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magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
I wanted to take the time to thank so many of you who have commented, bought and reviewed my new book on working the scout market. It is so very appreciated. Many folks have sent emails commenting that you can only work scout events during February and March. I would like to say that simply is not true.
Because of so many questions about this, I thought it would make sense to start a thread covering this topic specifically. Let me dive in a little bit on a specific HOT tip that can have you working scout events all year. My pleasure. The great thing about the scout market is that you do not have to limit yourself to working just the yearly banquet. There is a golden secret I would like to share with you that has tremendous value. It is something that can keep you working the market all year, provide a valued service and no one is doing it. Allow me to share the concept with you in hopes that it may open your own eyes to the possibilities. By contacting and talking with various Boy and Girl Scout Councils, I realized that both organizations have badges or awards that can be earned for doing and learning about magic. Sometimes these are referred to as merit badges but may be called different things in various scout councils. The key point is knowing that they do exist and that scouts can work towards earning this badge. If you are keyed into problem solving for your clients, then this raises a wonderful opportunity for you the entertainer. You have the ability to create a full scout program (meeting) for the scout packs or even girl Scout troops. The idea here is to provide a full meeting for the pack or troop that you provide for them. You provide a 30 minute magic show followed by a teaching workshop and then end with a question and answer session. The beauty of this is that everything you do is helping the Scouts earn their magic badge or award. In the minds of the Scout Leaders and Councils, this has amazing power and benefit for them. It serves a purpose far greater than just entertainment alone. Now you are providing a service that empowers the Scouts and gets them working towards something they can feel good about. It also allows you to charge more for the service and gets you to perform all year long performing this program for various cub packs and girl scout troops in and around your area. I started doing this a few years ago and the Scout Councils simply love it. In fact I have even had Scout Councils team up and bring together many packs and troops together and make a full afternoon event just from my program alone. What you teach needs to be easy items with stuff around the house that also empowers instead of frustrating. I usually do a floating pencil effect and also jumping rubber bands are very easy to do and I can provide the props for the scouts to keep at next to nothing in cost. Both are tricks the kids can do with ease and gets them excited about magic. If I have large groups, I teach the effects to the Scout Leaders ahead of time and then have them assist me with the hands on portion of the teaching workshop. This is great to do because it gets the Leaders directly involved in the teaching of the Scouts and empowers them as well. Allow the Scouts to keep the items to take home with them. The question and answer part of the program brings the kids back to the front area as you talk briefly about the history of magic and the importance of keeping the secret, practice and entertainment value. You can then allow the scouts to ask questions that they may have and answer them for them. You then wrap up the program by thanking everyone. It is a great opportunity that no one is doing and can allow you to really tap into this market in your own area and work it all year. a quick call to your local Scout Council can gain you great information that you can use to build your own magic program that is geared at directly helping Scouts to earn their magic badge. I hope this gets you seeing the incredible value in how you can work scout events not only in the standard months. You can develop a show that is booked by many troops and packs all year and gain you great income in the process. I see so many folks just doing the standard Blue and gold dinner and you do not have to limit yourself to just that. You can easily provide a full meeting that is a total solution to these scout groups. it works for not just cub scouts but girl scouts and any youth based program. I cover off on a lot more of this in the book and just wanted to share some of it with you all. Thanks again so much for your patronage and emails about the book. I would love to hear your thoughts or questions on this as it has come up a lot lately and I would love to hear feedback, ideas and your questions and such. Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
Al Angello Eternal Order Collegeville, Pa. USA 11045 Posts |
Kyle
If the scout troop saves up all year for several camping trips, ans a blue and gold banquet how in the world can they afford to pay a performer for additional events? Thanks for that job yesterday my friend.
Al Angello The Comic Juggler/Magician
http://www.juggleral.com http://home.comcast.net/~juggleral/ "Footprints on your ceiling are almost gone" |
harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
Your wonderful work with the SYM would make you a natural for this type of program.
Harris
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
Great question Al. You are also welcome about that gig. my pleasure. =)
There is this false idea that packs do not have money. This simply is not the case. They do. You just have to know how to find it and approach it. In most cases events are sponsoored also by scout councils and not paid for by the pack itself. When I do these style "meeting nights" and "workshops", I approach it 2 ways. I will first contact the scout counils in the area and offer them this idea. They are ALWAYS looking for events for the scouts to do and this total solution is something that they have just been extremely intersted in. It ties directly in with the magic merit badges and with the magic book the scout program actually has and sells at their council stores. In many cases, the scout council will set up several events with you and invite packs and troops to attend. this is what I have done many times with both cub scouts as well as girl scouts and they absolutely love it. The fee comes out of the main counil and not the pack itself. Since it has great value, and not just seen as entertainment, the councils are eager to have you. Also many packs team together and come together for larger workshop and scout outings, I have also marketed in this fashion also. this is a day or night where several packs can come together as a group to share in the learning experience. Harris: Thanks my friend. much appreciated. However, this is not limited to just folks who teach kids magic. This concept and idea of both scout "meeting nighgts" and "scout workshops" is something ANY family-style" entertainer can do easily. If you are already performing for kid's shows and family shows, then this market and these concepts can and will work for you with ease. It is just a natutal progression of what you are already doing. Hope this helps. Please let me know your thoughts, ideas and questions. So many folks think they can ONLY work scout events for Blue and Golds and you do not have to limit yourself in that fashion. Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
themagiciansapprentice Inner circle Essex, UK 1381 Posts |
This also works in other countries. Most seem to have Entertainers Badges / Toymakers Badges.
Have wand will travel! Performing children's magic in the UK for Winter 2014 and Spring 2015.
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magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
Absolutely right. Most countries have similar scout type programs or youth based programs much like cub scouting. The same principles and ideas do indeed apply. Why settle for working only in feb and marchg when you can earn money doing your usual show for scout events year round. It is a great market that people do not tap into enough.
Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
disneywld Special user Denver, CO 614 Posts |
I agree with your comment that the scout troops have money - maybe not all of them, but there are funds in the treasury. It depends on the troop's management team, some are savers, some are spenders. Just as with our family budget, we need to be convinced to buy a new item. If you make a good sales pitch, and come with good recommendations, there's the opportunity for the troop to find the money to have you perform.
With a new prospect, I'll come in for a 10-minute demonstration and walk out with a contract.
The Magic of Christopher Manos
www.christophermanos.com |
magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
Hi Christopher: Thanks for chiming in with your thoughts. You are correct, they do have funds and it is a matter of knwoing that they do and the different aproaches or avnues you can take to offer up a greta solution that is not seen just as entertainment but as a means in which to educate the scouts and get them earning a magic merit badge etc. This has great importance to a scout group or a scout council.
I have done this apoproach for years and it has me workjing scout events all year and not just in Feb. and march. Scout packs and scout councils are ALWAYS looking for fun and educational events for their scouts year round. If you come to them with a program (explained above and explained in full detail in my book) it is very hard for them to say no. You essentially are selling them a solution to a problem they are all faced with. This solution is easy for them to say yes to. Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
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