Why Your Philadelphia Guests Should Know the Magician Is Coming

Some hosts keep the magician a secret, hoping the surprise will add to the fun. In practice, a surprise magician starts at a disadvantage. Guests who came for conversation see a stranger walk up to their group and assume they are about to be sold something. The first few minutes go to winning back trust that an announcement would have handed over for free.

Anticipation Is Part of the Experience

People enjoy looking forward to things, and experiences most of all. A 2014 study in Psychological Science by Amit Kumar, Matthew Killingsworth, and Thomas Gilovich found that waiting for an experience, such as a trip or a show, tends to feel better than waiting for a possession.

A magician works the same way. When the invitation mentions the performer, guests arrive curious. Some look up the performer’s videos beforehand. By the time the magician reaches their group, they are ready to play along.

An Unannounced Performer Meets Folded Arms

Skepticism is the magician’s first obstacle in any room. Plenty of guests have sat through a bad act at some point, and a surprise gives them no reason to expect better. The performer spends the opening minutes earning a hearing, and some guests never fully come around.

What to Tell Guests, and When

A line in the invitation or the event email is enough. A few ways to do it:

• Name the performer and one credential. “Magic by Kostya Kimlat, who fooled Penn & Teller on Fool Us” gives guests a reason to look forward to it.
• Link to a video. Most performer profiles on our roster page include video, and a 30 second clip sells the evening better than a paragraph can.
• Match the invitation to the act. For a card specialist such as Steve Reynolds, a playing card motif on the invitation sets the tone.
• Mention it again at the event. A line from the emcee before a group show, or a sign at the reception, tells guests who the stranger with the deck of cards is.

The Surprise Still Happens

Announcing the magician gives away nothing that matters. Guests know a performer is coming. They have no idea what that performer will do in their hands, and the astonishment is still theirs to have.

Every performer we book through PhiladelphiaMagicians.com has a profile page with a bio you can quote in your invitation. Tell us about your event and we will recommend the right performer to announce.