching colour scheme, logo, font type and feel. Top companies spend millions on branding consultants because that know that effective branding leads to increased brand loyalty and more sales.

Scott has designed logos, branding  and websites for hundreds of entertainers around the world. He is an expert is the use of colours and pictures to sell your product and he shares what you should be aiming for in your stationery, website and logo.

This interview is packed with real world marketing information from a top graphic designer giving you actionable tips to help get you more bookings.

In this episode we talk about

How selling blockbuster movies is no different to selling magic shows.

Why the saying “Don't judge a book by its cover.” is not true

How branding is a process that needs 

Design tips for your website

The golden first impression

How your branding is an investment, not an expense

What is the purpose of a promo reel?  Who needs one?  How long should a promo reel be?  Do they have to look really professional to be considered?

We all hear about needing a promo video reel but there is little information on how to actually go about constructing one. Cue Steve Russell! Steve is an entertainer who also understands the ins and outs of a great promo video because he produces them working magicians, jugglers, ventriloquists, stand up comics, dancers, hypnotists, musicians.

In this episode we talk about:

Steve says "Video is perhaps the most persuasive tool in the performer’s marketing arsenal. It is your chance to give your potential clients a taste of who you are and what you do. Sadly, most performers put up a clip that is badly edited, overly long and without a focus on selling."

• Making a professional video that is memorable, to-the-point, and targeted.
• What is the purpose of a promo reel? Understanding this is crucial to it being successful.
• What does the potential client expect to see? What messages do they expect to hear?
• What camera shots you need to get? Where to put up your camera?
• How to create voice overs that will get heard..
• Where to put your calls to action.
• How to use testimonial quotes that get responses.
• 2 things NOT to put in your video that scare off potential clients.
• What parts of your show to include and where to put them in the video.
• Steve's big tip for creating promotional videos