JIM CALLAHAN MASTER MAGICIAN & PARANORMALIST

ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS FOR CORPORATE EVENTS AND A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF THE PSYCHOLOGY OF EFFECTIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND ITS APPLICATION

Benefits to your event and the expected response from your attendees when these strategies are implemented

In the document that follows the word 'shows' applies to stage, salon, trade show, and close up entertainment. The choice is yours as to what will be suitable for your event. If need be, I will be happy to assist in your selection. Parts of this document are taken from my lecture the "Application of Thought Technologies as Pertaining to the Public and Conditioned Media Responses."

The shared experience: Your attendees will have a shared experience. A commonality that they share. This can be especially important in situations in which people are meeting for the first time. Have you noticed how complete strangers become comfortable talking to each other when put into a unique situation? This could be any happening from an airport delay to a fireworks display . It is shared experiences that make people feel comfortable with each other. We have all experienced the feeling of camaraderie that is the product of a shared experience. It is the basis for friendship. People remember such experiences. Don’t you?

Universal appeal: The shows that I offer and the entertainment planned for your event should appeal to an extremely wide audience demographic. It is not uncommon to have people from several different backgrounds, socioeconomic levels, and age groups at an event. Because these shows operate on several different psychological levels they appeal to the individual members of the group differently. And that is the secret to how and why I can offer the guarantee that I do. Everyone has good time but for their own reasons based upon their own experience. But they have the experience together. What other entertainment provider do you know of that can make such a claim and guarantee it?

 

THE THREE POINT ENTERTAINMENT STRATEGY

For entertainment to be enjoyed and experienced to its fullest and, more importantly, remembered a three point strategy must be employed.

Pre event information a.k.a. hype: The importance of this cannot be stressed strongly enough. Why do people desire or want to see, read or take part in the activities they do? 
I don’t go out randomly to attend a movie,  look forward to an event or agree to perform at a venue if I know nothing about it. As human beings we are hard wired to gather knowledge and evaluate it. In our periods of relaxation we gravitate toward pursuits that we think we will find enjoyable or profitable ( I do not mean monetarily) in some way. I do and you do also. It is for this reason that the attendees are informed as to the entertainment that they will be enjoying so that they can look forward to it and talk about it. Is it not enjoyable to look forward to a special event or occasion? Then why not capitalize on that. If people do not know the quality or uniqueness of what is provided for them how can they possibly be impressed or thankful for being given that experience? By the printing of one nine word sentence you can double the value of your entertainment dollar. When you decide to engage my services you will be making the most of the money spent.

Design shows to be remembered: The aim of having entertainment at any event is to make the event more enjoyable and memorable. If the entertainment does not fulfill these requirements, why waste time and money on it?  I have studied audience reaction and behavior for over twenty years. This research is the foundation used to construct my shows. I can explain in detail the mimetic engineering and neuro-linguistic programming  that makes these shows so memorable and fun for such an extremely wide demographic audience and also how these ideas and strategies can benefit and be used by both individuals and businesses. But those are subjects best covered at another time. I know this does sound a bit clinical but without a understanding and mastery of the above stated sciences it would be a impossibility to appeal to such a dichotomy of people and have them become a cohesive group. People have preferences for everything- music, art, comedy, drama, cereal, doughnuts, etc. The real trick is making them agree at the same time and place to become a audience for the product provided. That is what well designed entertainment can do.

After-glow : You want the people that attended to fondly remember the event. That is the third point. Make them remember. You remember and tell others about a good restaurant, movie, or book. The live entertainment at your event should be the same.  It is also strongly tied to point two and is greatly influenced by point one. I create and give to the audience reasons to remember the event and talk about it with others both at the event and to those who did not attend. I would say that at least half of the work I do is for repeat engagements. A quarter comes from people just talking about seeing the show. The last quarter are new clients. These numbers work out this way because of this point- I don’t use something again if it does not perform as expected. I don't recommend it to others and I know most people are the same. People engage my services on a repeat basis because of this strategy.

Every point of the entertainment strategy is important. They form a psychological triangle that is complete and solid and with all sides in place so you have an extremely successful product and event. Examples of which can be found readily by remembering the latest big movie or must-read book 

It is the knowledge of how to manipulate the three components of the strategy that is useful and the knowledge that the strategy exists to be used as a tool for successful events.

A brief autobiography

• Have performed professionally for 25 years.

• Started audience behavioral study while employed by Busch Gardens. 

• Set attendance records at outdoor amphitheater at which I performed and sometimes necessitating the use of ushers to keep walkways open. 

• Wrote and performed my own material.

• Used local comedy clubs in Pittsburgh to further experiment and test diversity of new materiel. Was given a open invitation to perform at the Pittsburgh comedy club and the Funny Bone comedy club  when ever I desired. Last comedy club performance in Pittsburgh was with Soupy Sales. To open a new club ( Jesters) one New Year's Eve.

• Worked as a technical consultant and magician/talent for The Television Production Company in Pennsylvania. Did commercials for Westinghouse, Kodak ,K-Mart , and several other smaller companies.

• Set the world record for the world's fastest strait jacket escape televised nationally by P.M. Magazine and in some markets Evening Magazine. Was working with the That’s Incredible television show on a true buried alive escape (This was the real deal no gaffs ! Unfortunately they were not renewed for another season)

• Became the only person ever to escape from a steel water filled fifty five gallon drum. At twenty was being considered as Houdini's successor and the greatest  living escape artist. The escape took four minutes. The drum was supplied by students at Carnegie Mellon University. This escape is considered the most dangerous container escape ever. And even a challenge of twenty thousand dollars has not tempted anyone to try( I decided the living part was the most important part of the title and for the most part have discontinued the escapes.)

• Developed entertainment packages specifically for corporate events. That could be tailored and expanded to suit the needs of the event.

• Became the world's fastest Balloon sculptor. A proven exercise in economy of motion 

• Became the highest paid balloon entertainer in the United States and developed a set of performances pieces utilizing balloons that is redefining balloon art as theater.

• Developed a new hypothesis on man's three levels of consciousness and the control by outside influences. Is  presently writing a book for the general public on the use of this information.

• Developed an awareness and empowerment program for high schools that utilizes the same psychological strategies that tobacco and alcohol advertisers use to initially hook new consumers and to keep them. It was my conclusion that the 'just say no' program is well intention but ineffectual. It has no solid psychological basis. So why not educate and reform opinions using the same system of knowledge that is being used to addict children and their parents?

Jim Callahan Master Magician & Paranormalist