|
|
NJJ Inner circle 6437 Posts |
The 18th 19th December is THE weekend for me each year. Everything leads up to me doing several thousand dollars worth of business on those two days.
And this year for the month of December I have a 20% increase in fees, a 30% increase in inquiries and not a single booking for the 18th and 19th December! I don't mind because I have shows almost every day of the month and it is my busiest year on record but its such an odd event to have nothing booked for that weekend! Anyone have an idea why that might be? Chance? |
Michael Messing Inner circle Knoxville, TN 1817 Posts |
You never know. This year, my biggest weekends are the two prior to the weekend of the 17th. It's hard to predict.
Michael |
Chris Jones Elite user 468 Posts |
I have been unable too book any magical enagements for the whole of December,. I have tried faxbacking and mailshotting in the preceding months. I have also tried yellowpages and advertsing in newspapers but I receive little or no repsonses.
I guess this year is not a busy year for magcians, certainly it seems to be dead quiet in the UK> How about for other Café goers? Criss |
rossmacrae Inner circle Arlington, Virginia 2475 Posts |
Chris - I dunno if it's the same everywhere, but in this town (Washington DC area) everything goes straight down the toilet when there's a war on.
Looking back at that sentence, it could give one (or both) of two impressions: 1) - My God, this guy's callous! 2) - Must be he's numbed by being too-close-to-the-seat-of-politics and can only take anything Washington does ... war, peace, prosperous economy, wrecked economy ... cynically. |
Al Angello Eternal Order Collegeville, Pa. USA 11045 Posts |
I'm very busy from Dec 2, to Dec 23.
Al
Al Angello The Comic Juggler/Magician
http://www.juggleral.com http://home.comcast.net/~juggleral/ "Footprints on your ceiling are almost gone" |
nucinud Inner circle New York, New York 1298 Posts |
Well, my new ads start next week. I hope December will be busy.
"We are what we pretend to be" Kurt Vonnegut, jr.
Now U C It Now U Don't Harry Mandel www.mandelmagic.com |
Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
I've got a pretty standard December, about 25+ shows. Although this year they tend to be spread out just as much for weekdays as weekends.
Started my Christmas shows last weekend, and already having a blast! Chris, just a tip. Keep a database of all who inquire about Christmas shows (with their permission). Then market to them by direct mail or phone calls in August and September (some do earlier, some do later), and fill your calendar with people who have expressed an interest in the past, especially past customers. Active marketing (direct mail, phone calls, in person meetings) in most cases will be more effective than passive marketing (yellow page ads, classifieds), although they can work if you are trying to establish yourself in your market. - Donald
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
|
ThePartyMagician Loyal user Bristol, UK 216 Posts |
Quote:
I guess this year is not a busy year for magciians, certainly it seems to be dead quiet in the UK> How about for other Café goers? I'm in the UK and am booked solid this December. I'm turning away bookings now. Chris, where in the UK are you based? If you're Bristol direction, I may be able to pass on some leads... Mike |
macmagic Veteran user MA 400 Posts |
I am also very booked for holiday programs this year, in fact it is my busiest December ever(wish there were more weekends LOL) To add to Donald's help, next year try marketing to these venues earlier, I sent my materials at the end of September beginning of October!
I am not sure what type of magic you are doing, I do kids' programs but having a themed program for daycares and schools and offering a sleight discount has worked really well to fill up my weekday mornings for December and then the weekends are filled with the big money shows! Hey if you don't book anything don't let it bug ya... Take the chance to enjoy the holidays and set up a new marketing strategy for next December! Greg
"Its a magic thing...........you wouldn't understand"
|
magicgeorge Inner circle Belfast 4299 Posts |
"The 18th 19th December is THE weekend for me each year"
Very clever calanders you have in Oz. Probably just one of those thing's, Nick, wouldn't worry probably get a couple of last minuters, can give them a 200% increase instead of the usual 20%. George |
Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
It has been a strange year. This year was the first Valentine's Day I have had open in over thirty years. Things have been very busy to date. But I also complained at Labor Day that I had zero December bookings. Other professional entertainers had the same problem.
Otherwise, I am booked up through September 2006. Lectures and theater shows are all I am seeking for 2006. Of course, I'll always take national TV ads. Repeat business has been unusually strong even where they try to rotate the acts every year. They are breaking their own rule. With the decline smaller businesses in the USA, trade shows are either very large or dying. They are also shorter. I don't work them anymore, but nightclub and country club bookings seem to be a going away thing too. I don't have plans for a single country club in 2006. There was a time when that was the easy money for bad dates. Apparently they have stopped entertaining their membership at night. It seems that they are down to just golf, the pool, tennis and the restaurant. There are no dances, no banquets, no variety shows and very few big receptions. The very affluent seem to be entertaining at home or at their recreational homes (lake, beach, mountains, etc.) but they pay very well. Live entertainment is more private and less public. Even the good fundraisers are very private. A repeat fundraiser Lucy and I will work for 2006 may have no public tickets available this year but moved to a facility with twice the seating. That is a complete change in original focus for many fundraises. They have gone from contriving visibility to total privacy. For a beginner, that would make it almost impossible to book without an agent. It's a cruel world. The really bad news for the entertainer is no "face time" in the promotion and media. It may well explain why some magicians today only perform for other magicians. In my younger days performing for other magicians was considered a total waste of time in terms of career building. Other magicians were not talent buyers. Doing a free public show with good "face time" made more sense. It got you before talent buyers. Now the highest paid gigs are in total privacy. But I watched this happen to recording artists in the 80s. Record buyers thought that the artists were not working because there was no public promotion or access to their live shows. They almost performed in secret! Yet the money was better than ever. Who can explain it? Bob Sander Magic By Sander |
icentertainment Inner circle 1429 Posts |
I'm an aussie and I have nothing on the 17th to 19th
BUT my dec 2 to dec 16 is crazy like 2 a day on average--- I do need some sleep. I got lots of Tuesday and wednesday gigs for some strange reason- they are Xmas corporate parties and not one thru an agent I don't know about the 17 to 19th personally I'm looking forward to my days off |
NJJ Inner circle 6437 Posts |
I just took two bookings for the 18th...phew!
Next weekend I have two gigs in Canberra on thursday then I drive to Sydney (300km) for a gig that night. On friday morning I drive back to Canberra for a 12:00 show followed by a 5:00 and 7:00 show that night. The next morning (Saturday) I need to be BACK in sydney for two more shows for a Christmas festival at 11:00 and 2:00 I got offered an 8:00 show on Saturday night in Canberra...I ALMOST took it! |
icentertainment Inner circle 1429 Posts |
You need a day off or at least a morning off to sleep in
|
NJJ Inner circle 6437 Posts |
I'll sleep when I'm dead!
|
FacadeTheStiltBoy Elite user Greensboro NC 474 Posts |
Halloween weekend is my busy week really.
I'm really not suited for corpo gigs or children's parties either (too bad, I'm great with kids and I like birthday cake, I just scare the hell out of the parrents) |
magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
Nick,
Get some really good Cds or better yet, get some books on tape. Be a great way to 1) keep yourself awake from all that traveling and also learn a bunch of stuff at the same time. I wish you all the best with your busy December shows. My wife and IO are also very bust this month with the busiest December for us in a long while. Seems like everyone is calling us for a variety of shows. What types of shows are you most booking this month? You Holiday party shows or birthday shows or a mix? Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Tricky business » » The busiest weekend of the year... (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.03 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |