The Two Secrets to the Most Memorable Party
Photo by Taylor Frances Photography
After performing at hundreds of events around the world from NYC, to London, Cuba and beyond, a single moment changed my understanding of what makes a party memorable.
As a professional entertainer I find it important to create a performance that is so unique, astonishing, and strong that it is locked in audience’s memories for years. Why? Having a memorable impact on someone is an important part of being a NYC magician because it’s a test of how much they enjoyed my work. If they forget the moment I transformed a paper plane into a live bird or instantly read their mind how exciting could it be?
The secrets of my magic? They’re safe with me. But the secrets of how to make your party memorable? I’ll share.
Party Entertainment
1. Break Expectations
To have a memorable party you should break expectations. When people are coming to your party, whether that be at your home or an event space, they have expectations. If you can break the expectations right off the bat you may surprise them and that feeling is very memorable. As a party magician based in NYC I’ve found people have all kinds of expectations about what it is I do. Some think of David Blaine, others some sort of birthday clown. In reality, I specialize in sleight-of-hand and psychological illusions for performances at corporate events and private parties. Instead of explaining what is that I do is different and how I’ve been featured on national television and The New York Times, I let the magic speak for itself. That didn’t occur naturally though. Over many performances I learned to have the confidence in my show, that it will make jaws literally drop, that I can just begin surpassing expectations and the crowd will follow. You can break your guests expectations by making a wild choice. For instance, I performed at a party at a mansion in Long Island where the guests were greeted with an aerialist hanging from the ceiling pouring champagne into their glasses as they entered. The tone of the entire evening was set right when the guests walked in the door.
2. Individualized Attention
The interaction that changed how I think of making moments memorable occurred when a guest from a wedding I performed at approached me at an event years later. He remembered one or two of the illusions I performed, but what he couldn’t stop talking about was that I saw him at the end of the night when the wedding was over and I said “goodnight” and remembered his name. The reason I remembered his name was that the magic I perform as a NYC magician is so interactive that it’s important to learn the name of the guests since often the magic happens in their own hands. It changed everything for me because while my magic astonished him it was the individualized attention I gave him that night is what made my performance memorable.
When you’re throwing a memorable party remember that it’s all about your guests. If you have the time to connect with each one of them at some point, even briefly, during the party it makes all the difference. Do you remember the favorite drink or dessert of a guest? Have it brought to them during the meal. Your guests want to feel seen as unique individuals, not as a mass of people. The more you can highlight that the more included and thought of they will feel.
Alexander Boyce is an NYC sleight of hand artist and magician whose performances have been seen in The Magic Castle, The McKittrick Hotel, The Rainbow Room, Lincoln Center and many private corporate events around the world. He’s performed at dinner parties in New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut, Brooklyn, Long Island, and all over the United States.