First Payments Summer Conference (A Case Study)

In this blog we will be looking at an event we performed at last week. It was a Corporate Summer Conference for First Payments Ltd. First Payments are a Card Payment Provider based in Guilford. On the 7th of June 2019 they were holding their Summer Conference. There was around 75 delegates attending, who were apparently a rowdy bunch. Throughout the day there were various training sessions so understandably in the evening they wanted something upbeat and fun!

They had booked some outdoor activities including a full-size table football set up with real people. The problem is the weather was due to be terrible the entire weekend. As a result they needed something different that would still provide the Wow Factor.

So they reached out to us and when we explained what we could do they booked us immediately. So the question is what did we do for their event and how did it ultimately go?

Their training sessions ended at 6pm. At that point the delegates would be hitting the bar. At 7pm they were presenting some sales awards. At 7.30pm dinner was served. After this they had a disco planned through till late at night. They wanted something that everyone would enjoy and that would engage the whole room.

a red header for a slightly unusual blog which says 'What did we suggest?'

There were a few things we suggested at this event.

1. First of all we suggested two magicians performing close up magic at various points in the evening. The great thing with close up magic is that it’s a great conversation starter and ice breaker and really brings groups of people together. At this conference there were sales people from all over the country who didn’t know each other very well. Doing close up magic is a great way to get these different groups of people talking. Two magicians also meant we could get around everyone and everybody would experience the magic close up.

2. We suggested having close up magic from 6pm till 7pm and then again from 7.30pm till 8.30pm. The first hour would be mix and mingle magic while the delegates are drinking in the bar. The second hour would be table magic throughout dinner. The great thing about table magic is that it really brings the atmosphere in the room up. As each table is clapping and cheering, anticipation is built at the other tables in the venue. Once again this type of magic is a great ice breaker so if people on the tables don’t know each other it gives them something to talk about.

3. One of the things the client was really keen on was making sure everyone was having fun while at the same time giving people the WOW Factor. The client was also concerned that the awards would fall a little flat and wanted something to liven up the atmosphere. We suggested having us make the MD of the company appear magically at the beginning of the awards. We thought this would really blow people away and kick start the awards with a bang. Plus because they had seen us perform close up magic earlier they would already be aware of how good we are.

4. Finally we suggested a 40 minute illusion show after dinner and before the disco kicks in. However, the focus of the show was the audience's interaction along with a comedic feel. Having the spectacle of big illusions is great however; for this type of audience it’s important to have a lot of comedy and even more audience interaction. This will be the thing that people remember long after everything else has been forgotten. We developed a special routine for this show that combined 4 spectators and a lot of comedy. This would supply the WOW Factor the client desired and at the end of the show we can compere on the DJ who will be there for he rest of the evening.

a red header for a slightly unusual blog which says 'So how did it go?'

In a word ‘Awesome’! Don’t just take our word for it. This is a text message we received from the client the following day.

a text message on an iPhone X from a happy customer complementing a magicians entertainment skills at a recent event

"Just a quick to say a massive thank you for Friday, the guys are still

talking about it this morning, they said the best entertainment we have

ever done at a conference and we have done a lot, thanks again. Vicki x"

She said that she has been hiring entertainment for conferences for years and what we delivered exceeded everything she had ever planned before. In fact she was genuinely worried that the conference next year will not come close to matching what we did for her that night.

Everything that we planned went perfectly and without a hitch. The close up magic was perfect to break the ice and judging by the standing ovation at the end of the illusion show every member of the audience was blown away.

a red header for a slightly unusual blog which says 'So what can we learn from this?'

1. The key thing to remember when organising an event is to spend time on planning the entertainment. People won’t remember the food or the music played. They will remember the entertainment that is organised. That is what makes a good event an amazing event.

2. Make sure that the entertainment you organise is well thought out. Everything needs to be planned to perfection. In this case study everything was suggested for a reason, the timings and what we did and when was all thought out. We analysed what the client wanted and put a schedule of entertainment together to achieve these results. When you are planning entertainment and booking entertainment make sure it’s well thought out and you don’t just book something because it sounds good.

3. Remember that magic is very popular right now. We recently wrote a blog you can read by CLICKING HERE about how BGT has made magic really popular. However, you have to book the correct magic act. Our comedic style was perfect in this situation because of the audience that were present.

4. Consider having a stage show. You can read a blog about why Stage Magic is better than close up magic by CLICKING HERE. The important thing to remember is that if you really want to give your delegates the WOW Factor you need to book a Stage Show. Close up magic is great but there is something unforgettable about a large scale stage show especially at an event like an awards dinner.

5. Consider having more than one magician at larger events especially if you are booking close up magic. Close up magic is so spectacular you will be hearing about it for weeks from the delegates present. You don’t want to be in a situation where not everyone got a chance to see the magic up close. Two magicians will mean that everyone will get a change to see what we do up close and personal.

So there you have it. Another happy client. If you are planning a corporate event or an awards dinner and would like a quote or some advice then get in touch by clicking below!